Product Description
Steve James presents a treasure trove of traditional American guitar styles in this unique book/CD pack. Guitarists will learn fingerpicking and slide techniques not through dry exercises but by playing 25 songs from James' own repertoire and from such masters as Furry Lewis, Blind Willie McTell, Sam McGee, and Mance Lipscomb. Drawing on his extensive research and first-hand experience with these guitar pioneers, James tells the stories behind the songs, too. Features authentic arrangements in notes and TAB, vocal melodies and lyrics, historic photos, and more. Songs: Take Me Back * Sugar Babe * Milwaukee Blues * Sebastopol* John Henry * more!
Roots & Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Book/CD (String Letter Publishing) (Acoustic Guitar) (Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons) Reviews
Roots & Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Book/CD (String Letter Publishing) (Acoustic Guitar) (Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons) Reviews
| 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful By This review is from: Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar: Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons (Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Private Lessons) (Paperback) Like a lot of people, I want to play guitar, especially acoustic blues a la John Hurt, Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, etc., etc. Like a lot of people, I own a number of "How to play ..." books. But one thing I'm finally beginning to learn is that NO BOOK will teach you to play if you don't practice regularly.Having said that, this book covers a range of traditional songs - Sugar Babe, Crow Jane, etc. - and some James' originals, which will increase your mastery of the instrument - IF you practice regularly. He starts with simple alternating bass, and progresses from there. At (what seems to me) appropriate times, he introduces hammer-ons and pull offs, and string dampening. If I can ever progress enough to the last few pieces, I'm pretty sure I'll sound pretty good. Heck, I already sound a LOT better than when I bought the book. (Although that's not really very much of a recommendation.) Certainly, I've had lots of fun trying to master each piece. This... Read more 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful By JMAC "JMAC" (Denton, TX United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Roots & Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Book/CD (String Letter Publishing) (Acoustic Guitar) (Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons) (Paperback) I will first echo the previous reviews by saying, "You got that right!" Steve is an amazing player and a great teacher. He is the director of the Roots & Blues Workshop at the Kerrville Folk Festival. In one of his sessions this year he walked a group of us through the Sam McGee finger buster "Railroad Blues." Some in that workshop were experienced and some were new to finger picking but all left the 3-hour session able to play the toughest parts of Railroad Blues to some degree. Steve added to the class by sharing the details of his first meeting with Sam McGee. Imagine being introduced to one of your heroes with "Steve's a big fan of yours" only to hear the reply, "I don't know if I'm a big fan of his - I haven't heard him pick yet" and be handed a guitar. How's that for pressure? Steve's playing, his songwriting, and his stories are the real thing because Steve is the real thing.This book isn't for beginners, i.e., those that have never played fingerstyle... Read more 1 of 4 people found the following review helpful By Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar: Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons (Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Private Lessons) (Paperback) Steve is the real thing. A blues guitarist, writer, teacher who literally lived with some of the legends of roots blues and they taught him their licks. He teaches a week-long class at the Kerrville Folk Festival that is well worth the price. Go if you can. Hell, go even if you can't afford it--you can't afford not to. |
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