Did you know that April is International Guitar Month? If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, this would be the perfect time. And if you already know how to play the guitar, I hope you’re strumming chords and making music this month.
This week I’m suggesting a variety of guitar-related books from the library’s collection. For aspiring guitarists, “Play Guitar in Ten Easy Lessons” and “The Only Guitar Book You’ll Ever Need” are just a sampling of the many titles available to those new to the instrument. Curious about how the guitar came to be one of the world’s most popular instruments? Check out “Guitar: The World’s Most Seductive Instrument” or “Play it Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar.” I thought “Confessions of a Vintage Guitar Dealer” might appeal to musicians and guitar enthusiasts. And last but not least, “Making Poor Man’s Guitars” is a do-it-yourself instruction manual for making a cigar box guitar, a frying pan banjo, as well as an electronic washboard, a beer can microphone and several other unique instrumental devices.
- “Confessions of a Vintage Guitar Dealer: The Memoirs of Norman Harris” by Norman Harris.
- “Guitar: The World’s Most Seductive Instrument” by David Schiller.
- “Making Poor Man’s Guitars: Cigar Box Guitars, the Frying Pan Banjo, and Other DIY Instruments” by Shane Speal.
- “The Only Guitar Book You’ll Ever Need: From Tuning Your Instrument and Learning Chords to Reading Music and Writing Songs, Everything You Need to Play Like the Best” by Marc Schonbrun and Ernie Jackson.
- “Play Guitar in Ten Easy Lessons: A Simple, Beginner’s Guide to Learning Guitar” by Jon Buck.
- “Play it Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar” by Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna.
Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
