If you have ever heard the sound of rhythm guitar in a good western swing band, you may have wondered how the guitarist achieved that unique chordal sound. While the song might be a simple one-playable with only two or three chords-the western swing guitarist changes chords every two beats, providing a driving and harmonically interesting background for the singers and instrumentalists. This book is designed for intermediate players who have a basic understanding of open chords. It begins with study of the Texas fiddle back-up style and the chords used to enhance this music. The chords and progressions explained in this book can be used in many types of music in addition to western swing and would serve as an excellent transition from open-string folk chords to more of a jazz approach.

This book contains 101 authentic bluegrass guitar licks in the favorite bluegrass keys of C, G, D, and A minor. The licks are broken down into phrases of two, four, and eight bars. In addition, several endings and crosspicking licks are included. Each lick is played to a chord progression that is standard in bluegrass, country, and folk music. All 101 examples are recorded on the companion CD with guitar accompaniment at a moderate tempo. Whether you are a fan of old-time country music, traditional bluegrass, or newgrass, you are sure to find lots of great ideas in this new collection of bluegrass licks.

Get that authentic, professional "Texas" Western swing sound with these all-time best Western swing guitar licks from master guitarist Joe Carr. In this book/CD combo, Carr breaks down 60 great Western Swing guitar licks and demonstrates how to use them in common chord progressions. Before and after each lick there is an explanation of the scale or chord form from which the lick is derived. Careful study of this material will give the aspiring guitarist a more complete understanding of this music and how to improvise in the style. The book also includes a section on scales and chords. If you want to learn more about the Western swing style, or if you are simply looking for some great licks to spice up your flatpicking, this book and CD set is a wonderful resource.

Ear Training Level 1 (2 CDs) by Brad Davis

Many players have heard the pros say that they "learned by ear." However, when we sit down to pick out solos from recordings, it becomes too intimidating a task. Brad Davis has come to the rescue. In this two-hour course, Brad starts you with simple, slow phrases and teaches you the skills that you need to be able to play those simple licks back after hearing them. He gradually elevates the length and speed of the phrases using a step-by-step method designed to gradually train your ear so that you can eventually step into a jam session and pick tunes up by ear.

14.95