String Theories: Tips, Challenges, and Reflections for the Lifelong Guitarist

I just finished reading the book and I can't express enough how much it has transformed desire to kickstart my guitar-playing journey again. This book is an absolute gem for any aspiring guitarist looking to level up their skills and understanding of the instrument.From the very beginning, Adam and Ethan set the tone with their deep passion. Their writing is contagious and inspirational, making you want to pick up your guitar and dive into the world of music. The book contains great tips, challenges, and reflections, which provides a comprehensive approach to learning and mastering the guitar.Reading this book is like having a seasoned guitarist by your side, giving you invaluable advice on everything from choosing the right guitar and gear to mastering complex techniques. The tips are practical, well-explained, and easy to follow, making it suitable for both beginners and intermediate players.The challenges are designed to push your boundaries and enhance your skills. They are progressive and ensure that you'll find something to challenge yourself with, no matter your level of expertise.Their book also delves into the mindset and the philosophy of being a guitarist. These reflections are insightful and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on what it means to be a musician. They go beyond technical skills and touch upon the emotional and creative aspects of playing the guitar, encouraging you to connect with your instrument on a deeper level.Throughout the book, the author's writing style is engaging, and it's evident that they have a deep love for the guitar and a genuine desire to share their knowledge. The book is well-structured, and the pacing is perfect. It's easy to follow and allows you to progress at your own pace.Whether you're a beginner seeking a solid foundation or an intermediate player aiming to break through plateaus, this book will guide you through your musical journey. I can't recommend it enough, and I'm confident it will become a treasured resource for aspiring guitarists for years to come. Grab your copy and get ready to embark on an unforgettable guitar adventure!

Toss it in your car, soft case front pocket, dining room table, on the studio board, or share at the next gig. String Theories by Adam Levy & Ethan Sherman packs a wallop of inspiration in easy to relate sips. You can run the gamut on finding fresh ways to shake up your playing, project new focal points into your ‘ol tried and true’ methods, or just take yourself off the beaten path. The layout, the information, the simple way a few minutes of browsing through the book can interject immediate fun and awareness of your guitar, your fingers, your ears and your own self, come jumping out of the pages. This is not a ‘how-to,’ but more of a ‘become’ and ‘evolve’ on getting more from your playing and time with your instrument. And the book begs for repeated peeks, as it’s has endless appeal for recharging one’s guitar growth. And I repeat—in sips. Super quick challenges and layout of the book make it fun and …not a daunting or expected ‘how to’ lesson or expectation of your own time. It puts time into your thoughts from glances within, especially when it’s paired with your favorite strummer. You can’t ask for more if you love music. Anyone at any age on the guitar/strings will appreciate what Levy & Sherman offer here. Beauty and progress, and most of all 🌟fun🌟in three parts. Highly recommended. Rut busting and future thought projecting for any player.

An essential read for any guitarist looking to grow and evolve. This comprehensive guide covers everything from effective practice strategies and fretboard techniques to playing with other musicians, composition, and improvisation.It's a resource you'll return to again and again, ensuring continuous inspiration and development. Highly recommended for every modern guitarist!

I've been playing guitar for a long time but felt like I reached a plateau in the last few years. I bought this book on a whim because I recognized the authors' names, and I'm so glad I did. It offers so many new ways to approach my playing and practice that I hadn't tried before, and I feel like it's definitely going to take me to the next level. The best part is it's renewed my passion. These guys are pros and really know what they're talking about, but their writing is still accessible and friendly. I think this will be a great gift for any guitar player, no matter what their level of expertise. I've read a lot of guitar books over the years, but this one really stands out in quality and the authors' unique approach as both teachers and professional guitarists.

I have been teaching guitar professionally for 50+ years and I've never seen a book quite like this one. The authors don't dwell too much on things like scale practice, chord construction and theory, Their ideas are about how to approach learning the guitar, what to practice (and how to cut through the noise to find out what really matters to help advance a person's skill set in practical ways. I wish I had access to this book or at least their no-nonsense ideas when I was starting out; it would have saved a LOT of time! Highly recommended for anyone who is past the raw beginner stage of playing the guitar and wants to continue their journey without getting bogged down in the pure music theory aspects of learning. Music theory is very important of course but the authors never forget that the most important part of advancing is practical application of music theory, not just memorizing material that they may never use.

There are so many choices, but with String Theories you get a thoughtful and useful guide to help open up how you might approach making your journey with the guitar more meaningful. Best to me is how it is written in a very straightforward conversational fashion by two super talented ( and nice) professional musicians and from what I’ve witnessed on YouTube - they are the real deal. Highly recommended.

I like the approach

This book is a wonderful compendium of the tips from Adam Levy's guitar channel, expanded upon and collated in a single place with lots of challenges and exercises to try out yourself.My favourite thing about it is the way it manages to work on both a micro- and macro- level. It will present abstract principles about music you could chew on for your whole life, and then really specific tips about fretboard positioning, scale shapes, chord melodies, etc. All in the same slim book. Every chapter has ideas for things you can do right now, in this practice session, to improve your playing - as well as ideas for things to work on over much longer periods.I think it's safe to say that any guitarist in any genre could get value from this book, given the eclectic playing styles of the authors. Jazz, folk, blues, singer-songwriter accompanists, pop, rock, country, it's all there.The only warning or caveat I would add regarding this book is that it's more of a roadmap/inspiration book than a detailed instruction manual. If you're a beginner guitarist, some of the tips will still be helpful, but you are going to need a much more detailed method book to teach you how to physically play guitar. And if you don't know the rudiments of scales and chords, this book is not going to teach them to you. It's more meta - it teaches you how to approach practice, improvising, accompaniment, and most importantly how to stay inspired and never give up!

Great book full of insightful tips and practice advice

An excellent resource for guitar players who want to find ways to improve - how to practice better, more effectively - and while some of the suggestions are straightforward, they are also positively helpful.This has helped me focus on making time to play, in a structured way, and to track what I am doing, and it also has many suggestions of interesting things to try. I am sure it will help my playing, while still making sure it is enjoyable and fun.