SKU: MB.99126M

ISBN 9781513465791. 8.75x11.75 inches.

Provides the intermediate clawhammer 5-string banjo player with a fresh repertoire of 21 traditional and 5 original tunes as played by the author with the Boiled Buzzards Old Time String Band. The book briefly addresses clawhammer basics with a few pages of exercises and scales before presenting the tunes. The banjo tunings in this book are: double C tuning gCGCD , modified double C tuning eCGCD , G tuning GDGBD , A tuning aEAC#E , D tuning aDADE , and Double-D tuning drop 5th f#DADE . Written in banjo tablature only with suggested backup chords. Voted one of the top 10 clawhammer banjo players by Banjo Newsletter readers, Levenson advises the reader that the tablature in this book is to be used only as a guide and to play the tune as you hear it, not slavishly as written. This approach allows the reader to play within his/her style and level of ability. Includes access to online audio.

SKU: MB.30906M

ISBN 9781513476643. 8.75X11.75 inches.

This solo collection presents 19 iconic melodies from the American traditional song book plus 6 modern original compositions by William Bay, president of Mel Bay Publications; all selections have been arranged in tablature for the 5-string banjo in gDGBD tuning by Catalonian multi-instrumentalist and bluegrass specialist, Llu?s G?mez.Any collection of American ballads would be incomplete without settings of the beautiful melodies penned by Stephen Foster, several of which appear here including Beautiful Dreamer, Darling Nellie Gray, I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, and Hard Times, Come Again No More. Some of these tunes are arranged in uncommon banjo keys, all without retuning the banjo or using a capo. These keys may be challenging at first but will teach you a lot about the banjo fretboard.The authorÃ?s generous preface offers tips on practice, performance and interpretation rarely found in tablature collections such as these, but this book has it all, including online recordings of each arrangement.

SKU: MB.21025M

ISBN 9780786691968. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

Easy to play five-string banjo arrangements of twenty-four childrens favorites by banjo master Ross Nickerson. Not only are these songs fun to play but from an instructional standpoint they are perfect for helping you develop the ability to bring out the melody in the bluegrass banjo style. Accenting the melody within the steady rhythmic roll of banjo playing is one of the biggest challenges facing banjo students and these familiar melodies are ideal for your development of that skill. Each song is arranged and performed using proper three-finger bluegrass technique. The arrangements are carefully designed to bring out the melody, but easy enough for a beginner or intermediate player to learn quickly. The tablature in the book is large and easy to read with accent marks for melody notes, as well as right and left-hand fingering indications. This book is not simply a tablature book. Childrens Songs for Banjo Made Easy also features instruction on learning the chords to each song, chord progression charts for each song, special learning tips for each arrangement, a full page of advice on memorizing the songs and more. Also, in the instructional section of the book Ross includes a page of suggestions on the best use of practice time and how to develop the skills needed to succeed with each piece. Includes online access to a high quality studio recorded audio of all the songs played at three speeds and a bonus track of Ross performing.

SKU: MB.20803M

ISBN 9780786690916. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

The Getting Into Bluegrass Banjo book and audio by Alan Munde is the accumulation of successful teaching concepts developed in his 40 plus years as a professional bluegrass musician and teacher. Munde presents a straight-forward and well-founded course of bluegrass banjo essentials. Designed for those who have never played a stringed instrument to those taking up bluegrass banjo as a second instrument. Includes access to online audio. Getting Started - Covers the parts of the banjo, hand positions, first picking patterns, pull-offs, hammer-ons, slides, exercise songs, ending with the professional sounding Levelland Mountain Breakdown. Review of Rolls, New rolls, and combinations of Rolls, with Examples - Offers the most used rolls in bluegrass banjo playing with often-played examples of each. The player learns many of the licks used in the style with an example of how to combine them to make a solo. Roll Logic - How to place a melody into the several different roll patterns. Tools and Techniques - Helps develop left hand techniques through the use of intervals of thirds and sixths.Creating Solos to Songs - At the heart of the book is this revealing section with many examples of how to create many, many solos to the song Jesse James.Songs - Put to use all you have learned on these great standards Ground Hog, Wildwood Flower two versions ,Nine Pound Hammer, Worried Man Blues, Lost All My Money, Old Country Church, Kneel at the Cross, and Train 45.