Finger Picking Styles for Guitar

Rating:
Summary: Happy Folk Playing Guitar
Review: Happy Traum is probably my favorite guitar instruction author. He's clear, he always starts with the basics and builds up gradually, and his books always include an interesting and appropriate repertoire. This one is no exception.

In addition to learning fingerpicking guitar technique and a collection of classic songs including (but not limited to) Make Me a Pallet, John Henry, Spike Driver's Blues, Nine Pound Hammer and Sitting on Top of the World, the reader is treated to paragraph length thumbnail sketches (including photograph) of interesting and influential folk guitar players of the twentieth century, such as Mississippi John Hurt, Sam Chatmon, Pete Seeger, Doc Watson, and more. These sketches are like crumbs on the forest floor that the reader can follow to a better appreciation of folk music generally and fingerpicking in particular.

The only thing that would improve this book would be an accompanying CD.

Rating:
Summary: Happy Folk Playing Guitar
Review: Happy Traum is probably my favorite guitar instruction author. He's clear, he always starts with the basics and builds up gradually, and his books always include an interesting and appropriate repertoire. This one is no exception.

In addition to learning fingerpicking guitar technique and a collection of classic songs including (but not limited to) Make Me a Pallet, John Henry, Spike Driver's Blues, Nine Pound Hammer and Sitting on Top of the World, the reader is treated to paragraph length thumbnail sketches (including photograph) of interesting and influential folk guitar players of the twentieth century, such as Mississippi John Hurt, Sam Chatmon, Pete Seeger, Doc Watson, and more. These sketches are like crumbs on the forest floor that the reader can follow to a better appreciation of folk music generally and fingerpicking in particular.

The only thing that would improve this book would be an accompanying CD.

Rating:
Summary: Good Choices for Study
Review: This is a great text for the amateur folkie: good examples to work with but a challenge to find the recordings cited. Been using the book since 1970, and finally tracked down the last recordings through Smithsonian/Folkways.The challenge is worth it. You wind up with a bunch of great CD's and a way of learning to play the tunes.