A Beginner’s Guide to Technical Basics and Sight Reading through Folk Music from Around the World
Learn to play notes on the guitar through an enchanting collection of folk songs from around the world. From the very beginning, you will be playing real music that delights students of all ages while learning to read sheet music for the guitar.
This book has six chapters, each of which focuses on one of the guitar’s six strings. The first chapter consists of pieces that utilize only the first string notes; the second, includes pieces that comprise only the second and first string notes, and so on, until the student is playing pieces which consist of the notes on all six strings. With this method, it is possible to learn a basic level of sight reading in about six weeks, taking only one week per string. For more information, see the foreword.
Bonus gift: With your purchase of this collection, we provide a 50% discount on your first month of LAGA Prime (our online lesson program) gives you access to both our classical and flamenco curricula with close-up videos, lesson notes and optional video coaching. To activate it, simply reply to your receipt email.
Level: Beginner
Format: E-Book (PDF), 52 pages.
License Information: Copyright © 2012 Los Angeles Guitar Academy Publishing. All rights reserved.
Lesson Program: LAGA Classical
Format: A collection of scores in standard sheet music notation (no tabs/tablature) as a digital PDF file available for instant download after purchase.
Jonathan W –
Beautiful collection in this book, great resource for beginners!
Scott Bynum –
Does the book cover each string all the way up the next or is it confined to the first position?
LAGA Support –
Thank you for your question. The collection focuses on the first position. Our online classical guitar program, LAGA Classical, covers all positions on all strings progressively.
-LAGA Support
Elijah –
I have no knowledge of reading music, would I still be able to use this ?
albmoriconi –
I bought this collection to complement the method I’ve chosen to follow with my students.
Modern guitar methods are fast-paced and cover a variety of styles and periods, but the background of the student approaching them can be (and of course will be) very various. When studying the first position, notes on new strings are introduced as fast as every two pages, that roughly translates in a week of home study.
This material is a wonderful complement for learning the first position and sight reading, especially when introducing the low strings and the student may begin to feel a bit overwhelmed. I especially like the idea to not give fingerings: this way, the student can’t “get hints” by reading the fingerings and not the notes.
This makes little changes to the presentation really easy: I guess many readers may prefer to play the G and D on the first and second string with the fourth finger, and not having a pervasive fingering makes easier to give this kind of indications. This also means, however, that the teacher should check carefully the fingerings and the use of the right hand (correct alternation, string crossings…).
Overall, this is really good material for sight reading when the pace of a traditional method is too fast.
figaro78 –
Hello Laga on line and a regard to all people having the passion of the guitar! I find these guides about discovering and mastering the six strings of the instrument very helpful for beginners and very complete too. Pieces are in growing order of difficulty, with the purpose of developing musical reading and technical skills gradually, step by step. I’m really not an absolute beginner, but for the fact that I don’t have played for much time, my necessity is start again from basics. At the moment, I’m not taking private lessons, but your study program, well structured, can represent a valid start and point of reference.
phoqwa –
I purchased this collection to help me with my sightreading. Not only is my sightreading improving, but I’m also learning some great folk music from all around the world. Win win! This collection also reinforces knowledge of the notes in first position on all six strings.
Daniel Gautier –
Purchased this to complement other learning materials and it helps since I am not getting the notes perfectly right first I try. Melodies are ok, not edge of my seat exciting. That will come later.
BHASKAR THAKURIA –
I cannot sight read yet but I have been learning classical guitar from one or two books I own. Not enough so I sought for resources. I found the beginner resource ‘Beginner Classics on Six Strings’ but found it difficult to read music well. So I seeked for this one and it compliments them well although it still does not provide detailed tabs. Great purchase though!