For anyone who's ever wanted to add bluegrass to their list of playing styles but never knew where to begin, Guitar Roots: Bluegrass provides all the elements for finding an authentic bluegrass sound. Clear, easy-to-understand examples demonstrate slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, alternate picking, syncopation and more. Get pickin' with this all-inclusive bluegrass primer.

Wayne Erbsen's newest book takes a deep look at bluegrass music to uncover its true roots: ballads of early pioneers, Scots-Irish fiddle tunes, black spirituals, plantations melodies, blues, murder ballads, sentimental parlor songs from Tin Pan Alley, North Carolina banjo styles and gospel songs. the book is richly illustrated with over 100 vintage photos and includes lyrics, musical notation, chords, history and playing tips to 94 songs. There are also nearly 80 pages of history and profiles portraying important musicians including the Monroe Brothers, Carter Family, Bradley Kincaid, Riley Puckett, Charlie Poole, Wade & J.E. Mainer, Vernon Dalhart, Carolina Tar Heels, G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter, Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, Ernest V. Stoneman, Blue Sky Boys, Fiddlin' John Carson, Coon Creek Girls, Earl Scruggs, Eck Robertson, Callahan Brothers, Samantha Bumgarner, Bill Monroe Zeke & Wiley Morris, Jimmie Rodgers and Stringbean. Optional CD by Wayne Erbsen and Laura Boosinger is available containing fourteen songs from the book.

The ultimate starter book for players looking to learn the classic guitar style that's once again so popular. Learn swing progressions and forms, as well as how to construct a swing guitar solo, and so much more. This is the only book ever needed to get swingin' right away!

Learn from transcriptions in the styles of Clarence White, Dan Crary, Charlie Waller, Peter Rowan and others. Over 30 tunes in tablature and music notation, plus photos.

Guitarskole.

In this addition to Mel Bay's popular "Getting Into..."series, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine columnist Joe Carr presents an overview of the exciting flatpicking style in tablature and in music notation. Beginning with basic chords and strum patterns, this book/CD combination covers Carter style, fiddle tunes crosspicking, floating, improvisation and much more! Special sections address pick direction, pentatonic scales, dropped D tuning and how to read standard music on the guitar. Included are the "Top Ten" flatpicking favorites and a section on Irish ornamentation.