ISBN 9781619118515.

Mastering the Classical Guitar, Book 1AA is the first in a progressive series using a wide variety of musical repertoire and educational material to provide a solid technical foundation for classical guitar students, exposing the full range of the instruments potential and repertoire.Book 1A is most appropriate for students with no prior knowledge of the guitar or music theory, or for those who simply want a fresh start with the classic guitar. It is written in three broad sections:A Progressive Studies and Pieces,A Technical ExercisesA andA Rhythmic Reading. Tips on how to integrate the three sections are provided throughout the book. Every chapter begins with exercises written specifically to improve a certain aspect of ones playing, followed by various examples from the classical music repertoire and traditional songs from various cultures.While every aspect of classical guitar technique is clearly described and illustrated, students using this book would still benefit from the advice and constructive feedback of a competent teacher. Consequently, teachers will find opportunities to assert their individual teaching perspectives within this method, making it a perfect road map for the instructor and students musical journey.Written in standard notation only,A Mastering the Classical Guitar, Book 1AA comes with extensive online audio examples. Fingering is kept to a minimum to encourage effective sight reading, allowing teachers and students to annotate their own ideas about digitation and contribute to their own learning process. Includes access to online audio.

ISBN 9781609741617. William Bay and Mike Christiansen have collaborated to produce an outstanding comprehensive guitar method addressing all styles of both flatpicking and fingerstyle technique. Guitar teachers, take note: Mastering the Guitar series is the ideal method for the beginning student who has yet formed a stylistic preference, or for the intermediate player limited to one particular style who wishes to expand his horizons and improve his technique. An impressive extended length online audio recording with more than 160 tracks is offered with both books 1A and 1B. Each written example in the books is carefully cross-referenced to its corresponding audio sample on the recording by means of an audio track number printed above each piece. The student is encouraged to learn to read standard notation and tablature as both systems are used throughout this 3-volume series. The "Technique Studies" book provides supplementary, more challenging pieces including chord studies in various keys as well as a few pieces in dropped-D tuning. Together, these three books comprise a powerful learning tool for Mastering the Guitar in a contemporary idiom.

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.

ISBN 9781619117143.

This is the flagship book in Mel Bay's Achieving Guitar Artistry series. Herein you will find an extensive collection of linear pieces with interesting melodic content. Frequent performance of these etudes will not only enhance technique, but offer the guitarist a wonderful opportunity to improve tone, touch and lyrical phrasing.We suggest playing each etude at a slow tempo at first, the goal being to achieve a clear and beautiful tone on every note. The next objective is to develop a sense of lyrical completeness to each musical phrase. Make the phrases sing! Once you have achieved the desired quality of tone and expression, increase the tempo to work on the technique.Mel Bay's Guitar Journals - Mastering the Fingerboard: The Reading Book (MB20903) would make an ideal supplement to Linear Guitar Etudes as it presents etudes in all keys and positions.The pieces in Linear Guitar Etudes are multi-positional. That is, the player will be required to move from position to position on the fingerboard. The music is presented in standard notation only, with left-hand fingering included on the more complex passages, and circled numbers to indicate the strings where certainnotes and passages are to be played.These etudes sound good on both nylon and steel-string guitars, and will be a valuable addition to the music library of any guitarist, enhancing their abilities regardless of the style of music played.

ISBN 9781619117549.

The arts flourished in the Baroque period. Music from that time is still performed worldwide by symphonies, opera companies, choirs, chamber ensembles and soloists on many instruments. The period was characterized by the works of such great artists as J. S. Bach (b. 1685), Handel (b. 1685), Telemann (b. 1681) and many others. These composers defined the rich, ornate and melodic Baroque style of music which we categorize in the classical realm. There was another genre of music flourishing during this period, and that was the common or folk music style characterized by such composers as Ireland's legendary harpist, Turlough O'Carolan (b. 1670).In composing music for this book the author recreated harmonic and melodic elements of this great musical age, while adding some contemporary twists. All of the etudes are original and will serve to enhance guitar technique, phrasing, expression, note- reading ability, and knowledge of the entire guitar fingerboard. Fingering and string markings are included where appropriate.In addition to facilitating the many technical and aesthetic aspects of performing at an advanced level on the guitar, these etudes may be used successfully in concerts or recitals. This book is an ideal companion for the other books in the Mel Bay Achieving Guitar Artistry series, which is designed to condition and guide the developing guitarist to an advanced level of proficiency, regardless of the style of music performed.

ISBN 9781619117303.

Achieving Guitar Artistry - Concert Solos is a collection of 56 solos reflecting a wide array of colors, textures and moods. These were originally written for plectrum or flatpick guitar but may be played by the classical or fingerstyle guitarist. The solos range in difficulty from intermediate to advanced and will work wonderfully in recital or concert settings. Many of the solos encourage creativity with tone, expression and phrasing. Others are up-tempo and utilize Latin, jazz, bluegrass and Celtic rhythms. An ample amount of fingering and string markings are presented on each solo.This is the third book in the Mel Bay Achieving Guitar Artistry series. It follows Linear Guitar Etudes and Triads. The goal of this series is to present material able to develop the serious guitar student into a very accomplished player.