Product Description

The pieces in this book are selected and designed around the various techniques addressed in the best-selling book Pumping Nylon. They are offered as an extension of the excercises presented in that book, and to provide attractive and easy peices in which to apply the various techniques discussed. New compositions by Andrew York and other contemporary composers are included as well as classic etudes by Tarrega, Carcassi, Giuliani and Sor. The pieces are helpful for developing arpeggios, tremolo, scale velocity and more. The CD is beautifully played by Scott Tennant.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #354398 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 63 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780882849201
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Nice Assortment of Relatively Challenging Material
Although this book is rated "Easy to Early-Intermediate" I'd say that only about 25% of the material is "easy", and at least 75% is "early-intermediate." With that in mind, this is a very good repertoire book. The author provides short, generally helpful comments on specific techniques used for each of the 37 pieces. Many of the songs are old "standards" by Carcassi, Sor, et. al., but there are also 4 by Tarrega (including 3 etudes I haven't found in other books) and a few by contemporary composers (including Andrew York, Omid Zoufonoun, David Pritchard, and the author). In general, I find that if a music book has at least one or two songs you end up adding to your own repertoire, it was a good purchase. Chances are this one will fit the bill; it has for me. I might mention that I don't own the original PUMPING NYLON (technique) book; this book can easily stand alone without it. The book has only the standard scores (no TAB)--these are of good size and easy on the eyes.

You can buy this book with or without a CD. I'd recommend getting the package with the CD, which has all the compositions nicely played (at full speed) and beautifully recorded. On a few of the tracks, the author also repeats the first few measures quite slowly--one might wish he'd done this for more of the songs. This is an instructional CD rather than one for general listening, since Tennant opens each track with a verbal "1, 2, 3...ready, go," or some such phrase (not sure this was necessary--is anyone actually going to play along?).

Review & response to Mr. Rush
The best way to get killer technique is to practice technique exercises (scales, arpeggios, ligados, etc.) The best way to be a good musician is to play music..especially good music. If you want technique, buy technical studies, if you want good music, buy collections of music (repertoire). It's true, though, that technical skill is required to play good music. However, there is a lot of good music that doesn't require killer technique so much as it requires an ear for music that sounds good, and a willingness to hold your own performance to a high standard. Most of the music in Mr. Tennant's collection doesn't require killer technique, although most beginning to intermediate players will find things to challenge them. But even the simplest, most bland, pieces offer an opportunity for the musician to exercise his or her ear and turn the notes into 'music'. Wouldn't every genre of guitar playing out there today benefit from a little more use of the ear, and perhaps a little less emphasis on technique? Fast cars are only useful if they take you where you want to go. Using this collection of pieces allows the new guitarist to 'go somewhere' with his new skills.
Why only four stars? I'd have liked to see more said about turning the notes into music by listening to how you play.
(P.S. My background includes playing a LOT of rock and blues, in addition to classical music. My issues are not with the styles, but with the unbalanced emphasis that players have with regard to what they need to know to play the style they love. B.B. King and Buddy Guy aren't the best 'technicians' but they damn sure can play blues worth listening to.)

A great compliment to the Pumping Nylon instructional book
One thing I particularly liked is how Scott organized the songs according to method. There was a large chart indicating which songs practiced which techniques, techniques that have all been covered in the main Pumping Nylon book. I had recently finished the main Pumping Nylon book and felt there was a bit of a need to have some actual repertoire to practice all these techniques I had learnt. So, this book is a perfect compliment.

If it were possible, I would give this book 4 1/2 stars because some of the pieces are a little bland. But it really wasn't a big enough of an issue to lower my score to 4 stars. Also, Scott addresses this issue directly in the introduction.

Good work again, Scott.