ISBN 9781619117501.

Among fretted-instrument players there is an expression that states, The fret hand marks a player, but the pick hand distinguishes an artist. The 23 original compositions in this book offer a fresh basis to explore and develop plectrum or pick-style playing technique to a professional level. These pieces require various playing techniques and include: linear studies, double-stops, counterpoint, and chord playing. By studying and learning these pieces, guitarists can not only refine their technical mastery, but also enhance their skill level and artistry in solo guitar performance. This collection also includes eight duet arrangements to be played by two guitarists. The duets are fun to play as student/teacher sight-reading exercises, and can be used as guitar duo performance repertoire as well. The music is written in standard notation only. Access to online audio is included for all 31 pieces.

8.75 x 11.75 inches.

This collection of Latin-influenced pieces is ideal for the classical or fingerstyle guitarist seeking challenging new material that spans a number of genres and is melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically engaging. For the classical guitarist, the collection offers an excellent source of solos inspired by traditional forms and styles while providing new works that will readily compliment the traditional classical guitar repertoire. Fingerstyle players will discover attractive pieces, appreciating the many syncopated rhythms. The composer himself, with a degree in classical guitar, performs on a modified steel-string instrument. Written in standard notation only, the author's detailed fingerings and online audio recordings will facilitate learning these delightful pieces ranging from intermediate to advanced levels. Includes access to online audio. At Mel Bay Publications, we are privileged to hear a lot of new, original music. With Michael Bellmont's guitar compositions, we guarantee that once you hear them, you'll want to play them yourself!

ISBN 9781619111042. This book presents six contemporary guitar works by Irish composers. These works are fairly evenly divided with reference to their position in the composers' output and also to the composers' age: three of the six are early works (Farrell, Bromhead and Fennessy) while the remaining three were produced during the composers' more mature years (O'Leary, Sweeney and Bodley); also, three generations of living composers are represented. The six works chosen vary widely in compositional style, approach to writing for the guitar, and technical requirements, thus presenting a generally good overview of contemporaryIrish guitar music. This collection spans the period from 1970 to 2006 and includes Geminio by Jerome de Bromhead, the first Irish solo concert work for guitar. A short introduction to each composer and a background to his/her work is included.