ISBN 9781619117785.

Theory and Improvisation for the Modern Mandolinist is a two book series that teaches improvisation in many musical styles along with theory concepts and how they apply to the mandolin. Each book provides access to different backing tracks and solo examples to help you learn. Every chapter includes scales presented in a variety of common formats: standard notation, tablature and fretboard charts.A Volume 1, Building a Foundation, only requires that the reader can play notes and simple chords. It presents basic skills necessary for improvising over chord progressions found in all types of music. Sample solos and progressions are included at the end of each chapter to practice. Whether you play bluegrass, rock, pop or jazz, this book will take your solos to the next level.A Includes access to online audio.

ISBN 9781619118058.

The mandolin is a great instrument for kids. These simple arrangements of all-time popular songs are ideal for younger learners and will get them playing in no time! This repertoire book is easy to read, with classic songs such as Scarborough Fair, Kum ba Yah, FrA"re Jaques, My Bonnie, and much more. Chords are available for an accompanying instrumentalist, and play-along tracks recorded by the author are available online. The mandolin part is written in both standardA notation and tablature. Includes access to online audio.

A great piece for solo piano of this fantastic romantic title song by Bryan Adams, composed for the movie Don Juan de Marco, so brilliantly played by Jonny Depp. The score is kept relatively simple and tidy, so advanced intermediate or even intermediate players shouldn't have any problems with it.
The original soundtrack had the wonderful participation of the great Paco de Lucia on acoustic guitar, so I incorporated some harmonic and melodic intricacies to mimic a guitar strumming to a certain extent, whenever it fits the general context of the melody and the technique of the piano.
As always, you can listen to the entire piece on Soundcloud here:
https://soundcloud.com/claudio-porstmann/have-you-ever-really-loved-a-woman

25 hymns are specially arranged for the Middle C 5-finger position. The hymns begin with the simplest concepts and gradually add new concepts such as accidentals, key signatures, eighth notes, and melodic arrangements.Each hymn includes chord symbols, if the teacher would like to accompany the student.Finger numbers included.This makes a great sight-reading book for students who are familiar with the old hymns.HYMNS INCLUDED In This Primer HymnalJoyful, Joyful, We Adore TheePraise God, From Whom allBlessings FlowJesus Loves MeBrethren, We Have Met to WorshipFaith of our FathersCome, Christians, Join to SingAbide With MeAt CalvaryCome Thou Fount of Every BlessingMine Eyes Have Seen the GloryJesus is the Sweetest Name I KnowGod is so GoodHoly, Holy, HolyWhat Wondrous Love is ThisCome, Ye Thankful People, ComeWhen I SurveyO Sacred Head, Now WoundedAmazing GraceCrown Him With Many CrownsNothing But the BloodO For a Thousand Tongues to SingPraise Him! Praise Him!Showers of BlessingPraise to the Lord, the AlmightyJust as I Am.

ISBN 9781610653800. This new manual, intended for beginners, contains all you need to begin playing authentic Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes and more on the mandolin. Starting with simple polkas and slides, 26 common session tunes are included. The tunes are all favorites allowing you to rapidly join the fun of session playing. A special section explains pick direction for authentic jig picking. Included are instructions on basic Irish ornamentation for reels and jigs. The accompanying online audio can be used for traditional by ear learning. Presented in mandolin tablature and standard musical notation. - Contains all you need to begin playing authentic Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes and more on the mandolin - Tunes are all favorites allowing you to rapidly join the fun of session playing - Special section explains pick direction for authentic jig picking - Includes instruction on basic Irish ornamentation.

Thalberg (1812-1871) was a renowned piano virtuoso and composer. His technical specialty, since widely imitated, was to play a central melody with the thumb of either hand and surrounding it with brilliant arpeggios and arabesques.

Sigismond Thalberg was one of the most famous and most successful piano composers of the 19th century. During the 1830s and the 1840s his style was a major force in European piano-playing. He was greatly in fashion and was imitated by others. In 1852, Wilhelm von Lenz wrote:

'The piano playing of the present day, to tell the truth, consists only of Thalberg simple, Thalberg amended, and Thalberg exaggerated; scratch what is written for the piano, and you will find Thalberg.'

Ten years later, in 1862, a London correspondent of the Revue et gazette musicale wrote:

'Nobody in fact has been so much imitated; his manner has been parodied, exaggerated, twisted, tortured, and it may have happened more than once to all of us to curse this Thalbergian school'.

Expressions like "exaggerated", "twisted" and "tortured" indicate that some contemporaries were starting to feel jaded of his style. It was at this time when Thalberg's career as composer and as virtuoso came to an end.

In the late 19th century, Thalberg's fame had come to depend on his association with a single piano technique, the 'three-hand effect'. Carl Friedrich Weitzmann, in his Geschichte des Klavierspiels (1879), wrote about this.

'His bravura pieces, fantasies on melodies from Rossini's Mosè and La donna del lago, on motifs from Bellini's Norma and on Russian folk-songs, became extraordinarily popular through his own, brilliant execution; however, they treat their subjects always in one and the same way, [namely] ... to let the tones of a melody be played in the medium octave of the keyboard now by the thumb of the right, now of the left hand, while the rest of the fingers are executing arpeggios filling the whole range of the keyboard'.

ISBN 9781609749989. You Can Teach Yourself Mandolin is written as a teach-yourself text with play-along examples and tunes on the companion recording. In the author's word, "It is aimed at helping you get started immediately on your way to mandolinhood by giving you the basics of the mandolin and mandolin playing." With this informal, often humorous text, Dix Bruce will guide you step-by-step through the basics of learning this versatile instrument. Learn all about accompanying yourself and others, common chords and useful strums, reading simple melodies, playing a colorful assortment of mandolin folk songs, and more. All musical examples and tunes are written in bothstandard notation and tablature. Diagrams of all the principal chords used on the mandolin are shown in the Chord Appendix, making this book a particularly useful study aid for the beginning mandolinist. Illustrated with drawings and photographs of vintage instruments. This book has accompanying audio and video.

ISBN 9781513459400. 8.75x11.75 inches.

This book contains 30 traditional to modern Celtic tunes arranged in either simple melodic lines with suggested accompaniment chords, or stand-alone melody/chord solos. From rollicking reels and jigs to tender ballads, these Celtic Gems will appeal to the intermediate to advanced mandolinist and their audiences. With a little imagination, the up-tempo melodic tunes could be effectively rendered with drums and electric bass a la Pentangle or Fairport Convention; conversely, three or four of the solo arrangements would provide a tasteful set within a mandolin recital. Take your pick! Presented in standard notation and tablature in mandolin and guitar-friendly keys, these settings provide a masterclass in 4-course instrumental arranging. The authors online recording of each piece is included with this stellar collection. Includes access to online audio.