The young French guitarist Gabriel Bianco adds First Prize in the 2008 GFA International Solo Competition to an impressive list of previous awards from international competitions.

Titles are: Johann Kaspar Mertz 'Lob der Tranen', 'Capriccio', 'Tarantelle', 'Elegy', 'Hungarian Fantasy, Op. 65, No. 1'.

Johann Sebastian Bach 'Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005'.

Nikita Koshkin 'Sonata for Guitar'. Jacques Stotzem is a power-pack of a guitarist. The rock grooves he is able to pull out of his Lowden acoustic guitar are hard to find anywhere else. Titles are: ‘Connections’, ‘Gando’, ‘Zimmer 13’, ‘Une Part De Soi’, ‘Couleur Guitare’, ‘Behind the Silence’, ‘Breaking the Rules’, ‘Séquences Bleues’. Here is a complete workout in which you will learn rhythm guitar parts, turnaround licks, soloing exercises, and a fully-transcribed solo from Jon Finn. You learn not only what to play, but when, where, and why. This book is a big step forward in decoding the mysteries of what is a very simple but elusive style to truly master. D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar strings are acclaimed worldwide for their great, long-lasting tone. Phosphor Bronze was introduced to string making by D'Addario in 1974 and has become synonymous with warm acoustic tone. From the classic 1930's sound through today's Retro-Swing movement, this fun-to-browse guide covers every era of Swing. It profiles over 500 band leaders, players, vocalists, sidemen and composers. You get anecdotal biographies and classic photos, as well as reviews and ratings of recordings that make (or don't make) the cut. Insightful essays on Swing's evolution and the current scene offer an historical perspective not found in other guides. Plus you'll discover Swing in the movies, hard-to-find recordings, books and more. 'An exploration into Moorish, Indian gypsy and Flamenco musical styles, five Sephardic songs and culminating in contemporary Flamenco' On this recording, Juan Martín teams up with Abdul Salam Kheir (Oud), Chris Karan (Tabla), Rony Barrak (Darabuka) and Stephen Dummer (Clarinet, Soprano, Saxophone), and takes flamenco to a new dimension by taking it back to its historical roots. Titles are: 'La Pasión del Lamento', 'Lamma Bada Ytethena', 'La Feria', 'La Rosa Enflorece', 'Ven Querida Ven Amada', 'Aido Querida', 'Ya Viene el Cativo', 'Yo me Enamoré de un Aire', 'Zourouni', 'El Bint al Shalabiya', 'Evocatión - de Damasco a Córdoba', 'Taranta - Hijaz', 'La Frontera'. Everyone can now learn to play their favorite songs with Play-It-Now-Tunes. Our world-class instructors teach you to play every note, chord and strum of the song without any written materials. Grab your guitar and get started today!

Play-It-Now-Tunes discs feature the following:

• Your own world-class instructor • Easy-to-follow audio instructions • Tuning notes for the song • The correct fingering for every note and chord is explained • The strumming and picking patterns are taught • Learn how to play the techniques in the song • Audio references keep you playing correctly and in time • The song with vocals makes it easier to learn • You have a rehearsal that brings it all together • Enter the mix and play the song with the band •

Play-It-Now-Tunes rates every song as a level 1, 2 or 3 with level 3 being the most challenging. This song is rated as a Level 2.

Titles are: 'Eighty-One', 'You Are My Sunshine', 'Worse and Worse', 'Raise Four', 'Pretty Polly', 'On the Street Where You Live', 'Monroe', 'Introduction', 'Misterioso', 'I'm So Lonesome, I could Cry'. Inside the Blues is a four part instructional survey of the greatest blues guitarists. Their music is presented from a practical standpoint in a way to make it accessible to rock and blues players. Emphasis is placed on understanding blues harmony and its application to your music, along with the historical aspect which will broaden your appreciation of the blues. Each part is a complete entity, with the four together providing a comprehensive method for learning how to play the most important styles of electric blues guitar. This book will show you how to play lead and rhythm anywhere on the fretboard, in any key; play a variety of lead guitar styles; play chords and progressions anywhere on the fretboard; expand your chord vocabulary and learn to think musically, the way the professionals do. Each chapter presents a pattern and shows you how to use it, along with playing tips and guitar insights. Absolute beginners can follow the diagrams and instruction, and intermediate and advanced players can use the chapters non-sequentially to increase their understanding of the guitar. Modern Blues is for intermediate to advanced players wishing to expand their melodic and harmonic vocabulary. The music is in standard notation as well as tablature and a CD is included in which the more difficult exercises are played at a slower as well as faster tempo. The CD was recorded with live drums, acoustic bass and guitar. All the exercises are included on the CD as well as many practice tracks that enable the student to play with a rhythm section. The book covers such topics as reharmonization, exotic chord/scale combinations, intervallic and triadic exercises, alternate pentatonic suggestions and exercises and many other topics. Written in English and Spanish, this book contains twelve of Juan Serrano’s finest flamenco solos. The solos present a dazzling display of guitar technique and capture both the fury and the haunting moods of flamenco. Titles are: 'Bella Mar', 'Ensueño', 'Fantasy', 'Juani', 'Lidia', 'Majestuosas', 'Muñequita', 'Nancy', 'Nostalgia', 'Posadas', 'Tentación', 'Verde Selva'. A companion CD, 'Flamenco Guitar' is available. It contains all the pieces from this book together with the pieces from Serrano's 'Flamenco Guitar Solos'. With a tradition of quality and affordable pricing, the Darco brand offers an excellent value to students and musicians on a budget. All components meet strict quality standards and carry the C. F. Martin & Co. commitment to customer satisfaction. Whether you play rock, blues, folk, country, or jazz, Darco has the right string for you.

Darco electric guitar strings are made with value in mind, without compromising performance or tone. These sets are specifically designed for rock and jazz. The nickel plating provides great tarnish resistance and is a perfect complement to magnetic pickups. A wonderful overview of the legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar at his best.

Contents:

1. Live in Concert: Asa Bhairav

2. Madhuvanti

3. Mishra Mand

4. + Pt. Ravi Shankar as a Music Director & Lyricist: Raga Tilak Shyam - Sitar Assemble

5. Various improvisations

6. Panchali (Panchali)

7. + Rare Ragas by Pt. Ravi Shankar: Malayamarutam

8. Samant Sarang

9. Hembihag

10. Simhendra Madhuamam11. + Mind Blowing Melody & Concluding Note: Kameshwari

12. Gangeshwari

13. Rangeshwari

14. Mishra Bhairavi Wes Montgomery took jazz guitar to a new level when he came to the public's attention in the late 1950's. Known for his fluid lines and his big jazz guitar sound, Wes influenced thousands of guitarists in the styles of jazz, blues, and rock. This book presents some of the soloing techniques that Wes used, as well as many melodic ideas (lines) highlighting his approach to chord progressions from the jazz standards. Because the major and minor ii-V-I progressions are the most widely used chord progression in jazz standards, the lines in this text will work over these progressions. The accompanying CD contains many play-along tracks (vamps of one chord and vamps around the circle of fourths) that the student should use to practice the material in one key and then master it in all twelve keys. By learning the techniques used by Wes Montgomery, guitarists will add to their own improvising arsenal. As improvising musicians add to their collection of musical ideas, their ability to express themselves completely increases. Have fun studying these ideas and applying them in improvised solos. Impressive recordings and mesmerizing live performances have sealed jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s reputation as one of the most innovative players and composers on the current scene. The new Mel Bay publication is a transcription of the highly renowned live recording East Coast Love Affair. This book offers transcriptions of Kurt’s solos from all eight tunes from the album. Each solo is analyzed and the information presented to help the player understand what Kurt is doing in each piece. The book is presented in standard notation and tablature. For the advanced guitar player. In these lessons for the intermediate fingerstyle guitarist Dave Van Ronk presents his arrangements of blues and a classic rag. The book includes a conversation with Dave, a discography, six tunes in notation and tablature, and three CDs teaching each tune phrase by phrase. Lesson one: A blues in 12/8 with Leroy Carr's 'Midnight Hour Blues'. 'Blood Red Moon' follows played in a dropped D tuning. The lesson ends with Blind Lemon Jefferson's 'One Kind Favour'. Lesson two: 'Sunday Street' is an original Dave Van Ronk song and is an excellent example of Dave's arranging skills. Four choruses are taught demonstrating how this tune can develop. Bessie Smith's classic blues 'You've Been A Good Old Wagon' is taught in the key of E. Lesson Three: Dave's arrangement of 'St. Louis Tickle' was the first great challenge for fingerpickers interested in classic ragtime. This four sectioned rag is played in the keys of C and F. It is an excellent example of contemporary ragtime guitar. 'Sky Color Tensor', 'Wind Color Vector', 'Water Color Scalor', '2 Little Pieces', 'Litmus Distance'. Charlie Christian was one of the most influential jazz guitarists of the swing era, an innovator and accomplished player who brought the guitar closer to the front of the band rather than the rhythm instrument it began as. Chord shapes form a visual frame of reference for the player, so it is easier to play the single note, improvised horn-like lines out of chord shapes that Charlie Christian was known for. The concepts and fingerings presented in this book have been developed by analysing many of the licks used by Charlie Christian in his solos. As well as the didactic purpose this will be of great value to all guitarist with an interest in Charlie Christian's style and career. A CD is included which features 93 demonstration tracks to facilitate faster learning. Arranged for standard guitar notation with large chord boxes and easy to read diagrams. This set features the guitar of Ed Flower and the flute of Jeremy Barlow. The CD is recorded in ‘split stereo’ enabling you to turn down one channel and play along with the other by using the balance control on your amplifier. Includes music by Bach, Dowland, Baron, Couperin, Vivaldi, Finger and Pilkington. Music for the guitar part only is included. The Composer's Guide to the Electric Guitar is an essential book for composers, arrangers, and electric guitarists. It is the only book on the market that provides in-depth coverage on how to compose for all aspects of the electric guitar. The book provides notation for all standard plectrum performance practices, harmonics, and extended techniques. It compares the key components that distinguish common types of electric guitars. There is also significant information about sound processors and how they affect the guitar’s tone and timbre. The book comes with a compact disc that provides audio corresponding to the music examples. This is a valuable book for composers of any musical genre. It also makes a great reference book for electric guitarists who wish to have the complete profile of their instrument. CD Contents/Transcriptions: ‘Take My Heart Again’ (Rory Block), ‘One for Jo’ (Bert Jansch), ‘First Rule of Thumb’ (Brent Mason), ‘Clair de Lune’ (Lisle Crowley), ‘The House Carpenter’ (Steve Eckels), ‘In a Blue Mood’ (Tom Gannaway), ‘No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus’ (Jonathan Burchfield). D'Addario J94 strings are designed specifically for the cuatro. D'Addario 27 string sets are made with rectified clear nylon and silverplated copper wound on nylon strings. Titles are Rafael Andia, 'Asturias', 'Cádiz' (Caanción), 'Danza Espanola no1',' Danza Espanola no2', 'Danza Espanola no3', 'Granada' (Serenata), 'Mallorca' (Barcarola), 'Oriental', 'Puerte De Tierra' (Bolero), 'Rumores De La Caleta'(Malaguena) 'Serenata Árabe',' Sevilla' (Sevillanas),' Torre Bermeja' (Serenata), 'Zambra Grandina' (Danse Orientale) This CD features a 1985 recording by the late Abel Carlevaro. Carlevaro is the creator of an innovative school of technique, the originality and insight of which has made it a most decided and firm step in the evolution of the guitar. Based on the principle of ‘maximum results through minimum effort’, Carlevaro’s technique is known for its precision, clarity, and expansive use of tone colour. This CD features a selection of his most important origional compositions, which include: ‘Evocación No. 1’, ‘Ronda No. 4’, ‘Estudio No. 2’, ‘Cronomías’.