Guitarists Levy (author of Play the Right Stuff) and Sherman (whose upcoming 2024 instrumental bluegrass album Passages sounds as warm as it is dazzling) share a wealth of practical tips, musical challenges, and wise reflections for guitarists eager to grow in their art. Writing with the inviting tones of skilled coaches who happen to be fans themselves, the authors offer inspiring guidance about what makes a guitarist “good” in the first place (“a good guitarist makes real music, reliably”), practical first principles of technique (“Every aspect … should be in the service of your musical goals”), general tips for how to grow musically (one clarifying section: “Four Ways to Play Outside, Inside”), and technical pointers like why it’s helpful to “map the fretboard using the circle of 4ths.”Key to the book’s utility: its continual freshness and its applicability to serious guitar players of varying skill levels over time. Levy and Sherman understand that even the most accomplished musicians must continually learn, grow, and experiment, so each of the tips and challenges collected here (from “Be Your Own Jam Buddy” to “Play Nicely in a Trio” and beyond) have been crafted to be revisited over days, weeks, and years. The lessons blend the technical, practical, and conceptual with bigger-picture advice (“Learn what you love, until you get sick of it. Then learn something else you love”), recommendations of well-selected recordings and books, and on-point insights picked up from the authors’ mentors.
While there’s much here to expand the horizons of beginners, the authors assume their readers are already dedicated to guitar—don’t expect introductory lessons. Instead, String Theories offers a wealth of hard-won knowledge about practicing, transcribing, memorizing tunes, playing professionally, and more. Anecdotes from recording sessions—including the time Levy had to record a trio album twice in one day—fascinate. With heart and originality, this compact volume shares two the fruits of lifetimes’ worth of artistry.
Takeaway: Fresh, wise, practical guidance for playing guitar over a lifetime.
Comparable Titles: Mick Goodrick’s The Advancing Guitarist, Ted Greene’s Chord Chemistry.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
