Music Books

The accompaniments are easy to play, and the music is so much fun to sing. definately reccomended if you're auditioning for the show, or just need a fun piece to perform.

I am in this play at a Performing Arts Group that I am in, and I think that this is one of the most hillarious plays I have ever done. This book is hightly recommened.

When I purchased the vocal selections for this show I received exactly what I expected. The songs were not difficult to play at all, yet it had almost every song from the show. If trying out for the show or just want some simple music to play...this is the book to buy.

I was the pianist for my high school's performance of this musical, and when I heard the music (the 1997 CD), I fell in love immediately. As the rehearsal pianist, I played through this book three hours a day for two months, but the original appeal has not faded! In fact, since I have to return the book (it's a rental), I plan on purchasing it as soon as the show's over.

We all know the story of the Princess and the Pea, right? Well, this musical and its music book give it some well needed humor! Origianlly starring Carol Burnett, MATTRESS went on to make 2 TV movies and eventually star Ms. Sarah Jessica Parker, a now Emmy award winning actress. MATTRESS entered my life 12 months ago, and it is still here! For me, MATTRESS seems to have started my acting career. Buy this book if you need to learn songs for a role, or if you just want to add it to your Broadway collection!

This is probably THE greatest book I've found for re-examining & inspiring your teaching. The author's tone is friendly, coversational, and humorous, and ideas are clearly outlined--you can read it page by page or skim it for a small dose of inspiration. I reread it every summer & frequently leaf thru it throughout the year--there's TONS of great ideas in here, and even if some wouldn't work for your program it might help you brainstorm something that will. It's an educational book without the academic jargon & without the over-flowery language of someone who doesn't understand the science behind teaching. It's by a band director who just wanted to give his kids the best possible education he could, and just reading through the book makes me wish I'd grown up in his program.

A must read. Anyone searching for that positive influencial attitude in affecting their students should read this and apply the techniques. Believe me, this book will inspire the most jaded of teachers.

Pathways is a really good book. I mean it. It helped me a lot.

Pathways assists teachers in running their daily music programs. There are lists of practical ideas, and ideas for doing things like taking roll to rehearsing - and everything in between. Depending on your teaching experience you may want to skip some of the information, for example a veteran teacher might want to focus more on creating music at a high level, while a new teacher might focus more on rehearsal technique. I used some of the techniques in this book in my class and found them to be effective and indeed they helped my students improve. Overall this book is good!

Simple, easy to use ideas and strategies that address real-life in-the-classroom issues of student motivation, attrition, and creating enjoyable and energetic learning environments. I have been using only a small handful of ideas and strategies listed in this book (about 5 of them right now out of thousands) and it has made a noticeable difference in my classes. This book should be required reading for any music education major, beginning or veteran teacher. IT'S THAT GOOD!!!

The book is not preachy or touchy-feely at all. It's just full of awesome ideas and really gets to the heart of what makes students tick. Worth it's weight in gold!

Through the years I have always been frustrated by the lack of a lyric sheet with Patti Smith's albums. I thought her marriage of poetry and rock deserved better. And there were many parts of her songs that I just couldn't make out, what with her broad NY drawl, so this book came as a godsend. And yes, I was invariably wrong in my guessing! So to the book: excellent photographs, insightful annotations and those wonderful songs that work equally well on the printed page but really come alive with her music. Excellent design, typography, layout; highly recommended.

JUST ANOTHER MASTERED PIECE ABOUT THE PUNK GREAT ( PATTI SMITH )
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BRILLIANTLY TALENTED WOMAN IS AN ART FORM OF IT'S OWN. I REMEMBER WHEN ( BECAUSE THE NIGHT CAME OUT, I WAS
A TEENAGER IN HIGH SCHOOL. MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS I WANNA BE JUST LIKE HER. SHE IS ONE MUSICIAN OF POETRY, WHO IS ACTUALLY,
THE SAME AS HER MUSIC. WHAT CAN I SAY SHE HAS GIVEN ME THE PLEASURE OF HER TALENTED MUSIC FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS.
THIS BOOK IS DEFINATELY A CLASSIC IN ITSELF.
"PATTI" THE WOMAN,THE POET,THE CLASSIC MUSICIAN.

This is hardly a review. I purchased the hardcover edition the moment it was released.

Her recent release of "Tramplin'" has reminded me...............

Patti Smith is one our our greatest living Poets (along with Lou Reed, Roger Waters and others).....................

If you don't already know that, buy this book !!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks patti. love the book. everyone should have one.

The definitive collection of lyrics from the 70's punk rocker, recently reborn in the 90's. Insight into her turbulent life from her perspective. The photos are stunning, however more of her stories to go with the lyrics would have made this book a 5. A must have for any PSG fan.

This book has to be the most enduring publications for the pedal steel guitar ever written. The book came out in 1975. The book now comes with a CD instead of the former flimsy record. The book is legendary among a lot of pedal steel players, and I recommend it as a "first" book of instruction for any new player.

The book arrived very quickly and in perfect condition just as advertised. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Pedal steel guitar is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments, but also one of the hardest to learn. This book helps you get started on a very complex instrument. I was amazed how quickly I was making good sounding music. I highly recommend this book for anyone starting out on pedal steel.

Although written 30 years ago, this book is still very timely and informative. I would recommend it very highly for the person who wishes to learn to play the pedal steel guitar. It can also be very useful for the student who has started to play but has not reached the level he/she wishes.

This book is an excellent introduction and guide for anyone who is interested in learning about the pedal steel guitar.Although it is now somewhat dated,it still contains a vast amount of useful knowledge about this unusual instrument.In addition to providing a brief history of the instrument,it includes some minimal instruction,maintenance tips,choosing an instrument, and a wealth of other topics. It also offers info about the different players of the instrument,their tunings(copedants) and lots of photos. The pedal steel guitar is indeed a curious instrument and this book walks you through step by step to help you understand what it's all about.
Practically every steel player has read it or knows about it.

The book was in excellent condition, exactly what we needed and $10.00 cheaper than anywhere else.

For anyone that plays the flute, especially those that need guidance for practicing, this is a fantastic resource. When using this collection, you should have a metronome and tuner at your disposal, especially for the volume on intonation.

4 stars instead of 5 only because I haven't gone through the whole book yet. The exercizes on tone and breathing are really helpful. It is well written, easy to understand, and realistic as far as goal setting.

I recommend this book to anyone getting back into playing on their own or an experienced musician.

I purchased the omnibus version after buying the single publication on tone. The Omnibus edition comes spiral bound and the pages can be sometimes unruly...slipping out of the slots of spiral binding and giving an untidy look to your sacred sheets of flute wisdom(which is rather annoying to this already disorganized musician).

I refer to the information in the tone section more than any other. The other 'books' in the omnibus were a bit sparse in terms of content. I am glad I spent under 30.00usd on the omnibus instead of buying each book individually.

For those musicians with a sense of humor, the writing style of the author is quite fun to read. His discussions are loaded with flute-specific musings, puns, and other subtle rhetoric. His writing style is ingenious...and a relief from the overly serious disctionary style we usually encouter in method publications.

This book covers almost everything there is when it comes to developing tone, technique and skill. I'm really enjoying it. I think it is a must for beginners, and also really useful for the developing-intermediate flutist that needs a little more to get to the advanced level. my tone is better allready...

After seeing the positive reviews on this book, I decided to go ahead and get it, as I realized despite my having played viola for such a long time, I don't own a single tome detailing the principles of good technique and playing.

So far I've gone through sections dealing with left hand positioning (the frame) and intonation. The writing is clear and engaging; Galamian observes many times it is important not to lay down arbitrary rules on how things should be done - unless there is a compelling reason. I like how the sections contain exercises that are written out - the provide a concrete method to achieve the results he discusses. The photos of hand positioning are also very descriptive.

I can tell I'm going to refer to this book again and again in the coming years - it is so nice to have it reinforce what I've heard (and often forget!) from different teachers! Definitely recommended!

I'd like to add that I found this book for about $20 less at Shar Music - but at any of these prices it's completely worth it!

I would recommend this book to any musician. Although it extensively covers bowing and left hand technique, the most important aspects are in how to practice and master your art. The variations suggested can be used by any musician on any instrument and will take you to a new level of technical control.

I would not suggest this book for a beginner, this material is best learned from an experienced teacher. Advanced students and teachers should all have this book in their book collections.

As a former violin student of 9 years who moved towards piano instead, I have found this book immensely valuable in helping me as a Suzuki parent of a young violinist myself. If you have a child moving into the Kreutzer etudes, or in Book 7 or later in the Suzuki series, this book is a godsend. At this point in your child's studies, you have no doubt been listening to many great artists, and wondering how they attain the immense variety in tonal coloring, or how they actually implement such amazing shifts, or complex bowing techniques. This book, with its pictures, is outstanding in deconstructing these motions. While it is highly analytical in parts, the book is also excellent in addressing the body's motion as a whole - in showing the coupling between the hand, elbow, shoulders, violin... using well known extracts from etudes, caprices, and solo works as practical examples.

It most definitely helps to be an advanced instrumentalist in reading this book, as the author certainly presumes that the reader has a trained ear. The sections on how to practice will also be appreciated by those who have worked in intensive Master Classes, and have carried back from these classes some improved practice habits.

All-in-all, this is book not to be missed, particularly by the supportive parents of maturing artists.

this is a MUST for any violinist who is serious about playing the violin. This book has solution to all of the problems that a violinist faces, in addition, this is a great leaning tool, lines from major concertos are used as exemples. again, this book is a must for anyone who's serious about playing the violin or even becoming a concert soloist.

Ivan Galamian (1903-1981) was one of the great violin teachers of the 20th century. He taught people like Perlman and Zukerman, as well as countless other professional players of today. This book sets forth the essentials of his method. The text was written by Elizabeth Green, herself a Galamian student and a noted author and teacher in her own right. But the ideas are Galamian's. The small number of pages (100+) is deceptive; every sentence is packed with information and must be read carefully lest some important feature be missed. Violin playing is a complex mental and physical activity, and to learn it well demands the ability to focus on many small details as one trains the ear and the hands. This book is not really intended to be a self-tutor so much as a reference for the teacher and the student who is advanced enough to understand what Galamian is saying. It is not for beginners. A beginner book might tell you where (approximately) to put your fingers on the string to get certain notes. This book tells you (in words and photos) what your finger looks like when it is on the string, what part of the fingertip is pressing on the string, how hard it is pressing, how fast it should be traveling as it hits the string, the musical effect of different methods of lifting the finger, and so on. And that's only a tiny bit of what is written about what the left hand and fingers do. This is followed by a complete analysis of the mechanics and musical effect of every conceivable bow stroke. Matters of bow speed, pressure and point of contact with the string are all considered in light of the effects they produce, along with many more ideas concerning placement of thumb and fingers on the stick, angle of bow to string, and more. The book concludes with an analysis of effective practicing and teaching. There is much useful material on the relationship between technique and artistic interpretation as well. The many excellent photographs and musical examples add a further measure of depth to the book.

One small quibble: I don't think he spent enough time discussing how to play in tune. What he does say is all correct--he mentions that one must "think the sound" of the desired pitch as well as mentally prepare the hand and finger motion--he is speaking of shifting--but thinking the pitch needs to be stressed more, I think, and extended to thinking the actual sound of a beautiful violin tone as well.

This is a book for teachers and players who are advanced enough to know the areas they need to work on. It is considered one of a handful of classic books on violin playing, which include the famous treatises by Leopold Mozart, F. Geminiani, and Carl Flesch. First editions of this book (1962) are scarce and cost anywhere from ..., which says something about its importance, I think.

THE PRS GUITAR BOOK is a great, serious book about the great guitar builder Paul Reed Smith, the company he founded, the wonderful guitars he and his company have built over the years, and the many artists who have played them. It's great that it's now in paperback, and was expanded after its first issue in 2000 to include newer models such as the Modern Eagle and the 513, the latter of which has five actual pickups and thirteen sounds. There is also a section on the Singlecut models and the lawsuit that Gibson filed against PRS concerning them. Finally, the book discusses where Paul Reed Smith is headed for as the first decade of the 21st Century draws to a close. Overall, this book is very nicely done and is a must-own for anyone even remotely interested in guitars.

I bought this book just to check the finishings and constructional details.I build istruments.. so the details, are important for a luthier.Pictures are exellent and entire book is a treasure of informations.The history, of Paul Reed Smith as a person and his guitars, it is described with details. I don't like solid body guitars but if i had to buy one, this certenly would be a PRS.

In The PRS Guitar Book, Dave Burrluck describes in detail the evolution of PRS Guitars, the renowned company founded by expert guitar maker Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The PRS Guitar Book showcases every artistic and technical facet of these exquisite instruments that sold to an enthusiasts clientele for $2000 and up. The PRS Guitar Book is enhanced with lavish color photography, anecdotes and reminiscences from Smith, famous guitarists, and PRS employees, collectors and fans. The PRS Guitar Book is highly recommended, wonderful reading for all serious guitar enthusiasts, professional or amateur.

This is a very beautiful book - beautiful in itself and the PRSguitars showcased here. The photographs are large and clear. The PRSmodels are comprehensive. The quality of the book is very good. It's large-sized and it's thread bound in the spine. Unlike those bound with heat glue, this book will surely last. According to the publisher's information, it's a limited edition in quantities of 6000 only. This is a book that a PRS guitar owner should consider buying. For those who admire the workmanship and the beauty of quality guitars, this is a very good book to read. Shortcomings: the photos are up to a professional standard, but many of them are accompanied with a white bar in the upper body of the guitar due to shinny reflection. This effect can illustrate how shinny the guitar can be, but can be quite obstructive to the eyes. A final word of caution: Beware of the temptation that one would buy a PRS guitar right after reading this book - which can be far more expensive than the book itself!

This numbered limited edition may not reach all audiences but it provides an excellent survey of the PRS guitar built by Smith for a range of famous players. Gorgeous full-page color photos abound as do engrossing technical explanations of the guitar's development and history. Chapters covering construction techniques are particularly involving. Highly recommended: any avid guitar player who appreciates books on guitar making should have this keepsake edition, enclosed in a handsome slipcase.

I found this book both informative and interesting. Sure there is information that most Queen fans are quite familiar with, but that's more of a "pro" than a "con". The author keeps his opinions fairly impartial, but he is spot on with most of his viewpoints. I tended to agree with most of his observations. He covers just about everything Queen did in their career. A good reference book for any Queen fan.

I must admit, I was a little skeptical about buying this book, thinking that it wouldn't be much more than a long boring story about what the author thought about Queen. But, I was surprised. Have you ever wondered over the meaning of a Queen-song? Just look it up! Want to know about their bands before they became Queen? IBEX, 1984, Deacon and so on? Well... It's all here.
You won't regret buying this book : ) The only thing I have to comment is the lack of pictures. Not a BIG deal, but still. It would give the book a nice touch.

This book is simply the best consolidated information resource guide I have ever come across about the rock group Queen. It's a great book!!

I bought this book a few months ago, and I think it is excellent.

One thing to keep in mind however, is that this is definitely a 'reference book' more than a biography-type book. As such, it is not quite so much of a book that can be read from cover to cover, as a book that you look up interesting little bits and pieces in.

It is divided into several sections, from pre-queen, then gives a detailed account of the process behind the production of each album. Next it gives an extremely thorough description and write-up of EVERY SINGLE song performed by Queen (or any of its members by themselves). It then describes each gig played by Queen( set list, where played etc.), and gives a run-down of all 'non-album' items released (e.g. VHS, DVD etc.)

I most enjoyed the section about the production of the albums as this is the part of the book that reads the most like a biography, however I definitely enjoyed being able to read the descriptions of the individual songs. It also gives an excellent run down of DVDs etc, and helped me to choose which ones I wanted to buy (although it is now slightly out of date, and does not feature the most recent DVD).

Also, keep in mind, that there are no pictures to speak of in this book, which does not really detract - but just be aware.

All up though, a great book for any Queen fan, very interesting, although perhaps a little too in-depth for casual fans due to its 'reference book' nature.

Another year and another Fantasic Queen book hits the shelves full of Fantastic pictures,well written text and a must for any Queen or Music fan...10/10

A must read for all fans of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. I especially enjoyed the interview sections. They were the highlight of this book. They offered rare insight into Springsteen's thinking. I enjoyed the review of his earlier works. It does get a bit tedious at times, but overall, it is a very good and enjoyable read. It would make a welcome addition to any Springsteen Fan's collection.

Gerard Zemek
husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

I really enjoyed the majority of the pieces in June Skinner Sawyers' Racing In The Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader. Highlights for me include Martin Scorese's (brief) foreward (always figured he was a fan) and, of all things, the excerpts from one Kevin Major's young adult novel Dear Bruce Springsteen, in which my favorite passage in the collection occurs:

"I knew he [the young narrator's father] was into your music a lot. He never listened to it much in the house, mostly when he was driving the old van we used to have. Mostly then by himself. The four of us were in the van once and he put on Nebraska. Mom made him take it off because, she said, it sounded too depressing. He sort of grunted something about she didn't know what good music was and popped out the tape. She said if you're going to spend money we can't afford on music, then you might as well spend it on something that'll cheer you up. He ignored her."

Now tell me - is there a Bruce fan alive that can't relate to that?

Though I would have liked to have seen Tama Janowitz' "You And The Boss" and Richard Meltzer's "The Meaning of Bruce" (both collected in Clinton Heylin's Penguin Book Of Rock & Roll Writing, if you're interested) included for balance, this is a solid anthology of writings on Bruce, and recommended if you're a fan.

PS Also recommended if you're a fan of great music writing (or great writing, period): Lester Bangs' Psychotic Reactions And Carburetor Dung and Mainlines, Blood Feasts, And Bad Taste.

Racing in the Street is a great book and a must for every Springsteen fan.

Racing In The Street is not so much a great biography about Bruce.
It goes much deeper.
It is a series of very insightful articles pinpointing the appeal Bruce has for so many of his fans.

He is a mega star but it is his struggle to remain normal and humble that is at the heart of this book.

For the casual fan, If you truly want to know why his fans are so intense, this is the book to read.
For his fans that have always tried to figure out why we are so intense, this book puts all that into perspective better than any other.

Highly recommended.

This book provides wonderful, informative articles that offer various perceptions of the Boss and his 30+ year career!!! I learned so much about how other people see Bruce, and gained knowledge about his life and work, which was very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Boss and wants to gain more insight into his long and amazing career. The maps, discography, timeline, and other extras were also brilliant additions to the collection!

While most of the plot deals with the Rennes-le-Château mystery, deep inside this book is about friendship. It is also quite funny.

This book is awesome! I've read it three times already...It just doesn't get old. I originally got it because I'm a fan of The Damned. Any fan of The Damned, the DaVinci Code, the esoteric, or anybody who just wants a laugh-out-loud read should buy this!

Funny as hell, interesting, mysterious, spooky, and, oh yeah, funny as hell!! Great book!!

If you've read/see the Da Vinci Code this is a must read book. The same basic idea, just a little more tongue in cheek.

What happens when a journolist and a punk rock legend go off to find the Holy Grail? Well read this to find out. An hilarious account of adventuring in the misty world that most people have only heard of due to The DaVinci Code. A good travel book and mystery book. Highly recommended.

"Holy Blood Holy Grail" - and this one.

The first because - despite the fact that other books on the subject preceeded it - it's the one that really put the subject on the map. And Dawes' book because it's the only one I've read that really seems to pick up where the first one leaves off, with a very entertaining and comical, yet touchingly personal, spin. Is there anything to the mystery after all? Who knows? But with a book like this, the quest is just as beguiling a read as any blockbuster revelation could be.