Nice book w/CD. Most examples come with a slow demo as well. Acoustic guitar parts can be isolated on 2+ speaker stereos with balance control. Comes with tabs and standard notation and chord diagrams. There's also some text explaining the technical approach to playing each song. Featured songs:
1. Angie - Rolling Stones
2. Blackbird - Beattles
3. Dust in the wind - Kansas
4. Fire and Rain - James Taylor
5. Ice Cream Man - Van Halen
6. Layla - Eric Clapton
7. The Magic Bus - The Who
8. Melissa - Allman Bros. Band
9. Norwegina Wood - Beattles
10. Patience - Guns N Roses
11. Silent Lucidity - Queensryche
12. Space Oddity - David Bowie
13. Tears in heaven - Eric Clapton
14. To be with you - Mr. Big
The publisher is Hal Leonard, do you know the author and/or ISBN?
It has quite a few songs that I wouldn't mind playing - what level is the book aimed at? is it instructional or does it just layout the notation/tabs for the songs :?:
Chris :D
Chris,
The author is Wolf Marshall. The ISBN is 0-634-03139-2 There's a bit of basic instructional material, particularly on the fingerpicking pieces, where he suggests practicing some Travis picking patterns on open strings before tackling the song. The degree of difficulty varies from song to song (Melissa is probably the easiest strumming song). I'd say the song is for intermediate players or or advanced beginners. If you're a fingerpicker, yo shuold find songs like Dust in theWind, Silent Lucidity and Tears in Heaven fairly easy to learn. But the play-along CD renditions are pretty spot on, and that helps a lot.
Tamuka
Cheers :)
looks like one to add to my ever growing Amazon wish list.
I just purchased Blues You Can Use by John Ganapes ISBN 0-7935-4205-7 which had been on the above list for a while and it looks very good but its means I'll have to wait till next month for this one or it'll be earache from the boss (wife) :roll:
regards
Chris
Yup now I've ordered it.. 30$. from amazon.
"Trying is the first step towards failure." 
Now I've received it. It's a bit thin :shock: hehe.. But it's a good book, not so in depth as I had wished, but ok. The songcollection is great too, but why has he cut some of them?
"Trying is the first step towards failure."
There's also some text explaining the technical approach to playing each song
I've just picked up a Hal Leonard series book called "The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method: A Complete Guide with Step-By-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs" by Chad Johnson [ISBN: 0634064525]
It sounds very similar to the one you've pointed out (i.e. CD, tab, ...) but delves a bit more into technique and theory of a variety of styles (country, blues, rock). It uses snippets from well known songs as practice with complete jam tracks for a half dozen or so other songs (Rolling Stones - Angie, Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing, The Carters - Wildwood Flower, George Harrison - Here Comes The Sun, Robert Johnson - Crossroads ...)
It appears very well laid out with clear explainations. I'm looking very forward to diving in.
I purchased the Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar method (HLAM) a little while ago and am gradually working my way through it alongside the Path - by Jamie Andreas which hepled me through syncopation and 16th not rhythms.
I split my week into practice on Acoustic and electric guitars working with 'Beginning Fingerstyle Blues Guitar' on acoustic nights and HLAM if I have time. Electric nights consist of working with 'Blues You Can Use' which is another book published by Hal Leonard. I practice 'the Principles daily' - based on Jamie Anreas' teachings from his books 'The Principles of Correct practice' and 'The Path:Level One' - these are two books I would recommend to anyone just starting out with the guitar.
My main interest, as you may have gathered is the blues and I bought HLAM so that I could learn some 'tunes' to play for family and friends - I don't want to end up as one of those guitarists that know lots of technigues and some signature riffs but don't know a song all the way through. So far, it is working out OK but I would recommend a complete beginner start with something like the 2 Jamie Andreas books mentioned above.
The book covers many different styles of playing. I am currently working through the strumming and the fingerpicking sections and learning those 'tunes' I spoke of and for thus far the book is working out fine - good presentation and well written as you would expect from a book publshed by Hal Leonad. Other sections cover 'using a Capo', 'alternate tunings', 'Country and Bluegrass', 'Blues Slide Guitar' (this inclusion made my day) and 'acoustic riffs'. - Excellent variety.
Another book I've got my eye on but is probably aimed at intermediate players is 'The Technique Series:Unplugged' compiled by Dan Goldstein which they have in our local library. Tracks are: Angie, Babe I'm gonna leave you, Big Yellow Taxi, Blackbird, Classical Gas, Dee, Give a little bit, Gran Vais, Guitar Man, I'm not in love, Man in the Mirror, Modoc, Tears in Heaven, The Boxer, The Clap, The needle and the damage done, Wild Wood. Its not a chord book all tracks are transcribed in full in standard notation and tab - good stuff!
Chris
