A collection of over 200 great Bluegrass, Old Time, Country and Gospel standards. Melodies are presented with standard notation and tablature along with lyrics and chords.Learn to play songs written and recorded by the giants of traditional American music: Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, the Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson and many more. Also included: Step-by-Step instruction on how to transpose any song to any key!The two CDs include recordings of EVERY song in the book.

The best way to learn a musical instrument is to play it as much as possible, and the most enjoyable way is with other musicians in a band setting. Trading songs, interacting with other instrumentalists, and building an ensemble sound help you learn much faster than approaching a new instrument on your own. This play-along series of books and accompanying audio promotes a fun way of learning by providing you with a band to play along with.You can practice chords and rhythm, singing and lyrics, melodies, solos, licks, and back-up playing along with a real band. The accompanying audio includes Dix Bruce on the guitar, mandolin and vocals, Bill Evans on the banjo and vocals, Julie Cline on vocals, and Cindy Browne on the string bass. The songs are recorded just as they would be played at a jam session or performance, withintroductions (kickoffs), vocals and solos. By playing (back-up/melody) and singing along, you will have a lot of fun while you learn. Open solo spaces in the recordings allow you to play the chords and solos from the book, create your own improvised solos, or sing the lyrics while the band provides accompaniment.The book includes fifteen of the most popular Bluegrass, Old-Time and Gospel songs, recorded at slow and regular tempos in the audio. No matter what your ability level is on the guitar, you can enjoy playing along with the band!

The Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book is a must for all bluegrass pickers! Included are the melody line and chords to over two hundred favorite gospel and bluegrass songs. Detailed information about the origin and performers is given for each song as well as the history and development of the bluegrass genre. the lyrics are large and easy to read during a performance.

This book and accompanying audio are an essential compilation of songs, solos, and techniques that every mandolin player should know. The book is aimed at beginning and intermediate mandolinists, and contains 40 mandolin solos of all- time favorite Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Gospel songs. The written music includes melodies, tablature, chords, and all the solos can be heard at both slow and regular speeds on the accompanying audio. Included are easy open string solos, closed position moveable and transposable solos, solos with tremolo, doublestops, bluesy solos, crosspicking solos, and backup mandolin parts. This book has everything you need to play great solos in jam sessions and performances! Includes access to online audio

A collection of over 200 great bluegrass, old time, country and gospel standards. Melodies are presented with standard notation and tablature along with lyrics and chords.Learn to play songs written and recorded by the giants of traditional American music: Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, the Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Doc Watson and many more. Also included: step-by-step instruction on how to transpose any song to any key!The two CDs include recordings of EVERY song in the book with Bill Evans on banjo and vocals, Dix Bruce on guitar, mandolin, and vocals.

Here’s the quick way to get pickin’ with the best of ‘em The banjo is both a staple of old-time music and an instrument that makes frequent cameos in today’s chart toppers. Whatever your musical leanings, Banjo For Dummies will show you how to pick your way around your instrument, even if you have zero musical background! With a little practice—and the easy-to-follow instructions in this book—you can learn your way around the banjo, try out various musical styles, and discover what banjo culture is all about. Think of this For Dummies guide as your personal banjo tutor, as you learn how to buy, tune, hold, play, and have fun with your five-string. You can also go beyond the book with online video lessons and audio files that will get you picking even faster. Follow the guidance of respected banjo performer Bill Evans and soon you may find yourself jamming with a band or rubbing elbows with the pros at your local bluegrass festival. Learn the basics of banjo: how to strum chords, pick notes, and read tablature Add new styles to your repertoire, including clawhammer, three-finger styles, vamping, and classic banjo Play bluegrass music and learn how to network at festivals Choose the banjo and accessories that work for you, and discover how to keep them in good shape Banjo For Dummies is for anyone who want to learn to play the five-string banjo or brush up on banjo-playing skills. No experience required!

A complete guide to the world of the five-string banjo written for both beginners and more experienced players. Packed with over 120 how-to photos and 130 musical examples. 94 track CD included - hear and play along with every exercise and song. The only book to offer instruction in clawhammer, bluegrass, melodic, single-string, minstrel and classic styles. From Earl Scruggs’ driving bluegrass picking to the genre-busting jazz fusion of Béla Fleck and the multi-million selling movie soundtrack O Brother Where Are Thou?, the five-string banjo can be heard just about everywhere in American music these days. Banjo For Dummies is the most complete guide to the five-string banjo ever written. It covers everything you need to get into the banjo: including how to choose, tune and care for your instrument, developing a good playing posture, fretting your first chords and getting comfortable with the left and right hand picking patterns used for clawhammer and bluegrass playing techniques. You’ll then add the left hand, spicing up your playing with slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and chokes for an authentic five-string banjo sound. From there, you’ll move on the play 19th century minstrel style, early 20th century classic style as well as try your hand at more advanced examples of bluegrass style. An in-depth chapter on bluegrass music explores Scruggs licks and techniques as well as melodic and single-string styles, with song examples. Also included is a banjo buyer’s guide, a section on music theory as applied to bluegrass and old-time music, an accessories guide (advice on cases, picks, straps, metronomes, computer aids and much more), information on how to find a good teacher, banjo camp or festival, chord charts, bios of twelve influential players, practice tips and much, much more! Banjo For Dummies is accessible and fun to read and it’s easy to locate just what you’re interested in playing. Included are 20 songs including several new compositions written by the author just for this book, including Reno Rag (single-string style), “Winston’s Jig” (Irish three-finger), and “Everyday Breakdown” (Scruggs style). All musical examples are played slowly on the accompanying CD, many with guitar and mandolin accompaniment. Bill Evans is one of the world’s most celebrated banjo players and teachers. He has taught thousands of people to play the five-string banjo in private lessons and group workshops literally all over the world. In addition to leading the Bill Evans String Summit, Bill has performed with Dry Branch Fire Squad, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Tony Trischka and many others and he hosts his own acclaimed banjo camp, the NashCamp Fall Banjo Retreat in the Nashville area. As an American music historian, he has taught at San Francisco State University, the University Virginia and Duke University. He has written a popular instructional column for Banjo Newsletter magazine for the last fifteen years and hosts three popular instructional DVDs for AcuTab Publications. To learn more about Bill, visit his homepage at www.nativeandfine.com. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.