Favorite books of Musical Information

Subject: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Vixen
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 08:24 AM

'Dcats--

This topic has come up on a bunch of other threads, but I thought consolidating it all into one thread might be useful. I suggest we create a list of the titles we have found MOST useful in our respective quests for musical development. To break the ice, my particular favorites are:

Ralph Denyer's The Guitar Manual gives a grand discussion of different styles, music theory, sound reinforcement, biography, and technique

Robin Williamson's The Pennywhistle Book was the only one of about four that I bought from which I could learn anything! This book made me a pw fanatic.

V

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Mían
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 11:53 AM

Orchesography (Arbeau). Here's a fun page: Click here

and another: Click here

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 01:34 PM

I (and I would think many other) tenor banjo players started out with Sully's Irish Banjo book. His session books have also proved to be useful for getting a common repertiore of tunes and my set of has been out on more or less permanent loan to others getting started in Irish music for the last 8 years.

Jon

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: j0_77
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 01:58 PM

I am an expert on Banjo books :) I have a pile of them. The best all round clawhammer banjo book is 'Muller & Koehler' Pub by MelBay. The next best, which should be no 1 except it is a Tune Book and not suitable for a begginer, 'Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Banjo' by John Burke.

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: JedMarum
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 02:38 PM

I think Mel Bay also published this book, but Jerry Silverman put together a book called "The Art of the Folk Blues" - great stuff ... fairly elementary, good material.

It contains some old folk blues favorites, some of which I still play;

Frankie and Johnny
Sporting Life Blues
Mule Skinner Blues
Long Line Skinner
St James Infirmary
and many more

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Bert
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 04:50 PM

It was a chapter in Tom Glazer's book of Folk Songs that persuaded me to buy my first guitar. Unfortunately I lent the book to someone. The only book of his that I have now is "Songs of Peace, Freedom and Protest".

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Magpie
Date: 27 Oct 99 - 06:17 PM

The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book by Sarah McQuaid, and Mel Bay's Complete Irish Tin Whistle Book.

Magpie

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Bugsy
Date: 28 Oct 99 - 03:33 AM

John Pearse's "Fingers and Frets" without a doubt. The only guitar tutor book I've ever found that doesn't pre-suppose that you have some knowledge of music and scoring.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 12:24 AM

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: IvanB
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 08:58 AM

About 40 years ago I got a tome on Music History (can't remember the title of it anymore) on an interlibrary loan. I returned it and requested it at least six or seven times and, in fact, I think if it hadn't been for me it probably never would have circulated. I still have copies I made from it on one of the old heat activated copiers. Anyway, what that book did for me was to give me a good grounding in Medieval and Renaissance music as well as the traditional music of the British Isles. By reinforcing the love I already had for those genres, it encouraged a lifelong quest, still not completed, for more and more music in my life. I have a number of 'howto' books that I treasure, but none of them have had the long term effect of that one borrowed volume.

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 09:45 AM

I've been thinking of getting Earl Scruggs & The Bluegrass Banjo and the accompanying tape. My main interest in learning the banjo is to play Bluegrass. Has anyone used this book and if so what are your thoughts?

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 10:08 AM

IvanB was it possibly Chappell's "Popular Music of the Olden Time"? It covers the ground you talk about in fabulously readable style and in great depth.

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 10:50 AM

I've just read two pretty good books. The first is "Rythm Oil", by Stanley Booth. He is from Memphis and the book is basically a series of articles that he has written over the years about music in Memphis. He ties them together very nicely. Some neat stuff about Furry Lewis, Mississippi John Hurt's funeral, Elvis, Otis Redding, and an awful lot about Stax Records amazing stable of artists such as Booker T, Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn, Issac Hayes etc.

I am currently re-reading "Bossmen" by James Rooney. It is about Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters. Most of the book is interviews with Bill & Muddy. It is a very interesting read, they both discuss their influences, how they developed their own particular style of music, the people who came through their bands etc. It's a neat book.

I thoroughly enjoyed both books and learned a lot.

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: IanC
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 11:37 AM

I'll put a trace on this thread, so that I pick up items on it, but I wonder if you'd contribute anything you say here directly to the Basic Folk Library PermaThread.

There are also quite a few of other mudcatters' favourites on that thread (it's full of them).

Cheers!
Ian

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: IvanB
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 12:53 PM

greg, now that you mention it, it may well have been Chappell's although, if so, I can't believe I forgot the name. That's one volume I've used, on and off, throughout my adult life. But, you're right, the music to which I referred is exactly that covered by Chappell's.

Subject: RE: Favorite books of Musical Information
From: fat B****rd
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 06:03 PM

To learn from "The 12 string guitar as played by Leadbelly" by Pete Seeger and Julius Lester and for reading enjoyment "Bird Lives2 by Ross Russell and "Miles The Autobiography" by the man himself. PS I've still got the Mel Bay Mandolin book if anybody in the UK would like it. I'll pay the stamp meself, honest.