The only book that is known in guitar circles as the “bible for guitarists” is A Modern Method for Guitar, which is written by William Leavitt and published by Berklee Press.

William Leavitt was the third guitarist to graduate with a degree in guitar from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. He later became known in New York as a songwriter/guitarist before being coerced back to The Berklee College of Music in 1965 to open and become chairman of the then brand new guitar department. It was the guitar department that catapulted Berklee to worldwide fame in the 1980s I think.

He was without doubt the greatest guitar teacher the world has produced so far, and some of the evidence is displayed in some of his famous former pupils who are, Al Di Meola, Bill Frisell, Brad Whitford, Steve Vai, Mike Stern, Mark Whitfield, John Abercrombie, and Kevin Eubanks to name a few. The Fender Guitar Company has also started a memorial scholarship in honour of him.

One thing that stands out immediately when beginning this book is that the songs and exercises are very musical, which make it a joy to play and help keep you motivated. Because he was known as a songwriter, Leavitt wrote all original tunes in this book. It was his belief that if you want to learn to read music, you are better to begin with totally new songs that you have not heard before.

Most guitar teachers who write technique books are not known as songwriters and most things in their books tend to sound like an exercise or something mechanical. When your friends hear you playing some of the duets in this book they will be very impressed with your new abilities.

Although many people think this is a jazz book, it is not. It is for any one who wants to progress at a rapid rate and learn what you need to know for all styles without leaving holes in your education, while learning how to read music at the same time. This book really blows away the myth that reading music on the guitar is difficult.

When you are working your way through this book you can be sure that you are doing exactly what some of the world’s best players have already done. Yes all the players mentioned above, plus thousands more have studied this book in house at the Berklee College of Music. It is part of their syllabus.

“What level do I need to be at to start a book like this?” you may ask. It would pay to know how to play a little and have a basic knowledge of music notation, as there is no tablature anywhere in this book. Having a good teacher will definitely help.

The Modern Method for Guitar is not an easy book, but it is not really difficult either, so you should only work slowly through it. One of the reasons it is a little difficult is because you are learning more than one thing at a time. But a little patience and perseverance will pay big dividends later on. Most people who have trouble with this book can trace it back to trying to go too fast through it.

Here are some of the things you will learn in the three books;

How to read music all over the guitar neck
All the scales and arpeggios you need to know
All the moveable chords you need to know and how to use them
How to play solo guitar
How to improvise (book 2 & 3)
How to play fast and super fast
The art of rhythm guitar
Advanced improvisation (book 3)

Many of my students have told me that they also learnt a lot about songwriting, structure, and harmony while studying this book.

There are three books in the series or you can get the complete book with the three of them all in one. It is suggested that you begin at book one no matter what level you are.

You can take my word for it that this is the “bible of guitar playing”. When you have completed book one you will also know why so many of the world’s top guitar teachers use this method. You will also have a lot of fun learning from it.

When you have completed book three you will also know why the world’s top players are so good. I suggest you click on one of the links below to see a copy.

Moderm Method for Guitar - Vol 1.

Moderm Method for Guitar - Vol 1,2,3.

Other books written by William G. Leavitt, which I also highly recommend, are

Melodic Rhythms for Guitar

Reading Studies for Guitar

Classical Studies for Pick Style Guitar


Happy practising,
Kevin Downing.

© Kevin Downing 2002

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Kevin Downing is a professional guitarist, teacher, and author.
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