3 comments about Violin Mastery: Interviews with Heifetz, Auer, Kreisler and Others (Dover Books on Music).

1. I'm only in the middle of reading this incredible book, and I have to say that it is amazing! It's very easy for anyone to read/understand and has so many helpful tips from the best violin players. I absolutely recommend this book to add to your library! - even if you don't play violin!



2. I had read this book in grad school on loan from my university's library and thought it was full of interesting, inspiring and helpful information. I always wanted to buy it, but couldn't find it for under $100(!) I'm really glad Dover has reprinted it.
   
   It's interviews with the best violinists in 1916-18ish. Some things I found amusing were the focus on gut strings and especially, David Mannes saying that anyone who needs a chin rest or shoulder rest should play the cello! -whch rests on the ground... If only he could see the students at his school now. I'm sure there's not one that doesn't have a chinrest and very few that don't use both.
   
   Martens also wrote a sequel called String Mastery that had interviews with cellists, violists etc. I hope Dover picks up that one too. I highly recommend this book to any violinist, especially to those of us that have chosen playing the violin as a way of life.



3. As a student of two years, I purchased this book in hopes that it might contain helpful insights into becoming a better player. Instead I found a completely impractical collection of airy, pedagogical theory. In addition, I found myself less motivated to play; feeling inferior for not having the luxury of practicing 4+ hours each day. I'm not suggesting that the instructors themselves are poor, but that the questions asked of them were of little value to me.

3 comments about Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1: Book/CD Pack (Hal Leonard Guitar Method Books).

1. I'm a teacher of guitar. Although I use this book regularly, I suggest you don't buy from Amazon! I bought 5 of these from Amazon and just realized many pages are missing and many are duplicated. The book is useless! Because of the Amazon return policy, I'm stuck. I sugest you go to your local music store to buy this or examine it carefully if you buy from Amazon!



2. I used this book while taking a class. It was helpful to have instruction along with the book but I am a slow learner. The book was easy to use for practicing what we learned in class.



3. I'm a guitar teacher who was forced to use this book so the store I worked at could sell as many copies as possible. There is really nothing useful here.
   This book is only good for getting students to quit.

No comments about 2009 Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide.

5 comments about John Denver Anthology for Easy Guitar.

1. I just started playing the guitar a few months ago, and thought `if I could just learn a few John Denver songs I would be successful.' I got this book and now, in just a few weeks, I know even more then a few. I do wish the book would lay flat, or that the songs that had three pages would fold out, it's hard to flip pages in the middle of songs, but that's the way it goes.



2. This book is great for me at my level. I have loads of fun singing these songs and performing for my wife and kids. This book has brought me a lot of joy.



3. Although not new to playing guitar, I am no expert either. As a keen John Denver fan this anthology certainly works for me and has given me a lot of pleasure. Some of the numbers (about half) will need to be transposed (or Capo'd) to be able to play along with the man himself - but then again some of us can't sing along in the same key anyway; so maybe the key supplied is better in some cases. The clear and fairly simple presentation is well worth the money.



4. Great Anthology of most Denver fans favorites, easy chords, simple arrangements are very easy to play for beginner to intermediate guitar players, probably way too easy for accomplished players. Even able to use the book for keyboard fake book. All in all a worthwhile addition to my collection of guitar song books.



5. I found this to be a real super guide to the words and chords of many of John Denver's songs. I really recommend it.

5 comments about I Can Read Music: A Note Reading Book for Violin Students (Volume 1) (For Violin).

1. This book has been a great help to my small daughter in her violin practice. By splitting the tasks of note reading and rhythm reading into separate sections on pitch and rhythm she doesn't get as frustrated. The author knows that it's best to concentrate on ONE thing at a time as you're learning!



2. I use this book to teach children how to read music. It came in great shape and i use it all the time!



3. This book is perfectly designed for the Suzuki lesson structure. If there is an able teacher and parent present to introduce and teach each lesson, the book is very successful. My students are exposed to the basic concepts of music theory in a theory class following their weekly group classes - so there is no need to explain basic concepts like the "treble clef" or "staff." There are plenty of introductory reading books out there for the older beginner, but this book has a gradual yet not monotonous pace, catering to an early beginner who has a support structure (parent/teacher).
   I use this book for all of my students in a studio of 40+ Suzuki Violinists!



4. My son receives private lessons in Suzuki violin. This book is used by his instructor. It moves along at a perfect pace so as not to distract from working on Suzuki pieces but to hold the students interest as he learns to read music.



5. I bought this along with several other books to get me started on the violin (I am in my 30's). I had played the cello as a kid, so I was familiar with some of the aspects of string instruments. This book has really helped me to remember notes. The spiral binding is awesome. The exercises are not glamourous, but they get the job done.

5 comments about The Guitar Handbook.

1. Thank you Amazon for making this dream a reality,I have been searching for about two years for this book when a Friend told me to contact Amazon and buy this book from you. I must say i was very nervous as this was my first internet purchase but Amazon was so profesional in delivering my book that i can't wait to order again. Thank you again



2. Getting a book like this, I'm used to getting a primer in guitar theory. Not only do we get that (separated into three levels: Rhythm, Melodic, and Harmonic) in lessons that don't discriminate by genre, but also a full guitar maintenance guide, and helpful information concerning recording and performing live. Most of the book is very rock-centric, and I would have liked a little more attention focused on classical style just for variation. But I'm a rock fan anyway, so it worked perfectly.
   
   The main reason I bought it is because the advanced guitar classes at Loyola New Orleans (my alma mater) used it as a textbook. I can see why!



3. My son was happy to get it for Christmas and feels he will use it a lot.



4. As a beginner at the guitar, I have found this to be a useful guide. It covers construction and care of acoustic and electric guitars, as well as information on how to read music, music theory, and playing the guitar.



5. I found this to be the best overall guitar book on the market. It gives extensive background information, as well as having extensive scales, chord charts, fret layout, etc.
   
   This is my third purchase of this book. I always seem to either give it away or lend it to a fellow guitarist and end up never getting it back.
   
   Highly recommended for the serious guitar beginner.

5 comments about Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars : An Identification Guide for American Fretted Instruments (2nd Ed).

1. This book was very limited as far as various makes of guitars. It didn't have any price guides on any of the things listed.
   I would think that would be the main information anyone owning a vintage guitar or other musical equipment would be most interested in. This book was useless to us. I wish we could return it. Thank goodness we ordered "The Offical Vintage guitar Magazine Price Guide 2003" It included everything any collector would want to know!!!



2. You can get all information quick and without doubt !! I had the first edition, but this second edition is a lot more complete and updated !!!



3. This is a vast improvement over the older version of Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars. I would like the next version to include vintage Sunn amps, heads and cabinets, as well.



4. I bought this second edition hoping to find more information than I found in the old edition, but beyond expanding the breadth of models, the book is still not extremely helpful. Its basic setup is to use a one-line description of a change that occurs to a guitar model and note the year that this happened in. That's fine of course, but it sure would be helpful if the lines referred to illustrations or pictures. the result is an extremely dry text summary - and it doesn't even really go far enough. for example, the area on Fender Stratocasters lists every model throughout the 20th century, yet the initial list entries of changes seem to stop in the 70s, and while it does make mention of the shoulder on the control cavity routing changing in 1959, it doesn't mention changes in pickup routing in 1970 or so, nor the addition of a ground screw shoulder in the control cavity in 1979-81. it mentions how many patent numbers are on the headstock during which year, but no mention of what they are nor illustration of where they are placed. no mention of logo design changes.
   the list of fender serial numbers is sort of accurate, but the lowest and highest numbers per year listed are just plain wrong. they might look in Duchossoir's book for more information!
   I think it might help people to have more information on Norlin-era Gibsons as well, explaining which were made in Kalamazoo and which in Nashville and how to tell... one thing i noticed was that they say how the reintroduction of Les Paul Standard/Deluxe models had 4 piece pancake bodies, but in my experience I've seen more very early 70s whose bodies were two pieces of mahogany with a maple top and had (3-piece) mahogany necks prior to 1975 when they became maple, and some even had bodies that were one piece of mahogany.
   also since people on ebay seem to be making so much money peddling parts of old guitars, it might be nice for someone to take on the description of how to correctly identify potentiometers, capacitors, even knobs, pickup covers and tuners!
   all of these suggestions would make this a very useful guide! but - especially pictures.... describing how a screw position changes on a pickguard from one year to another is not nearly as comprehensible as an illustration!



5. I am a collector of vintage stringed instruments. I purchased George Gruhn's first volume in 1991, which was called the "Guide to Vintage Guitars". As I used it, I found that it corraborated, expanded and corrected the many other sources I use. The 2nd edition is greatly expanded, and now includes "American Fretted Instruments". It continues to be the most usable, informative and authoritative guide to vintage stringed instruments I am aware of. This is my "go to" guide. All other sources are used for additional detail and corraboration. A must have reference for anyone interested in vintage stringed instruments.

5 comments about The Advancing Guitarist.

1. This is a very fine effort by Mick Goodrick. The detailed logic in his approach is refreshing. The book is written pretty well, so discussions about 'all the fingering possibilities in this situation' aren't dull.
   
   He also does these cool commentaries about specific musical subjects, but some of them are also subtle stories about life, too: having no regrets, how to approach your own inconsistency in playing, and things like that.
   
   Fair warning: some readers and players will find this book TOO DETAILED, and TOO ADVANCED. Like any other technique/skill book, there are exercises to be slogged through, if that's how you choose to use the book.
   
   I hate to admit it, but I have not done every exercise in the book. And playing his stuff gets intense!
   
   If you stuck to this book, studied it intensely, page for page, and played *everything* in it, as instructed, you'd probably be a professional grade guitarist, by the time you closed the cover. But, it might take you three or four years, to do it competently.
   
   -Jim



2. I purchased this book on the recommendation of a fellow guitarist, if we can call ourselves that. He noted that it was not a technique book and that it would probably take me a good course of the rest of my natural life to get through. He was right. This book is, as the title suggests for the "Advancing Guitarist." You need to have a solid foundation in a few things in order to a: understand what he discusses, b: practice what he suggests, and c: glean information to incorporate into your own playing. A short non-comprehensive list of the foundation elements you will probably need to have down before picking up this book are: 1) knowing how to read music (not tabs, real music (you do not need to be a master at sight-reading, but you should at least be comfortable with sheet music)); 2) Basic Music Theory (This is a bit ambiguous, I know. You should be familiar with scale formulas, chord formulas, intervals, and modes. Ideally you should have all the major scale formulas memorized, the circle of fifths is your friend.); and 3) Basic left and right hand techniques (You need to be able to grab almost any chord immediately, with no delay, you should also have most barre chord formulas memorized. With the right hand, if you are right handed, you need to be comfortable individuating the string, in other words, playing individuals strings rather than all the strings in a strum.)
   
   If you are serious about learning your instrument, the guitar, buy this book regardless of your situation regarding my list of foundational elements. That list is merely my opinion. It may take you a while to get through, but this book will serve you well. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to seriously pursue the guitar.
   
   If you are a weekend guitarist, or someone who is interested only insofar as knowing how to play a few popular songs by tab, this book is not for you. If you are that type of player, this book is a waste of money. This is not a denigration of those types of players, they are just not as obsessed as other are. But if you really want to know your instrument, this book can help you out...a lot.



3. This book is really good with giving tips, suggestions, and explanations. It really makes you think and figure it out on your own. But, if you don't have an elimentary knowledge of guitar or music theory in general you'll get lost really quick. Overall, I was really satisfied with it.



4. Mick Goodrick's book - The Advancing Guitarist opens the door to playing the guitar properely (whatever 'properly' means to you).
   If, like me, you learned to play folk music and the good old 3-chord 12-bar blues rhythms by ear, without actually learning the guitar or without even learning to read music than this book will open your eyes and show you a whole new realm of guitar playing you probably never even thought existed. If you look at some of the great rock players (yes some of those guys REALLY do know how to play), like Carlos Santana, Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, Brian Setzer and see them tripping through scales and arpeggios at close to the speed of light and fingering chords which simply do not appear in the "Boy's Own book of Guitar Chords" or if you listen to the gentle finger-style of the likes of Eva Cassidy then these people are using techniques and abilities which can be learned from this book. If the thought of a BbM7#11 chord scares the life out of you then this book explains the simplicity of it. With the wild exuberance of youth, a teenager will absorb this book and go from strummer to musician (and probably no longer have time to go out and beat up little old ladies any more) but with many of us the 115 pages will take half a lifetime to learn.
   If you are going to get one book on Guitar Techniques and Musical Theory with the intention of really getting to grips with this versatile instrument GET THIS BOOK!
   If you want to learn to front the next generations rock band and play scintillating riffs to your enthralled audience GET THIS BOOK!
   If you want to play your classical guitar like Segovia, reading from an orchestral score GET THIS BOOK!
   If you can't tell the difference between a Dominant Seventh and an Augmented Seventh GET THIS BOOK!
   If you are serious about wanting to play the guitar GET THIS BOOK!



5. This book is not the usual method booklet that is abundantly out there. It suggests many ideas and approaches for developing your own methodology; taking you down the path of complete knowledge of the instrument. If you are like me and you're exploring more possibilities, then it's a must and a very good adjunct to all those other books.

5 comments about The Disney Collection (Easy Piano Series).

1. GRREEEAATT!!! If you love disney songs like I do, you should definitely get this book. All the songs have vocal and piano parts. I for one only use the voice. This book is definitely the best disney classics book.



2. my girls use this over and over! they love to play the songs from Disney, and I saved alot buying it on Amazon!



3. This book contains a huge variety of disney songs, however, they are a bit too easy. I think that the over simplified versions of the songs lose the melody that you would expect from a more advanced version.



4. We love the book, my children are in books 2 of Faber, and these songs are challenging for them, but they are motivated by the fun songs!



5. I purchased this book like 2 months ago. The music is great, however, it seems too easy for me to play with... no challenge actually. The left hand barely move any, so... you know the idea.. well, I have an advise. If you have just known how to play piano for like 2 or 3 months. Then, this is your book.

5 comments about Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson.

1. My husband is love with this bass gautairist, and love this book and DVD combo.



2. I've always been a fan of Motown but of the singers, now I'm starting to realize I shouldn't give the singers all the credit, it was the producers, songwriters, and musicians who made the artists become hits. If it wasn't for the unique, special Funk Brothers who knows if the Motown artists would have become as successful as they did. It doesn't matter how good of a singer a singer is, if the music ain't right, the singer ain't gonna sound good. Its that something special about the Motown Sound that sparks something in our minds, hearts, and souls, the music complimented the singers excellently. James Jamerson was just a handsome, wonderful, real, interesting, talented person. Its sad he had to get recognition after he passed on. It seems the only way to become a legend is to die first then people appreciate you more, well this book taught me to love and praise people while their alive that's what keeps them going. All James wanted in his last days was recognition and to know he did make a difference in the world of music. This book taught me to appreciate the musicians, songwriters, and producers, the people behind the scenes, who made it possible for the music to become timeless, sometimes we give the singers too much credit.
   
   It was interesting for me to read most of the Funk Brothers didn't even like Rock N Roll or Soul music, they were really jazz fans and wanted to play jazz, so it shows how gifted they were to still play soul music effectively even though it wasn't their cup of tea. Another reason why Motown sound is so appealing and fresh is because the Funk Brothers laced different genres of music into the soul music and tried new things with the music creating the Motown Sound, a sound in its own class.



3. I'm one of those Bass Players who discovered James Jamerson late in my bass playing life. Any young (or old) aspiring bassist should have this book. The 2 cd's that come with it are worth the price alone. Some of the greatest bass players on earth (McCartney, Entwhistele, Pallidino,Bob Babbit,Chuck Rainey..) paying homage to Jamerson and playing some of his famous bass lines. The great thing about it is that when played through headphones you get the bass in one ear and the rest of the mix in the other. I have actually listened to just the bass mix multiple times and marvelled at the Bass Lines. A must for any young Bass Player.
   
   The book has some great stories and pictures and compliments the CD greatly.



4. Very good book if you don't have the DVD. Fills in many details not in the film. A must have for Bass Players.



5. James Jamerson is one of the top bassist of all time and this book will give bassist some insight to his genius. I never learned to read music, but I was born with an exception ear! I remember a long time ago, going for a job in a pit orchestra. The musical director was not all that impressed with my playing on the first day, because I didn't read music and I kind of fumbled through the rehearsal. I went home that night and learned the entire show from a tape. On the next rehearsal, when we started to play the opening number, the conductor stopped in the middle of the song, looked at me and said...."Turn up the bass!" ..this made me very happy, as I always felt a little inferior not being able to read :-)
   
   The book covers Jamerson's story and shows many of his classic bass lines for those of you who do read. It's no walk in the park, but it's time well spent and will take your playing to another level.
   
   The book comes with 2 CDs full of Jamerson's bass lines and many top bassist playing their favorite Jamerson tunes. It's all very interesting for musicians and non musicians alike and well worth the price! I never knew how much this guy influenced my playing until I really sat down and listened to him! What a great talent!