Musicals Books

Pierre Bensusan has written this amazing book which,not alone takes the mysteries out of DADGAD guitar-tuning,but also gives invaluable tips on guitar playing in general.The tablature is a great help in finding which fret and which string to use, because there are many different "places" on the fretboard for any given note.Without this,as a classical guitarist,I would find Pierre's music very difficult to sight-read in standard notation (which is provided also;and very clearly written.) Apart from all the technical stuff,the end product sounds beautiful! One example is an arrangement of Handel's "Water Music".It is impossible to overstate the importance of this brilliant work.

This book is a great find for acoustic guitarists looking to stretch their fingerstyle playing as well as learn about alternate tunings. Pierre Bensusan's playing is phenomenal, and if you can keep up with any of the tunes transcribed (I wish I could!) in this book, then you're really doing something. This book has all the songs from his early records, plus poems, pictures, even recipes. It's excellent.

Pierre is not only one of the most extraordinary acoustic guitar players in the world, but a lot more. The Guitar Book is the living proof that Pierre is also an skilled writer, capable of sharing his own "little world", as he calls it, so that the reader is able to immerse himself in Pierre's playing style, musical visions, and even venture into some more, uh, sensorial stuff. The book provides not only insights on his playing techniques, immaculate transcriptions of tunes from his first 4 albums and the Mechanics of Guitar according to Bensusan, but also some poems, evocative photographs, paintings and even recipes!! This is as deep as you can get into an artists personal world, done in the irreprehensible Bensusan style. A MUST-BUY!!

Pierre Bensusan is a musician's musician. The first time I saw him (which was in 1977 at a folk festival in the little village of Hoeilaart in Belgium), I was so knocked out I bought his first two albums on the spot.

Since then, of course, he has become world-famous, expanding his musical vocabulary all the while.

The pieces in this 1985 book, however, are all drawn from that earlier time, before the effects pedals and so forth, when his main influences were easily discernible to be the notable guitarists of the English folk revival; particularly John Renbourn, Nic Jones and Martin Carthy.

Contents
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Along with scales and exercises there are 35 tunes, as follows. All are in DADGAD tuning except where otherwise indicated.

The Return from Fingal
Le voyage pour l'Irlande
Rakish Paddy
Le lendemain de la fête (EADGBE)
Près de Paris (FDGCF)
The Ash Plant (FDGCF)
The Morning Dew (FDGCF)
La danse du capricorne
De Trilport à Fublaines (DGDGCD)
Heman Dubh
Maurice au pays des merveilles
Clementine, Mandarine et Reine Claude
Merrily Kiss the Quaker
Cunla
Murtagh McKann
The Pure Drop
The Flax in Bloom
Le moulin á parfums d'Emmanuelle
Water Music
Le voyage pour l'Irlande (EADGBE)
Le lac des abbesses (DGDGCD)
The False Knight on the Road
Digital
Hekimoglu
Climats doux et tempéres
Suite flamande aus pommes
La marche du sonneur égaré
Sí Bheag, Sí Mhor
Santa Monica
Au jardin d'amour
Solilaï
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Nice Feeling
Bamboulé
Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (CADGAD)

Most are from Pierre's first four albums:

7 from Près de Paris
5 from 2
11 from Musiques
6 from Solilaï
6 miscellaneous

The pieces are arranged in order of difficulty (it's noticeable that all those from Solilaï come at the end).

As well as the above, there are recipes, advice, photos, poems from the author's wife, and much more. In fact it's not so much a music book as a total brain dump.

Accuracy
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The transcriptions are, by and large, very accurate, but there are nonetheless some curious anomalies.

One is that "Le lendemain de la fête", given in standard tuning, was recorded by Pierre in DADGAD, and is given in that tuning on his DVD The Guitar of Pierre Bensusan, Vol. 1. It's certainly playable as written, but it doesn't sound quite right. What the explanation may be for this, I can only conjecture. However, "Le voyage pour l'Irlande", is given twice here, once in each tuning; so maybe it's just that Pierre plays (or has played) these pieces both ways.

Most annoying, however, is that the staff notation is written at absolute pitch, even when a capo is used, e.g. "Le lac des abbesses" in G capo'd at 4 is written in B. This makes the staff impossible to read without reference to to the tab, for the 15 pieces in which a capo is specified.

The key signature of "La marche du sonneur égaré" should be one sharp, not two; since although the key is D, the mode is mixolydian, and so the Cs are natural (as confirmed by the tab). However, there is the occasional C#, so, again, you have to check both the staff and the tab.

Presentation
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The book is conventionally bound and does not take kindly to being opened flat. My copy (about 20 years old) is falling apart.

Summary
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This is one of the greatest guitar books I've ever come across, so much so that even the quirks mentioned above can't lead me to deduct a star. It's certainly THE greatest book on DADGAD, although Pierre Bensusan presents DADGAD Guitar comes close.

But it's not for beginners, nor for flatpickers. Also, if you can't read you may have trouble, especially if you don't have the author's first four CDs. In that case, or if you learn better visually, I would recommend the DVD mentioned above, along with Vol. 2. Both come with tab booklets.

Pierre Bensusan's "Guitar Book" is simply one of the best guitar books ever published. Virtually all of the pieces from his first 4 recordings are transcribed in very accessible format. All in tablature, mostly his preferred DADGAD tuning. In general, the pieces are arranged from easiest to most difficult, and most are accessible for an intermediate player. If it were just about the transcriptions, this would certainly be an extraordinary work. However, the "extras" take it to another level. Poetry, art, cooking recipes fill in along with some of his thoughts about playing the guitar. This work is truly distinguished from other guitar publications. Obviously, this book is not for a mass audience, but if you like Pierre Bensusan and play the guitar, you simply MUST have this.

I have just learned to play guitar and I find this book the perfect place to start. If you desire to learn ALL the basic info for guitar, this is the book for you. I have found it immensely helpful and recommend it EVERYONE.

I've bought plenty of guitar books over the years. This one if very very good. This book cuts through a lot of the "(..)" and boring stuff that so many books are filled with. Straight forward.

I have played guitar for a few years now but I never had a lesson. Basically, I learned everything by ear and by reading guitar tab on the internet. I have read a few books on guitar chords but this one by far is the best! Despite it's plain design, this is the best guitar chord book I have read so far and it has helped me learn more about the guitar then I thought I ever would. In addition, if you buy this book do yourself a favor and also purchase the Guitar Guru Scale book...you will not regret it!

I've played and studied for years and KARL ARANJOS chord system is about the finest out there. If you're serious about learning the art of chords you seriously need to buy this book. Highly reccommended

I bought Mr. Aranjo's other book Guitar Scale Guru and thought it was great. This book makes learning new chords and playing so easy to understand. Every guitar player should add these two books to their collection.

I have been playing guitar for about thirteen years now and I am extremely impressed with this book! It contains all the top classical guitar compositions and was very affordable for the number of selections it contains. Worth every penny.

This was the most amazing book I have found for classical guitar music. Has tons of classic pieces that are essential to most professional guitarists. Definitely a must have for any serious guitar player

i've added 3-4 pieces to my repertoire out of this book and i frequently find myself reaching for it to practice sight reading. a couple times i've heard a piece i've really enjoyed on a CD from the library or something, decided to learn it, and been pleasantly surprised to find that it's in the book.

the hyperbolic prose on the cover is always good for a laugh.

I have owned this book for years and have returned to it again and again. This book is for the person that can play classical guitar and wants to develop a repertoire. The pieces range from the baroque to the modern era and Spanish pieces. If you are on a budget and want to get maximum bang for your buck I suggest this book. Over 200 pieces of pure sheet music from Back, Sor, Carcassi, Tarrega, Mozart and more. Most pieces I would place at an intermediate difficulty level. But there are some pieces at beginner level and some at advanced level so you will get a good progression as you get better. Get the Plastic comb version so it lays out on your music stand easily. I have had this book for ten years now and it is still in perfect shape because of the plastic comb.

You know, it seems like common sense to me, but publishers just can't get it right-MUSIC COMPILATIONS SHOULD ALL BE SPIRAL BOUND! Thank you Jerry Willard and Amsco for attempting this unprecedented feat.

Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Sevilla, the Grand Solo and dozens more all in one book! Amazing. Now I have to get volume two.

I love it. The explanation are so easy, it moves little by little, graphicaly with excercises that you can learn to our own pace.
Sooner, you could be playing guitar.

This is a nice book which is aided by a nicely produced DVD. The DVD corresponds with the material presented in the book. Anyone (9 and older) will love how everything is explained and diagrammed clearly. The graphics are clean and not cluttered. There is mostly strumming but also broken chords played with a pick. TAB is explained. Note reading exercises are provided as you learn the names of notes on the guitar in first position with the aid of TAB as a reference for finger placement.

The play along examples are not recognizable children's songs like other books. These examples are the original creation of the author herself. She begins with easy chords and downstrums and then moves on to full chords and down/up/down strums. I like the pleasant sounding backing tracks. It makes playing along fun and provides incentive to continue without giving up too soon. Good book/DVD for adults as well who are picking up guitar at a later age. Susan really connects with female learners who seem to like her pleasant demeanor on the DVD.

There are different editions of this book so make sure you're buying the right one. There's a book only, a book/CD, a DVD only with no book, and a book/DVD combination. The DVD itself is not a book, even though that's what the description states. No booklet is included, everything is onscreen. A little confused? Yeah I was too.

This is a nice book with a video guide that shows you, up close how each lesson is performed -- a great plus for someone who knows NOTHING about playing guitar. However, if you know anything at all about playing, you will find these lessons too elementary. The lessons teach everything from tuning the guitar, what are the different parts of the guitar, and on to putting the lessons taught all together to play a simple song. My only problem with the DVD is that sometimes I had a hard time seeing exactly where her fingers were on the strings (just follow along with the lessons in the book - as you're supposed to - and you'll know what she's performing. Don't try to use the video alone.)

Being married to a musician, I have always wanted to learn to play guitar. After the first day, my husband was amazed by how much I'd learned and said I had picked it up much faster than he, which made me so proud! If you're willing to dedicate some time, strengthen your fingers and get ready for the sore fingertips (your first initiations into guitar-playing!), this makes a great "newbie" package!

This is an excellent book for biginners. The DVD follows the book exactly. Ms. Mazer does an excellent job explaining the guitar parts, cords, etc. Her demonstrations are easy to follow and she gives one plenty of time to play along with her.

I bought this for my boyfreind to go with his new guitar and I've been using ever since. The dvd instructor adds just the extra visual touch that a beginner needs. Love it.

This is a great coffee table book to grab when you'd just like to read something entertaining. Offers a lot of info, but not written like a text book.

I happened across this book quite by accident but, as a budding guitarist, purchased a copy because I thought it might help me better understand the wide variety of electric guitars out there and their unique sounds. Not only did it fulfill this objective but it also provided me with hours of enjoyment. This was a real page turner. One after another, the reader gets beautiful photography and an excellent description of the best guitars we've all heard as far back as the 50's. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in guitars. Thank you, Neville. I've read a lot of books about guitars and I regard this to be one of the best. Thoroughly enjoyable!

The photography of the instruments in this book is phenomenal and better still, a lot of great Rock 'n Roll moments have been captured. The information is good-I wanted to know the differences between an ES-335, 345 and 355; it's in there, like Prego. I was impressed that the guitar that Chris Spedding played on the Dutch Robert Gordon DVD [Duesenberg] was mentioned and described. Oh, and the best thing of all; how much is this book? $75? $50? $30? Amazon.com sold it to me for less than $20[!] I have bought four of these books and given three out to friends.

Guitar Heaven: The Most Famous Guitars to Electrify Our World
I bought this book for my husband as a Christmas gift and he absolutely loves it! The pictures are terrific. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a guitar fanatic!

I have been playing guitar for nearly 50 years. Back when I bought my first electric, there were very few choices of "quality" electrics. Gibson and Fender dominated the field, and Epiphone, Guild, and Rickenbacker were smaller players in the field. Since then, the guitar market has exploded with innumerable choices of truly fine guitars. Who plays what (and who played what) has become muddied in my mind. What was George Harrison playing in 1960? What did Keith Richards play in those first few albums? What is out there now that has the sound I like? Finding answers to these questions has been difficult, even with Wikipedia and Google to help me. I read 5 books on the Beatles and found out everything I really didn't want to know (their personal experiences but not their music making).

This book includes a lot of information that I already knew, but finding that information was not easy nor was the information authoritative, much of it coming from people's posts on forums. This beautiful and very reasonably-priced book is all about the fine guitars of the last half century and the people who played them. It is the book that musicians want, and probably would appeal less to non-musician rock fans. Why all of the attention to the instruments? Unlike pianos, flutes, and trumpets, different electric guitars sound very, very different. I can think of no other musical instrument that takes on so many different shapes, sizes, looks, forms, sounds, weights, and sounds. And those guitars can be tweaked to sound a bit different (as John Lennon did to his Epiphone Casino, sanding off the finish and applying only a protective layer of lacquer).

This is the ultimate coffee table book for me. While not as large or thick as some guitar "encyclopedias", I can pick this book up and read through the descriptions and histories again and again, and they evoke fond memories of music that has surrounded me for 5 decades. One omission that surprised me was the lack of mention of Mosrite, the guitar of the Ventures after they switched from Fender. But those guitars are barely in production now and are more likely to be collector's items, so I guess I can forgive the author on this one.

This book is everything I could possible ask for. I've been playing flute for ten years, and have just picked up the harp, and the exercises here are reminiscent of the better tecique exercises I have worked with for so long on the flute. The exercises within this book are thorough and are progressively more difficult; I was able to practice the first exercises from the moment I got my harp but it will take a great deal of practice to have the ability to play the more complex exercises. All that is necessary is a basic knowledge of how to read music and the book takes you from there to beyond. I highly recommend it to any harper or harpist who wants to work on their technique and have a nice warm up.

This book is exactly what it says it is. There are no lessons here - just a wonderful variety of excercises. They are clearly organized so that the harper or harpist can select the drills that are needed or a beginner can start at the beginning and work his or her way through.

Like the previous reviewer, I am a beginner. Harp Exercises is exactly what I was looking for: a book that would develop the skills that the lesson books touch upon in the pieces they present. This book will be useful long after I graduate from the introductory lesson books.

I'm a beginning harper, and have been picking up books for someone my level as they come my way. I saw this one and thought it might be useful. When I showed it to my teacher, she wasn't too certain about it at first--then she began looking through it. She was very impressed, thought it was a great addition to my little collection, and worth every cent. I haven't gotten very far into the book yet, but there are great exercises on intervals, changing intervals, etc. I suspect that I won't be outgrowing this one any time soon, there's so much good stuff in it.

The exercises in this book help strengthen the fingers and hands and improve agility. The expercises are good for all levels of experience. The expercises are a good way of warming up and will bring ones playing ability to a greater level of accomplishment. I highly recommend this book for ones music book library.

I bought this book for my Mom. She has been
involved with music for many years. She plays
a number of instruments and is now learning to play
the harp. This book is an asset to her and she
thinks it would be excellent for all harp students.

The arrangements in this book are better than average by far. The CD is a great help, with lots of tips and "how-to's" to get the fingering down. Some arrangements are relatively easy and others are more challenging - there's lots of room to grow and learn here. I classify myself as an intermediate player, and picked up the book and played a couple of the pieces right away, which is lots of fun. Other pieces are requiring more work, and that's fun, too.

This was my first book by Mark Hanson and I've been very impressed with his arrangements. It's difficult to find nice finger-picking arrangements for songs that can be played in church. I liked the fact that the accompanying CD has 3 tracks per song: 1) normal tempo, 2) slow tempo for practice, 3) narrated by author. The slow track makes it much easier to hear the individual notes and play along until you can achieve full tempo. As for the difficulty level, I've been playing guitar for 20+ years and finger-picking things like James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, etc. When I got this book/CD I started with This is My Father's World. It took me at least 3 hours of playing this song through about 100 times before I could make it through the song fluently. However, once you get through it you can be very proud of the accomplishment. I've received many complements from friends after playing this song using Mark Hanson's arrangement. I can't wait to learn the others. Just be patient and the rewards will be great!

You will appreciate the pieces that Mark arranges and plays...Great book but not for newbies though.

The songs for this collection were thoughtfully selected. Some of the fingerings are pretty simplistic and others more complicated. It would have been nice to include the words to the hymns for those who are singer/guitar players- I couldn't determine whether they were or not from the description, but now you know.

Once again Master Guitarist and Instructor Mark Hanson makes melodic intricate sounding guitar pieces accessible to those of us struggling to earn our "intermediate" stripes...Mark breaks down the tunes into digestable bites and gives you the skill building exercises you need to be successfull playing his arrangements of these tunes...and as always his arrangements are lush, rich sounding and very approachable for the intermediate guitarist......

"For theater lovers, this holiday brings books that should satisfy even the pickiest soul. My favorite is a gossipy portrait of Broadway over the past 60 years - IT HAPPENED ON BROADWAY, AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WHITE WAY..... It's fun to browse in (lots of nice pictures), but addictive as a bag of potato chips."

This is a one of a kind Broadway book. The stories, the photos, the whole feel . . .it is like table hopping at Sardi's.

IT HAPPENED ON BROADWAY: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE GREAT WHITE WAY By Myrna Katz Frommer & Harvey Frommer

The Bloomsbury Review, November-December 1998

What better way to write a history of the last fifty years of Broadway theater than to get the information from those who made it all happen! The Frommers have compiled an oral history that is told by many of those wonderfully talented, hardworking people who spared no effort to create great hits and, yes, occasionally, flops. More than one hundred actors, directors, choreographers, producers, composers, lyricists, and playwrights as well as set, costume, and lighting designers, extras, and publicists have contributed to this deliciously enjoyable compilation of material about the great white way.

It Happened on Broadway is filled with background information about the Broadway shows of the last half century, and the successes, failures, struggles, and uncertainties of many personalities. Many interviewees have been household names for generations, others are just achieving recognition, and some names are not likely to mean much to most readers. Yet they all bring us some of the most interesting experiences and insights about the Broadway theater of recent years. One wonders how the Frommers managed to persuade so many luminaries to share their tales.

The first chapter "Broadway Calling," should be required reading for every theater student, aspiring actor, and budding theater professional. To hear Carol Channing, Jerry Herman, Betty Buckley, Manny Azenberg, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Al Hirschfeld, Richard Kiley, Leslie Uggams, Louise Lasser, Charles Durning, Patricia Neal, Jerry Zaks and many more tell how they got started in their careers is an education in itself and makes for superbly entertaining reading as well.

Much of the book is devoted to musicals, since those were the majority of "name" Broadway shows of the last half century, but there are also stories of the Theater Guild, from Eugene O'Neill and Bernard Shaw to William Inge and Sean O'Casey and the last week of Clifford Odets, and about the extraordinary talents of Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams and such performers as Marlon Brando and Tallulah Bankhead. Celeste Holm tells how her Broadway career began when she was cast by Lynn Fontanne in The Time of Your Life together with Gene Kelly and William Bendix. And there is talk about the groundbreaking impact of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.

In one chapter "Look, Look, Look Who's Dancin' Now," Gwen Verdon, Marge Champion, Donna McKechnie and others share stories about Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, and the creation of Chorus Line and Chicago.

Most new shows go through a difficult gestation period before they are ready to be presented to the public. In some instances, a late edition of a song or conversely, deletion of some material can turn a potential loser into a future hit. Backstage tales, candid comments on their own performances and those of their fellow actors, the roundabout ways in which producers obtained production rights, often after years of effort, all make for fascinating reading.

This book gives the rare opportunity to hear the comments of those who were involved in the creation of Guys and Dolls, Cabaret, Zorba, Wonderful Town, On the Twentieth Century, The Will Rogers Follies, Annie, Nine, Grand Hotel, Titanic, and many, many more.

To sum up, the Frommers have combined these interviews and stories into a rich, seamless, history that masterfully captures the essence of Broadway's last five decades in a most enjoyable fashion. _____ __

Paging through this book is like stepping back through those years in the mid to late 20th Century when Broadway was bursting with fresh talent and wonderous creativity. Fantastic photos (many of which I have not seen elsewhere) and the collected personal memories of an army of Broadway veterans. Instead of muddying these memories with reams of connecting text, the editors have grouped related anecdotes into chapters and let those who lived this history speak for themselves. A great read for anyone who loves the theatre -- Broadway in particular.

The stars, both onstage and off, that have helped create the Broadway theatre of today have committed their lives to one of the most important and vital of all the arts. This book gives them their due in a way few others have. It Happened on Broadway is a very well-done book recording for posterity the fine tradition that is Broadway theatre, using almost entirely the words of the people that actually lived their lives there. It is funny, touching, englightening, and a must-read for anyone who loves Broadway and theatre as much as those in the book who gave their lives to it.

A wonderful book of Bach pieces transcribed for the electric bass. I'm a music teacher who is primarily a guitarist, but I also have a few bass students, a couple of them who have progressed beyond the fundamentals of rhythm, position, and left and right hand fingering.

These pieces offer a refreshing contrast to the more contemporary styles usually associated with the electric bass guitar, and the duets are fun to play with students.

Great book, and even better if you've got a mate who can learn the accompanying parts.
Bach pieces arranged for the bass vary from the simple to the all out incredible, but with this bok you can work over the easy and the hard stuff at your own pace. Tab is there for those that need it, bu the notation is also there which is very important to get a feel for the pieces. The notes are also most informative with regard to feel, time signature and speed. Given enough practise, you can master a few of the arrangements very quickly, and before long, be able to impress a few people with your new found dexterity. Then impress them more when you do a full duet with a mate...

Not the most thrilling of all music you can buy, but it is accessable to intermediate players like myself. Nice to play something different besides Rush and Cream, and my wife doesn't mind listening to it either.

Not for beginners. May be useful to know what the piece sounds like before you attempt to play it.

This is a great book for intermediate to advanced level Electric Bass. There are two duets for Bass and Violin (or G Clef instrument) and one for Bass with accompaniment for Piano. Includes the tab notation which helps a lot!

Having not studied classically, the JS Bach book has helped my technique enormously and I can already see and feel improvements from playing the pieces. Enjoyable and interesting studies to play. Definitely a must buy for all bassists whatever style. Guaranteed fast results...lets see what my jazz colleagues think of my solo pieces now! Go buy it now!

This book is amazing compilation of Jim Brickman's music. The pieces are put together perfectly and are some of Brickman's best songs. This is an amazing book for anyone interested in his music. It doesn't get much better than this.

This is definitely the best Jim Brickman that I own, and even if you own some of his other books, he puts variations on his pieces that aren't found in other books such as "Rocket to the Moon" and "Picture This". The music was great, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was because the book cover fell off, and some of the music has fallen out. I don't know if its just mine though.

I am a beginning piano player, long time musician. This book is wonderful, I enjoy practicing these songs. They are a challange though.

I think we've all experienced the disappointment of buying a book or CD for a song we love only to find the rest of its contents only mediocre. Playing through this book is quite the antithesis to that kind of emotion. With every turn of the page, there is a beautiful heartfelt tune captured from one of several of Jim Brickman's collections, including 6 arrangements of some old favorite lullabies. This special edition is worth every penny. A gold-mine find!

This is definitely his best book ever. It's a collection of his most beautiful pieces ever such as Angel Eyes and Valentine. If you are a Jim Brickman fan like me...then THIS IS A MUST-HAVE! (If you don't know who Jim Brickman is..buy this anyway because you will get hooked on his music!) I encourage all of you to buy it because you will not regret it. Other pieces here include By Heart, If You Believe, In a Lover's Eyes, Borders, Heartland, Rocket to the Moon, We Met Today, Hero's Dream <--VERY BEAUTIFUL, Picture This, You Never Know, Dreams Come True, The Gift, Destiny, Love of My Life, Your Love, and more!