Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.59 You Save: $5.36 (45%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.96 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Pumping Nylon
Book Review: My most helpful of all my guitar books, but make sure you are ready for it.
Summary: 4 Stars
Have you ever watched a guitarist play, and wandered 'how in the world can that person make a wooden box sound so good?'
Well, folks Pumping Nylon will help you decipher the secrets on how to get that sound you never thought you could get out of a guitar. Pumping Nylon has become my favorite guitar instruction book. It goes into the specifics on how to technically develop good tone in your guitar playing. Scott Tenant spends considerable time on explaining the correct right hand action. Also the stretching drills for the left hand are very useful for making your hand glide between notes rather than drag themselves.
For total beginners, I would recommend that they either take a couple of private lessons so that their posture and handling of the guitar is correct. An alternative would be to get both Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing, and Jamie Andreas Guitar Principles book. This is because Pumping Nylon is directed more towards folks who already have these basics down. The 'Guitar Principles' book teaches you to be alert, aware, and relaxed while you play. The 'Solo Guitar Playing' book will start you off slowly, and goes into details on posture. Once you have these two things down: posture, and alertness of what your fingers are doing, it's guaranteed that you are ready to move up to the next level. That's where Pumping Nylon comes in handy. It will get you off the the beginner rut, and will get you to start sounding like a real guitarist due to the emphasis on technique.
Book Review: some harmless corniness, but a great book
Summary: 4 Stars
Ignore the review by the guy who complained about the book's advice on shaping nails. That guy has an ego problem (see his bio). You are instead better advised to listen to someone like Scott Tennant who has a proven track record for being an awesome guitarist, musician _and_ teacher. (He won or placed highly in several international competitions; he has at least one student who has excelled likewise and speaks highly of him; see Martha Masters.) He makes it clear that individual preferences and needs differ, and that some of his advice may not necessarily work for all guitarists, but that he draws on years of teaching and performance experience. Even if you disagree about the nails (use your brain to decide if his advice works for you), you surely will find something else of value in the relatively inexpensive book. My only complaint might be that there are some ideas or recommendations regarding technique could use a bit further explanation or clarification. A good companion book for this (that I also recommend) is the Charles Duncan book, which goes into more detail along the same lines, but doesn't provide the practical exercises.Book Review: Invaluable if you want to improve - not for beginners
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not a beginner book and it is not a learning book. It doesn't show you how to play classical guitar. This is a technique building book and it works extremely well at this task. This book is perfect for you if you have been playing classical guitar regularly and for some time now -If you are trying to grow in your ability past the beginner stage and the early intermediate stage.
This book is something you should get if you have some time to commit to the guitar on a regular basis because the warm-up exercises and the various left/right hand exercises take time. Just doing these exercises will take an hour of your playing time.
If you already have a repertoire and you want to become more technically proficient then this book is perfect. the exercises really do work. If you have the time to commit to this book your playing will improve dramatically. It will help you identify and improve technical points that you are weak at.
Book Review: Full and complete
Summary: 4 Stars
This book was a textbook for my intermediate guitar class and is full of useful techniques for daily practice to improve skill. It included Guilianni's guitar repertoire and bought at Amazon, came only two days later after purchased cheaper than when I tried to buy it at the Guitar Center....Great buy! Practice, practice, practice.
CSL
Book Review: Thumb up
Summary: 4 Stars
A must if you are interested in getting into Bach Lute Suites For Guitar (Classical Guitar Series). If you are playing Bach's Lute Suites and are having difficulties---like me, this book will help.