Music Books

Book SynopsisThe story of a remarkable time and place: Los Angeles from the dawn of the singer-songwriter era in the mid-Sixties to the peak of The Eagles' success in the late Seventies.Hotel California' is an epic tale of songs and sunshine, drugs and denim, genius and greed, and is the first in-depth account of the LA Canyons scene between 1967 and 1976.Hoskyn''s history of this vital period in the development of today''s great musical influences spans the rise of Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Eagles, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, and focuses on the brilliance and determination of David Geffen, the man who linked them all.Covering genius, drug-crazed disintegration, and the myriad relationships between these artists and the songs that issued from them, and drawing on extensive interviews with countless stars, singers, writers, managers, executives and scenesters, Hotel California' is a pop-culture classic.Trade Review‘Hoskyns impresses with the sheer weight of testimony he has amassed and the skill with which he has woven it into a tightly coiled and elegiac narrative.’ Christopher Silvester, Sunday Times ‘A terrific account of the interface between idealism and squalor, art and commerce.’ Guardian ‘The author skillfully teases out the complex web of relationships between the artists, managers, and record executives who made up the West Coast’s self-styled bohemian elite.’ Ben Thompson, Independent ‘if you are looking for the ingredients traditionally required of a good rock'n'roll story, then “Hotel California” has got the lot… An ambitious and authoritative account which makes overdue sense of a spectacularly decadent period of pop history’ David Sinclair, Guardian

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEARMOJO BOOK OF THE YEARIn 1975, Viv Albertine was obsessed with music but it never occurred to her she could be in a band as she couldn''t play an instrument and she''d never seen a girl play electric guitar.A year later, she was the guitarist in the hugely influential all-girl band the Slits, who fearlessly took on the male-dominated music scene and became part of a movement that changed music.A raw, thrilling story of life on the frontiers and a candid account of Viv''s life post-punk - taking in a career in film, the pain of IVF, illness and divorce and the triumph of making music again - Clothes Music Boys is a remarkable memoir.

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Book SynopsisViolin Mix is an original series of new arrangements for violin. Book 2 offers attractive repertoire at Grades 1 to 2 in a wide variety of styles. Well-known music includes 'La donna è mobile' from Rigoletto and 'The Hippopotamus' by Flanders and Swann. There are also lots of new tunes to be explored, such as 'Pierrot and Pierrette' by Amy Beach and the traditional Ghanaian song 'Senwa dedende'. The series has been compiled by string specialists Kathy and David Blackwell and covers the musical and technical elements of the early grades in three progressive volumes. Many of the arrangements are featured on the ABRSM Violin syllabus from 2024 and, in addition, all are ideal choices for Performance Grade exams. There are piano accompaniments for every piece, and violin accompaniments and guitar chords for many pieces, providing useful flexibility for students and teachers. Key features:-New arrangements of repertoire spanning many cultures and styles, in three progressive volumes -Accompaniments for piano, violin and guitar -A rich source of repertoire for a concert or exam -Many of the pieces are featured on the ABRSM Violin syllabus from 2024 -An interesting footnote and fun fact for every piece Kathy and David Blackwell both studied music at the University of Edinburgh. Kathy continued with studies at the University of Oxford before following a career in string teaching and writing educational music. David has worked in music publishing and has composed and arranged a wide range of music from choral and organ compositions to educational music for strings, piano and a variety of other instruments. Together they have written the award-winning String Time series published by Oxford University Press. They have twice won the UK's Music Industries Association award for Best Education Publication and in 2017 they received an ESTA UK award in recognition of exceptional services to string teaching.

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Book SynopsisThe Piano Prep Test is an ideal introduction to the ABRSM exam experience: it gives beginner pianists a goal to work towards and a certificate on the day - something to be really proud of. The test covers many elements that young players will be working on, including pitch, time, tone and performance, and offers the perfect stepping stone to ABRSM''s Initial Grade piano exam. Our Piano Prep Test book from 2025 is bound to captivate budding pianists with its engaging and characterful repertoire, listening games and entertaining illustrations. The fresh and vivid tunes, solos and duets - all specially written for this book - will make preparing for the Piano Prep Test more rewarding than ever!

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Book SynopsisModel answers for practice papers for ABRSM's Grade 5 Theory exams

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xv Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Getting Started With the Bass Guitar 7 Chapter 1: The Very Basics of Bass 9 Discovering the Differences between the Bass and Its High-Strung Cousins 9 Understanding the Bass Player’s Function in a Band 10 Forging the link between harmony and rhythm 11 Moving the song along 11 Keeping time 11 Establishing rhythms 12 Looking cool 12 Dissecting the Anatomy of a Bass Guitar 12 The neck 13 The body 14 The innards 15 On a Need-to-Know “Basses”: Gearing Up to Play Bass 15 Coordinating your right and left hands 16 Mastering major and minor chord structures 16 Tuning your bass 16 Combining scales and chords 16 Playing Grooves, Solos, and Fills 17 Creating grooves and riffs 17 Treating yourself and your audience to solos and fills 17 Experimenting with Different Musical Genres 18 Stocking Up on Some Bass Gear 19 Buying a bass 19 Getting an amplifier 19 Accessorizing your bass 20 Giving Your Bass Some Good Ol’ TLC 20 Chapter 2: Gaining the Tools and Skills to Play 21 Getting a Handle on Your Bass 21 Holding Your Bass 22 Strapping on your bass: Strings to the outside 23 Voilà! Standing with your bass 23 Sitting with your bass 24 Placing Your Hands in the Proper Position 25 Positioning your left hand 25 Positioning your right hand 27 Reading a Fingerboard Diagram 33 The language of music: Scales and chords 33 Viewing a diagram of the major and minor scales 36 Playing open-string scales 37 Finding the notes on the neck 37 Identifying intervals: They’re always in the same place 39 Tuning Your Bass Guitar 41 Reference pitch sources to use when playing alone 41 Reference pitch sources to use when playing with others 43 Tuning the bass guitar to itself 45 Playing a Song on Your Bass Guitar 53 Making some noise with the open strings 53 Closing the strings 54 Chapter 3: Warming Up: Getting Your Hands in Shape to Play 57 Understanding the Sound Your Bass Makes 58 Performing Right-Hand Warm-Ups 58 Right-hand same-string strokes 59 Controlling the strength in your striking hand: Right-hand accents 61 Skating across the strings: Right-hand string crossing 62 Coordinating Your Left Hand with Your Right Hand 63 Doing finger permutations 64 Muting the strings to avoid the infamous hum 65 Putting it all together 66 Part 2: The Bass-ics of Playing 69 Chapter 4: Reading, ’Riting, and Rhythm 71 Reading Notation: No Pain, Much Gain 71 Chord notation: The chord chart 72 Music notation: Indicating rhythm and notes 72 Tablature notation: Showing strings, frets, and sequence 73 The vocal chart: Using lyrics and chords for a singer or songwriter 75 Finding Any Note in Any Octave 75 Using the Metronome: You Know, That Tick-Tock Thing 80 Setting the metronome 80 Playing along 80 Dividing Music into Phrases, Measures, and Beats 81 The quarter note 82 The eighth note 82 The sixteenth note 83 The half note 83 The whole note 83 The triplet 83 The dot 84 The tie 84 The rest 85 Discovering How to Read Music 85 Rhythmic chunks 85 Interval chunks 86 What comes up must come down 88 Playing Your First Song While Reading Music 90 Chapter 5: Understanding Major and Minor Structures 93 Building Major and Minor Scales 94 Major scales 95 Minor scales 96 Building Chords: One Note at a Time, Please 97 Triads: The three most important notes of a chord 98 7th chords: Filling out the triad 101 Getting your kicks with boogie licks 104 Inversions: Down is Up, and Up is Down 106 Major chord inversions 106 Minor chord inversions 108 Spicing Up Your Sound: The Seven Main Modes (Scales) 110 Using Chromatic Tones: All the Other Notes 115 Chromatic tones within the box 115 Chromatic tones outside the box 116 Bringing a Groove to Life with Dead Notes (Weird but True) 117 Playing dead — notes, that is 118 Raking dead notes 118 Sampling Accompaniments 120 Using your accompaniments in a tune 123 Keeping your groove gloriously ambiguous 124 Part 3: Making the Moves, Creating the Grooves 127 Chapter 6: Creating the Groove 129 Anatomy of a Groove: Putting Together the Necessary Elements 129 Getting your groove skeleton out of the closet 130 Playing a song using only the groove skeleton 132 Choosing the right notes for a groove 133 Creating Your Own Groove 136 Covering the “basses”: Creating dominant, minor, and major grooves 136 Waggin’ the groove tail 144 Movin’ and groovin’ from chord to chord 146 Finding the perfect fit: The designer groove 150 Grooving with a Drummer 153 The bass drum 153 The snare drum 154 The hi-hat 155 Jammin’ with Other Musicians 155 Preparing your ear 156 Listening for “the note” 156 Pivoting the note 159 Getting Creative with Existing Grooves 161 Altering a (famous) groove 162 Simplifying a groove 164 Chapter 7: Going Solo: Playing Solos and Fills 167 Soloing: Your Moment to Shine 167 Playing with the blues scale: A favorite solo spice 168 Jamming with the minor pentatonic scale: No wrong notes 171 Using the major pentatonic scale: Smooth as can be 172 Moving from chord to chord 174 Creating Fills without Any Help from Your Dentist 176 A match made in heaven: Connecting your fill to the groove 177 Timing a fill 177 Part 4: Using the Correct Accompaniment For Each Genre 183 Chapter 8: Rock On! Getting Down with the Rock Styles 185 Rock ’n’ Roll: It’s The Attitude! 186 Hard Rock: Going at It Fast and Furious 191 Pop Rock: Supporting the Vocals 193 Blues Rock: Doin’ What “Duck” Does and Playing a Countermelody 195 Country Rock: Where Vocals Are King, and You Take a Back Seat 198 One Rock Fits All: Applying a Standard Rock Groove to Any Rock Song 200 Chapter 9: Swing It! Playing Styles That Rely on the Triplet Feel 203 Swing: Grooving Up-Tempo with Attitude 204 Jazz: Going for a Walk 205 Working the walk 206 Applying a jazz blues walking pattern 211 Blues Shuffle: Walking Like Donald Duck (Dunn, That Is) 214 Funk Shuffle: Combining Funk, Blues, and Jazz 217 Chapter 10: Making It Funky: Playing Hardcore Bass Grooves 221 R & B: Movin’ to Rhythm and Blues 222 The Motown Sound: Grooving with the Music of the Funk Brothers 225 Fusion: Blending Two Styles into One 226 Funk: Light Fingers, Heavy Attitude 229 Hip-Hop: Featuring Heavy Funk with Heavy Attitude 232 Knowing What to Do When You Just Want to Funkifize a Tune 234 Chapter 11: Sampling International Flavors: Bass Styles from Around the World 237 Bossa Nova: Baskin’ in a Brazilian Beat 238 Samba: Speeding Up with Bossa’s Fast Cousin 239 Afro-Cuban: Ordering Up Some Salsa (Hold the Chips, Please) 240 Reggae: Relaxing with Offbeat “Riddims” 242 Calypso Party Sounds: Dancing through the Groove 244 Combining Reggae and Rock: The Distinct Sound of Ska 245 African Grooves: Experimenting with Exotic Downbeat Grooves 247 Grooving on a steady beat, South African–style 247 Checking out the bass groove styles from Cameroon 248 Music without Borders: Grooving to the World Beat 251 Chapter 12: Playing in Odd Meters: Not Strange, Just Not the Norm 253 An Odd-Meter Oldie but Goodie: The Waltz 254 Beyond the Waltz: Navigating Beats in Odd Meter 255 5/4 meter: Not an impossible mission 256 Take a groove you know and make it grow 259 7/4 meter: Adding two more beats 260 Complex Simplicity: Syncopation and Subdivision 264 Syncopating in odd meter 264 Adding an eighth 265 Dealing with the rush 266 Chapter 13: Groovin’ in a Genre: It’s All About Style! 269 Playing Grooves in Each Genre: One Simple Song, Many Genres Strong 270 Pop: Backing up the singer-songwriter 271 Rocking by the quarter or eighth note 271 R & B/Soul, with or without the dot 272 Feeling da funk 275 Layin’ down some Latin grooves 276 When you’re feelin’ blue, shuffle 277 To Blend or Not to Blend: Knowing How to Fit In 279 Just blending in: How to do it 280 The bold and the beautiful: Creating a bold groove 281 Blending and bolding by genre 281 Signing off with a flourish 282 Chapter 14: Eight Degrees of Separation: The Beatles’ Solution 285 Playing Your Rhythm Straight or Syncopated 286 Pumping eighth notes 286 Syncopating the bass beat 287 Making Harmonic Choices 290 Feeling fine (with roots and 5ths) 290 Walking along Penny Lane 292 Coming together to move with the groove 295 Day-tripping in perfect agreement: Unison 295 Playing something to counter the melody with 299 Inverting while your bass gently weeps 300 Part 5: Buying and Caring For Your Bass 305 Chapter 15: Love of a Lifetime or One-Night Stand? Buying the Right Bass 307 Assessing Your Needs Before You Buy 308 Thinking long-term: Moving in together 309 Thinking short-term: Help me make it through the night 309 How many strings are too many? 309 To fret or not to fret 311 Needs Are One Thing . . . Budget is Quite Another 311 A Trip to the Bass-Mint: Where to Shop for Your Bass Guitar 312 Hitting the music stores 312 Consulting newspaper ads 314 Visiting online shops and individual online ads 315 When Money is No Object: Getting a Custom-Made Bass 316 Chapter 16: Getting the Right Gear for Your Bass Guitar 317 Making Yourself Heard: A Primer on Amplifiers and Speakers 318 Going with a combo or separate amp and speaker 318 Opting for solid state or tubes 319 Picking a speaker size 319 Setting the tone 320 Needs, Wants, and Nonessentials: Rounding Out Your Equipment 321 Must-haves: Cases, gig bags, and more 321 Definite maybes: Useful effects, gadgets, and practice items 323 Extras: Effects pedals 325 Chapter 17: Changing the Strings on Your Bass Guitar 327 Knowing When It’s Time to Say Goodbye 328 Off with the Old: Removing Bass Strings 328 On with the New: Restringing Your Bass 330 Ensuring a Long Life for Your Strings 335 Chapter 18: Keeping Your Bass in Shape: Maintenance and Light Repair 337 Cleaning Your Bass, Part by Part 337 The body and neck 338 The hardware 338 The pickups 338 The fingerboard 339 The strings 339 Making Minor Repairs to Your Bass 340 The taming of the screw(s) 340 Taking care of the finish 341 Leaving the electronics to the experts 341 Adjusting the Bass Guitar 342 Providing relief to the truss rod 342 Raising and lowering the bridge 344 Assembling a Cleaning and Repair Tool Bag 346 Storing Your Bass 347 Part 6: The Part of Tens 349 Chapter 19: Ten Innovative Bassists You Should Know 351 Stanley Clarke 351 John Entwistle 352 James Jamerson 352 Carol Kaye 352 Will Lee 353 Paul McCartney 353 Marcus Miller 353 Jaco Pastorius 353 Victor Wooten 354 X (Fill in Your Own) 354 Chapter 20: Ten Great Rhythm Sections (Bassists and Drummers) 355 Bootsy Collins and Jab’o Starks 356 Donald “Duck” Dunn and Al Jackson Jr 356 James Jamerson and Benny Benjamin 356 John Paul Jones and John Bonham 357 Joe Osborn and Hal Blaine 357 Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine 358 George Porter Jr and Zig Modeliste 358 Francis Rocco Prestia and David Garibaldi 358 Chuck Rainey and Bernard Purdie 359 Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar 359 Appendix: Audio Tracks and Video Clips 361 Index 375

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A rueful, battle-scarred, darkly witty observer of his own life and times." -- New York Times "In his poetic memoir, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, Hell takes us on a tour of a lost world and stakes out his place in cultural history." -- Los Angeles Times "Hell brings to his new autobiography more literary experience than your typical rock memoirist...I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp ultimately celebrates passion, in all its complicated, sometimes dangerous forms." -- USA Today "This valuable book... is not only an absorbing cultural history but also a clear-eyed story that superbly channels the attitude expressed in the first blurt to his best-known song 'Blank Generation': "I was saying let me out of here before I was even born." -- Boston Globe "Mr. Hell has an excellent new memoir, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, that describes that wild, reckless and important era in downtown Manhattan with candor, wit and reverence." -- The Observer "His book shines its own dirty light. Which means it has lots of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. Pick up I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, if you want poetry and insight." -- Spin "There are many shivery, illicit pleasures in this louche memoir... Hell was a virtuoso of taste, a critic with a sensibility so fine and unconventional it bordered on its own form of art... weird and singular and superbly self-aware." -- BookForum "Hell is an enthusiastic reporter of the critical artistic crossover of the avant-garde art scene and the world of punk rock... his account rings true and it entertains... a treasure both to those present during gritty, heady '70s NYC and to those not." -- Time Out New York (4 Stars) "Hell brings his searingly honest songwriting style to this candid and page-turning memoir... [Hell's] portrait of the artist searching for himself offers a glimpse into his own genius as well as recreating the hellishness and the excitement of a now long-gone music scene in New York City." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A skilled writer...In recalling the days when love came in spurts, Hell is precise, telling a lot without ever seeming to tell too much. He nails the essence of both scenes and people, from rock peers to exploitative record producers...A deft, lyrical chronicle." -- Kirkus "Hell is a fine writer and full of self-knowledge, and part of the pleasure of this randy, drug-addled memoir are his descriptions of New York during the bad old days when crime was rampant and the streets filthy. A compelling and entertaining memoir." -- Booklist "[Hell] almost single handedly created 'punk' as we know it... Few people have been as important--yet as underappreciated as Richard Hell. Poet, musician, fashion icon and terrific, terrific writer. Chances are, you have been deeply influenced by Richard Hell your whole life. You just didn't know it." -- Anthony Bourdain "Richard Hell designed and executed a sustained performance of rock stardom as if he had invented the concept himself. Radically self-aware, he wields prose keen as a diamond knife, sharpened by the light of the moon." -- Luc Sante, award winning author of Low Life "An exquisite snapshot of early punk possibility--that so beautifully captures the exuberance of starting a band!" -- Legs McNeil "Charming and impossible, Hell is the first (and best!) name in punk rock. His insights are informed by the romance of running away to the mystery heard in the rowdy grooves of a dirty LP or in the pages of a thumbed book of verse." -- Thurston Moore "Tramp gave me the same feeling I had as a kid... I cozied up and fell in love with a world that wasn't mine. There are very few books that make me want to start writing my own; this is one of them." -- Kathleen Hanna "Other rock bios are tasteful and cautious - you feel the writer take you to a certain point but then pull back... Hell will take you right there, and that is why this book is an honest and special treat." -- Dean Wareham

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Book SynopsisA Guardian Book of the YearA Clash Book of the Year'MAGNIFICENT!' CAITLIN MORAN'A riveting read about a pop revolution hiding in plain sight' PETE PAPHIDES'Very funny and very moving' JUDE ROGERSIn 1984, pop came out of the closet - even if not all of the artists felt that they could - and, in the process, charted the course of the rest of the decade.In 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer, writer and musician Ian Wade charts where these artists, including Queen, George Michael, David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Madonna - who all enjoyed chart success in 1984 - were during that epoch-making year. It studies the impact these groundbreaking musicians had before, during and after on the gay community and popular culture, and it demonstrates how they were able to break down barriers, raise consciousness and set in motion the first nascent ripples in a pond that are still being felt today.As a backdrop, it explores the strides made in the name of the cause and how the wider surrounding culture reacted with equal parts glee, bafflement and disgust.

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Book SynopsisThe diary and essays of Brian Eno republished twenty-five years on with a new introduction by the artist in a beautiful hardback edition.''One of the seminal books about music . . . an invaluable insight into the mind and working practices of one of the industry's undeniable geniuses.''GUARDIANAt the end of 1994, musician, producer and artist Brian Eno resolved to keep a diary. His plans to go to the cinema, theatre and galleries fell through quickly. What he did do and write however, was astonishing: ruminations on his collaborative work with artists including David Bowie, U2, James and Jah Wobble, interspersed with correspondence and essays dating back to 1978. These appendices' covered topics from the generative and ambient music Eno pioneered to what he believed the role of an artist and their art to truly be, alongside razor-sharp commentary on his day-to-day tribulations and happenings around the world.A fascinatTrade Review''A Year with Swollen Appendices is by turns fascinating, engaging and wonderfully mundane. Our world has changed in profound ways, but Eno's ideas are remarkably durable, his perspectives still feel fresh with possibility. This writing hasn't lost any of its power to entertain, persuade and inspire.'', Leah Kardos, The Wire'"A cranium tour of one of the most creative minds of our age ... [Eno] delivers razor-sharp commentary with devilish snarkiness and brutal honesty."', Colin Berry, Wired

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Book SynopsisT. E. Carhart is an American who lives in Paris. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank is his debut novel. His second book, Across the Endless River, was published in 2009.Trade ReviewQuirky and tender...beguiling -- Rose Tremain * Sunday Telegraph *A love affair with the piano... A minor classic * Times Literary Supplement *Captivating...full of knowledge...suffused with Parisian sensations...he can choose words that make us feel and hear the instruments he plays...when you close it you feel you have been on holiday * Sunday Times *Charming...a cool, autumnal breeze of a book...written out of love * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEARA LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEAR'Fascinating'-MOJO'As close as anyone was ever going to get to really understanding Pete Shelley'-UNCUT'The memoir that Pete Shelley never had a chance to write'-LOUDER THAN WAR'Lots of great stories... A fascinating insight.'-JOHN MAHER, Buzzcocks When Pete Shelley, lead singer of legendary punk band Buzzcocks, passed away in 2018 we lost the chance to hear one of music's brightest stars tell his story. Or so it seemed.Now, recordings have surfaced of a series of remarkable interviews in which Pete tells the story of his life, his band and his place at the beating heart of the punk explosion in fascinating detail.Recorded over a series of late-night calls with a close friend, the tapes hear Pete talk song-by-song through Buzzcocks releases to reveal the personal memories behind the music and the inspiration for masterpieces such as 'Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)' and 'What Do I Get?'.Published for the first time and with the blessing of Pete's estate, Ever Fallen In Love: The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes is a tribute to a founding member of punk and a chance to hear one of music's true visionaries tell his own story at last.'Perfectly executed, highly detailed, incredibly interesting.'-HENRY ROLLINS, Black Flag'Shot through with self-doubt and mild regret, Pete Shelley's lovesick pop classics have a bittersweet charm that will forever speak to the young romantic'-JOHN COOPER CLARKE

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Book SynopsisA fascinating history of Memphis music, forty years in the making.

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Book SynopsisA moving, personal account of John Suchet's lifelong quest to understand Beethoven the man.

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Book SynopsisTeaching Notes offers invaluable guidance for teachers on the 81 pieces included in the graded books of Piano Exam Pieces 2025 & 2026, Initial Grade to Grade 8. For each piece, you will find teaching ideas relating to three areas of learning - musical context, technical challenges, and performance and interpretation - in a clear and easy-to-use layout. Written by experienced piano teachers and ABRSM examiners, Teaching Notes also includes advice from ABRSM''s Chief Examiner Group on selecting and interpreting pieces. Alongside practical solutions to technical challenges, it''s full of creative ideas to support and inspire your teaching.

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Book SynopsisCello Time Sprinters is the third book in this hugely successful series, building on the firm technical and stylistic foundations of Joggers and Runners by featuring extended pieces in first position, and fourth position pieces. The book includes original pieces in different styles, pieces by a range of composers, and duets with parts of equal difficulty, together with performances and backings available to download from a Companion Website.Trade ReviewWhat I like about this volume is that the music composed especially or selected and arranged will elicit a distinct emotional response from the player and from any audience they might play to . . . The piano parts in the accompaniment volume that is available separately are readily playable and cleverly written . . . The whole thing is well organised without seeming unduly didactic. * Robert Max, Music Teacher March 06 *Table of ContentsCarnival jig ; Spic and span ; Out of the question ; Stop-start ; River song ; Overture: A Baroque celebration ; Going fourth ; City streets ; Minuet ; Metro line ; Falling leaves ; Holiday in Havana ; Swing low, sweet chariot ; Night shift ; Le Tambourin ; Scarborough Fair ; Beyond the horizon ; Sto me ; Bourree ; Andante (Elgar) ; Joker in the pack ; Sarabande ; Comin' home ; Sprint finish ; In memory ; Some day ; Wild West ; Je pense a toi ; Russian wedding ; Two songs from Dichterliebe ; Latin nights ; 4th dimension ; Fifth Avenue ; Seventh heaven ; Jubilate Deo ; Banuwa

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Book SynopsisFrom Jeff Beck to Wilko Johnson, Ray Davies to Tom Jones and Kevin Ayers to Roger Taylor, Kate Mossman has long fostered an obsession with male musicians of a certain age. Over fifteen years of music writing, she has developed an alarming overconcern with this powerful archetype, and she has finally decided to figure out what is behind it. 'The signs were there all along: a seven-year infatuation with the drummer from Queen in childhood; a lone, 5000-mile journey to see Glen Campbell in his dotage; later-life lover affairs with Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Beck. I want to investigate the pull of a nearly extinct species, those boys in grey flannel shorts, born between 1940 and 1960, who watched Yuri Gagarin float into space, built their first guitars and became the golden gods - the lunatics, nerds and prophets that made rock 'n' roll. Men of a Certain Age is part meditation, part memoir: why is it that when I am in the presence of a male musician of a certain age, I feel something ignite inside me? What is this strange connection - to feel so excited, yet so at ease? Why do they get under my skin? How do I get under theirs? What is it that I'm identifying with? And how on earth is it that in the presence of a wrinkly male rock star twice my age, I sometimes feel like I'm meeting... me?'

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Book SynopsisRebel Musix, Scribe on a Vibe collects the extraordinary output of Vivien Goldman from 1975 onwards; spanning a time when punk burnt its scalding flame to scorch our musical earth and clear it for new genres, like post-punk and hip-hop. One of only a handful of women writing in the Golden Age of music journalism, Vivien was the first, most elegant and passionate chronicler of reggae, funk, free jazz and Afrobeat; a pioneer when music was a wild frontier business, lawless and exhilarating, with new epiphanies emerging as the counterculture mutated.The sheer breadth of pieces here is overwhelming, from early encounters with Brian Eno, Robert Wyatt and Can; to rebels like Britain''s first she-punks, The Raincoats and The Slits; covering British groups like the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Aswad; America''s Public Enemy, Curtis Mayfield and George Clinton; and Jamaica''s Lee ''Scratch'' Perry and Dennis Brown. They rub up against contemporary profiles of New York''s

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Book SynopsisForeword by James Dean Bradfield, Manic Street PreachersA collection that has to be seen to be believed, Superstar Guitars showcases the most famous six-strings in the history of music, in exquisite detail.Photographer Eleanor Jane has travelled the world, documenting the legendary guitars used to create some of the greatest music ever heard.Jimi Hendrix''s Woodstock Stratocaster. The guitar on which Bob Dylan ''went electric''. The Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain played in the ''Smells Like Teen Spirit'' video. Explore some of the most iconic guitars in music, up close and personal.Housed in a stunning package including a hardback slipcase, detailed photography explores every inch of these iconic instruments, accompanied by fascinating insights, telling the stories of the guitars that changed the world.Guitars featured include:Jimi Hendrix''s Woodstock StratocasterKurt Cobain''s ''Smells

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Book SynopsisThe most talented musical family in the worldTrade Review‘Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s story offers a ray of sunshine. Her account of the daily struggle to manage the musical educations of her family’s seven talented children reaches a triumphant conclusion when second son, cellist Sheku, achieves worldwide fame in 2018, playing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.’ * Financial Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *‘[Kadiatu’s] frank memoir reveals the eye-watering level of practical, emotional, intellectual and financial commitment required to raise seven outstanding classical musicians… Her beautiful, wise writing is its own music.’ * Daily Mail *‘Riveting, taking in prejudice as well as sacrifice. There are 4.30am starts, lost instruments, fractured wrists, all captured with vivid flourishes. A paean to camaraderie.’ * Observer *‘The story runs deeper… Kadie makes no secret of the sacrifices she’s had to make, whether physical (pregnancy never agreed with her), career (she gave up her job as an English lecturer 21 years ago), or financial.’ * Daily Express *‘An amazing, compelling, moving, unforgettable story...’ -- Lady Antonia Fraser‘The unique story of a unique family. Unique? Well I can’t think of any other family with seven children, all of whom are prodigiously talented musicians. Kadie gives a glorious account of how she and husband Stuart came to realise that from the earliest age their children communicated through music. She gives an honest account of the burdens as well as the joys, as she and Stuart knew they had a duty to fulfil, which imposed enormous financial strain on them. Now they can relish their children’s achievements — including Sheku’s performance at a royal wedding — and know all the sacrifice was worth it. Kadie combines this with a searing account of growing up as a mixed-race child in the Britain of the 70s. A deeply intimate and honest read on so many levels.’ * John Suchet *‘A memoir that both candidly portrays and fiercely protects [Kanneh-Mason’s] brood… The fortitude and determination of the parents leap from every page.’ * Guardian *‘The Kanneh-Masons are a unique family and the family’s matriarch, Kadiatu, has written a suitably unique and fascinating account of how day-to-day life works in an extraordinary household.’ -- Julian Lloyd Webber‘Having just spent time working with my friend Sheku at Abbey Road it’s wonderful to read about him and his terrific family. All the DNA that makes him one of the most important classical musicians – actually make that “all around” musicians – of his generation is captured so well in this loving book.’ -- Nile Rodgers‘This book is about hard work, determination and a triumph against the odds. It is truly inspirational!’ -- Paul Smith‘Eloquent and inspirational’ -- Surrey Life‘I was entranced by the inspirational memoir about an exceptional family of very young musicians who have already achieved phenomenal success… Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable, this book shows us what it takes to nurture children to fulfil their potential and offer their unique gifts to the world.’ * Bernardine Evaristo *‘An engaging and informative account of hard work and dedication, given context by [Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s] experiences of growing up with a Sierra Leonean father and a Welsh mother in 1970s–1980s Britain.’ * Herald *

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Book SynopsisThe first book that exclusively chronicles all the solo albums from Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. All albums are explored with a song-by-song analysis of each album with Taylor ranking each album as he explores them in-depth.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started with Harmonica 7 Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Harp? 9 Considering the Harmonica’s Coolness 9 Becoming the Next Harmonica Idol: What It Takes to Play 11 A harmonica 11 A little music know-how 11 Your body 12 Regular practice — and unstructured fun! 12 Taking Your Talent to the Next Level 13 Hanging Out in the Harmonica Village 14 Sharing your music with others locally 14 Visiting the repair shop and the accessory store 14 Chapter 2: Becoming a Harmonica Owner 17 Shopping for Your First Harmonica 18 Understanding the construction of the ten-hole diatonic 18 Tuning in to the key of the harp 19 Starting out with a harp in the key of C 19 Pricing a harmonica 20 Determining where to buy a harp 20 Safe and Sound: Caring for Your Harp 21 Collecting Additional Diatonic Harps 23 Purchasing popular keys 24 Expanding your range with harps in high and low keys 24 Adding Variety to Your Harmonica Kit 25 Chromatic harps 25 Tremolo and octave harmonicas 27 Making Your Harps Portable with Carrying Cases 28 Getting to Know You: Discovering How a Harmonica Works 29 Making a five-layer tin sandwich 29 Taking a closer look at the reeds that make the sound 30 Locating different notes 31 Chapter 3: Making Your First Harmonica Sounds 33 Preparing to Play the Harmonica 33 Picking up the harp 34 Putting the harp in your mouth 34 Breathing through the harp 35 Moving through the holes 35 Getting Acquainted with Some Musical Concepts 36 Zeroing in on harmonica tab 36 Counting with musical time 36 Locking in with the beat 37 Using beats as building blocks 39 Developing Your Sound 44 Expanding and sustaining your breathing 44 Cupping the harp in your hands 47 Nestling the harmonica in your mouth 50 Playing some cool rhythms 50 Chapter 4: Relating to Notes, Scales, and Chords 55 Getting in Tune with the Singable Notes 56 Understanding the curious phenomenon of octaves 56 Naming the notes and creating a scale 57 Using octaves to name all the notes 57 Altering pitches with sharps and flats 58 Measuring small distances with semitones and whole tones 59 Sizing Up Intervals 60 Counting out the size of an interval 60 Determining the quality of an interval 61 Finding the Key of a Song 62 Stepping Through Scales 63 Diatonic and chromatic scales 63 Major and minor scales 64 Modal scales 66 Altering a scale with sharps and flats 66 The Building Blocks of Chords 67 Four basic types of chords 68 Adding notes to basic triads 68 Chord progressions 69 Writing Notes Down 70 Placing notes on a staff 70 Writing sharps and flats on the staff 72 Unlocking key signatures 72 Finding harmonica notes on the staff 73 Part 2: Starting to Make Some Music 75 Chapter 5: I Hear a Melody: Playing Single Notes 77 Shaping Your Mouth to Single Out a Note 78 Forming the pucker embouchure 78 Producing a tongue-block embouchure 80 The Elements of Motion: Moving from One Note to the Next 81 Exploring breath changes 82 Finding your way with hole changes 83 Alternating breath changes and hole changes 85 Coordinating simultaneous hole changes and breath changes 86 Exploring the Three Registers of the Harmonica 87 Playing Familiar Tunes in the Middle Register 88 “Good Night, Ladies” 89 “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” 89 “Mary Had a Little Lamb” 90 “Amazing Grace” 91 Making Your First Multi-Hole Leaps 92 “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” 92 “Frère Jacques” 92 “On Top of Old Smokey” 94 Shifting up from the Middle 95 “Bunessan” (“Morning Has Broken”) 95 “Joy to the World” 96 Floating in the High Register 97 “Aura Lea” (“Love Me Tender”) 98 “She’ll Be Comin’ ’Round the Mountain” 99 “Silent Night” 100 Chapter 6: Shaping Your Sound 103 Enlarging Your Sound with Projection 104 Using your air column 104 Enriching your sound with the smooth swimming exercise 104 Increasing airflow through the reeds 106 Varying your volume with dynamics 109 Projecting with your hands 110 Starting and Ending Notes with Articulation 112 Starting notes with your tongue 113 Using your throat to articulate notes 115 Initiating a note with your diaphragm 116 Shaping the Tone Color of Your Notes 118 Changing vowel sounds with your tongue 118 Brightening and darkening your sound using your hands 119 Slowly changing the sound 119 Combining hand and tongue vowels 120 Pulsating Your Notes with Vibrato 120 Diaphragm vibrato 121 Throat vibrato 122 Tongue vibrato 123 Hand vibrato 123 Synchronizing and layering pulsation 124 Chapter 7: Enhancing Your Sound with Your Tongue on the Harp 127 Using Your Tongue to Combine Chords and Melodies 128 Knowing the chords on your harp 128 Accompanying melodies with chords 129 Chasing the beat with a chord 131 Reinforcing Melody Notes with Your Tongue 132 Applying the tongue slap 133 Popping chords with pull-offs 133 Creating Chord Textures with Your Tongue 135 Alternating tongue placements to produce the chord rake 136 Lifting and replacing your tongue to play a chord hammer 137 Rapidly alternating widely spaced notes with the shimmer 138 Combining Widely Spaced Notes with Splits 139 Sticking with a locked split 139 Inching along with variable splits 140 Playing Quick and Wide Leaps with Corner Switching 145 Chapter 8: Bending Notes 149 Knowing the What and the Why of Bending 150 What is bending? 150 Why bend notes? 151 Getting Started with Bending Notes Down 151 Exploring the roof of your mouth 152 Making some helpful noises 153 Creating your bend activator with the K-spot 154 Playing your first bend 156 If at first you don’t succeed: Practicing persistence 158 Deepening Your Skills at Bending Notes Down 159 Surveying the bendable notes 159 Working through the four stages of bending control 162 Bending draw notes down in the middle register 163 Bending draw notes down in the heart of the harp — the low register 165 Bending blow notes down in the high register 170 Bending on Different Types of Harmonicas 174 Chromatic harps 174 Double reed harps 175 Chapter 9: Positions: Playing One Harp in Many Keys 177 Understanding How Positions Help Your Playing 177 Figuring Out a Position 179 Relating Positions, Modes, and Avoid Notes 181 Rocking with Six Popular Positions 182 First position (C on a C-harp) 183 Second position (G on a C-harp) 185 Third position (D on a C-harp) 188 Fourth position (A on a C-harp) 190 Fifth position (E on a C-harp) 193 Twelfth position (F on a C-harp) 195 Part 3: Growing Beyond the Basics 199 Chapter 10: Fancy Playing: Developing Flair and Speed 201 Mastering Melody from the Ground Up 202 Seeing the scale 203 Recognizing scale patterns 204 Anchoring melodies on chord notes 209 Simplifying the scale to five notes 211 Adding Ornaments to the Melody 214 Shakes 214 Rips, boings, and fall-offs 215 Grace notes 215 Developing Your Speed 216 Start slow and know each individual move 216 Learn in small chunks 217 Speed it up — slowly 217 Think and play in larger units 217 Chapter 11: Mastering New Songs 219 Understanding How Songs Work 219 The container: Structuring time 219 The shifting backdrop: Chord changes 221 The foreground: Melody 221 Choosing the Right Harp 222 What are the notes in the scale? 222 What are the notes in the chords? 223 Making It Up versus Playing It Straight 225 Learning melodies 225 Jamming on a tune 226 Trial and Error: Playing Along with Random Music 227 Chapter 12: Behind the Hidden Treasure: Bending Notes Up 229 Considering the Coolness of Overbends 230 Playing more licks, riffs, and scales 230 Playing in more keys 231 Exploring the Things to Know Before You Start 232 How to choose a suitable harmonica 232 Determining which notes overblow and overdraw 232 Preparing your mind, body, and ears 235 Getting Your First Overblows 236 The push-through approach 236 The springboard approach 238 Achieving More Overblows 239 Getting Your First Overdraws 239 Raising the Pitch of an Overbend 241 Playing overbends in tune 241 Bending overbends up241 Blending Overbends into Your Playing 242 Strengthening your overbend approaches 242 Smoothing your follow-ons 244 Part 4: Developing Your Style 245 Chapter 13: Rockin’ and Bluesin’ 247 Getting Hip to the Blues/Rock Approach 248 The Three Basic Chords of Rock-and-Roll, Blues, and Nearly Everything 249 The Three Popular Harmonica Positions 249 Relating positions to chords and scales 250 Second position and the three basic chords 250 First position 251 Third position 251 Playing Sweet Melodies in First Position 252 “Kickin’ Along” 252 “Youngish Minor” 253 “Morning Boots” 254 The 12 Bars of Blues 255 Making a statement: Tell it, brother! 255 Fitting the notes to the chords 256 Exploring 12-Bar Blues with Second Position 257 “Ridin’ the Changes” 257 Driving the rhythm with “Lucky Chuck” 258 “Buster’s Boogie” 259 Adding Minor Chords to a Progression: “Smoldering Embers” 261 Adding the Flat III and Flat VII Chords: “John and John” 263 Burning in Third Position: “Tom Tom” 264 Chapter 14: Expressing Yourself with Some Folk and Gospel Melodies 267 Sampling Some First-Position Songs 268 “Buffalo Gals” 268 “Wildwood Flower” 269 “La Cucaracha” 270 Getting Acquainted with a Few Second-Position Songs 271 “Since I Laid My Burden Down” 272 “Cluck Old Hen” 273 “Aura Lea” in second position 273 “This Train (Is Bound for Glory)” 274 Inhaling Some Third-Position Melodies 276 “Little Brown Island in the Sea” 277 “She’s Like the Swallow” 278 Exploring Folk Songs in Twelfth, Fourth, and Fifth Positions 279 “À la claire fontaine” in twelfth position 279 “The Huron Carol” in fourth position 280 “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” in fifth position 281 Chapter 15: Fiddlin’ the Night Away with Traditional Dance Tunes 283 Choosing Harps for Playing Folk and Celtic Music 284 The tremolo harmonica 284 The chromatic harmonica 285 Playing Fast Fiddle Tunes 285 Trying Out Some First-Position Tunes 286 “Jerry the Rigger” 286 “Soldier’s Joy” 287 “The Stool of Repentance” 289 Energizing Some Tunes in Second Position 290 “Over the Waterfall” 290 “Angeline the Baker” 292 “Bat Wing Leather” 294 Feeling the Excitement of Third-Position Tunes 295 “Dorian Jig” 295 “The Dire Clog” 295 Part 5: Taking It to the World 299 Chapter 16: Putting It All Together — Your Tunes, Your Band, Your Listeners 301 Putting Your Tunes Together 302 Selecting tunes for the harmonica 302 Making it your own: Arranging a tune 304 Adding vocals to your tunes 306 Making Music with Others 306 Setting some ground rules when you play with others 306 Knowing when to lay out 308 Playing in a duo 308 Jamming with a band 309 Strutting Your Stuff Onstage 310 Looking good, feeling good 310 Preparing for an onstage performance 310 Overcoming stage fright 311 Recovering from mistakes 312 Taking center stage: Soloing 312 Chapter 17: Amplifying Your Sound 313 Getting Acquainted with Amplification Basics 314 Playing through a Microphone for the First Time 314 Playing into a microphone on a stand 315 Playing with a microphone cupped in your hands 316 Hearing yourself through the chaos 317 Avoiding the dreaded howl of feedback 318 Taking Amplification to the Next Level: Clean and Distorted Amplified Sound 319 Getting better acquainted with microphones 319 Altering a harp’s sound with effects 321 Cranking it up with amplifiers, preamps, and speakers 322 Connecting Mics, Amplifiers, and Effects Units 324 Chapter 18: Improving Your Harmonica with Repairs and Upgrades 327 Gathering the Tools You Need 328 Following Good Repair Practices 329 Making Three Simple Improvements 330 Disassembling and reassembling a harp 330 Flexing the reeds 331 Smoothing sharp edges and corners 332 Diagnosing and Fixing Problems 332 Taking a harp apart and putting it back together 334 Clearing obstructions from your harp 336 Fixing reeds that are misaligned 337 Narrowing reed slots 337 Setting reed action 338 Tuning your harmonica 342 Part 6: The Part of Tens 347 Chapter 19: Ten (Or More) Ways to Connect in the Harmonica World 349 Take Lessons from a Pro 349 Enjoy Harmonica Performances 350 Seek Out Musical Events That Don’t Focus on Harmonica 350 Let Loose at Jam Sessions and Open Mic Nights 350 Contribute to Harmonica Discussion Groups Online 351 Surf Informational Websites 352 Use Paid Content Learning Sites 353 Join a Harmonica Club 354 Share Your Enthusiasm at Harmonica Festivals 354 Sign Up for a Harmonica Seminar 355 Advertise 356 Chapter 20: Way More Than Ten Harmonica Albums You Should Hear 357 Blues 358 Rock 359 Bluegrass/Old-Timey 360 Celtic 360 Country 361 Gospel 362 Jazz 362 Part 7: Appendixes 365 Appendix A: Tuning Layouts for All Keys 367 Appendix B: Audio Tracks and Video Clips 373 The Audio Tracks 373 The Video Clips 380 Customer Care 381 Index 383

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeAn Uncut Magazine Book of the YearA Rough Trade Book of the YearA Resident Book of the YearThe story of soul legend P.P. Arnold is one of musical highs, personal lows and extraordinary endurance.From her origins in powerhouse church gospel, the talented singer's performing career began at the age of just seventeen when she joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. But little did the young Ikette know that her world was about to be turned upside-down...Upon arriving in London in 1966 to support the Rolling Stones, the shy but vivacious teenager caught the eye of frontman Mick Jagger. He would persuade her to stay in the city and record as a solo artist, ultimately leading to a five-decade career working with everyone from Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, the Small Faces, Nick Drake and Barry Gibb to Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, the KLF, Paul Weller and Primal Scream.However, it has been far from a gilded life for the soul superstar. After being forced into marriage upon becoming pregnant at the age of fifteen, Arnold went on to endure a string of devastating personal traumas. Yet the versatile musician survived it all and has continued to reinvent herself throughout the years -be that as a West End actress, a much-sought-after session singer or a renowned pop vocalist in her own right.Now, for the first time, P.P. Arnold shares her remarkable adventures. This is the long-awaited memoir of a true soul survivor.'Jaw-dropping.' - Mojo'Powerful.' - Woman's Hour'Explosive.' - Daily MailTrade Review'Brutally honest ... this memoir is a sizzler.' -- Daily Telegraph'Searingly honest account of an extraordinary life ... powerful stuff.' -- Radio Times'A jaw-dropping memoir. Arnold's resilience sparkles throughout. This isn't just surviving, it's flourishing.' -- Mojo'An adroit blend of pathos and self-deprecating honesty. Its occasionally shocking and even heart-wrenchingly tragic in places, but ultimately the book's tone is a triumphant one. 4/5' -- Record Collector'An extraordinary book by an extraordinary artist.' -- Lauren Laverne'Very powerful.' -- Emma Barnett, Woman's Hour'Explosive.' -- Daily Mail'Searingly honest.' -- Daily Express'Nobody could accuse Arnold of pulling her punches ... but it doesn't read like score-settling either. Absorbing.' -- Irish Independent'Not long after arriving in England, I met P.P. Arnold. On reflection, she was just like me. Determined, naïve, in a world we did not understand. We spent a lot of hours at IBC Studios in Portland Place recording new songs that still, today, bring back such amazing memories. I will never forget those times. Pat was on the ascent until the terrible moment of her daughter's passing. This brought Pat to her knees. It was the saddest time. What I think I understand now is what real loss means and Pat understood that long before I did. I relish those times we spent together. Those are some of the great memories.' -- Barry Gibb

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