Dummies Music Books 6

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Have you always wanted to play guitar? Who wouldn't? Think of Jimi Hendrix wailing away on his Stratocaster. . . Chuck Berry duck-walking across the stage to "Johnny B. Goode". . .B.B. King making his "Lucille" cry the blues. No doubt about it—guitars are cool.

Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition tells you everything a beginning or intermediate guitarist needs to know: from buying a guitar to tuning it, playing it, and caring for it, this book has it all—and you don't even need to know how to read music. Full of photo-illustrated exercises and songs you can play to practice the techniques discussed in each section, this step-by-step guide will take you through the basics and beyond before you can say "Eric Clapton." You'll learn how to:

Match yourself with the guitar and equipment that fits your needs and budget
Select the right accessories: amps, picks, pedals, capos, cases, and other goodies
Pick and strum to produce a clean, clear, buzz-free tone
Know whether you're really in tune
Play melodies without reading music
Perform basic guitar maintenance and repairs
Build strength and dexterity while playing
Play in different styles, including rock, blues, folk, jazz, and classical
Make your guitar talk with bends and slides!

Fully revised and updated, with an all new interactive CD that allows readers to listen, learn, tune, and play along, Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is the perfect introductory guide for any novice acoustic or electric guitar player.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Opera For Dummies

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“Pogue is a wonderful teacher… He can teach anybody.”
— Gay Talese, bestselling author of Honor Thy Father

“Scott Speck is a great communicator of classical music…. Concert audiences and readers alike can’t help getting caught up in the joy of his subject.”
— David Styers, American Symphony Orchestra League

Opera is weird. Everybody wears makeup and sings all the time. Even when they’re singing your language, which is rare, you still can’t understand the words. Women play men, men play women, and 45-year-olds play teenagers. All the main characters seem to get killed off. And when somebody dies, he takes ten minutes to sing about it. Yet, for all its weirdness, an operatic experience is an experience in breathtaking beauty. When you hear a soprano float a soft high C, or a tenor singing a love song, or a full-throated chorus in the climax of a scene’s dramatic finale, you can’t help getting goosebumps.

Want to experience all that beauty for yourself, but don’t know where to begin? Opera For Dummies is an excellent place to start. Written by an acclaimed conductor and a musical director, this friendly guide tells you what you need to know to:

Understand opera from the Baroque and Roman periods through today
Interpret characters, orchestra, chorus, and other players
Understand what’s happening, both on stage and off
Choose the best seats
Identify famous operas
Build a great collection of opera recordings
Locate opera sites and chat groups online

Whether you’re interested in attending a live opera, want to build a collection of recordings, or just want to be able to talk about opera intelligently, Opera For Dummies is for you. Among other things, you’ll explore:

The words, the music, and the people who sing it
The history of opera and the lives of the great composers
Going to the opera — including tips for getting tickets, preparing for the opera, dressing for the opera, and more
Musical and theatrical conventions used in opera
In-depth synopses of the world’s most beloved operas

On the bonus CD you’ll find:

More than 60 minutes of music compiled especially for the book
A multimedia piece for PC or MAC

Wonder what it is about opera that can make a grown person cry like a baby? Find out in Opera For Dummies.