TAB, standard notation, performance notes, all licks recorded on CD.

This book is loaded with neat ideas.

Fingerstyle guitar playing is a unique experience that allows the guitarist to explore the full range of the instrument s emotional spectrum. Perhaps that is why this versatile style appeals to all age groups and music tastes.

Here you will learn 101 interesting and varied fingerstyle accompaniment patterns that are suitable for students, teachers, and working musicians. The patterns, which range from very easy to intermediate in difficulty, cover a wide variety of sounds applicable to popular music, folk, blues, country, and gospel guitar.

Because this is a collection not a graded method it is not necessary to work through the examples in chronological order. Simply find a pattern you like on the CD and try playing it on your guitar. If the chosen pattern is too difficult, save it for later and try another one now. You will soon find that this sort of exploration is both fun and instructional.

A lot of fingerpicking accompaniment books make the error of showing all patterns in a fixed chord position, but this is not actually how we fingerpick in real life. Thus, a number of the examples here have moving notes that add interesting motion to the basic harmony.

Each pattern is played four times at a moderate tempo on the companion CD. A drum count-off helps the user begin playing with the recorded pattern on the correct beat.

The patterns would appeal to any guitarist who enjoys listening to artists like James Taylor, John Denver, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, the Indigo Girls, Mississippi John Hurt (although this is not strictly a blues book; for that, please see my 101 Mississippi Delta Blues Cottonpicking Guitar Licks), Peter, Paul and Mary, roots music, soft-to medium rock. It s a great book for any guitar player who just feels like noodling around with some new ideas.

Finally, the book contains a helpful essay, supplemented with examples, entitled Chord Theory 101. This section of the book will help the beginner with the rudiments of basic chord theory, chord embellishment, and the art of applying fingerstyle guitar accompaniments to real songs.

Overall, an excellent fingerpicking guitar reference book, and an excellent value.

Prerequisite Ability