Best Classical Guitar Method Books

Best Classical Guitar Method Books

Best Classical Guitar Methods

What are the best method books for classical guitar? The answer depends on what your goals are but we have a few ideas to help guide you through choosing one. The big danger in choosing a method book is that publishers have geared some books towards crossover students and other books to beginners or those who want to learn properly. Maybe the bigger danger is that guitar books move way too fast compared to methods from other instruments. So let's take a look at your options.

Why we like our method books. The first book is a free pdf and combines the best elements of many other books. Our books draw on the rich pedagogical tradition of classical guitar but the inclusion of some fingerstyle and chord accompaniment creates well-rounded students who have a wider knowledge of the guitar world. Also, many classical guitar methods move too quickly and result in the student forming bad habits even if they can play the material. Our books have tons of easy pieces so students can truly master every page in a progressive manner. The main reason students like our methods are the free Youtube videos for all the pieces and exercises which is a far better medium for explaining classical guitar technique and musical concepts compared to text. Plus YouTube is easier to use compared to some of the awful sign-in platforms companies use. 

Pros of our method books:
  • Free YouTube video lessons for all the material with no annoying sign-in, this is better than reading text, the videos are a real discussion with demonstrations 
  • Affordable and available as PDF or Hardcopy
  • Tons of easy material to help the student master each concept
  • Updated often, plus you can ask us important questions via email or YouTube
  • Our books form a step by step progressive study towards advanced playing
  • Feeds into the Volume 2 method followed by books with repertoire lessons for grade 1-6.

Our Top Rated Method Books

Beginner Methods by Other Publishers (via Amazon Links)

  • Shearer Series: Classic Guitar Technique, Vol 1 - An age old classic: solid and straight forward with lots of info text and exercises. Maybe a bit boring at times and I don't like the rest strokes he uses early on but this is still a great book for learning solid skills and reading. 
  • Hal Leonard Method by Paul Henry - A great basic method, especially for adults that want clear explanations. Not a lot of actually music by composers but Henry's pieces are pedagogically solid and still enjoyable. This might move too quickly for some people but good for crossovers and enthusiastic practicers. Plus it's super affordable and available everywhere so why not pick up a copy. 
  • Solo Guitar Playing by Frederick Noad -  Very good but very text heavy and bad pictures of playing at the start. That said, this is an excellent method with tons of duets and great repertoire and provides years of practice as it covers tons of ground, even to upper positions. Kind of a shame to have to stick with the same book for so long but the materials are good. If you don't have a teacher maybe skip this as most of the start is little duets. 
  • Charles Duncan Modern Method Books 1-3 - Decent books and pretty good for kids and some adults. I don't love the pieces and the progression of the book but students like this book and find it easy to use which says something. Bad pictures of positions again but that's not the end of the world. I wish there was more material in the book and the layout less blocky and big but, again, students seem to like it.  
  • Christopher Parkening Method (Vol. 1-2) - A very solid method with good musical materials and excellent diagrams and advice. If it wasn't so outdated I might consider this one of the best. It moves a little fast but is good for most students. He is a great player so you can trust his advice. I would get this and maybe use it as sight reading material. 

Technique and Reading Methods from Other Publishers

 Best Historical Method Books for Classical Guitar

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