Rating: 
Summary: PRACTICAL?
Review: Fits in my guitar case..so probably is practical. Trouble is you still have to work hard at the pentatonics. Can they produce a little book called "Pentatonics..we do it all for you". Now that really would be practical.
Rating:
Summary: PRACTICAL?
Review: Fits in my guitar case..so probably is practical. Trouble is you still have to work hard at the pentatonics. Can they produce a little book called "Pentatonics..we do it all for you". Now that really would be practical.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: I would pay no attention to some of the other reviews of this book. They seem to be based on the expectation that a book that costs as much as a magazine is going to do all the work for you. There seems to be some fast food mentality that pervades today-this book is a great launching point but make no mistake you are going to have to do some hard work. I found the examples to be excellent references and I had no trouble with the tab. Yeah an A to C bend at the second fret is hard but that is what separates the men from boys. To be honest, stick a set of 9's or 8's on your guitar if you're having a real problem. My advice, pick this book up if you want a serious starting point.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I would pay no attention to some of the other reviews of this book. They seem to be based on the expectation that a book that costs as much as a magazine is going to do all the work for you. There seems to be some fast food mentality that pervades today-this book is a great launching point but make no mistake you are going to have to do some hard work. I found the examples to be excellent references and I had no trouble with the tab. Yeah an A to C bend at the second fret is hard but that is what separates the men from boys. To be honest, stick a set of 9's or 8's on your guitar if you're having a real problem. My advice, pick this book up if you want a serious starting point.
Rating: 
Summary: recommended--guardedly
Review: Practical Pentatonics is an excellent introduction to the pentatonic scales. Mr. Buk diagrams the minor and major pentatonic scales in standard notation and tabulature up and down the fretboard. He additionally presents some nice little riffs along with each position. After introducing us to the pentatonics, he introduces some useful techniques such as string bending, combining patterns and scales, arpeggios, string skipping and more. This little book is loaded with example riffs that are very playable and usable. This is an excellent value.
Rating:
Summary: A concise introduction to pentatonic scales.
Review: Practical Pentatonics is an excellent introduction to the pentatonic scales. Mr. Buk diagrams the minor and major pentatonic scales in standard notation and tabulature up and down the fretboard. He additionally presents some nice little riffs along with each position. After introducing us to the pentatonics, he introduces some useful techniques such as string bending, combining patterns and scales, arpeggios, string skipping and more. This little book is loaded with example riffs that are very playable and usable. This is an excellent value.
Rating:
Summary: recommended--guardedly
Review: This is a succinct and serviceable--even useful--introduction to pentatonic scales for the beginning guitarist--especially the beginning rock or jazz guitarist. Its form has its inherent limitations, of course, and only anhematonic (that is, "major" or "minor") pentatonic scales are included. The beginning guitarist might do well to start with this and then go on to PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns. (He should not be intimidated by the title.)
Rating:
Summary: GREAT VALUE
Review: This is a useful book that allows the reader to dive into minor and major pentatonic scales in five positions for each key. Furthermore, the book provides excellent examples of how to use these scales in each of the positions. It also provide examples of various rock and blues artists with their favorite positions and style to play in. For under 5 bucks, the value of this book is immense, just buy it!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT VALUE
Review: This is a useful book that allows the reader to dive into minor and major pentatonic scales in five positions for each key. Furthermore, the book provides excellent examples of how to use these scales in each of the positions. It also provide examples of various rock and blues artists with their favorite positions and style to play in. For under 5 bucks, the value of this book is immense, just buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Not All I had Hoped It Would Be
Review: This would be the one. I am not an accomplished musician, considering myself of average music intelligence. For a long time, I tried to pick out lead patterns one note at time. One day I was talking to a friend of mine who used to play in a blues band. He mentioned the pentatonic scale (which I had never heard of) so I looked for a book on it. I chose this one because it looked real simple, was something I could carry around with me and the price was definately right. After reading and working through this book for several weeks, I can now play lead to any song there is. My lead playing is totally laughable compared to Eddie, Angus or SRV but I'm having a blast. I'm 42, have four children and playing the guitar (which I started learning to play about three years ago) is what I do to relax and have fun in the little spare time I have. This book teaches you all the basics you need to get started playing lead. Starts out with the pentatonic pattern in one of the major keys. Then shows the pattern in a minor key (just shifts the entire pattern along the fretboard). From this I could figure out the pattern in any key I've ever played in. Then takes you through various techniques of playing the pentatonic patter (bends, hammer on/off, slide, etc.) using examples from legends in the art. After this book, the figuring out lead frustration factor was buried forever and the guitar playing fun factor went up astronomically. I feel my lead playing is now only limited by my imagination and desire. After learning the material in this book, anyone with average music intelligence should definately be able to play some sort of lead (may not be the same as the artist but could be) to any song after just listening to it. I now just need to locate one note that goes with the song. Using that note as a base I figure out where I'm at in the pentatonic scale by finding other notes that go with the song. I guess you could also figure it out by knowing what key the song is in but I haven't sat down and thought about that to much. I just figure it out by trial or error and it doesn't take me long. What's way more important about this book is it will give you the basic skills and techniques you need to create your own style. I highly recommend this book to those wanting to or just learning to play lead.
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