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Best Banjo Songbooks

Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo: Revised and Enhanced Edition - Book with CD
It includes everything you need to know to start playing banjo, including: a history of the 5-string banjo, getting acquainted with the banjo, Scruggs tuners, how to read music, chords, how to read tablature, right-hand rolls and left-hand techniques, banjo tunings, exercises in picking, over 40 songs, how to build a banjo, autobiographical notes, and much more!
Reviews
"There are many good reasons this book has been around for decades."
"I did move pretty quickly through the book, but there are plenty of more advanced licks and tons of songs that will keep me using it for quite a while. It's good to just read and get some background on Scruggs and the workings of the banjo. I just wish there were a bit more about weaving melody lines into the chord playing for backup."
"Have made more progress with this book and CD as a beginner than any other method."
"Great product and service."
"The book is great, just as I had seen before but there was no CD."
"Spend a year learning the right hand techniques."
"How can you pass up on the book by guy who created the style?"
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Banjo Primer Book for Beginners Deluxe Edition with DVD and 2 Jam CDs
Banjo Primer Book for Beginners Deluxe Edition with DVD & 2 Jam CDs by Geoff Hohwald was written for the beginning student who wants to learn how to play Scruggs style 5 string bluegrass banjo technique. He performed with many other great musicians there including Bill Monroe s last two guitar players Tom Ewing and Wayne Lewis, Other Musicians that Geoff played with in the Columbus area were Red Allen, Sandy Rothman, Sid Campbell., Dave Evans , Frank Wakefield, Hylo Brown, Buddy Thomas, The Fields Brothers, Landon Messer, Earl Taylor and Brian Aldridge.
Reviews
"The Banjo Primer Deluxe is an OUTSTANDING choice for beginner banjo players - even those that have dabbled in it already. This course starts out explaining everything you SHOULD know first (i.e. the parts of the banjo itself, how to attach a strap, proper posture, tuning, banjo care, proper positioning of your hands/fingers for correct technique and efficiency, etc.). The Banjo Primer breaks down learning the banjo in simple, easy to follow steps at a very slow and manageable pace."
"gift with the banjo for grandson, hope it helps him, I personally don't know."
"#1 for a reason...I have only had the book a few weeks and have really improved from the teaching skill and layout of the materials."
"Good beginner book, doesn't have all the funny graphics that others may have, but will teach the basics, you need."
"Easy to follow."
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How To Play The 5-String Banjo (Music Sales America)
This basic manual for banjo players includes melody line, lyrics and banjo accompaniment and solos notated in standard form and tablature.
Reviews
"I'd recommend this book (and the companion CD, which is still available from Smithsonian/Folkways, and the companion DVD from Homespun Tapes) to supplement lessons with a live teacher."
"This is the way that I started on the banjo."
"My only complaint is that it is printed as though it were handwritten."
"this manual, which began as a mimeograph in the 1950s, is the one that taught a generation to play old time songs on the 5-string. it remains one of the simplest, yet most complete, guides to anyone wanting to learn seeger style. there was also a longplay album that went along with the book - it's now available here as MP3s at this link - How to Play a 5-String Banjo (instruction)."
"This is not a book for beginners who want to learn to play or make their first steps into music."
"Great book writen by pete seegar ,has tons of information about playing banjo."
"A good book but I would get another starter book as well."
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Best Mandolin Songbooks

The Hal Leonard Mandolin Fake Book: 300 Songs
Get melody, lyrics, chords & chord diagrams for these tunes: The A Team * Against the Wind * As Time Goes By * Bad, Bad Leroy Brown * Can't Take My Eyes off of You * Crazy * Daydream Believer * Edelweiss * Fields of Gold * The Gambler * Going to California * Happy Together * Hey, Soul Sister * Ho Hey * I Shot the Sheriff * I'm Yours * Island in the Sun * King of the Road * Kokomo * Layla * Losing My Religion * Maggie May * Moondance * No Woman No Cry * Over the Rainbow * Peaceful Easy Feeling * Redemption Song * Ripple * Santeria * Shenandoah * The Times They Are A-Changin' * Toes * Unchained Melody * We Shall Overcome * Wildwood Flower * Wonderwall * You Are My Sunshine * Your Mama Don't Dance * and many more. Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation has become the worlds largest print music publisher, representing some of the greatest songwriters and artists of all time.
Reviews
"One of the best investment I have made."
"You look at the titles and think "I haven't heard this in a while but it's a great song and fun to play" ."
"Personally, I was excited to see artists such as Pink Floyd, Queen, Green Day and Janis Joplin included in the mix :). This book is as advertised on the cover."
"Helps you build muscle memory for the different chords."
"It is really a nice book."
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Best Guitar Songbooks

The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook
This great collection features all 194 songs written and sung by The Beatles, specially transcribed here for strumming guitarists, from the actual recordings, in the original keys.
Reviews
"This book is beyond acurate. I am not going to repeat what everyone says about the accuracy of this book, I am rather going to comment on the binding. When I checked it out, this is what it reads: 'Professional Musician Edition - The Spine Of This Book is Spiral Bound (plastic comb) - This Allows You To Lay The Book Flat - Great For Teachers, Skilled Musicians & Students etc...-' i am so glad I saw this."
"Perfect for strumming, and a good jumping off place for working out the actual guitar parts."
"It's great!"
"I'm part of a Meetup group that gets together 1x a month to sing Beatles songs."
"I've found this an issue on Kindle Fire, Kindle PC application, and Amazon Cloud."
"What a great way to have the lyrics and chords of nearly every Beatles song at your fingertips."
"If you play guitar and hate the Beatles buy this book, because everyone else loves the Beatles and you'll still be the hit of the party when you play these songs."
"For the price you really cant beat it as a gift for a friend that loves the Beatles and plays guitar."
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Best Bass Guitar Songbooks

Music Theory for the Bass Player: A Comprehensive and Hands-on Guide to Playing with More Confidence and Freedom
You can even work your way through the book without being able to read music (reading music is of course a vital skill, yet, the author believes it should not be tackled at the same time as the study of music theory, as they are different skills with a different practicing requirement. This book and the 89 free videos stand on their own and form a thorough source for studying music theory for the bass player. If you'd like to take it a step further, the author also offers a corresponding 20 week course; this online course works with the materials in this book and practices music theory application in grooves, fills and solos. your precious time, this book will be an essential asset to your creative journey. microcosm of basic building blocks to the macrocosm of advanced. unavoidable facts of music with an elegant psychological approach to the art of. Kai Eckhardt (Garaj Mahal, Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin). Experienced bassists will learn new ways to understand how music works, and. entitled "Technique Basics" she begins by stating: " Be mindful that learning. medical and musical viewpoint, it is a marvelous rarity when a master musician. Clinical Professor of Surgery, UCSF School of Medicine. Co-founder, UCSF Health Program for Performing ArtistsCertified Biofeedback Practitioner.
Reviews
"Want to learn how to create super cool bass solos?"
"A lot of information."
"It is great having one tailored to is bass players."
"I have been looking for the perfect book on bass music theory... and I found it!"
"Great book makes hard (for me) concepts easier to understand."
"The Book is great."
"After years and years of confusion , learning bits an pieces I found this book, finally it all makes sense."
"After just going through the first few lessons, I've garnered a better understanding of theory and fretboard layout than I did when I was playing in cover bands as a kid."
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Best Ukulele Songbooks

The Daily Ukulele: 365 Songs for Better Living (Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Songbooks)
(Ukulele). Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation has become the worlds largest print music publisher, representing some of the greatest songwriters and artists of all time.
Reviews
"Some very easy with two cords and others with varying degrees of difficulty."
"Great song book for those looking for repertoire catered to an audience in their 60s-90s or under 10."
"There are a lot of good songs in this book: Popular (Beatles, Everly Brothers, Joni Mitchell...), Christmas Carols, Children's Songs, Patriotic, Show Tunes, Folk, Hawaiian...etc...This would be a great book for school teachers to have on hand."
"This is a great book for the beginner ukulele player like me."
"Great collection of songs including a section for kids music and holiday tunes."
"Great selection of a broad range of music."
"My wife loved the book."
"Not that good on the kindle -- music too small to read, even in the largest font."
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Best Electric Bass & Guitar Songbooks

BEAUTY OF THE BURST (SOFT) SOFTCOVER
The book features lavish full-color photos of these beautiful instruments throughout; the guitars of famous players; a foreword by Ted McCarty; a bio of the author, world renowned collector Yasuhiko Iwanade; and the "Science of the Burst" section with over 30 pages of detailed reference facts on every facet of the guitar, including colors, wood figure, pick-ups, hardware and qualities of "voice."
Reviews
"Very high quality photography of a wide assortment of the most iconic, collectible electric guitar on earth."
"I’m so happy I’ve added this book to my collection."
"This book captures the uniqueness that is the 59 Burst, explains them in great, but not overwhelming detail. I know that my friends (who aren't into music and guitars like I am) will pick up this book and look through it just as they would any art book on my coffee table."
"Great coffee table piece."
"This is a real coffee table book for electric guitar lovers."
"Great book but most pictures are very similar; this is basically a logging of these bursts for just the few years when they actually ended production of the first Les Paul and tried to only make the SG style in it's place, then everyone discovered the guitar so they brought it back!"
"Great pictures of a great era in Les Paul history."
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