5 comments about Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar (Guitar Reference).

1. I just finished spending two weeks building a guitar with William Cumpiano in his shop and I have to say it was a great experience and produced a great guitar, which I believe you can do directly from this book in a similiar way. I love the depth of information here and the care with which it's presented, a direct reflection of the authors' personalities. When working with just the book you need to go slow, be sure you understand exactly what you are doing before you do it, and stay alert to what is going on with your guitar as it evolves. A wonderful book that distills a lifetime of experience and I can say for a fact that the methods described work perfectly.



2. A very good book that covers Acoustic and Classic guitars building in the same book, this is VERY useful and smart.
   You can learn the differences and also to really understand how to make each one of them.
   I gave him 4 stars because I would love to see color images! Not old black and white low quality photos
   Thanks,
   Yaron.



3. This must certainly be the perfect book for anybody interested in the construction of a guitar... - or any stringed instrument, really. The text is obviously written by someone with expert knowledge. I've never read anything as thorough as this. It seems every detail and troublesome process has been covered. The illustrations could be better, though. But it isn't a new book, so I guess we've just grown accostumed to colour photos.
   
   I bought it because I wanted to get started building my own instrument, but now that I have a much better idea of the difficulties I'm facing, I'm not so sure I'll take on the challenge. I could spend the time playing my instrument instead. :-)
   
   But at least, if I do start building, I won't be disappointed if I fail. It isn't easy! Even with my new book close by.
   
   Don't be discouraged. You couldn't ask for a better guide than this. "Courage!!" - as the French say.



4. Excellent book not just for beginning luthiers. An enjoyable read. Discusses not just the technique but also the history and theory. This is a great book to get if you are serious about guitar making. It is not just about putting wood together to make sound, it's about feeling the music as it grows from the wood and strings.



5. I bought this book because I wanted to build my own Flamenco guitar from one of the many preformed and precut kits out on the market. But after reading it I decided not to go for a preformed kit and build it from a basic kit where I do all the work, that is how much information is in this book. Now don't get me wrong this book won't make you a professional luthier overnight, but it will give you a good base and starting point. All you need is the wood.

5 comments about Mel Bay Presents: Aaron Shearer: Learning the Classic Guitar, Part 2.

1. A well thought-out method of considerable value for the analytically-minded guitar student, or even for experienced guitarists.
   
   There are three books in the method: Parts 1, 2, and 3.
   
   Part 1 (shouldn't that be "Part One"?) is all about the mechanical aspects of guitar playing: How to hold the guitar, the best ways to place your hands and move your fingers, etc. (Many use the word "technique" to describe this aspect of musicianship, but I call it "mechanics." I got the idea from Vladimir Horowitz, who said that technique is something beyond mere mechanics. He said that "technique is the ability to get your point across." So, in Vlodya's world of music, it would be possible for a musician to have very inelegant mechanics, yet have a superb technique! Haven't we all heard such musicians?)
   
   Part Two is the "workbook." It features lessons in the form of musical studies and original repertoire pieces, written in standard notation. Many of these are duets to be played with a teacher or a more advanced player. It also introduces the reader to the study of solfege.
   
   Part Three discusses expressive playing and gives guidance on developing one's performance skills.
   
   At the least, the three books comprise a valuable reference work for a serious guitarist or guitar student. There are other grand guitar methods in the world, of course -- Carlevaro's and Aguado's, just to name two -- but I can't think of any other that is as well-organized, as systematic (it progresses through thoughtfully designed stages), as comprehensive, and as coherent as Mr. Shearer's.



2. Requires a teacher that is familiar with the book.
   Definitely not a "teach yourself" manual



3. I wasn't exactly blown away with this book. I don't think learning solfege while trying to understand how to play the classical guitar is really necessary. I teach classical guitar and I have never even given a thought about teaching solfege along with the instrument. I was forced to learn solfege while working on my music degree and feel that if a person isn't planning on singing while playing the guitar, then learning solfege is basically a waste of time. Most classical guitarists play by themselves, without singing since the instrument plays melody and harmony at the same time. Classical guitar playing is a lot different from just strumming chords and singing along.
   
   Also, although Aaron Shearer and Alan Hirsh wrote some interesting pieces for the book, I was surprised that all of the music in it was written by them. No music from any of the great guitar composers from our past was included. My feeling is that students brand new to classical guitar should be exposed as soon as possible to Carcassi, Giuliani, Sor, etc....
   
   I've picked out a few tunes from this book that I sometimes ask my students to learn, but overall I probably wouldn't buy the book knowing what I know about it now. It sits on my book shelf, but I rarely open it since there are too many better books to use.



4. I had a problem with USPS, my book never arrived, was deliver, but not in my place, they can help me. Can you ? please !!!!



5. As an amateur and needing instruction from the technical point of view, these books have been an excellent source. They are thoughtfully designed as an aid to the study of this most difficult instrument. A foundation of technique with thorough explanations as to the 'why' not just the 'how' to perform.
   Mr. Shearer shows all the signs of an instructor of great experience, intelligence, research and a willingness to grow through constant study and development. He has written a series of books which reflect these qualities.

5 comments about The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self.

1. This is my favorite book about music-making (classical piano, in my case). Westney very convincingly makes the case for an overhaul of the way we approach music practice and performance. The 'juicy wrong note' idea promotes a wholistic, passionate attitude. It is NOT the idea of treating mistakes lightly...more, it's the attitude of making the mistake whole-heartedly and then learning what it has to tell you about your level of preparedness,an unsuspected weak point, etc. Westney does not cover specific how-to's (the best book on that for piano in my opinion is Berman's) but more the philosophy to bring to the practice room and to the performance. I'd give more stars if it were possible



2. Not really being part of the culture to which the author is reacting, I found this book to be captivating, if a bit strident. The unfortunate tendency towards perfectionism taints a great deal more than music instruction. The expectations of deference and respect on the basis of position weaken bishops and U.S. presidents as well as maestros and music teachers. Still, the control freak element runs deep. As an adult beginner taking piano lessons, I just see it from a different perspective. Take humor in the strutting of the popinjay, no need to be alarmed by it.
   
   Also, the man either knows nothing about golf, or else cheats on his scorecard. I suspect the former rather than the latter. But, a recorded lousy golf swing is just a lousy golf swing, while one left off the scorecard is, well, a reflection of character.
   
   However, on his home ground, the practice room and the recital stage, the author is very strong. Texas Tech is lucky to have him. Go, Red Raiders!



3. If you want to truly refresh your thinking about teaching music, this is the book. Explore with the author ways to bring enthusiasm and joy into the learning process... how to use 'honest mistakes" as tools. Be prepared to learn why traditional methods can sometimes harness creativity. This book described for me a way to help my students relax and welcome the journey into music. Whether teaching by traditional methods or not, this book is a must. Thanks, Mr. Westney, for the great read and the inspiring words.



4. This book is absolutely enjoyable to read. I just couldn't stop reading it...I did not want to continue practicing without hearing all that William Westney had to say about practicing techniques (for any instrument, though mainly piano) and musicality. He uses great resources if you want to learn more about what he writes. His focus is getting in touch with the innate musician within you...a very positive and motivating book...highly recommended.



5. This book is impressively well written with a dry, concise and insightful tone. This book is not against perfectionism, but against the idea that mistakes should be always avoided, even during practice. The author suggests that music should be performed with a strong body awareness, and that this should be cultivated during practice in a way that is a sort of dialogue between ourselves and our bodies; in this dialogue, errors are a way for our bodies to communicate with us, so we should be able to make them boldly and then recover from them as much information as we can. This, in the end, makes the correction of the error deeper, and our performances more confident.
   
   The book is not a step-by-step guide to practicing using this method; it's more a pedagogic book detailing the philosophy behind this approach. Still, it's very though provoking even for non teachers and for amateurs musicians, especially adults returning to music after previous bitter experiences.

3 comments about Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, Fifth Edition, Volume 2: Classic to Twentieth Century (6 CDs).

1. These CDs are great, i can appreciate them more however, through my music class.



2. The CDs in this set are not packaged in standard jewelboxes nor even in cheap sleeves, but are mounted directly atop a printed surface. As a result, when I purchased the set from my school bookstore, I found that several of the CDs had dried flecks of ink on the data side that made it impossible to play or rip certain tracks. Beware.



3. Excellent product..one of the standard anthologies available for studying Music History.
   
   One caveat, if you're using Hanning's Concise Grout as a companion text, be sure to match the correct edition of the anthology + recordings to the correct edition of the text.

No comments about Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life.

5 comments about Carmina Burana: Vocal Score.

1. This was a good score. Clear and well layed out.



2. Those greedy Orff heirs have been ripping off American singers for years because we have been stupid enough to pay their inflated prices to perform this popular work. Incidentally the score lists for $35 in America and only $20 in Germany and England. I can't wait until CB goes public domain. After all, it was Carl who created this great work, not those money-grubbing leeches who will then have to go out and get honest work like the rest of us.



3. This was exactly what I was looking for so that I can have my own copy to use for our performance. Thank you.



4. The music scores are just perfect. The timeliness of delivery is better than I expect. I recieved them much earlier than the published official "snail mail" pace (up to 4 weeks)of SuperSaver free shipping option. It is disappointing if indeed it does take several weeks to mail pages of sheet music from the warehouse while business is conducted at internet speed.



5. This book has the full vocal score, well-printed, well laid-out. If you're doing Carmina, you want this score! Clear type, adequate size, good binding, and you can see what the other parts are doing, which really helps most choral singers.
   
   Expensive, but worth it. Particularly if you're going to do Carmina maybe 5-10 times in your career.

5 comments about Silence: Lectures and Writings.

1. There is no denying the importance of John Cage as a composer as well as a writer. But even though this book is a necessary provocation for anyone who thinks they know what music is and should be, he is not a philosopher, and his ideas are often contradictory, naive and even romantic.

   Romantic? Yes, I would say that for instance his idea of "sounds in themselves" and "nature" are romantic. Can we really eliminate all cultural impact and distortion just by refusing intention? I think not. Sounds are always inflected by history.

   Still, I would not want a world without the challenge of his extreme stance.




2. I keep reading it year after year and I keep finding sections of it I've never seen before. magic. A the same time, I read the same part overs and over again years later and they just get better.

   It's just a remarkable text.

   You have to get it.




3. Not just for musicians, but for anybody who is interested in music or philosophy. Cage's ideas presented in the work are fascinating in and of themselves, but even the manner in which he physically notates his thoughts on paper is amazing to see.

   There's a common argument that his ideas (and this book) are overrated. I find this difficult to digest, especially when one considers the enormous impact Cage's writings and compositions have had on countless composers (basically anyone composing after 1950 has most likely taken a thing or two from the ideas in this book).

   Sometimes he can be a little tough to follow in the book, as properly constructed sentences are not high up on Cage's list of priorities. However, this book has so much to offer that it is worth wading through the occasional slow spot.

   So give it a whirl. Even if you don't like Cage's music, reading this book will give you insights into what he did that may change your mind or at least instill a newfound respect. At its best, this is inspiration of the highest sort.




4. This book is a work of art in itself. John Cage takes so many of his theories and applies them to his writing style, formatting, and type style. I suggest knowing a little about him before reading this book as it is a little easy to get lost in translation (figuratively speaking). Overall, it is definitely worth reading, and it is fairly affordable...a good addition to any collection.



5. I always think of John Cage as "Klatuu" in "The Day The Earth Stood Still," arriving in a turn-table-shaped rig to deliver the truth about the future of music to the masses. He parks his space ship, and his buddy Gort, on the mall and goes out to make a point. At first only the smartest man in the world could understand the equations he and Billy left on the office black board, but soon everyone would be standing stranded on the streets of Paris and Beijing wondering what the heck's up, and what's all this noise about? Of course, Klatuu gets killed and brought back to life (Cage wisely skipped that), and flies back to wherever he came from (as did Cage a few years back), but our man Cage beats Klatuu by light years, because this MAN FROM THE FUTURE left behind a collection of lectures and writings on the nature of sound, art, literature and BEING that still resonates. This is a fascinating tool box to dig through, even though some of the most interesting selections pre-date Klatuu. One innovation that Cage pioneers in this book is the use of random processes to give form to his lectures. This results in timed "silences" in the texts (very similar to performance scores) and poem-like structures of words. Cage also adds the 20th century's plastic-fantastic Americanized (and therefore ever more elastic) concept of ZEN to the tool box of avant-garde poly-practioners, which results in yet another permission given to innovate. In fact, when I encounter new music, writing, art, one of the basic things I seek is PERMISSION TO DO, and that's exactly what Cage is up to in these lectures. Not only is PERMISSION GIVEN, but he hands over many of the tools to begin. That's why this book is vital, seminal (pun intended) and necessary for every experimentalist in the arts and in life. Cage also has a great sense of humor in these writings. YOUTUBE includes a wonderful video of a guest appearance that Cage made on the old "What's My Line." Before the barely comprehending black & white stares of Gary Moore, Bess Myerson and the crew, Cage plays mix-masters, toasters, and other appliances, watching the clock, as always, and with a straight face bringing the odd beauty of new sound and his own Houdini-like showmanship into America's living rooms, just as he unpacks his ideas in the minds of any attentive reader of this book to this day. As classic as a 1960 limited edition T-Bird guaranteed to bring wows if driven into the 21st century and on and on into the future of human thought.

5 comments about The Messiah: An Oratorio Complete Vocal Score (G. Schirmer's Editions of Oratorios and Cantatas).

1. The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.



2. The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.



3. My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you



4. I developed an appreciation for Handel's Messiah over 60 years ago, and to this day I listen to recordings of it frequently. While in college I became a participant, singing in the chorus, and have done so many times since. A while back I gave my vocal score to my daughter for her use, not realizing how much I missed having it at hand. Since I recently purchased a replacement I feel complete again as I refresh my readings of this great work, truly an all time classical composition.
   Donald A Carlson



5. It got me through Christmas and Easter without having to use the choir's musty copies.

5 comments about Can You Hear It?.

1. What inspires an artist? a composer? Why does music "speak" to so many different people? This little publication is a painless introduction to fine art and symphonic music. This is I Spy with a twist. You are asked to gaze at beautiful and interesting artwork while playing different orchestral tracks on the enclosed CD. "Can you hear the marching knights?" "Can you hear the mountain stream?" "Can you hear the rattling skeletons dancing?" The book and CD open with a lovely "meet the instruments" section, which, in itself, is worth the price. I think this book is best enjoyed with a parent and a non-personal CD player but a ten year-old with head phones could zip through all thirteen pieces independently. You might challenge that child to create her own artwork to a piece of her choosing. Or you could plunk a three year-old on your lap and look at just one or two masterpieces at a time. My eight year-old uber athlete loves it and now insists on doing his drawing to music. This book can be enjoyed in many ways, on many levels. It will add spice to a gallery or symphony outing (or even a sibling's band concert!) and with such a wealth of material out there, I sincerely hope a sequel is in the works.



2. This book has wonderful pictures and the accompanying CD lets the user expand with questions and dialogue. Great resource!



3. This elegant picture book and Cd combo provide adult and child partners at any level of maturity with a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the symphony concert hall at the same time. Page after page provide opportunites for delight,discussion and description. We danced, we laughed and we were amused ,even deliciously frightened, by the music and visual art. Brilliantly done, and available to experience during any season of the year, again and again.



4. This book and accompanying cd are awesome and so great at helping children to understand classical music and the stories and emotions that it conveys.



5. I absolutely adore this book. As a preschool music teacher, I search for ways to make classical music interesting and fun for young children, and I think this book has done it. With colorful, beautiful artwork and fun musical selections, children love listening closely to "find" the items that are "described" in the music. For young children like mine, I pull out this book occasionally to work on critical listening skills by putting on one or two of the pieces at a time. The only thing I would have liked better is a little more variety in the musical pieces. Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Carnival of the Animals are both used 2-3 times.

5 comments about Pumping Nylon.

1. This is not a method book about learning to play the classical guitar. It's aim is to refine and re-examine how one can approach a specific technical challenge, for example, tremelo. I find Scott Tenant's ability to view a particular technical challenge from an almost psychological perspective and understanding, to be a great aid in overcoming the mental barriers we place on ourselves. Many of the greatest guitarists have found methods to overcome these self-defeating attitudes and Scott Tenant is one of them. He is an absolutely amazing guitarist and musician for whom I have tremendous respect. He's also a very likable guy and very willing to share what worked for him with the rest of us.
   
   It is best to use this book in conjunction with a qualified classical guitar teacher if you are relatively new to classical guitar. I teach classical guitar and will refer to this book to improve my own playing skills. He doesn't include complete musical pieces but gives plenty of drills which when mastered will act as a catalyst in propelling the student to new level of guitar playing on whatever selections they choose. I also like that he included the 110 Giuliani right-hand studies that most other books omit.



2. I'm sure I'll enjoy this book.I liked the fast shipping, and I would do business with this seller again.



3. This is a great book for the beginner classical guitar player. It is worth every cent for the information within the book.



4. Best overall technique book i've ever read, and i used to work at a music store for 2 years. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to straighten out their bad habits or learn new good habits in order to improve your coordination, speed, and reduce tension while playing all while improving your sound and of course, strengthening your fingers.



5. Very good and comprehensive instructions for excellent classical guitar tone production. Very useful are the examples for right and left hand training and coordination.The best teaching material I found on this subject.