Turns out I've got a cheap employer after all (and it's not Paul! :wink: ) Got this note from my marketing person earlier today, which is answering four emails from me in the past two weeks:
Yes, it's possible that some people haven't received their review copies just yet. Because the book is “on sale†September 5th, the warehouse would have been focusing on “paying customer†orders first and will fill the individual orders once they're done with Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. This is pretty common, so I order a quantity for myself to mail out to reviewers (it's quicker, but I haven't received my quantity yet either). These review copies should be going out very soon.
So keep being patient and my apologies for this.
And to top it all off, I'm going to be asking everyone who reviews (or simply buys) the book for a big favor, so let me get you all in on the news first.
I don't know how many of you have read or seen The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Guitar. It was written by the late great Frederick Noad and, as such, is truly geared for someone wanting to get started from the classical guitar approach to things. Doesn't even mention strumming or playing rhythm in any of its 258 pages.
Even before I got the bass book assignment, I've been trying to pitch a guitar book to the folks at Alpha, but they (and bless their hearts for this) stand by the books they have. One of the many problems I had in writing the bass book was not "stepping on the toes" of the other "Idiot's" books, especially the one on music theory.
So I looked at the Guitar for Dummies series and discovered two important things. First off, they have a Rock Guitar For Dummies book, which deals specifically with (surprise) electric guitar. So I've put together a pitch for what is essentially a Complete Idiot's Guide to Electric Guitar that I envision as a primer for rhythm and lead guitarists.
And what does this have to do with anything? Well, the good news is that my acquisitions editor is taking my proposal to the "big board meeting" in late September. AEs don't usually do that unless they think they've got a real good shot at getting a go-ahead on the project.
What can help tip the scales immensely are good initial sales figures for the bass book, which won't really be figured in because the book will have just come out. So don't worry, I'm not asking you to buy up copies for everyone you know (but they do make great Christmas and birthday presents... :wink: )
The other thing that can really help is good, thoughtful reviews. So if you want to, and only if you think the bass book was good, please post a review of the book up somewhere online, especially places like Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble's website and even at Penguin Books (Penguin owns Alpha Publishing).
Obviously the sooner the reviews get out, the more reviews I can get to the attention of my acquisitions editor who will in turn present them to the big cheeses.
And if you want to get on the "Review Copies being sent" list, let me know and I'll do my best to get you a copy before they're out in stores.
Now, I mentioned that going through the Dummies catalog brought two things to my attention. You're going to love this. Everyone knows I've been pitching publishers to do a book version of our online "easy songs" or "intermediates" lessons here at Guitar Noise. Imagine my surprise when looking through the Hal Leonard catalog and finding Acoustic Guitar Songs for Dummies and Rock Guitar Songs for Dummies. According to the literature, each book contains about three dozen songs. complete with "music notation, guitar tablature and performance notes."
So I figure someone's beat me to it and gone and done something smart. And I order the books. Turns out the "performance notes" consist of fifteen to twenty-four lines of "instructions," and all the performance notes for every song are written at the very beginning of the book. The rest of the book is the typical guitar tab book that you pick up at a store. I strongly suspect that just about every song is also covered in Hal Leonard's "Play Along" guitar series (a great series, by the way).
So if anyone wants to take a look at either of these books in a store (I can't recommend them in and of themselves) and post a review saying "how come this book doesn't have real teaching value like..." and feel free to post a link to your favorite lesson, please be my guest.
Unless Paul (or Nick)(or Alan)(or... :wink: ) says it's not a good idea.
And speaking of ideas, it's my plan to post a similar plea for support on the general forum area the week the book comes out. If you think that's not wise, please let me know. I appreciate everyone's input on this as I think I'm way too close to the project to think all that objectively anymore.
Anyway, my thanks again for all the help and support. You have been nothing less than terrific in making all this possible.
Peace
What sort of "instructions" were in the performance notes? In my airspace it's normal to have fingering instructions and Barre positions in the score and some general instructions earlier in the book.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Sounds like a great idea to me. To hell with the rest, you're the best!
Here's the entire Performance Notes section for I'd Love To Change The World...
The legendarty guitarist Alvin Lee has worn many musical hats, most notably as the frontman for the prolific British blues-rock band Ten Years After. Their 1971 album A Space in Time featured their biggest hit "I'd Love To Change The World," a sort of anti-establishment hippie anthem for the Vietnam Era.
Our favorite word
This song is built largely on chord arpeggios (chords played one note at a time) with chromatic passing tones. It's always best to learn the chord shapes first, then get into the picking.
Starting on the Em chord, use your middle and ring fingers on fret 2. That makes it easy to do the following chromatic run, one finger per fret. (Chromatic notes are just as you see - one fret, or half step, away from each other). Then you get chromatic on the A string. After the B7, you're in position to start over.
Power chords
A chord labeled with a 5 after it, as in the verse, is known as a power chord (or simply a "five" chord), and it owes that distinction to the fact that it's neither major or minor. It only contains two notes, the 1st and the 5th (and higher octaves of both) and is missing the all important 3rd - the note that determines the mood: major or minor, happy or sad. Without that note, you get a "powerful" sound.
The verse gets into rhythmic strumming and "dead notes" - for all the Xs in the tab, lay your fretting hand over the string and strum for a percussive "chick-a-chick."
Now all of that is great as a bit of a capsule, but it truly doesn't walk you through playing the song. Also, this is the twelfth song in the book and this is the very first mention in the performance notes (or anywhere else in the book) of "1st, 3rd and 5th." So I guess fokls just automatically know that stuff these days.
It's just enough information to make someone think they know what they're talking about. Which means that they'll come here and have a lot of questions, I guess!
Alan, there aren't any fingering suggestings in any of the tab (thanks for making me look at that, didn't even occur to me! :wink: ). No chord charts either, just chord names. There's a generic chord chart at the very end of the book, but that's it. It doesn't even contain a good number of chords used throughout the book. And, except for the tab, you can't tell if you're supposed to play a G in open position, as a barre chord or in a D shape up the neck.
The thing that intrigues me is that the Dummies people got together with Hal Leonard in order to use their catalog and could have come up with a killer tutorial to end all tutorials and they settled for pretty much nothing.
I need to send Hal Leonard another proposal pronto!
Peace
It's not brilliant is it, but it's more than you get in a lot of "Buskers" books.
To write the mother of all tutorials you have to have the mother of all teachers, and I think we've kept you to ourselves quite well.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I do have that book. I'll take a look and write it up.
"Hey this is a really good book with accurate tab, but I really wish it would go more in depth on the how's and why's. If it could also fit in a bit of fingering suggestions, subtle music theory and maybe just teach you a bit it would be perfect."
No, far too subtle. Stop beating around the bush man and say what you mean.
Hee hee
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
On the business side, David go ahead and promote your stuff, past, present, and future. Consider it compensation in lieu of salary.
Anyone who perceives a problem will instantly have their accounts deleted.
I've often thought that the "Dummies" and "Idiots" titles left it open whether you earned the title when you bought it.
"Guitar for Newbies" seems like a better title for a new series produced by all the talented folk here at GN.
How about "Guitar Made Simple" or "Rock Guitar Made Simple".
David, I was not in on the reviews thing, but if I get a copy of your Bass book I will be glad to leave reviews at those sites.
Much success.
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
My guide to being a complete idiot came in the post today and I'm about to sit down with a cup of tea (it won't sound the same as a bass but tastes better :wink: ) and start to learn.
Hopefully do a review for you asap.
Bob :wink:
You are what you eat, eat well
Oooh, that means mine shouldn't be far behind
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I hope so!
I also hope it means that my copies are coming soon as well. I've got to do that first contest this weekend!
Peace
I hope my copy arrives in a couple hours or I'm out of here. Going to see Tom Petty with the Blind Boys of Alabama tonight and then off to California very early in the morning.
Man, it's weird being in the same time zone as some of you guys and gals.
Paul,
I caught Petty in Columbus. Nice concert. You'll enjoy it.
Tim
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Mine just came in this afternoon. Looks great!
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
