Aaron Shearer: Learning the Classic Guitar, Part 2

Bought this for my son. No issues

To start, let me say I've played electric guitar with a plectrum for several years now. However, I wanted to explore the world of the classical guitar, so I bought these books to teach myself, based mostly upon the reviews posted here on Amazon about how this is a very well organized, well explained system (although admittedly, it is intended to be used with a skilled teacher). I bought all 3 books, and have gone through Books 1 & 2 now (they must be used together, so don't buy one without the other). I agree that Shearer's "system" seems well organized, but the books themselves definitely are NOT well organized. I really don't like having to constantly switch between books 1 and 2, when the pertinent materials could have all just been printed together in the same books. There is a lot of empty white space in both books, and they could have easily been combined for simplicity, probably with a lesser overall page count. Also, book 1 will discuss a technique (there's no actual music in Book 1), then sometimes, but not always, refer to some pages in Book 2. There are many pieces in book 2 that don't map back to anything in book 1. You can kind of figure it out, but why should you have to? It should be clearly marked which lessons go with which songs. Also, the finger notation is VERY lacking, and doesn't always match the explanations in book 1. In each music piece in book 2, a very FEW of the notes will have finger markings. . . .but not enough to make sense of some ambiguous situations that arise frequently, especially when these markings contradict what is said in Book 1. I assume there is a good reason for these fingerings (and I can certainly guess at them), but it's not actually explained. Since I already play guitar with a plectrum, my only interest in these books is to learn the classical finger picking style. But, it's just not explained very clearly. There is a LOT of explanation about how to micro-position the guitar, your hands, fingers, etc. Almost too much explanation. There is also a lot of "don't touch the guitar yet, but just think about how you're going to play it." Don't get me wrong, this detail is great, but he doesn't provide equally great detail to everything. Some areas (especially right hand fingering) are just entirely lacking in the needed detail, or any detail at all. He spends a LOT of time on describing how to, and how not to, move your right hand fingers correctly (this part's great), but then almost no detail about when to alternate fingers, or use the same finger successively, which fingers might be best for which situations, etc., when playing the pieces in book 2. So, yeah, if you want to teach yourself, this is probably not the best set of books for you. With a teacher to accompany them, they're fine. But then, you wouldn't need book 1 at all.

I recently read in Acoustic Guitar Magazine a listing and valuation of the different methods of learning to play the classic guitar. Wonderful, and Shearer's works were included as one of the best. I had some of his Methods books and used them when learning, but noted that I did not have them all. This purchase completed the collection, and I'm back to reviewing them all again. The value is clear, and I'm enjoying all of them. This one is his second (call it "Intermediary" Method book) and follows the first smoothly. His teaching style is perfectly organized to flow from one skill and base of knowledge logically to the next. Again, I love his work.

Great fundamentals - used at various guitar instruction venues (university, individual studios, high schools, etc.) Progression allows the student to truly get the fundamentals correctly while advancing to melodies while understanding concepts and notation. Really notice the difference in my playing because now I am learning to read music rather than just cranking out chords.

Our son has been taking classical guitar lessons for the past 4 years. This is the next book in his core guitar training.Book is spiral bound so it is easy for your child to practice with it laying flat against a guitar stand rather than trying to fight to keep the book open.Highly recommend this for anyone serious developing solid foundation for music theory.

There is a lot of very, very elementary material in this book. I am disappointed in that. Eventually one gets to more "meat", but I feel the really elementary material would have best served to be in the first Volume. For someone like me, already an accomplished musician, the way the books are organized and so much elementary material is not very helpful. Too bad there does not seem to be a book that assumes, for example, that one can read music, knows the parts of the guitar, how to tune etc.

Purchased at the request of my instructor, I am progressing very nicely. This is fantastic for beginners! I have learned so much and will learn even more!

Must be used with Part 1. The whole complex system is excellent for learning all music!

I found that this book concentrates on mainly sight reading.

This book consolidates what you have previously learnt about playing classical guitar. Very good book

This book is overpriced, and has a very mediocre content. Just enroll for a class at an academy. No book can replace that.

Je trouve que le niveau est moyen et ce numéro 2 convient pour les apprenants et non pas pour ceux qui jouent depuis longtemps ; seul le n°1 était exceptionnel et c'est celui que je conserverais sûrement pour les bons conseils et préceptes qu'il prodigue. D'où ma note 4/5