ISBN 9781619117983.

Romantic Arias for Classical GuitarA is a collection of the worlds most beloved songs from the world of opera.A A An aria is a song performed during an opera that listeners are the most familiar with. These AC/a!Apop songs of opera" provide an entry point for those unfamiliar with the opera repertoire, considered by many as the most expressive genre of western music. For those who are familiar with the world of opera, you will recognize the selections here as the arias most beloved by millions of listeners around the world.This project, a labor of love by master guitarist Steve Eckels, contains the most famous melodies by composers Verdi and Puccini including the great operasA La Traviata,A Madame Butterfly,A La BohA"me,A Turandot,A Nabucco,A Tosca, andA Rigoletto. Also included are MassenetsA Meditation, DelibesA Flower Duet, OffenbachsA Barcarolle,A BizetsA HabaneraA and others. The pieces have been arranged for recreational or concert guitarists, and have been meticulously fingered and engraved for ease of learning. The author has also provided music reading warm-ups to assist in learning the pieces. Eckels performances of all the arrangements on YouTube will provide an aid in familiarizing yourself with the most beloved songs ever written.A Includes access to online audio.

ISBN 9781619117679.

Is the beginning stage of learning the guitar proving to be a frustrating experience? Do you lack songs which you can play from start to finish? Do the ones that you can play all the way through not sound much like their original versions? I have been teaching these pieces to my beginner students for quite some time now, and the success rate has been remarkable. Most methods start by having the student slowly move back and forth between basic chords using only down strokes, playing chords one note at a time to make sure all the notes ring clear. This book offers something much differentaplaying music! The pieces are designed to target trouble areas often experienced by beginners of the instrument: arching the fingers enough in order to let all the notes of a chord ring clearly. Rather than just droning on through a series of chords, musical patterns are created so that as you learn proper technique youare also playing something musical. The results have been better than expected. Focusing on figures that demand proper technique and some of the most common strumming patterns found in popular music, many of my students are able to execute beginner and intermediate level songs within a few weeks of picking up the instrument rather than a few months. Additionally, the dreaded F chord, or root 6 major barre chord, often rings clearly with all 6 notes being heard upon the first attempt. This book will help you achieve your guitar related goals quickly, more efficiently, and most importantly, more enjoyably. Includes access to online video.