Internationally acclaimed guitarist Ellsworth ("El") McMeen has done over 220 solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements and compositions in the last 30 years. He has numerous recordings, books,
and DVD lessons and has concertized throughout the United States.

Of his work, he has selected for this voluminous book
60 pieces with his favorite melodies. (Among them is an instrumental
he composed for his wife, called "Song for Sheila.")

The music is diverse in genre and mood, but each piece is compelling in its own way.
Included are folk tunes, a classical piece, hymns, a patriotic song,
ancient Celtic harp music, lullabies, El's favorite Christmas song
("In the Bleak Midwinter"), El's favorite Irish jig ("The Kid on the Mountain"),
laments, love songs, and Irish airs.

El is included in the Digitaldreamdoor listing of the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
https://tinyurl.com/GreatestGuitarists Several of his recordings are referenced here:
https://elmcmeen.bandcamp.com/

The audio sampler contains all or part of the following selections, in the CGDGAD tuning
except as otherwise indicated. (When El has recorded some of this music, he has used a capo,
usually at fret II or IV, for tonal atmosphere.)

1. America the Beautiful
2. Be Still, My Soul
3. Be Thou My Vision
4. Carolan's Concerto
5. Carolan's No. 179
6. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
7. Give Me Your Hand
8. Hector the Hero
9. In the Bleak Midwinter
10. Jerusalem (Drop D)
11. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
12. Kid on the Mountain
13. My Mary of the Curling Hair
14. Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife
15. Rose of Allendale
16. Song for Sheila

Song List: Adoro Devote (th Century Plainsong) Allegro (Anon) Alman (Robert Johnson) An dro An Drochshaol (The Hard Times) An Italian Rant (John Playford) Andante (Anon) Aura Lee Ballade (Anon) Bear Dance (Anon) Beautiful Dreamer Believe Me If All Those Endearing Charms Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair Black Sunday Blessed Reunion Branle Double (Michael Praetorius) Cailin Deas Crúite na mBó (Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow) Call The Ewes Canarios (Gaspar Sanz) Carolan's Dream Carolan's Fancy Chanter's Tune Chestnut (John Playford) Childgrove (John Playford) Clancy's Wake Come With Me, My Giselle (Adam De La Halle) Coming Home Cooley's Reel Courting is a Pleasure Darling Nellie Gray Dont vient cela (Susato/Danserye ) Dowland's Ghost (W Bay) Down by the Sally Gardens Drowsie Maggie Endless Horizon Fair Flower Of Northumberland Fields Of Culloden Flint Hills Fortune My Foe (Anon) Gavotte (Michael Praetorius) Golden Fields Greensleeves (Anon) Greyfriars Bobby Grimstock (John Playford) Guardeme Las Vacas (Luis De Narvaez) Guilderoy Hard Times, Come Again No More Harvest Festival Hills Of Ireland I Dream of Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair I Went To Visit The Roses In The Pines Irish Prayer Jock O'Hazeldean John Anderson, My Jo Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier Just A-Wearyin' For You Just Before The Battle, Mother Kean O'Hara (First Air) Kemp's Jig (John Playford) La Folias (Gaspar Sanz) Lady Laiton's Almain (John Dowland) Land of Rest Londonderry Air Lorena Macdonald, Lord Of The Isles MacPherson's Farewell Mara's Theme Master Shardlake (W Bay) Meadowlark Meramec Echoes Mighty Lak' A Rose Moderato (Anon) My Irish Home My Lagan Love My Spirited Love Mystic Valley Ned Of The Hill New Day O Esca Viatorum (Louis Bourgeois) On The Cold Ground (John Playford) Once I Had A Sweetheart Ozark Memories Packington's Pound (Anon) Paper Of Pins Parson's Farewell (John Playford) Pastourelle (th Century French) Pigeon On The Fence Prairie Sunrise Prairie Sunset Pretty Peggy - O Quiet Summer Night Rainfall Remembrance Rose Of Sharon Saltarello (Vincenzo Galilei) Saturday Night Waltz Scarborough Fair Shady Grove She Moved Through The Fair Sheebeg and Sheemor Shenandoah Si pour t'aymer (Anon) Southwind Waltz Spagnoletta (Michael Praetorius) St Martin's (John Playford) Star of the County Down State Fair Storm Coming Summer Plans Sunflower Waltz The Bonny Light Horseman The Boys Of Ballisodare The Brave Lad The Church on the Prairie The Connachtman's Rambles The Flowers Of Sweet Erin The Green The Fragrance of Fall The Galway Shawl The Highlander The Highwayman's Reel The Lark In Clear Air The Lilting Banshee The Lonesome Dove The Long Road The Lost Child The Marsh of Rhuddlan The Mist Covered Mountain (Jig) The Mist Covered Mountains Of Home (Ballad) The Old Country The Old Homestead The Parting Glass The Rambling Pitchfork The Shearing's Not For You The Water Is Wide The Yearling TO a Wild Rose To Drive The Cold Winter Away (John Playford) Trail Of Tears Treasure Of My Heart Tutte Venite Armati (Anon) Village Meeting House Volte (W Bay) Wild Mountain Thyme Wilson's Wilde (Anon) Winfield Waltz

ISBN 9781619119895.

This is a collection of 25 lyrical North American melodies scored for guitar solo. Some of the solos have historical themes and some are from the turbulent Civil War era. Any collection of American ballads would be incomplete without some settings on the beautiful melodies penned by Stephen Foster. A number of those are included herein as guitar solos. All solos are presented in standard notation and tablature. Includes access to an online audio.

ISBN 9781619114883. 11.75 x 8.75 inches. Fiddle Tunes in DADGAD shows how fingerstyle guitarists can use DADGAD tuning to play traditional tunes, including twenty-four complete arrangements of common American, Irish and Scottish ballads, airs, jigs and reels. The book explores techniques and patterns for playing melodies across the strings, producing a harp-like effect that adds a distinctive and beautiful character to traditional melodies. In addition to building repertoire, the material demonstrates ways to arrange your own melodies or even write your own tunes based on the techniques provided. This is a perfect follow-up for guitarists who have studied Understanding DADGAD for Fingerstyle Guitar and are looking for tunes to learn, or for those who want to go deeper into harp-style playing. It is also an excellent introduction for those who prefer to just dive head-first into DADGAD by learning some classic tunes. Includes access to online audio.

ISBN 9781619119185.

Richard Matteson is an outstanding classic guitarist whose grandfather, Maurice, was a nationally acclaimed expert on American folk music. Richard spent many hours in his grandfather's extensive library and penned beautiful, reflective fingerstyle/classic guitar arrangements on 15 Appalachian ballads. In notation and tablature. Includes access to online audio recorded in stereo format featuring Richard Matteson playing all 15 solos. Level of difficulty - intermediate.

ISBN 9781619118768.

A dozen of the most beautiful traditional melodies from the British Isles and North America are arranged here as concert pieces, with rich harmonies and variations. Carefully voiced and fingered for fluidity and effectiveness, the collection offers a wide range of style and expression. aBarbara Allena and aThe Three Ravensa are strongly influenced by the Elizabethan lute tradition, while aJohn Rileya and aCome All Ye Fair and Tender Ladiesa have a more contemporary feel. aBlack Is the Color of My True Loveas Haira and aLament for Owen Roe OaNeilla are studies in somber intensity, the modal aShe Moved Through the Faira sounds the ancient connection between Arabic and Celtic music, and aBanks of the Ohioa provides an interlude of gentle bluegrass swing, with a hint of gospel.

ISBN 9781513459677. 8.75x11.75 inches.

A collection of 19 flatpicking solos in the beautiful and rousing old-time style, reflecting the spirit of late 19th and early 20th century rural America. Written in standard notation and tablature. Includes access to online audio.