I started learning a few months ago. I started with William Leavitt's a modern method. But I also had the Hal Leonard book lying around so I am working on them in parallel. Doing that has meant the in 3 months I have really learnt an amazing amount. Just a couple of weeks ago I got hold of the Mel Bay book 1 too and found that just in an evening I could play half the book already.. so now I am doing all 3 in parallel lol... I believe variety is the key to learning a musical instrument and as you say they all take a different path....
Thanks for sharing! I've also found that branching out and taking in multiple avenues can be really helpful for getting a well-rounded approach to learning!
@@NickTolmanMusic I just wanted to comment again and say that understanding what notes are in a chord and how they are built must be super important. I play a little piano as well and when I started playing guitar (on my first attempt a couple of years ago) I had a book of songs which basically taught you just the chord shapes and nothing else (Well the words too).. To top it off I read that some guitarists couldn't even read notes. Which I found a bit odd. For me it is a bit part and parcel that I know how it all fits together. Ps.. you should review that Leavitt book.. I think it is the hardest of the lot but if a student likes a challenge that's the one :)
@@MrSouzy I'm right there with you. I am a pianist and I used to just know a bunch of chords for guitar and that was it. After starting Hal Leonard I can finally understand what I'm doing. Btw the biggest issue for me as a pianist is an open string in a sequence of notes lol. I am so used to press something to play a note and sometimes my brain just refuses to follow through whenever it's an open string.
i teach both as well, and i gotta say that the explanation you gave was not only the most honest; it was very accurate, concise, and thorough. excellent video!
This is great. I'm in a Face Book group for beginner guitar players. Lots of people have questions about how to get started or they stall out because they are just watching random UA-cam videos. I'll tell them to watch this. I'm using the Mel Bay method. with your videos. I started with Mel Bay about 50 years ago. Maybe I'll get a little farther this time. It is a whole lot easier with your videos.
@NickTolmanMusic Thanks so much for putting together this video! I am simultaneously taking lessons for myself while I'm also trying to teach beginning guitar to kids and adults, and I've been unsure of the merits of one of these books being better than the other one. This will help me in my teaching. Thanks!
I've had the same Mel Bay series for about 40yrs...I revisit them ever so often when I need refresher as well as other literature...Guitar and note reading is very unforgiving if you don't stay on top of it...lol... You brought something to my attention I hadn't noticed before. Hal Leonard does spend more time on 1 string studies. In that aspect the reinforcement might be better. You can't go wrong with Mel Bay though.
Hello, I want to learn to play the guitar but my main goal is to play fingerstyle, I don't want to sing while playing. I was about to buy the Hal Leonard's method but after watching the video I think that the Mel Bay's method could be more suitable for me, since it introduces chord melodies earlier (plus I already play the piano a bit, so I need less music theory compared to a total beginner in the musical world). Thanks for the video! I've found a bundle with all the books in one volume😁
A advice for those who are starting in guitar is not using Berkley's guitar method. I started that method and frustrated me doing the chord exercise, and it has a little bit of a known repertory. I remember I was looking forward to learning guitar and my teacher told me that using the Berkley method would learn a lot. I didn't agree because guitar method books must be simple to read with easy songs to learn at home. Anyone who had the same problem with the Berkley guitar method?
Great video Nick! I started with Mel Bay 1 30 yrs ago in India and stopped after completing...now have restarted playing and also teaching with Mel Bay. I find it a great book and glad to know from your video that it's still popular. Btw I remember there was also another popular Nick Manoloff's 'Spanish Guitar Method' series those days. Is it still around and how do you compare it with these two just in case you are also using it. Thanks. Girish
Great review. Mel Bay does do chord melody while Hal Leonard does not, even in Book 3. But HL does have lyrics with the melodies for singing. A nice addition. I wish Mel Bay publications will update the typeface, fonts, pictures, and page layout of all their guitar and bass books. These titles seem to be all exactly as they were originally in the 1960s. All made before computers. The other titles all have pages that are more attractive to look at, and clearer to read, IMO.
Mel Bay’s “Mastering the Guitar 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C”. Wonderful books. Updated, much modern, blues jazz rock, songs with lyrics and more. No one ever talks about them. They’re great. And challenging, yet fun.
100% on this. The note dots are too large, sometimes run together; there are errors in notation; no explanation of why chord names are added above single notes (best answer I've seen is they can be used for accompaniment). Newer Mel Bay books are much clearer to read, so agree on the change with computers.
I found the Hal Leonard too easy, but I studied piano 4 years. Leavitt-Berklee has a beginner version too. Anyway... MelBay's extended versions add nice material, even if not foundamental. Hal Leonard 1 can be useful for a very beginner in order to have a "quick" guide with less "theory". I also think that people should consider a bit of classical (Carcassi, Carvalhero, Gangi), at least for scales and arpeggios.
@@IanArizpeArroyo it depends. How much knowledge of music do you have? Mel Bay are very progressive, even too much and have their lacks but probably the best at the moment. Leavitt is less boring but you must build a lot of things on your own... and not suited for total beginners and with not much chords stuff. It s better to begin with the volumes for beginner. Then.. methods are not the graal. Specially for an jnstrument that can be used in so different ways... if you want to learn jazz you need a lot of paper and ear training than a "music method" 😅 for example. And look also for practical chords books.. not songs books, they are sort of "methods for chords" beginning with easy stuff and building up more complex combinations.
Hey,I'm a beginner and can play some of the pop songs fingerstyle. But my technique is poor. I'm really interested in learning classical music although I have an acoustic guitar. Which book should I go for Berklee,Mel bay or leonard
@@maazahmed4121 what I wrote is still valid. It depends... beginner in general or beginner at guitar? Anyway... considering they do not cost a lot, if you are going alone, i would suggest to buy at least 2 different. If you are a total beginner I probably would pick the beginner version of the berklee (not the famous black cover one, but the easier version) and the one I said is "too easy", but if you have never seen a note is good. In Italy we have also massimo varini that makes a lot of good stuff, and some of them is also sold in English I think, but for a "more classic, theory based approach" those above are better.
@@maazahmed4121 for classical guitar you should go for the classical books... neither of those are good (they are all for picking style). I dont know the name of the different opus... but scales, arpeggios, carcassi and so on. Ther is also a modern book of classical guitar that seems, but i don t remember the title. Is thick and and i think there aren t a lot of classical modern books around.
All I can say I thoroughly enjoy Hal Leonard so far. As a beginner ofc. After following useless UA-cam chord/power chord stuff I wanted something thorough from A to Z and it looks like that is the case.
Great video! Thanks... To me, the Mel Bay method is simply more challenging, in-depth and thorough; especially if you continue on to the later grades...
Thanks for the comment Brennan. I agree with this. I have also found that for some people, it's just a little too much. I've had a few times where I've started a student with Mel Bay and after a couple months of lessons realized it was moving a little too fast so I moved them to Hal Leonard (just for book one) and then eventually moved them back to Mel Bay again once they were a little more comfortable with some of the basics. I honestly think this is why they eventually rolled out the expanded editions because these move a little slower.
Great explanation! Thanks. I have a question on either/both of these books. Is there a Christmas song book for beginning guitar that would pair well with either of these? I’m thinking of it in the manner of additional song material to practice on that will be of similar skill level as these beginner books while also learning some recognizable songs that family and friends will enjoy hearing.
Man, people saying they recommend Hal Leonard for kids makes me feel really stupid. I'm finding it really obtuse. I'm a late beginner/early intermediate but trying to learn sight reading but as soon as it goes into more than 2 strings i find it really hard to see what I'm supposed to be playing on the staff. Do I just need to stick at it and get my reps in? Finding it all very frustrating! (Self taught)
Thanks! This was very helpful. I’m a professional/schooled trombone player and have been trying to decide what books or dvds to pick up to help me learn guitar. I have the Mel Bay “Fun with the Guitar” book from when I tried to pick up guitar as a teen but didn’t stick with it. Are there any other good books you would recommend to supplement the Mel Bay method? Maybe something with some warmup/technique exercises or good songs for a beginner that aren’t so old fashioned.
I think for someone like you that is as musically proficient as you I would recommend checking out the William Leavitt method. Heres a link amzn.to/3bjYy66. These books are really great and are much more technique/exercise based. They also move also move faster. I usually only recommend for someone who is already a confident musician. One question I have for you is what style of plying are you wanting to do?
I like a little of everything but mostly looking to play a mix of rock (classic rock through the 90s era), blues, and some of the old outlaw country type stuff.
Hi Nick, I did a search for what comes after Mel Bay and your video came up: I understand all the theory I took functional piano in college and I can read but I have a lot of trouble with the B String and my Gibson neck is a little narrow. But I do like having the lyrics because my lyric writing isn't as strong as my composition. Do you know what method would follow that would be the next stage after finishing the Mel Bay Method? I'm interested in Nashville Country Picking a lot. Thank You, Alan
Neither of these methods introduce fingerstyle playing however many of the exercises in Mel Bay are very conducive to fingerstyle playing. Mel Bay definitely has more for chord melodies.
Hiya Nick, as you've said in the video, both these books use the Plectrum technique. What would you recommend for a preteen who wants to learn finger strumming please?
@@NickTolmanMusic I am using the Mel Bay method just because I had it laying around. This video was beneficial as I am now more interested in theory and helped me decide if I needed to order the Hal Leonard method. I think I am going to stay with the Mel Bay method for the reasons you mentioned. However, I did buy the Hal Leonard method flashcards for the notes and music terms which has been awesome!
You could definitely give it a try. If you find yourself struggling with grade two you could always go back and review grade one. Your other option is you could try to do a quick pass through book 1 before moving on to two to make sure you don’t miss any important concepts!
You can do this! Never give up. Hard work pays off. :D Nothing is impossible through Jesus Christ ❤️ Just keep practicing and you will get better. “When you want to quit, think about why you started”- Someone.
I started learning a few months ago. I started with William Leavitt's a modern method. But I also had the Hal Leonard book lying around so I am working on them in parallel. Doing that has meant the in 3 months I have really learnt an amazing amount. Just a couple of weeks ago I got hold of the Mel Bay book 1 too and found that just in an evening I could play half the book already.. so now I am doing all 3 in parallel lol... I believe variety is the key to learning a musical instrument and as you say they all take a different path....
Thanks for sharing! I've also found that branching out and taking in multiple avenues can be really helpful for getting a well-rounded approach to learning!
@@NickTolmanMusic I just wanted to comment again and say that understanding what notes are in a chord and how they are built must be super important. I play a little piano as well and when I started playing guitar (on my first attempt a couple of years ago) I had a book of songs which basically taught you just the chord shapes and nothing else (Well the words too).. To top it off I read that some guitarists couldn't even read notes. Which I found a bit odd. For me it is a bit part and parcel that I know how it all fits together. Ps.. you should review that Leavitt book.. I think it is the hardest of the lot but if a student likes a challenge that's the one :)
After all it's just a matter of practice and skill development. These are just guides and they work great to guide us.
@@MrSouzy I'm right there with you. I am a pianist and I used to just know a bunch of chords for guitar and that was it. After starting Hal Leonard I can finally understand what I'm doing. Btw the biggest issue for me as a pianist is an open string in a sequence of notes lol. I am so used to press something to play a note and sometimes my brain just refuses to follow through whenever it's an open string.
i teach both as well, and i gotta say that the explanation you gave was not only the most honest; it was very accurate, concise, and thorough. excellent video!
This is great. I'm in a Face Book group for beginner guitar players. Lots of people have questions about how to get started or they stall out because they are just watching random UA-cam videos. I'll tell them to watch this. I'm using the Mel Bay method. with your videos. I started with Mel Bay about 50 years ago. Maybe I'll get a little farther this time. It is a whole lot easier with your videos.
William, I’m glad you found your way to my videos and Im I’m especially glad they’re helping you! Best of luck as you con incur this journey!
Helpful video, I now realize it's important to learn from various sources
@NickTolmanMusic Thanks so much for putting together this video! I am simultaneously taking lessons for myself while I'm also trying to teach beginning guitar to kids and adults, and I've been unsure of the merits of one of these books being better than the other one. This will help me in my teaching. Thanks!
if you went through all of the mel bay guitar methods 1- 7 . you really did something. so much on harmonized scales and etudes.
Excellent video. Having used both books, I totally agree with everything you said.
Thank you very much. Very Helpful. I am relearning the guitar, the correct way and this helped a lot. I will go with Mel Bay. I appreciate the help.
Thanks Nick.
Excellent - Just what I wanted to know
Thanks for the comparison; I've always wondered!
thanks for your advice!
great video! thank you for your in-depth comparison (:
I've had the same Mel Bay series for about 40yrs...I revisit them ever so often when I need refresher as well as other literature...Guitar and note reading is very unforgiving if you don't stay on top of it...lol...
You brought something to my attention I hadn't noticed before. Hal Leonard does spend more time on 1 string studies. In that aspect the reinforcement might be better. You can't go wrong with Mel Bay though.
Hello, I want to learn to play the guitar but my main goal is to play fingerstyle, I don't want to sing while playing. I was about to buy the Hal Leonard's method but after watching the video I think that the Mel Bay's method could be more suitable for me, since it introduces chord melodies earlier (plus I already play the piano a bit, so I need less music theory compared to a total beginner in the musical world). Thanks for the video! I've found a bundle with all the books in one volume😁
I learned with FUN WITH THE GUITAR by Mel Bay. I found that 40 page book to be the best for me as a beginner.
A advice for those who are starting in guitar is not using Berkley's guitar method. I started that method and frustrated me doing the chord exercise, and it has a little bit of a known repertory. I remember I was looking forward to learning guitar and my teacher told me that using the Berkley method would learn a lot. I didn't agree because guitar method books must be simple to read with easy songs to learn at home. Anyone who had the same problem with the Berkley guitar method?
Great video Nick! I started with Mel Bay 1 30 yrs ago in India and stopped after completing...now have restarted playing and also teaching with Mel Bay. I find it a great book and glad to know from your video that it's still popular. Btw I remember there was also another popular Nick Manoloff's 'Spanish Guitar Method' series those days. Is it still around and how do you compare it with these two just in case you are also using it. Thanks.
Girish
Great review. Mel Bay does do chord melody while Hal Leonard does not, even in Book 3. But HL does have lyrics with the melodies for singing. A nice addition. I wish Mel Bay publications will update the typeface, fonts, pictures, and page layout of all their guitar and bass books. These titles seem to be all exactly as they were originally in the 1960s. All made before computers. The other titles all have pages that are more attractive to look at, and clearer to read, IMO.
Mel Bay’s “Mastering the Guitar 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C”. Wonderful books. Updated, much modern, blues jazz rock, songs with lyrics and more. No one ever talks about them. They’re great. And challenging, yet fun.
100% on this. The note dots are too large, sometimes run together; there are errors in notation; no explanation of why chord names are added above single notes (best answer I've seen is they can be used for accompaniment). Newer Mel Bay books are much clearer to read, so agree on the change with computers.
I use my Hal Leonard book because it’s easy to learn guitar
Great Video ☺️☺️!!!
I found the Hal Leonard too easy, but I studied piano 4 years. Leavitt-Berklee has a beginner version too. Anyway... MelBay's extended versions add nice material, even if not foundamental.
Hal Leonard 1 can be useful for a very beginner in order to have a "quick" guide with less "theory".
I also think that people should consider a bit of classical (Carcassi, Carvalhero, Gangi), at least for scales and arpeggios.
i also found hal leonard too easy, what would you recommend instead? I finished hal leonard in about a week or less
@@IanArizpeArroyo it depends. How much knowledge of music do you have? Mel Bay are very progressive, even too much and have their lacks but probably the best at the moment. Leavitt is less boring but you must build a lot of things on your own... and not suited for total beginners and with not much chords stuff. It s better to begin with the volumes for beginner. Then.. methods are not the graal. Specially for an jnstrument that can be used in so different ways... if you want to learn jazz you need a lot of paper and ear training than a "music method" 😅 for example. And look also for practical chords books.. not songs books, they are sort of "methods for chords" beginning with easy stuff and building up more complex combinations.
Hey,I'm a beginner and can play some of the pop songs fingerstyle. But my technique is poor. I'm really interested in learning classical music although I have an acoustic guitar. Which book should I go for Berklee,Mel bay or leonard
@@maazahmed4121 what I wrote is still valid. It depends... beginner in general or beginner at guitar? Anyway... considering they do not cost a lot, if you are going alone, i would suggest to buy at least 2 different. If you are a total beginner I probably would pick the beginner version of the berklee (not the famous black cover one, but the easier version) and the one I said is "too easy", but if you have never seen a note is good. In Italy we have also massimo varini that makes a lot of good stuff, and some of them is also sold in English I think, but for a "more classic, theory based approach" those above are better.
@@maazahmed4121 for classical guitar you should go for the classical books... neither of those are good (they are all for picking style). I dont know the name of the different opus... but scales, arpeggios, carcassi and so on. Ther is also a modern book of classical guitar that seems, but i don t remember the title. Is thick and and i think there aren t a lot of classical modern books around.
All I can say I thoroughly enjoy Hal Leonard so far. As a beginner ofc. After following useless UA-cam chord/power chord stuff I wanted something thorough from A to Z and it looks like that is the case.
Do you have any tips to go to next after? I’m almost done Hal Leonard’s book 3.
Great video! Thanks... To me, the Mel Bay method is simply more challenging, in-depth and thorough; especially if you continue on to the later grades...
Thanks for the comment Brennan. I agree with this. I have also found that for some people, it's just a little too much. I've had a few times where I've started a student with Mel Bay and after a couple months of lessons realized it was moving a little too fast so I moved them to Hal Leonard (just for book one) and then eventually moved them back to Mel Bay again once they were a little more comfortable with some of the basics. I honestly think this is why they eventually rolled out the expanded editions because these move a little slower.
I agree to I practice Mel Bay
Great explanation! Thanks.
I have a question on either/both of these books.
Is there a Christmas song book for beginning guitar that would pair well with either of these?
I’m thinking of it in the manner of additional song material to practice on that will be of similar skill level as these beginner books while also learning some recognizable songs that family and friends will enjoy hearing.
Man, people saying they recommend Hal Leonard for kids makes me feel really stupid. I'm finding it really obtuse. I'm a late beginner/early intermediate but trying to learn sight reading but as soon as it goes into more than 2 strings i find it really hard to see what I'm supposed to be playing on the staff.
Do I just need to stick at it and get my reps in? Finding it all very frustrating! (Self taught)
Hi I have the book of Leonard...I'm kinda learning...very helpful...but I think...guitar is difficult.
Hopefully some day I can play decent.
Good video! Can you recommend a good book for learning to read Tablature. Thank you.
Hal Leonard also has a tab method book, with popular songs called Guitar Tab Method.
Thanks! This was very helpful. I’m a professional/schooled trombone player and have been trying to decide what books or dvds to pick up to help me learn guitar. I have the Mel Bay “Fun with the Guitar” book from when I tried to pick up guitar as a teen but didn’t stick with it. Are there any other good books you would recommend to supplement the Mel Bay method? Maybe something with some warmup/technique exercises or good songs for a beginner that aren’t so old fashioned.
I think for someone like you that is as musically proficient as you I would recommend checking out the William Leavitt method. Heres a link amzn.to/3bjYy66. These books are really great and are much more technique/exercise based. They also move also move faster. I usually only recommend for someone who is already a confident musician. One question I have for you is what style of plying are you wanting to do?
I like a little of everything but mostly looking to play a mix of rock (classic rock through the 90s era), blues, and some of the old outlaw country type stuff.
@@ThegreatTombonium Try Troy Stetina books
Very good methods for Rock or Metal style of guitar
Hi Nick, I did a search for what comes after Mel Bay and your video came up: I understand all the theory I took functional piano in college and I can read but I have a lot of trouble with the B String and my Gibson neck is a little narrow. But I do like having the lyrics because my lyric writing isn't as strong as my composition. Do you know what method would follow that would be the next stage after finishing the Mel Bay Method? I'm interested in Nashville Country Picking a lot.
Thank You,
Alan
Thank you for this video. It makes a lot of sense. I want more to fingerstyle. Melody, chord melody. Which method will you suggest?
Neither of these methods introduce fingerstyle playing however many of the exercises in Mel Bay are very conducive to fingerstyle playing. Mel Bay definitely has more for chord melodies.
Hiya Nick, as you've said in the video, both these books use the Plectrum technique. What would you recommend for a preteen who wants to learn finger strumming please?
Love the channel and subscribed! I know how to play but never how to read music so this has been super helpful.
Glad you found the channel! Are you currently using the Mel Bay method or Hal Leonard?
@@NickTolmanMusic I am using the Mel Bay method just because I had it laying around. This video was beneficial as I am now more interested in theory and helped me decide if I needed to order the Hal Leonard method. I think I am going to stay with the Mel Bay method for the reasons you mentioned. However, I did buy the Hal Leonard method flashcards for the notes and music terms which has been awesome!
Helpful ❤️
Love the chord melodies in Mel Bay. Hal Leonard is more, " hey kids, rock n roll."
How about a good fingerstyle or classical guitar book????
Julio S. Sagreras First Lessons for classical.
@@jlvaviation9140😮
I have mastered the Mel Bay primer and the grade one book has a lot of the same lessons. Should I skip grade 1 and proceed to grade 2?
You could definitely give it a try. If you find yourself struggling with grade two you could always go back and review grade one. Your other option is you could try to do a quick pass through book 1 before moving on to two to make sure you don’t miss any important concepts!
@@NickTolmanMusic
Okay Grade 1 it is. That might make Grade 2 a little easier.
@@4everPhloyd Excellent choice. It's pretty cheap. If you can play thru book with no problem you'll have your definitive answer.
Oh interesting
Hope I'll be lucky this time
Yousician?
So many mistakes in the Mel Bay books. Bk1 seems fine but from 5 to 7, oh dear.
You can do this! Never give up. Hard work pays off. :D Nothing is impossible through Jesus Christ ❤️ Just keep practicing and you will get better. “When you want to quit, think about why you started”- Someone.