This book was designed for the 10-string, 3-pedal steel guitar in the versatile E9 tuning. It features 20 engaging public-domain songs in standard notation and tab with first-verse lyrics, suggested accompaniment chords and online audio. The tunes are arranged progressively from easy to harder, beginning with single-note melody arrangements and expanding to 2 and 3-note harmonies towards the end of the book. As you turn the pages you will also notice more frequent use of slides, pedals and knee levers. Program notes document the many country and bluegrass artists who have recorded these songs. These melodies have clearly stood the test of time and will make a great addition to the novice pedal steel guitarist’s repertoire.

This book is an excellent introduction to one of America's most quintessential instruments, the pedal steel. The first part of the book covers the skills required to play the instrument, including technique for the pedals and knee levers, bar control, and picking. The second half includes songs and licks that illustrate the full spectrum of the pedal steel's capabilities. Exercises and songs are presented in tablature and standard notation. The book comes with accompanying audio and video download available online, including play-along tracks

The mountain dulcimer has a long and interesting history in the southern Appalachian mountains, and it's an instrument that so many of us enjoy playing. The book begins with the basics of tuning, strumming and finding notes on the dulcimer. The songs and tunes include favorites of dulcimer players, such as Boil That Cabbage Down, Old Joe Clark, Waterbound, Amazing Grace, Aura Lee and Are You Sleeping. The tracks in the accompanying online audio include count-ins and are played at easy-to-follow moderate tempos. Includes access to online audio.

Although designed for newcomers to the upright bass and bluegrass music in general, this unique approach to creating basslines has something for everyone! The first half focuses on bass-playing essentials, giving the reader a solid technical footing with the instrument. Then, using his own baritone voice and the classic bluegrass song, “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” author Nate Sabat reveals his creative process in crafting effective basslines from the song’s melody and chord progression. The second half focuses on bass playing within the specific context of complementing bluegrass vocals. Well beyond what you might expect from an introductory method, Nate tastefully guides the reader by presenting multiple composed bassline options for each of five well-known bluegrass songs: Rabbit in the Log, Don’t this Road Look Rough and Rocky?, Long Journey Home, I Am a Pilgrim, and Angel Band. Nate’s warm, pitch-perfect vocals can be heard on virtually every track, giving this method an undeniable musicality. A lightly accompanied vocal track with no bass is also provided, so you can be the sole upright or electric bassist in the band. You’ll not only want to back Nate up—but sing harmony with him too! The impulse to sing can’t help but influence your bass playing in a natural and positive way. Nate provides notated versions of the eight major scales most commonly used in bluegrass. Once you get them under your fingers, you’ll soon be able to play along with the book’s 50 companion online recordings. With its simple harmonic palette and repetitive nature, bluegrass music offers bassists the perfect opportunity to become musically literate. If you’ve hesitated to learn to read music, this is the time and place to eliminate that drawback. Working through these 46 pages will provide the tools and confidence needed to create your own engaging and musical basslines and hopefully, you’ll be inspired to continue your bluegrass bass journey for years to come. Includes access to online audio.

Mastering the Lap Steel Guitar will take you from beginner basics such as tuning, right hand blocking, and holding the bar, to advanced techniques including bar slants, harmonics, string pulls and more. Licks, songs and the Nashville number system are covered, with additional tips and tricks Rob Haines has acquired in over 40 years of playing professionally. The book is written in standard notation as well as tablature and includes access to online video.

The title says it all: "Dirt Simple." This book and accompanying online audio are designed for a rank beginner who knows nothing about the hammered dulcimer, providing them the tools to make music right away. Starting with the fundamentals of how to hold hammers and tune the instrument, it delves deeper into mastery with posture, stand height/angle, and replacing strings to set up the beginner for a lifetime of good habits. Every concept introduced is simultaneously presented with illustrations and songs that demonstrate and reinforce. Whether the student reads music or plays by ear, the result is the same - music making right from the beginning! Dr. Mark Alan Wade is an experienced teacher with an undergraduate degree in music education and years of public school teaching experience. Now teaching music theory and dulcimer at Denison University, Dr. Wade offers a unique perspective on teaching hammered dulcimer and has three students who have also won the National Hammered Dulcimer Contest as evidence of his master teaching. It's all about the music! Dirt Simple Hammered Dulcimer is written so that the carefully selected tunes are the true teacher. Hands-on learning is made easy with the accompanying audio. Each song is played slowly for students to learn by ear in addition to reading notation. This also allows for the students to hear style traits such as swing, that aren't easily conveyed in written notation. With 29 songs, this book and online audio available for download are a year's worth of private lessons in one concise package!

This book is an excellent study of the history and unique musical stylings of the Hawaiian guitar. Stacy Phillips successfully pinpoints the characteristics of Hawaiian guitar solos. A special feature is the inclusion of a superb historical survey of Hawaiian music. Written in tablature only, G tuning. DeWitt Scott comments: There are two types of Hawaiian music, the 'authentic' style and the 'tourist' style. Stacy is presenting the 'authentic' style and this is much needed to keep the Hawaiian music alive. Includes access to online audio.

(Fretted). Learn to play chords and scales on the pedal steel guitar with this comprehensive yet easy-to-use book. This guide features more than 1,100 chords and 430 scale forms for pedal steel guitar.

This book definitely falls into the category of one of those books no pedal steel player should be without! Written by Pedal Steel Hall of Fame member, DeWitt Scott, this fine text teaches the styles and techniques of playing contemporary pedal steel guitar. In addition, solos are presented by many of todays greatest steel guitar artists such as Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, Mike Smith, Nils Tuxen, Weldon Myrick, Paul Franklin, Jerry Byrd, DeWitt Scott and Doug Jernigan. In notation and tablature. All audio for the book is available as a free download. E9 Chromatic Tuning.

This is the standard-bearer for pedal steel instruction books. It is extremely comprehensive in scope. Written by DeWitt Scott, founder of the International Pedal Steel Guitar Convention and member of the Pedal Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, this course teaches E9 tuning, Nashville set-up pedal steel with three floor and three knee levers. If you want to learn pedal steel, this book will show you how. the accompanying CD is in split-track format, allowing the student to play with the rhythm accompaniment, the pedal-steel solo parts, or both.