Out of my collection of over 100 Guitar instructionals and comprising a 3 lesson course on its own; the C-A-G-E-D Guitar System I, II and III by Ernie Hawkins is tied for my number one suggestion for a beginner with an acoustic guitar laying around! Especially a finger picker.
For those just starting this is perhaps the perfect introduction and what I would buy myself or for my young one.
But that would also depend on what I had laying around the house for them to learn and beat on. An electric or an acoustic? A starter set of drums would be real nice too and a cheap keyboard.
I sincerely wish I had had this instructional Rosetta stone years ago! While finger style country blues is the emphasis of this instructor, ALL six string guitar players need this fret board knowledge even if they are hard boiled flat pickers like yours truly. If they want to learn it right and even better.
Also, like it or not a well rounded guitarist needs to be able to do some finger picking especially on acoustic guitar. Although not classically trained myself, its my understanding that those thus destined, will traditionally be taught to read music and Spanish style or even Chet Atkins style guitar. Both of which are all about finger picking which is coincidentally a lot easier with a nylon stringed guitar.
C-A-G-E-D Guitar Page One | Page Two | Page Three
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller