A friendly, step-by-step guitar course for adults teaching themselves. No teacher, no music reading, no talent required. Just a guitar, this book, and 15 minutes a day.
This book is written for adults with busy lives, who want clear steps, large print and honest advice, not a wall of jargon.
Every lesson fits in 15 minutes and on two facing pages, so you never turn a page while you're playing.
Large charts printed right where you need them, with every finger numbered. No squinting.
39 recordings, one for every exercise and song, so you always know how it should sound.
Real songs from start to finish, not snippets: folk classics, Beethoven, the blues and more.
Every new word explained the moment it appears. No music reading needed, ever.
What to do about sore fingers, buzzing strings and slow chord changes, from day one.
Large print, big diagrams and lots of white space. Every day's lesson tells you exactly what to do, minute by minute.
You won't be a rock star in 10 weeks. Nobody is. But you will be a guitar player.
Every exercise and song has a free recording. Here are three from along the way.
Your first song: just two chords
Strummed in waltz time
Fingerpicked, in the final week
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No. The book uses chord charts and tab, which show exactly where to put your fingers. Chapter 2 teaches you to read them, slowly, one step at a time.
No. The book is written for adults teaching themselves, at any age. Short daily practice suits adult hands and busy lives, and nothing assumes you've played anything before.
Any acoustic, electric or classical guitar is fine. You'll also want a tuner (a free phone app works), a couple of picks and a chair with no arms.
Yes. Many left-handed people play a normal guitar. If you own a left-handed guitar, simply swap 'left' and 'right' as you read; tab works exactly the same.
A little, for the first two to four weeks, while your fingertips toughen up. That's normal and it passes. The book shows you how to practise without overdoing it.
Scan the QR code in the book, or visit olliehartmusic.com/guitar. All 39 recordings are free and play right in your browser.
Guitar for Adult Beginners, by Ollie Hart. Paperback and Kindle.