Guitar Identification: A Reference for Dating Guitars Made by Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, and Martin
There is a glut of reissue axes hitting the market and dubious dealers sometimes try to pass off shoddy reproductions as the real deal. This indispensable guide is seen by many luthiers and collectors as the final word on vintage axes made by the four biggest manufacturers. It is fully illustrated with numerous details of key pieces of hardware, wood grain patterns, bridge shapes, makes, styles, and many other relevant attributes for accurate dating and authentication. This new and revised edition includes serial numbers and specs for models through 2007.
Guitar Identintification: A Reference for Dating Guitars Made by Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, and Martin (4th Edition), by A. R. Duchossoir, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2008.
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Rock Band video games have inspired many players to pick up a real instrument. The Rock Band and Rock Band 2 Play-Along series from Hal Leonard Corporation make it easy to learn the songs that made the video game a hit.
These guides are available in a variety of instruments: guitar, bass, drums, alto and tenor sax, trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, trombone, and more. Players listen to an included CD to hear how their part should sound, and then play along using the backing tracks. In most cases lyrics are also included for reference.
Rock Band Pla y-Along Series, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2007-2009.
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Bass Player Presents: The Fretless Bass
An electric bass guitar with its frets removed is one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in music. From the jazz genius of Jaco Pastoriusand the fun, punk abandon of Les Claypool to the rock of Jack Bruce and Sting, the fretless holds a legacy of its own. The Fretless Bass features the very best interviews, lessons, and gear in one compilation. It gives you insight into the instrument’s innovators and will help you to discover your own fretless voice.
Bass Player Presents : The Fretless Bass , edited by Chris Jisi, Backbeat Books, New York, NY, 2008.
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Teach Yourself to Play Guitar: A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginners
Have you always wanted to learn to play guitar? Whether you want to learn acoustic or electric guitar, with this beginner’s book there’s no reason to delay. It covers all the basics, like guitar anatomy, hand and finger placement, posture, tuning, strumming, and picking, as well as a concise overview on how to read and interpret chord charts, tab, and rhythm notation. No previous music reading knowledge is needed. The text also introduces the
basics of power chords, open-position chords, single-note patterns (scales, fills, arpeggios), and barre chords. Easyto-interpret diagrams and photos enhance the written instruction. A CD includes music examples for each section, in a variety of genres.
Teach Yourself to Play Guitar : A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginers, by David M. Brewster, by Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2008.
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Janos Starker “King of Cellists”: The Making of an Artist
Hungarian-born cello virtuoso Janos Starker has been called one of the most significant musicians of the 20th century. This book, written by Starker protégé Joyce Geeting, tells the story of this private man who touched the lives of cellists all over the world. It unveils the secrets behind his remarkable, impeccable playing, as well as the keys to his success as a teacher. Also included are a list of Starker’s recordings that are available from iTunes, plus a CD of the author performing Jewish cello music.
Janos Star ker “King of Cellists ”: The Making of an Artist, by Joyce Geeting, Chamber Music Plus Publishing, Los Angeles, CA, 2008.
Classic Electrics: A Visual History of Great Guitars
Since the 1930s electric guitars have been embedded in our culture as icons of jazz, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll music. This richly illustrated guide is an exploration of the best solid-body and semi-acoustic guitars of the past. Guitar historian and author Walter Carter features 350-plus guitars through photos, descriptions, and specifications. The book’s small profile makes it an ideal and easily transportable gift for experts and novices alike.
Classic Electrics: A Visual History of Great Guitars, by Walter Carter, Jawbone, Berkeley, CA, 2008
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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Fiddle
You’re no idiot; you know there’s skill involved in learning to play the fiddle. However, you also don’t want to go through the rigorous training of a classical violinist. This book and 90-minute DVD set will help you get started. It includes: helpful tips on selecting the right fiddle; step-bystep instructions on holding a fiddle and bow; illustrated
fingerboard charts; 80 practice tunes; and an exploration of popular fiddle styles.
The Comp lete Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Fiddle, by Ellery Klein, Penguin Group, New York, NY, 2008.
Stuff Good Players Should Know
This series of books from Hal Leonard Corporation is designed to take playing from ordinary to extraordinary though all-encompassing book-CD combinations for various instruments. Included are tips on performing, recording, instruments, equipment, soloing, music theory, and more.
The bass Stuff book covers acoustic and electric instruments, and includes tips on grooves, fills, soloing, instrument care and maintenance, and more. Authentic demonstrations cover genres from rock to jazz to R&B to funk. An accompanying CD includes many examples from the book, performed both in solo bass format and in a full band setting.
Stuff Good Guitar Players Should Know contains more than 100 tips to improve your guitar playing. Subjects covered include riffs, fills, soloing, fingerpicking, the Nashville number system, transposing, guitar maintenance, and more. An included CD contains 56 tracks with more than 125 audio examples in genres from rock to blues to country, performed both on solo guitar and with a full band.
Stuff Good Bass Players Should Know, by Glenn Letsch; Stuff Good Guitar Players Should Know, by Wolf Marshall, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2008.
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The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy: 1915-1963
The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy: 1915-1963 documents the formative years of the Renaissance music man. Les Paul was an early pioneer of multi-track recording and a prolific artist with a visionary approach that revolutionized the guitar. The book has full-color photos throughout. A second volume, The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy 1968-2009, is also available from Hal Leonard Corporation.
The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy: 1915-1963, by Robb Lawrence, Hal Leonard Corporation, New York, NY, 2008.
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The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars
The Bass Book tells the story of the electric bass from Fender’s classic Precision and Jazz through five-strings and six-strings, synth bass, fretless, plastic, digital modeling, and more. It covers all the key players from Jack Bruce to Paul McCartney to Jaco Pastorius, and many others. Original interviews with makers and players, along with hundreds of photographs, make it the most complete book on the instrument to date.
The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars, by Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse, Backbeat Books, New York, NY, 2008.
Picture Yourself Playing Violin
This book plus DVD package is a step-by-step instruction for learning to play the violin. It is intended for complete beginners and guides readers through all the steps from acquiring a violin, bowing and fingering positions, understanding and reading sheet music, to learning to practice a song. Helpful pictures and diagrams demonstrate each technique and skill, using the same methods that author Bridgette Seidel uses at her music academy. By the end of the book you should be able to play 13 songs on the violin.
The accompanying DVD includes more than an hour’s worth of tutorials demonstrating posture, bowing, and fingering techniques explained in the book. It also contains a demonstration of each song performed with a metronome.
Picture Yourself Play ing Violin: Step-by-Step Instruction for Proper Fingering and Bowing Techniques, Reading Sheet Music, and More, by Bridgette Seidel, Thomson Course Technology, Boston, MA, 2008.
Acoustic Guitar Songs for Dummies
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to play the most popular songs from rock, pop, and folk music on acoustic guitar, this book is for you. It includes 34 full songs from Nirvana’s “About a Girl” to James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” with standard notation, guitar tablature, and lyrics, plus performance notes detailing the wheres, whats, and hows of each song.
The book assumes some basic knowledge of the guitar, and reading notation or tablature. A handy guitar notation
legend and charts of common chords found in the back of the book can be used to refresh these skills.
Acoustic Guitar Songs for Dummies, performance notes by Greg P. Herriges, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2008.
The Easy Classical Fake Book: Melody, Lyrics, and Simplified Chords
Designed even for those new to fake books, The Easy Classical Fake Book has one-line notation consisting of melody, lyrics, and chord symbols. All songs are in the key of C and many of the melodies have been simplified. Music notation is large for easy reading and only five basic chord types are used—major, minor, seventh, diminished, and augmented. Contents pages are organized both by composer, from Johann Sebastian Bach to Sebastian Yander, and by song title, from Schumann’s “About Strange Lands and People” to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” As an extra help for beginners, a chord speller is included in the back of the book.
The Easy Classical Fake Book: Melody, Lyrics, and Simplified Chords, Over 125 Pieces in the Key of C, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2006.
How to Play The Hawaiian Steel Guitar with Music, Chord Structures, Tablatures, and Songs
This comprehensive and easyto-understand book by acclaimed musician Henry Kaleialoha Allen shares everything you need to know to play Hawaiian steel guitar. It starts out by giving a brief history and development of the steel guitar; a guide to purchasing a guitar; as well as instructions for reading music notation and using the bar. Songs and exercises include guidance in achieving the nuances of the “Hawaiian touch.” An included audio CD includes Hawaiian vamps, songs, and overviews of scales and chord structures to accompany material in the book.
How to Play The Hawaiian Steel Guitar with Music, Chord Structures, Ta bla tures, and Songs,
by Henry Kaleialoha Allen, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, HI, 2008.
Lead Guitar with Wolf Marshall: A Complete Guide to Soloing [DVD]
Guitarist, author, and educator Wolf Marshall takes a musical journey through the decades and styles of great lead guitar innovators in blues, jazz, and rock. For each genre he includes essential licks, techniques, and theory, demonstrating each with an improvised solo over a band track. Wolf highlights the sounds of great lead guitar players from history and also includes descriptions of instruments and other gear. A special “Basics” section helps beginners and the user-friendly introduction is filled with information and demos of fundamental scales, licks, and arpeggios of lead guitar.
Lead Guitar with Wolf Marshall: A Complete Guide to Soloing, featuring Wolf Marshall, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2006.
Interactive Guitar Guides for Fender and Gibson
These two multimedia packages from Jawbone give players and collectors a comprehensive look at the history of Fender and Gibson guitars. A spiral-bound chronological guidebook for each gives details and specifications for almost every model from the two companies, which can be cross-referenced using each book’s A-Z model list, making them a one-stop shop for authoritative information for collectors and fans.
Each book also comes with a DVD shot with author and guitarist Dave Hunter, as well as guitarist Carl Verheyen, who has 25 years of experience working with a diverse array musicians from The Bee Gees to Little Richard to Christina Aguilera.
On the Interactive Fender Bible DVD, the two take you on a tour of the Brian Fischer collection
of vintage Fender guitars and amplifiers—luscious Stratocasters, Twin Reverbs, Telecasters, 
Champs, plus a gallery of 22 vintage Fender electrics, from custom color Strats and Teles to Duo-Sonics, Jaguars, even a rare Hollowbody LTD.
On the Interactive Gibson Bible DVD Hunter and Verheyen
demonstrate original well-known models like the Les Paul, SG, and Flying V, while telling the story of the ups and downs of one of the Gibson brand in documentary fashion.
Interactive Fender Bibible by Paul Day and Dave Hunter, Jawbone, London, England, 2007; Interactive Gibson Bible by Walter Carter and Dave Hunter, Jawbone, London, England, 2008.
Rosindust: Teaching, Learning, and Lifefrom a Cellist’s Perspective
Learning to teach well can take a lifetime of trial and error of distilling hard-won performance skills into words in order to pass them on. Drawing on 30 years of private teaching experience,Cornelia Watkins has written a trueto-life guide to studio teaching that is a treasure trove of rich ideas for any teacher of any instrument. Based on the premise that the study of a musical instrument can have a powerful, positive effect on the whole person, Watkins encourages the development of musicianship from the inside out—for teacher and student alike. The book presents topics ranging from cello-specific techniques to discussions of nurturing student independence, how to practice, preparing for performance, and
comprehensive student-centered teaching.
Rosindust: Teaching, Learning, and Life from a Cellist’s Perspective, by Cornelia Watkins, Rosindust Publishing, Houston, TX, 2008.
Big Band Play-Along
Hal Leonard Corporation’s Big Band Play-Along series will make your favorite sheet music come to life. These book/CD collections for a variety of instruments from keyboard to guitar to saxophone allow you to practice and perform with professional-sounding accompaniments. Each contains cream-of-the-crop songs from jazz classics to popular hits. The CDs feature two tracks for each tune: a full performance for listening, and a separate backing track that lets players take the lead. The high-quality, sound-alike accompaniments exactly match the printed music.
Volume 1, Swing Favorites includes 10 arrangements: “April in Paris,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “In the Mood,” “It\ Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Route 66,” “Speak Low,” “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “Tangerine,” “This Can’t Be Love,” and “Until I Met You (Corner Pocket).”
Volume 2, Popular Hits includes “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Brick House,” “Copacabana (At the Copa),” “Evil Ways,” “On Broadway,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Respect,” “Street Life,” “Yesterday,” and “Zoot Suit Riot.”
Volume 3, Duke Ellington has 10 of the pianists greatest hits: “Caravan,” “Chelsea Bridge,” “Cotton Tail,” “I’m Beginning
to See the Light,” “I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” “In a Mellow Tone,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Mood Indigo,” “Satin
Doll,” and “Take the ‘A’ Train.”
Big Band Play-Along Series, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2007.
Blues Lick Factory: Building Great Blues Riffs
Blues Lick Factory contains 13 in-depth and easy-to-follow lessons presented in both standard notation and tablature to help beginner and intermediate-level blues guitar players build their own arsenal of licks. Author Jesse Gress shows them how to incorporate pickup notes, chord progressions, voicings, and rhythm figures into their riffs. Packaged with the book is a CD with audio demonstration of every lick in the book.
Blues Lick Factory: Building Great Blues Riffs, by Jesse Gress, Backbeat Books, New York, NY, 2007.
Fiddle Tunes and Much More
Deborah Greenblatt and David Seay of Avoca, Nebraska, have been playing and singing folk music together for more than 30 years. Their performances feature singing, fiddle, guitar, hammered dulcimer, banjo, harmonica, recorder, pennywhistle, Indian flutes, and more,
and are tailored for any age. Greenblatt is a championship fiddler, composer, and teacher. Seay, sings and plays folk music, and also teaches songwriting.
Together, the duo has also published books for a variety of instruments from cello to tin whistle. Among the latest are Barn Dance Fiddle Tunes and Singing Cowboy Fiddling Tunes, compiled and arranged by Greenblatt.
In Barn Dance Fiddle Tunes you’ll find 36 traditional tunes arranged into 22 medleys and Singing Cowboy Fiddling Tunes contains 28 traditional and original tunes with song lyrics and chords for back-up musicians. Both books are available for two violins, basses, cellos, mandolins, or violas. Each book comes in the same keys for easy harmonization with other stringed instruments. Joint efforts include Harmonica Helper and Tinwhistle Tutor to introduce those instruments to beginners.
Both musicians are approved as master artists in the Nebraska Arts Council’s Arts-in-the-Schools/Communities programs. They give music lessons and classes in violin, viola, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, banjo, autoharp, dulcimer, pennywhistle, recorder, and music theory.
Barn Dance Fiddle Tunes and Singing Cowboy Fiddling Tunes, compiled and arranged by Deborah Greenblatt, Greenblatt & Seay, Avoca, NE, 2007.
Historic Electric Guitar Books for Gibson and Fender
Backbeat Book’s Electric Guitar Books look inside two leading electric guitar manufacturers—Fender and Gibson.
Since the first ES-150s rolled off the line in the 1930s Gibson has been a benchmark for quality guitars. Gibson guitars have lent their sound to some of the most memorable guitar licks, including the tone of Jimmie Paige’s ’59 Sunburst Les Paul, Chuck Berry’s ES-335 double-stop licks, Tony Iommi’s deep, dark SG rumble, Chet Atkins’ twang, and Angus Young’s ferocious “Highway to Hell.”
The Gibson Electric Guitar Book gives a behind the scenes look at 70 years of history. It features beautiful color photos of Gibson standards, as well as less known models. A fully annotated index and reference section details every make and model in Gibson’s history, including lesser-known experimental models.
In the early 1950s Leo Fender began to manufacture sturdy and affordable solid-body electric guitars with a unique tonal quality and single-coil pickup design. More than half a century later Fender is synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll, having set a benchmark in design. The Fender Electric Guitar Book tells the story of the company’s humble beginnings to its leadership role today.
Nearly every Fender model ever made is pictured and a full reference section also gives detailed information on American, Japanese, Mexican, and Korean Fender models. A body shape key and detailed chronology from 1950 to 2007 lists serial numbers, neck, body, fretboard specs, and more.
The Gibson Electric Guitar Book: 70Years of Classical Guitars by Walter Carter; The Fender Electric Guitar Book: A Complete History of Fender Instruments (3rd Edition)
by Tony Bacon; Backbeat Books, New York, NY, 2007.
The About.com Guide to Acoustic Guitar: Step-by-Step Instruction to Start Playing Today
The About.com Guide to Acoustic Guitar is an inspiring and easy-to-follow step-by-step
introduction to a classic instrument that anyone can master. It provides a complete understanding of the acoustic guitar from guitar selection and chords to songwriting and repairs. While the book stands on its own as a resource, it can also be used along with the corresponding About.com website links, listed at the end of each chapter, for even more tips, tools, and advice. The author, Dan Cross, is a professional guitarist who has been teaching for more than 10 years.
The About.com Guide to Acoustic Guitar: Step-by-Step Instru ction to Start Playing Today, by
Dan Cross, Adams Media, Avon, MA, 2006.
Play with the CD Series for Piano or Guitar
Each volume in this innovative series from publisher Hal Leonard includes a CD of original master recordings of classic songs. When combined with the unique arrangements in each songbook, you can “sit in” and play along with your favorite artists from each decade or just enjoy listening to the records.
The 1950s features: “Rock Around the Clock” (Bill Haley & His Comets); “Love Letters in the Sand” (Pat Boone); “The Great Pretender” (The Platters); “Tammy” (Debbie Reynolds); “That’ll Be the Day” (The Crickets); “Sh-Boom” (The Crew-Cuts); “Tennessee Waltz” (Patti Page); “Personality” (Lloyd Price); “Unchained Melody” (Al Hibbler); and “Unforgettable” (Dinah Washington).
The 1960s features: “King of the Road” (Roger Miller); “I Fall to Pieces” (Patsy Cline); “Monday, Monday” (The Mamas & The Papas); “I’m Sorry” (Brenda Lee); “It’s My Party” (Lesley Gore); “How Sweet It Is” (Marvin Gaye); “Green Green Grass of Home” (Tom Jones)
; “Our Day Will Come” (Ruby & The Romantics); “Baby Love” (The Supremes); and “Wives and Lovers” (Jack Jones).
The 1970s features: “YMCA” (Village People); “Three Times a Lady” (Commodores); “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Elton John); “Garden Party” (Rick Nelson); “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor); “You Are So Beautiful” (Joe Cocker); “Reunited” (Peaches & Herb); “Love Will Keep Us Together” (Captain & Tennille); “Maggie May” (Rod Stewart); and “United We Stand” (Brotherhood of Man).
There are other books in the series available for both piano and guitar.
Play with the CD Series, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2007.
Chord Shapes for Jazz Guitar
Did you ever wish you could quickly learn just a few popular tunes on the piano, without going through years of lessons? With Life of the Party: Play Piano in an Instant you can do just that.
A DVD hosted by John Sebastian, former member of the The Lovin’ Spoonful, demonstrates
how to use the method which includes four “keyfinders” to help you find your way around the keyboard, a play along CD, and a book of 32 popular songs including “Every Breath You Take,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “In the Still of the Nite,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Lay Down
Sally,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” and “The Wanderer.”
Life of the Party: Play Piano in an Instant, by Bill Gulino, Cherry Lane Music Company, New York, NY, 2006.
Tipbook: Music for Kids and Teens: A Guide for Parents and
Caregivers
Have you been wanting to introduce the world of music to your children or grandchildren but you are unsure how to go about it? This new Tipbook is a handy and thorough guide that will answer all your questions. Music for Kids and Teens is relevant to children of every age and musical genre and includes numerous tips and thoughts applicable to other aspects of their upbringing as well.
The book is based on information gathered from the experiences of musicians, teachers, directors, parents, and other specialists and includes topics such as: why should we introduce children to music, choosing and instrument, practicing tips and tools, stage fright and audition anxiety, and much more.
Music for Kids and Teens: a Guide for Parents and Caregivers, by Hugo Pinksterboer, The Tipbook Company, Heemstede, The Netherlands, 2006.
Shred! The Ultimate Guide to Warp-Speed Guitar
Shredding is a challenge, but Shred! breaks it down, demystifying guitar solos that sound intimidating on record. Lessons include Flex Builders to get your hands working, and Love + Loud exercises that can be heard on the CD packaged with the book.
Techniques examined in-depth include: speed picking, thrash chording and speed riffing, blues shredding, tapping, legato playing, and the whammy bar. The book’s introduction includes short biographies for the top 30 speed demons of rock guitar and throughout the book you’ll hear examples of the techniques used by them. Co-authors Richard Maloof and Pete Prown are shred masters themselves.
Shred! The Ultimate Guide to Warp-Speed Guitar, by Rich Maloof and Pete Prown, Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2006.
eMedia’s Instructional CD Software
eMedia’s Bass Method is a fun way to learn bass guitar step-by-step and at your own pace. Easy-to-follow lessons range from basics like tuning the bass and simple bass lines to using triads, fills, and syncopation. You will learn how to create a bass line for any song you like. More than 200 songs and exercises are accompanied by full-motion video and recorded audio, and an animated fretboard that guides you through fingerings.
Guitar Method has more than 160 comprehensive lessons covering basics through chord strumming, playing melodies, and fingerpicking. It contains more than 50 videos with close-ups of both hands. Songs and exercises can be heard as either live-recorded audio or variable-speed MIDI. Both guitar tablature and standard notation are taught in a way that’s easy to understand.
Guitar Songs for acoustic, electric, and classical guitars makes learning famous songs easy with its animated fretboard showing finger positions. Users can choose between guitar tablature or standard music notation in learning more than 20 rock, blues, country, classical, and folk songs.
With eMedia’s Blues Guitar Legends teaches guitarists to play 10 classic blues songs from the masters themselves, including “Statesboro Blues,” as performed by The Allman Brothers Band, and “Hoochie Coochie Man,” as performed by Muddy Waters. Music notation highlights notes as songs play, while an animated fretboard displays fingerings in real time.
Bass Method, Guitar Method, Guitar Songs, Blues Guitar Legends, eMedia, Seattle, WA, 2007.
GuitaRevolution: Lessons from the Groundbreakers and Innovators
GuitaRevolution shows guitarists how to take their playing to the next level by teaching them the techniques of groundbreaking players. The book features in-person lessons with great players, alongside solo transcriptions and lick-by-lick style instruction. Styles explored in the book include Duane Allman’s slide techniques; Jimi Hedrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” solo; Carlos Santana’s soulful phrasing; Muddy Waters’ Delta/Chicago sound taught by Johnny Winter; Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Texas blues; and the other worldly sonics of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.
All of the lessons featured in the book are available online, in audio MP3 format, for readers to download at no extra cost. Author Jesse Gress is a respected performer and music educator and is former music editor of Guitar Player magazine.
GuitaRevolution: Lessons from the Groundbreakers and Innovators, by Jesse Gress, Backbeat Books, San Francisco,
CA, 2005.
Oud Method
The oud, which literally means “the wood,” dates back some 2,500 years and has a fascinating history. It is often considered the most important instrument to come from the Middle East. John Bilezikjian, America’s “oud virtuoso,” introduces the curious to the folklore and origin of the oud and also provides the basics for learning to play it. He covers topics such as how to find an oud, tuning, and playing. Even the basics of music notation and rhythm values are provided for those new to written music. There are a series of exercises for beginners, as well as an accompanying 27-track CD for demonstration and play along.
Oud Method, by John Bilezikjian, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2006.
Complete Guide to Building Kit Acoustic Guitars
Luthier Bill Cory shares his knowledge of guitar building to help readers discover the joy of creating their own quality instruments. The book is entertaining and well-illustrated with more than 450 photos of 10 different kit guitars being built. Written for beginners, Cory claims that anyone with a little space and patience should be able to create their own instrument from a kit in a matter of a few weeks time. The guide includes tips on tools you can make, a construction journal, lists of Internet resources and quality kit suppliers, finishing advice, and more.
Complete Guide to Building Kit Acoustic Guitars, by Bill Cory, EADGBE Publishing Company, Colorado Springs, CO, 2007.
All About Guitar
All About Guitar contains more than 40 rock, blues, folk, and country songs. The book also contains performance tips, background on various styles of music, and information about famous guitarists.
ALL ABOUT GUITAR A Fun and Simple Guide to Playing Guitar, by Tom Kolb, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2006
All About Bass
The All About Bass book has tips on finding the right instrument and gear, along with other bass information and more than 40 songs in many genres, including rock, country, blues, jazz, R&B, and funk. The book also has performance tips and career paths, along with information on famous bassists.
ALL ABOUT BASS A Fun and Simple Guide to Playing Bass, by Chad Johnson, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2006
Fingerstyle Guitar: 
Lessons in Technique and Creativity
Fingerstyle Guitar’s unique approach encourages readers to play using their natural instinct and voice. It covers topics, including technique, visualization, articulation, altered tunings, composition and structure, and accompaniment patterns. Lessons exploring motor memory, body awareness, and concentration help musicians maximise results. On an accompanying CD author and guitarist Brian Gore, founder of International Guitar Night concert/talks, performs many of the book’s exercises and etudes.
Fingerstyle Guitar, Lessons in Technique and Creativity, by Brian Gore,
Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2005.
First Bass: The Ultimate Guide to Bass Guitar Fundamentals
First Bass is a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of electric bass, designed to take you to the next level no matter what genre of music you want to play. The book starts with the basics of choosing the right gear, as well as proper hand positions.
Author Josquin des Pres covers basic skills like scales, modes, sight reading, and finger dexterity, and he shows you the chord progressions that drive today’s musicians. Through user-friendly lessons and exercises, First Bass explores all of the techniques, concepts, and styles that you’ll need to play bass and advance to create your own unique style. On the included MP3 CD, des Pres demonstrates the exercises.
First Bass: The Ultimate Guide to Bass Guitar Fundamentals, by Josquin des Pres, Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2005.
Monster Guitar Method [DVD]
The Monster Guitar Method interactive instructional series is designed to give the most complete guitar lessons possible, in a setting where you learn on your own schedule. It provides the knowledge of a seasoned professional, while utilizing tools such as on-screen graphics, split screen viewing of right and left hand close-ups, color-coded strings, and “follow the bouncing ball” style graphics. Monster Guitar students need not feel isolated studying at home as online help is available with direct access to an instructor and other students.
Monster Guitar Method, by Green Monster Music, Ardustry Home Entertainment, Woodland Hills, CA, 2005.
Next Step Guitar
The Next Step Guitar series is written by Tom Fleming, one of Britain’s more diverse musicians, playing and recording Irish folk, rock, jazz, and swing music. The books are designed to improve playing technique and musical knowledge for “real-world” guitarists.
Chords Made Easy introduces chord construction and songwriting. Easy-to-read chord frames are used to demonstrate open chords, bar chords, and “jazz” chords; to master common chord progressions; and to learn how to transpose them into any key using a unique chord transposition chart. The book explores altered chords and complex extended harmonies.
Sight-Reading Made Easy offers a practical approach to reading and demonstrates how to decipher and interpret the different types of notation and special instructions commonly thrown at guitarists. The book builds confidence and stamina by reading along with more than 45 examples in various styles.
Play Like a Pro is designed to elevate playing to a professional level. Guitarists learn how to perfect their time with play-along rhythm exercises, create memorable solos with slick phrasing and smooth voice leading, and learn tricks and techniques of the pros, like bending and tapping, muting and damping, vibrato, altered tunings, and harmonics.
Blues, Jazz & Rock Made Easy is an excellent introduction to the three most popular guitar styles. Guitarists learn classic blues patterns and licks, Chicago and Texas blues styles, how to unlock the secrets of modal jazz, as well as techniques for power chords, tapping, and bending. The book is full of advice and instruction, and features more than 20 full songs.
Each book in the Next Step Guitar series includes an audio CD with demos and full backing tracks.
The Next Step Guitar Chords Made Easy; Sight-Reading Made Easy; Play Like a Pro; Blues, Jazz & Rock Made Easy, by Tom Fleming, Amsco Publications, New York, NY, 2006.
The ABC’s of Violin
ABC’s of Violin for the Absolute Beginner Book 1 is the first in a series of violin method books designed for all ages. The method introduces the violin and basic music reading through melodies by classical composers, along with popular fiddle tunes like “Turkey in the Straw” and “Amazing Grace.” The simple approach to violin flows naturally to new concepts and includes diagrams showing proper finger placement.
Books in the ABC’s series have piano accompaniment books and CDs, and the ABC’s of Violin DVD demonstrates proper posture, positions, and technique. Both the CDs and DVD are sold separately.
The ABC’s of Violin for the Absolute Beginner, by Janice Tucker Rhoda, Carl Fischer, New York, NY, 2000.
The Bass Player’s Handbook
This guide for contemporary bassists provides a great start for beginners, as well as a helpful reminder for professionals. Author Greg Mooter helps readers understand the origins and workings of the bass and also outlines fundamental concepts such as proper fingering, tone production, and effective practice habits. In this comprehensive volume readers also learn how to care for, adjust, and tune a bass and maintain their own physical health as musicians.
The Bass Player’s Handbook, by Greg Mooter, Berklee Press, Boston, MA, 2002.
Slide Guitar: Know the Players, Play the Music
The latest title in Backbeat Books’ Fretmaster series, Slide Guitar: Know the Players, Play the Music teaches both the history and technique of slide guitar masters, from Robert Johnson, Son House, and Sol Hoopii through George Harrison and Leo Kottke. Guitarist, teacher, and author Pete Madsen gives his recommendations on choosing and using different types of slides.
The book is spiral-bound to conveniently lay flat on music stands, and features a play-along CD covering all of the exercises contained in the book, plus backing tracks in blues, country, and rock styles for perfect practice sessions.
Slide Guitar: Know the Players, Play the Music, by Pete Madsen, Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2005.
Mandolin Method Book 1
The Mandolin Method Book 1 is an updated second revision to the classic mandolin method book by Rich DelGrosso. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner’s guide includes many fun songs of different styles to learn and play.
DelGrosso, who has been teaching the instrument for many years, starts with the basics of selecting an instrument, the proper way to hold a mandolin, and how to tune it.
DelGrosso stresses the importance of learning to read music and even includes instructions about music symbols and tablature. The accompanying CD includes 43 tracks of songs from the book for demonstration and play along.
Mandolin Method Book 1, Second Edition, by Rich DelGrosso, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, 2005.
The Peavey Revolution: An All American Success Story
Hartley Peavey’s vision was to build top-quality musical instruments and amplifiers that ordinary musicians could afford. “I didn’t have any money and couldn’t afford to buy the things I wanted ... so I ended up building my own,” says Peavey.
The Peavey Revolution is the story of the company and its founder, as told by Peavey himself and the people who have known him, including author Ken Achard who worked with Peavey for 30 years, witnessing the company’s dramatic growth at close range.
One of the largest and most respected names in musical instruments and gear today, Peavey Electronics holds more than 130 patents and produces more than 2,000 products distributed throughout the US and to 136 countries. The colorful book features numerous historic photos of Peavey products and personalities.
The Peavey Revolution: Hartley Peavey, the Gear, the Company, and the All-American Success Story, by Ken Achard, Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2005
How to Play Bass Guitar: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Bass Guitar
The goal of this guide is to provide new players with all the information they need to create interesting and original bass lines and play from notation. An eager bass player will learn how to correctly position their hands, understand the fingerboard, tune with harmonics, master simple and complex rhythms, read music, and play with a group.
Chapter One is a clear explanation for a beginner with no pervious knowledge of the bass guitar. It will enable a player to develop technique. The next chapter is written for players who have progressed as far as possible without help. Notations are kept simple so that little music reading ability is required. How to Play Bass Guitar then advances on to reading music. This section will increase rhythmic awareness and greatly improve general playing. Also included are chapters on furthering a players techniques and instrument maintenance.
Author Laurene Canty is an experienced professional musician who has played and taught bass guitar for many years. His book includes several charts and pictorial examples to provide a clear and easy guide to playing a bass guitar.
How to Play Bass Guitar: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Bass Guitar, by Laurence Canty, St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, 1992.
The Guitarist’s Guide to Set-Up and Maintenance
Charlie Chandler says that guitar set-up and maintenance is one area in which a little knowledge and effort can make a huge difference.
The Guitarist’s Guide to Set-Up and Maintenance gives readers the information and confidence to perform their own repairs and maintenance. The book includes more than 100 photos and diagrams and difficulty rating levels to aid in deciding whether or not to tackle a particular task.
The Guitarist’s Guide to Set-Up and Maintenance: The Ultimate User’s Guide, by Charlie Chandler, Artemis Editions, Beaconsfield, Bucks, England, 2005.
Getting into Guitar Styles
In Getting into Guitar Styles Scott Reed looks at the different elements needed to play styles such as blues, rock, country, R&B, and classical, as well as different styles of jazz. Reed demonstrates the practical application of scales and other musical elements. The book includes standard notation and tablature as well as fingerboard diagrams.
Packaged with the book is a companion CD of examples. Many of the tracks are recorded both with and without the written guitar so that guitarists can play the written part along with the rhythm tracks and improvise their own part.
An accomplished author and musician, Scott Reed is a two-time recipient of a music fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and has taught guitar at Governors State University.
Getting into Guitar Styles, by Scott Reed, Mel Bay Publications, Inc., Pacific, MO, 2005.
Jazz Improvisation for Guitar: A Melodic Approach
Melodies based on triads and melodic extensions sound more natural and musical than ones developed exclusively from scales. Triads—the fundamental building blocks of harmony—are a simple and effective way to avoid scale-based improvising.
In Jazz Improvisation for Guitar: A Melodic Approach, world-renowned jazz guitarist Garrison Fewell offers an organized approach to creating expressive jazz solos and accompaniments. Triad and melodic extension examples and exercises help guitarists to achieve the most expressive jazz feel and rhythm.
The included play-along CD features outstanding musical examples and rhythm-section tracks performed by a trio of Garrison Fewell on guitar, Steve LaSpina on bass, and John Riley on drums. A special bonus track explores the techniques learned throughout the book.
Jazz Improvisation for Guitar: A Melodic Approach, by Garrison Fewell, Berklee Press, Boston, MA, 2005.
Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove & Play Like the Pros in Any Style
There’s something about the bass that just makes people want to move. By the same token, it’s pretty hard to move when you’re listening to a bass riff that just doesn’t groove. That’s why Ed Friedland, performing bassist and columnist for Bass Player magazine, has stepped in to save bassists and funky people everywhere.
With his Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove & Play Like the Pros in Any Style, Friedland has created a powerful resource for bassists of all levels and abilities. Loaded with exercises, a bass groove encyclopedia from A (anticipated backbeat) to Z (zydeco), drum parts, lessons on drum machine programming, and a CD to illustrate how it all should sound, Bass Grooves is a trove of information for bassists.
Friedland does not stop at instructions. The book features 100 plus examples in standard notation and tab, plus drum parts; comments on groove from bass greats like Phil Chen and Harvey Brooks; and a discussion of groove metaphysics.
Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove & Play Like the Pros in Any Style, by Ed Friedland, Backbeat Books, San Francisco, CA, 2004.
The Crash Course Series for Guitar
There are few high-quality, informative guides for beginner guitarists who may be experiencing difficulties and confusion in approaching non-intuitive intricacies of their instruments. The Crash Course series is a group of guides, designed to lead readers though four aspects of guitar playing.
If you play the guitar but are frustrated by issues like complex tuning or how to get the most out of that new distortion pedal you just bought, you may want to invest in Joe Bennett’s contributions to the series. With three Crash Course titles to his name, Bennett guides the beginner through explainations of guitar arpeggios, tunings, and effects. For those guitarists whose interests are streamlined more in the realm of jazz, there is also Hugh Burns’ Crash Course on Jazz Guitar Voicings.
Each Crash Course title is paired with a CD containing examples, demo tracks, chords, and other essentials to better illustrate the books. The Crash Course series provides a compact and useful trove of information for guitarists everywhere.
Crash Course Series, by Joe Bennett and Hugh Burns, Artemis Editions, Buckinghamshire, England, 2003.
I Used to Play Guitar
If you once played guitar and have ever wanted to pick it up again, this is the book for you. Its friendly four-part method will reintroduce you to once familiar concepts and techniques and take you further down the road of guitar proficiency. Part 1 reacquaints you with the guitar and guitar care; basic chords and strumming patterns are covered in part 2; part 3 describes standard music notation; and part 4 will teach you how to improvise and provide the tools to rise to a new level of proficiency.
The book is accompanied by a CD with track numbers that respond directly to the book’s example numbers. The author, Jody Fisher, a professional musician and teacher, has worked in virtually all styles of music and has taught guitar and jazz studies at both the University of Redlands and Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA). He is the director of the National Guitar Workshop.
I Used to Play Guitar, by Jody Fisher, Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., Van Nuys, CA, 2004.
Guitar Chord Songbook: Beach Boys
Hal Leonard Corporation has released the latest in its Guitar Chord Songbook series. Guitar Chord Songbook: Beach Boys includes complete lyrics, chord symbols and guitar chord diagrams for 59 Beach Boys hits, such as “Barbara Ann,” “California Girls,” and “Surfin’ USA.”
The book is perfect for players who don’t read music, but want to strum chords and sing, and equally ideal for more advanced guitarists who don’t want to wade through note-for-note notation. The 6-inch by 9-inch size makes it great to stow inside your guitar case.
Other Guitar Chord Songbooks in the series feature hits from The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and Neil Diamond, or focus on children’s, Christmas, Christian, folk, pop, and rock music genres.
Guitar Chord Songbook: Beach Boys, Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee, WI.
The Gig Bag Book of Picture Chords for all Guitarists
This handy reference book, compiled by Len Vogler, contains more than 1,000 standard chord forms presented in easy-to-read diagrams and clear, close-up photos. The Gig Bag Book of Picture Chords puts all the right chords at your fingertips in a small format that fits nicely in a gig bag. Chords are displayed as diagrams that represent the fingerboard of the guitar and accompanied by photos to the right of each diagram that show you what your hand should look like on the guitar fingerboard. A chart of chord names and alternate symbols is also included.
The Gig Bag Book of Picture Chords for all Guitarists, compiled by Len Vogler, Music Sales Corporation, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
