Straight Ahead Jazz For Banjo

The world of melodic jazz banjo soloing is revealed in this comprehensive method which leads a student from basic intervals to advanced theoretical concepts and finally to a firm foundation in jazz fundamentals. Included are over 90 exercises and examples written in both tablature fingerings and standard music notation which show how scales and arpeggios are used and how they apply to real playing situations. Every five-string banjoist can benefit from the information contained in this breakthrough volume whether they aspire to jazz or just want to find out more about the possibilities and structure of the banjo. Audio CD included.Starting with basic intervals, Straight-Ahead Jazz for Banjo shows the structure of all basic chord types and qualities and matches these to the scales that generate them. the book's basic concept model is to treat the five-string banjo's potential in an inclusive technical context so that the student can make use of open and fifth strings to create a smooth legato style. Each of the 90+ exercises are recorded with a metronome and progress to 16 additional examples of original jazz phrases in a variety of keys. Topics include functional major and minor key harmony, diminished and augmented scales and how they are used, and the integration of altered scale substitutes in the art of jazz improvisation. It stresses listening and learning in a logical structured manner with an example of a daily practice plan. the unique emphasis of the book is on the fingerings which make the instrument work for you technically and thus open up added possibilities for the development of a student's personal style. This long-awaited volume will surely bring new focus and perspective to any banjo style and will be a classic reference for many new generations of banjoists. Audio CD included.

If you’ve ever felt compelled to play Flight of the Bumblebee on the 5-string banjo, this is the book for you! Challenging banjo transcriptions of classical masterpieces may seem like a humorous anachronism to some, but not for Italian master Claudio Parravicini, a conservatory graduate who, while majoring in French horn, always believed that the banjo was “a virtuoso instrument capable of enriching any musical genre.” In the author’s words, “I chose the classical pieces in this book on the basis of how they might advance right and left-hand banjo technique and even refine the player’s musical sensibility… Some pieces, like Flight of the Bumblebee will challenge your ability to play rapidly, while others like Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, are much slower, but will test your musical abilities in other ways.” The other pieces in the book are: Prelude No. 2 in C minor and Inventions No. 4 and No. 6 by J. S. Bach, Flight of the Bumblebee by Korsakov, Perpetual Motion and Carnival of Venice by Paganini, and Toccata for Piano or Harpsichord by Paradisi. Classical Masterpieces for Banjo is written in tablature only in standard G tuning [gDGBD] using three- finger banjo technique in the traditional, melodic and single-string style. Each selection is guaranteed to further your technique and delight your audience, or simply expand your vision of what is possible on the 5-string banjo.

The primal pluck of the banjo fits right into the rustic character of Early Music. By combining these elements in artful arrangements in the 3-finger style, Lluís Gómez has brought new life to these Early Music Gems. These pieces seem to have been calling out for the banjo all along. Once you hear them played on the 5-string banjo, it will be hard to imagine them being played any other way. -John Bullard Arranged in tablature only for the 5-string banjo in gDGBD tuning. Includes access to online audio of all 34 selections as performed by the author.

This collection includes intermediate to advanced arrangements of 17 Early American carols for the 5-string banjo in 3-finger style. These melody/chord arrangements are in tablature only in gDGBD tuning using common chord shapes for the most part. The author’s experience with the classic guitar shines through in these tasteful settings, which include imaginative introductions, occasional key modulations and even a carol attributed to the Huron tribe. Fingering and interpretation are left up to the player’s discretion, trusting that along with the author’s online audio recordings, you will make some meaningful discoveries of your own. Includes access to online audio.

One author's personal odyssey through the jazz scene in Japan

With retail sales of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack exceeding 6.5 million copies since its 2000 release, bluegrass music has re-entered the spotlight as a major American style, spawning huge successes with subsequent albums. Author Stephanie P. Ledgin has captured the rich history of this music in Homegrown Music, a lively, informative book that is perfect for newcomers and devoted fans, musicians, and non-musicians. Though recognized and embraced internationally, bluegrass is one of only two musical genres native to America and, like jazz, it boasts a colorful and lively history, one that is captured here in all its detail complete with candid interviews with such legends as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Covering such aspects of bluegrass as instrumentation, songs, the festival experience, and parking lot picking, Homegrown Music also offers candid interviews with many celebrated bluegrass figures. An extensive up-to-the-minute resource guide of print, audio-visual, and Internet materials rounds out the volume. Enthusiasts of all ages will find much to discover and much to enjoy.

Bluegrass has found an unlikely home, and avid following, in the Czech Republic. The music’s emergence in Central Europe places it within an increasingly global network of communities built around bluegrass activities. Lee Bidgood offers a fascinating study of the Czech bluegrass phenomenon that merges intimate immersion in the music with on-the-ground fieldwork informed by his life as a working musician. Drawing on his own close personal and professional interactions, Bidgood charts how Czech bluegrass put down roots and looks at its performance as a uniquely Czech musical practice. He also reflects on “Americanist” musical projects and the ways Czech musicians use them to construct personal and social identities. Bidgood sees these acts of construction as a response to the Czech Republic’s postsocialist environment but also to US cultural prominence within our global mediascape.

If you are a banjo player whose enjoyment of music isn't limited to bluegrass and country, you'll find this collection of tunes fun and sometimes challenging. Contains ragtime, blues, old-time jazz, and bluegrass blues, G tuning. Banjo tab. for five-string banjo.