The Best Guitar Books To Teach Yourself Guitar In 2025
The guitar is an amazing instrument to learn.
And the great thing about guitar, is that no matter how old you are, it is an easy instrument we can all enjoy.
Whether you want to learn how to play simple chords to some popular songs, or expand your skill set and teach yourself some new licks; check out these great guitar books to get you started.
For the young children new to guitar…
My First Guitar
My First Guitar is a great book if you have young children who would love to learn how to play the guitar.
The book has simple diagrams and chords to learn, along with easy exercises for practice.
It has a variety of well known nursery rhymes such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Old Macdonald Had A Farm.’
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.4/5
Easy Guitar Songs For Beginners
Once your little one has mastered the basics, from the My First Guitar book, this next one will be the icing on the cake. This guitar book has 60 fun and easy songs for your kids to learn.
From Hickory Dickory Dock to Rock-A-Bye Baby, your children will have many hours of fun learning them and putting on a little performance for you.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.9/5
For the older kids and adults new to guitar…
Teach Yourself To Play Guitar
This book has been designed especially for a student who has no musical background or knowledge.
You’re not required to read and understand sheet music, but it teaches you how to read guitar tabs and understand rhythm.
It also covers chords, scales, intervals and excerpts from a variety of musical styles.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.3/5
Alfred’s Easy Guitar Songs
You’ve now mastered the basics when it comes to playing guitar, you’ve learned a lot of easy chords, and are familiar with intervals and scales. What next?
Well it’s time to put that knowledge into action by learning some easy guitar songs.
This easy guitar songs book contains 50 well-known, popular hits of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
Each song has sheet music, and guitar tab along with their chords. It also includes information on strumming and fingerpicking patterns.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.1/5
For those who want a deeper understanding of guitar…
The Guitar Handbook
Not everyone wants to learn just the basics and be on their way. For those who want to have an in-depth look into guitars, the history, the guitar brands, famous guitarists as well as learn the instrument, then this book is perfect.
This book looks into the guitar innovators from the past century, types of guitar and brands, as well as playing techniques, different styles of rhythms and chord types.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.8/5
Justinguitar.com – Intermediate Method
This book is positioned more as a course to enable someone to take their guitar playing level from a beginner to an intermediate level.
You’ll learn more complex chords such as barre chords, new voicing for major and minor chords, more advanced rhythm guitar techniques, playing techniques such as hammer-ons etc. and much more.
The book also includes 2 CDs, and is complemented by the online videos at justinguitar.com.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.7/5
For the acoustic guitar learners…
100 Acoustic Lessons: Guitar Lesson Goldmine Series
This book gives you all the information you need to start strumming away on an acoustic guitar. Included are useful tips, scale diagrams, chords along with detailed photos and instructions. You’ll also learn how to read guitar tabs.
There are also some more advanced techniques in this book such as fingerpicking, advanced chords, alternative tuning, percussive techniques.
You’ll get the most out of your acoustic guitar with this book.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.5/5
First 50 Songs You Should Play On Acoustic Guitar
Once you understand the basics, and have built up some finger strength then it’s time to move onto learning some songs and having some fun by practicing.
This book contains modern popular songs covering a variety of genres from Boulevard of Broken Dreams to Ring of Fire.
Each song shows the strumming pattern with chord diagram, and the lyrics for you to be able to play along and sing along to.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.1/5
For those who want to improve their fingerpicking skills…
Fingerpicking Pattern Encyclopedia
Whilst some guitarists want to learn rhythm, others like to broaden their learning experience and practice fingerpicking.
This book has over 200 useful fingerstyle patterns, a variety of lessons on different fingerpicking styles as well as a CD showing performances of these examples.
For those who want to improve the art of fingerpicking, this book is perfect.
Paperback versions available
Review: 4.6/5
100 Most Popular Songs For Fingerpicking Guitar
Practice makes perfect when it comes to becoming a master at a particular guitar technique.
Here we have a fingerpicking guitar book that has 100 popular songs, featuring Artists such as: Adele, The Beatles, Green Day and Elton John.
Each song shows the vocal melody as well as the chord, with the guitar tab for your fingerpicking.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.4/5
For the jazz players…
The First 100 Jazz Chords for Guitar
Do you want to master every type of jazz chord? Do you want to discover and understand the language of the jazz guitar? Then this book is great for the new jazz player.
This book helps you build, understand and memorize jazz chords so you can become more confident playing jazz music.
You also get two bonuses: a system to simplify and categorize jazz chords, and a series of practice exercises.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.6/5
A Modern Method for Guitar: Guitar: Jazz Songbook: 1
Ideal for those who already understand the basics of jazz guitar but now want to practice their skills by learning some jazz songs.
This jazz songbook features songs from Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Van Heusen, and many more.
Each song shows the chords, along with sheet music for you to play.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.4/5
For the blues players…
The Complete Guide to Playing Blues Guitar Compilation
If you want to become the ultimate blues guitar player, then check out this complete compilation to playing blues guitar. It includes 3 blues guitar books: blues rhythm, blues melodic phrasing and blues pentatonics.
There are over 245 pages of material to learn and practice, and over 400 notated audio downloads filled with exercises, techniques and licks for you to learn.
There are also over 20 backing tracks you can practice along to.
This is the most comprehensive guide to playing the blues guitar.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.7/5
Blues Guitar Songs
For those who are already familiar with playing the blues but would like some songs to practice, then check this blues guitar songbook.
It features classic blues songs from Artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Each song has standard notation and guitar tabs.
Paperback version available
Review: 4/5
For the country players…
The Complete Country Guitar Method Compilation
This compilation contains three books in one: Country Guitar For Beginners, Country Guitar Soloing Techniques & 100 Licks For Country Guitar.
If you plan to go from beginner to pro, this compilation will be the only collection you’ll need for your country guitar playing.
In these books you’ll get over 400 notated audio examples, a complete breakdown of every guitar technique such as: banjo rolls and hybrid picking and essential country chord voicing plus much more.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.6/5
CMT’s 100 Greatest Country Songs Songbook
Keep your skills in tip-top shape by learning new songs. This book contains 100 of the greatest country songs from Artists such as: Johnny Cash, John Denver and Dolly Parton.
Each song has standard notation along with chord diagrams.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.6/5
For the rock players…
Hal Leonard Rock Guitar Method
Hal leonard provides you with this complete guide to learning rock guitar.
In this book you learn how to play rhythm and lead rock guitar through several step-by-step lessons, along with audio available on their dedicated website. There are also 70 rock songs you can practice to.
Each chapter concludes with a jam session so you can show off what you’ve learned to tracks such as Wild Thing and Crossroads.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4/5
100 Classic Rock Licks for Guitar
Do you want to take your rock guitar playing skills to the next level? Then check out this book on classic rock licks for guitar!
You get to learn and understand licks from 20 great rock Artists such as Angus Young from AC/DC. You also get access to 20 original backing tracks so you can practice these licks.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.7/5
For the heavy metal players…
Heavy Metal Rhythm Guitar: The Essential Guide to Heavy Metal Rock Guitar
Learning blues and jazz is not for everyone. For those who enjoy music from the likes of Iron Maiden and Metallica, this book is great for learning and practicing heavy metal.
It doesn’t just focus on music theory, which can sometimes be dull. It gives you real guitar riffs that you can use to build and grow your technique.
Along with power chords, single string lines, displacement, odd time signatures and much more this will help you become a better heavy metal guitar player.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.5/5
Mammoth Metal Guitar Tab Anthology
Once you’ve finished harnessing the power of your heavy metal playing, then it’s time to move on and start playing some of the classics!
This big book contains 430 pages of note-for-note guitar transcriptions with tabs for 45 metalhead favourites such as: Ace of Spades, Crazy Train, Enter Sandman and many more.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.7/5
A handy book for learning guitar chords…
The First 100 Chords for Guitar
If you’re new to guitar and don’t want to get overwhelmed with thousands of chords, then this book is perfect for you.
It lists the first 100 chords that every beginner should learn, and they’re easy.
This book also teaches you the basics of music theory for chords, allowing you to understand how chords are built and how to read them.
You can get the audio for each chord for free from their dedicated website.
Kindle and paperback versions available
Review: 4.7/5
The Guitar Case Chord Book
If you’re always on the go with your guitar and need something small and compact in size to remember your chords, then this chord book can sneak right into your gig bag.
It is great for those who want to learn guitar chords without having to learn the fluff behind it, but also a great reference for the intermediate player.
Paperback version available
Review: 4.4/5
It’s your turn
No matter your age, the guitar is an instrument we can all get into easily. And the great thing is that there are so many resources to help us learn.
If you’re tempted to try a new hobby or expand your skill set then check out one of these books and start learning today!
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