Recommend even for experienced musicians
937781
I learned much from this book and I've been playing the accordion for over 50 years.
I never really tried to understand the circle of fifths. I didn't realize what a useful tool this is.
4731883
Great book for learning to play with more subtlety, dynamics and creativity on the kit. This was one of the first books my drum teacher had me crack open after a 20 year hiatus from the drums (played a bit in high school, got distracted by guitar and hand percussion for a few decades and then came back to drum kit in my mid thirties once I finally had a basement I could set a set up in.) This isn't an easy book to get through and some of the exercises will have you gnashing your teeth but it's BEAUTIFUL when the lessons finally sink in and you feel that GROOVE flowing through all four of your limbs. I've been grinding my way through this book (among a few others like "Stick Control" and "Syncopation") for the last two months and have seen my playing grow by leaps and bounds. I'd agree with some of the other reviewers that it's not a "beginner" book, and honestly it was probably a bit above my level when I stared digging through it, but it's pure meditation and accomplishment going through this thing and learning how to drum with more funk and musicality.

Plus it makes my brain hurt.

Highly recommend.
2964384
This is a great device, not just for professionals, but for amateurs like me (I have a Fender Jazz Bass guitar that I'm learning to play). I wouldn't dream of trying to make some of these adjustments, not yet anyway, but with this, I can easily check to make sure everything is set up as it should be, and explain exactly what needs to be done when I take it to someone to be worked on, AND easily check to make sure everything was done as I asked. A must have for anyone who wants their guitar to be in optimal condition.
2484490
Even if you're not just into playing jazz, the exercises are really good. After working with them for a bit over a week I noticed my reading speed got a lot better, and I've got more control over my articulation and sound.

There are sections at the start of the book talking about various famous jazz musicians. It has some personal opinions of the author, it isn't purely factual. You might disagree with some of what he says, but its entertaining. I'm a pretty big fan of jazz already, and while not everything in the book was new to me, I did find that I appreciated the artists he writes about even more after reading the book.

His opinions about how to play are obviously going to be personal, and not everyone's approach to the trumpet is the same. But I do think that anyone who reads this, and tries playing the way he tells you will gain a lot of insight into the instrument and a lot of new enthusiasm and passion for playing.

5 stars, would recommend.
3671838
I've been playing guitar for the last 20 years on and off - I am self taught but have gathered understanding of music theory from friends and my band experiences. I have about a week sitting down with this book and I have already seen my mind open up to so much I was missing out on. Exercises are simple and to the point, Not too wordy - just lots of exercises. If you are like me - I see practice as something very mundane, but this book has just the right mixture of scales and application - and it makes all the difference. I have no hesitation recommending this book to an beginner/intermediate player who is looking to further their understanding of the blues, guitar, and scales in general. Can't wait to pick up other books to further improve my playing.
101987
I'd been playing guitar for 20 years when I bought this book, and had studied a lot of jazz, studied jazz theory at college, but never really got my mind wrapped around it - never really got it under my fingers. This book was a HUGE help up in getting some jazz vocabulary under my fingers. I've had the book about 4 years and have gone back to it again and again and will continue to. The solos are all played on CD to which helps to get the nuances of the phrasing. I put the solos on my iPod and listened to them over and over again before trying to learn them.

I'm currently playing with a jazz combo and have been surprised at some of the stuff that comes out of me, and I know a good portion has to do with Joe Diorio's book. If you are an intermediate to advanced guitar player and are really looking to get more jazz chops into your vocabulary, I highly recommend this book. Particularly if you are in the blues / funk / fusion, this book will provide a lot of ideas for developing longer lines, stretching phrases over the bar lines, playing over changes, and expanding harmonic perception.

I also purchased Joe Diorio's book, Intervallic Designs for Jazz Guitar. I found that book helpful too for stretching my concept of the guitar. But of any jazz guitar book that I've bought, I'd say this one was the best buy for me.

I come out of the blues / rock / funk / reggae genres, so the bluesy / souly side of jazz is always what appeals to me the most.
2876825
Just received this book the other day and had a chance to read through it. I have to say that I am really impressed with this book. It is very well thought out and very well organized.

This is more of a practical book than a tome on theory or jazz styles. It is setup in the lesson format with there being 13 lessons that build on each other and which are progressive in complexity.

The book starts from ground zero and includes a "prerequisite" group of lessons that start with learning the notes names on the keyboard, the Treble and Bass Clefs, note values, quarter, eighth, how to read and count rhythms, etc. The Main section has lessons that cover different styles, chord voicings, improvisation, playing standards, etc.

Now here is where it is like having teacher. For the main lessons he basically gives you a lesson plan of items to work on for that lesson. Each lesson contains six elements to work on, Ear Training, Technique, Rhythm, Repertoire, Improvisation and Harmony. Novello says that all of these elements rely on each other and should be tackled simultaneously, so for each of the 13 lessons you get practice exercises for each of those elements.

Novello encourages you to take your time with each lesson and suggests only moving on after you can play through the lesson material effortlessly. Having said that, I'd say that the average lesson may take about 4 to 6 weeks to really master (if you've been playing a while and have some technique) and that the book could easily keep you busy for a year to a year and a half. For myself, I've been playing for years in bands and solo and have studied with some great teachers but I am going to start working on this book to fill in some gaps in my playing and round out my foundation. From someone who has studied a lot and has taken lessons, I could see myself completing some lessons in a week or two but there are some areas where I am really weak and can easily see myself taking two months for a few of the lessons. For absolute beginners things will take longer since you are going to be building up your facility at the keyboard from the ground floor.

The CD is nice too. It gives you audio of examples and etudes given in the lessons and makes it easy to figure out how something sounds. I am fairly weak with reading, so I am grateful for the CD. On thing that might rub some people the wrong way is the way that self-promotion is sprinkled throughout the book. There references to supplementary info after most topics in the the lessons and they all refer you to either one of Novello's other books or one of his DVDs. This isn't much of a problem with me since I do plan on getting the other material, but it makes you feel like you are going to be missing out on the full learning experience if you don't get everything Novello has out there (at least the prices of the DVDs and books are reasonable.)

Bottom Line: The book covers a lot of ground and is well thought out and organized. It's primary focus is to get you playing, through exercises and practice routines (as opposed to something like the Jazz Piano Book by Levine which is more of a reference or book to study). The lessons give you specific exercises to work on and tell you where you need to be before moving on. A lot of direction on practicing is given. Although it has "Beginning" in the title, I think it has quite a bit to offer player who have been playing for a while. Definitely Recommended.
2557391
I have waited many years to learn how to play a musical instrument. Now that I am retired and officially a 'Senior Citizen', I am pursuing my lifelong secret dream, that of making music.  I chose the Bass Guitar as my priimary instrument but I still felt a need to play something melodic.

The Alto Recorder has a limited range and cannot be used for anything too complex. Once I got the feel of the fingering and stopped sounding like a whistle, I began to really enjoy improvising melodies. I have the standard recorder lesson books which are primarily filled with European folk tunes and are helpful for developing an ear for the instrument. After I do the standard lesson session, I spend some time just improvising, trying to work out the melodies of some of my favorite tunes.

While I never expect to play the Recorder for an audience, it does provide me with relaxation and enjoyment to counter the frustration experienced by trying to learn how to play the Bass Guitar. I cannot compare the Yamaha Alto Recorder to any other recorders since this is the only one I have ever used but it seems to be a quality instrument with no discernible defects.
It looks good, feels good, and with a little more practice, I am sure it will sound good.
4565077
I had no prior experience with music playing (other than blowing some simple tunes from a harmonica) and, yet, I found this

book to be surprisingly easy to learn from.  It smoothly and concisely guides the reader through the key elements of piano playing, starting with one-hand playing, but quickly to two-hands, then chords, etc., and ending with sharp and flat notes.  It is well organized, has well thought out exercises, advices, and a diverse collection of (short) attractive tunes of increasing complexity (from Jingle Bells to Waltzing Matilda to Silent Night to Green Sleeves to We Shall Overcome to Minuet in G Minor).  I prefer it to other teach-yourself piano books that take much longer to cover the same skills, such as The Complete Piano Player or Piano for Dummies.  I particularly like that it gets to two-hand playing almost right away, which I feel is better preparation--even if it feels hard and slows the playing initially.  It may have helped (coordination-wise) that I have been typing for 20+ years with both hands.  If you are looking for a book that teaches all the essentials of basic piano playing in a thoughtful and concise way, then I recommend this book.

If you perfer a slower pace, then maybe look elsewhere.

For me, this was the perfect book to learn from.
1402173
There are a ton of books and DVD's offering instruction in playing various instruments, usually implying some secret method to have you playing like Mozart in 10 days, or some such thing. As a professional musician, I know these claims to be nonsense. It would like becoming a great artist or professional athlete in a weekend. It just does not happen.
With that being said, I found Murphy Henry's unique style of teaching to be easy to follow, not the least bit boring, and suitable even for someone unable to read music and a musical novice, though a modicum of musical background would be a definite help. I have been a keyboardist, drummer and guitar player for years, but because of where I grew up, I had always wanted to learn the banjo. It is not an easy instrument to learn to play skillfully, yet Murphy had me understanding the basics and playing ( though rather poorly) my first day. She makes it clear you need to devote a good hour a day, start slowly and encourages a manner that allows you to practically pick up the tunes by ear. Basic easily mastered 3 finger runs ( forward, backward, square, etc.) that repeat regularly in most Bluegrass tunes are taught such that you will quickly come to recognize banjo runs that are repeated in most tunes, facilitating learning new tunes as your skill increases.

Ultimately, nothing matches having a personal instructor, but I have been so satisfied with Murphy's style of teaching that I have purchased two more of her DVD's. I love playing the banjo, and no book has come close to making the banjo as understandable as her instruction. One disc is less than one private lesson from a local teacher so for the individual eager to start learning on their, I wholeheartedly recommend this DVD.

Play on, and enjoy!
2586032
I am an intermediate/advanced guitarist (23 years but no formal lessons). I got serious about becoming a better Travis picker last year, and I worked my way through Mark Hanson's Art of Contemporary Travis Picking, which was excellent. Hanson is more classically oriented, though, and I wanted to play Hurt's three-fingered alternating bass style, laying my pinky on the guitar top to strengthen my thumb attack. I am very glad I worked through Hanson's book first because this book is NOT FOR BEGINNERS, but I am thoroughly enjoying Grossman's instruction and it is true in every way to Hurt's own picking style. This is the real thing.

Mr. Grossman groups the songs by key (starting with G), and the songs progress in difficulty in terms of adding more chords and more fretting hand movement as you go along. This is a splendid approach and builds your skills and confidence very efficiently. You should learn each song in order and resist the urge to skip ahead to your favorites. Everything builds logically and it is worth it.

Unlike many instructors on cd, DVD, or online, Mr. Grossman is quite relaxed and has a friendly, encouraging manner. The blues are a folk form, and Grossman's avuncular demeanor seems to have been picked up from the vibe of his mentors Rev. Gary Davis and Mississippi John Hurt (yes, he actually played with them!). The first song, as a bonus, is a tune Grossman recorded on tape while hanging out with John Hurt at a New York City cafe in the '60s. Clearly, this is the most authentic Hurt instruction you could hope to find.

One problem: the third bar of the first guitar tab is completely wrong, wrong in both the tab and the standard music notation. I skipped ahead to the second song out of frustration with myself before I realized the music was just written down incorrectly and did not match the cd. I wrote in the right notes, learned it, and moved on. This is disappointing from a quality control standpoint, but don't let it discourage you from buying the book. Just be ready for it when you start learning that first song ("Shake That Thing").
1746763
Very clear instruction. The author, Al Wood, is crazy talented. Look him up on Youtube!  I enjoy not only that he teaches technique but also some music theory, both of which have been helpful when looking up tabs online. I've only been playing the uke for a couple months and I think this book has really helped jump start what is quickly becoming a great new past time of mine.
703943
I love the sound of this instrument.  Quality is very good, light and protected by a case. Really worthy.
I recommend this for any age to explore music even if you don't have hight skills.
4544566
I have come late to studying the art of improvisation. I do have a music degree and have studied my main instrument (alto saxophone), and music for many years, along with being pretty knowledgeable about music theory and functional and basic jazz harmony. I feel Sound Origins by Jim Robitaille is a truly masterful book that can be used by musicians on many different levels as the author states.
Some parts of the book, depending on ones knowledge of harmony and exposure to the various forms of jazz and improvisation, will be for more intermediate or advanced players. However, I have found that most of the book and the very helpful insights offered, is a very worthwhile purchase for the less experienced musicians as well. One can start working on the more advanced areas of study within that can be achieved over the course of time at their own pace, either by teaching themselves and or with the aid of a teacher. With that said, all of this material will be here to inspire and help you with many specific fundamentals for now, before you start the real meat of the book and are ready to begin to work on your own developing your own musical identity.
4185812
Sokolow is a fantastic teacher.  What's great about this video is that every song feels like a real song (unlike in much introductory-level teaching).  Sokolow builds techniques gradually both between and within songs.  So if you are a total beginner, he'll teach you a way to play the first song just by strumming three basic chords.  Then once you have that down, he introduces a slightly more advanced strum; then once you have that down, he introduces a slightly more advanced picking technique; and so on.  The result is that a total beginner can work with this video and be playing real music right away, but someone with a little more experience can move more quickly at first and still pick up something valuable.  I was a little worried that this would be too basic, since I've been learning fingerpicking for about six months now.  That still makes me a beginner, and my fingerpicking has been Travis-style in a folk idiom, not blues--but I didn't want to waste a bunch of time with very basic exercises.  I'm having a blast with this.  I highly recommend this dvd to anyone who is either a true beginner or has some experience playing in another idiom and wants to get into the blues.
2148098
Great for beginner or intermediate players. Looks good and stays in tune and plays well. Excellent buy!!
2672673
I want to start this by stating that I have a minor understanding of music. As a bass player I learned how to read music and play one note at a time, but I never felt like I would be able to tackle the guitar or play chords. That's not to say I haven't tried, but nothing I've done so far has felt right. With the help of this e-book I finally have an easy way to focus directly on the chords. The very beginning of the book clearly explains how to use the symbols and notations used for instruction, and then jumps right in to teaching individual notes, which are of the roots of the chords.

The handbook instructs on music theory and technique, but not enough to bore you, and gets right into what is interesting about guitars, which is playing them! Going along with this is the instructional videos which correspond to the lessons. The videos are very helpful and go at a pace that is follow-able for beginners like me. Damon is very professional in the videos and is conscious of his audience. The videos are a real highlight of the e-book, as the links embedded in the lessons will instantly take you to the video on YouTube, and then when you are done you can go directly back to where you left off. The only downside here is that you need internet connection to connect to the videos. Overall though this has been a great tool so far, and I hope to continue using it to expand my musical education.