Rob MacKillop presents 24 superb solo guitar works by Belgian composer Gilbert Isbin, one of the most interesting, dynamic and poetic composers writing for the guitar today. All 24 pieces have been recorded by Rob MacKillop–a magnificent solo recording in itself. The book contains standard notation and tablature, and an interview with the composer. The music ranges from student pieces to advanced concert solos. Although composed with a plectrum in mind, they can also be played fingerstyle. Includes access to online audio.

Mastering the Classical Guitar Book 2A is the third book in a progressive method series that uses a wide variety of music and educational material to provide a solid technical foundation for classical guitar students while revealing the full range of the instrument’s potential and repertoire. This book is appropriate for students who have completed Books 1A and 1B and can read standard notation in the first and second positions. The book is written in four broad sections: Progressive Studies and Pieces, Technical Exercises, Chords and Chord Progressions, and Rhythmic Reading. Tips on how to integrate the four sections are given throughout the book. Mastering the Classical Guitar Book 2A focuses on the concepts of melody and accompaniment by introducing cue-sized notation that helps the student understand the structure of the piece and emphasize the melody. Concepts introduced in this particular volume include: tuning the guitar, notes on the first string, musical forms, dotted eighth notes, guitar and nail care, and the use of the barré technique to implement moveable chord shapes. Teachers will welcome the generous number of attractive intermediate-level recital pieces by Carulli, Carcassi, Giuliani, Paganini, and others. Written in standard notation only. Includes access to online audio.

In this unique solo fingerstyle guitar collection, Luke Edwards presents 17 melodies from the Celtic nation of Wales, The Land of Song, sheep and dragons and birthplace of Merlin the wizard. With arrangements derived from ancient to more modern traditional tunes, this book provides a glimpse into a fascinating musical culture. Often overlooked in comparison to neighboring Scotland and Ireland, the music of Wales is rich and multifaceted. This book covers a variety of traditional Welsh genres including hymns, lullabies, hornpipes, fiddle tunes, and even a selection from The Robert Ap Huw Manuscript of 1340, the oldest known example of harp music in the world. As all of the arrangements were made in guitar-friendly keys in either standard or drop-D tuning, they can be readily combined into sets for performance. Written in both standard notation and tablature, historical notes and complete right and left-hand fingerings are provided throughout. Recommended for the intermediate to advanced guitarist, the collection includes access to online audio.

This book presents easy to intermediate fingerstyle guitar arrangements of 19 familiar folk and gospel favorites. Some of these creative settings reflect the influence of Chet Atkins’ alternating bass lines, while a few present mildly challenging syncopated rhythms. All lies well on the fretboard, the result of the author’s years of arranging experience and dedication to the guitar. Every tune is set in a guitar-friendly key and shown in both standard notation and tablature. For ease of learning, this book includes access to online audio, expertly played by the author.

Rob MacKillop presents 20 classic lute transcriptions; the "greatest hits" of the Renaissance and Baroque lute repertoire arranged for pick acoustic, electric, or classical guitar. MacKillop has for many years played all these pieces on the lute, and has created sensitive guitar arrangements that lose nothing from the original scores. Composers include Bach, Weiss, Dowland, Spinacino, among others. Finally, we have a book of lute-to-plectrum guitar transcriptions by an arranger who is deeply familiar with and respectful of both instruments. Includes access to online audio for every item recorded by Rob MacKillop in plectrum style.

The name of this book is no exaggeration. It includes some of the most gorgeous music that the authors El McMeen and Sandy Shalk know. To make things even more interesting, none of the music was originally written for guitar! In addition to Celtic favorites, El includes his arrangements of two of the most beautiful arias in all of opera: "Che Gelida Manina" from Puccini's "La Boheme" and "My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice" (“Mon Coeur S'ouvre à ta Voix”) from "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns. Sandy's contributions range from Celtic to French love songs to Stephen Foster, manifesting Sandy's gift for chordal subtleties and innovation. Each piece is in either standard tuning (EADGBE) or Drop D tuning (DADGBE). Written in standard notation and tablature with computer generated audio files of each arrangement.

This collection presents 22 lyrical American tunes including traditional 19th century songs, melodies from the WWII era, and modern-day pieces by William Bay, president of Mel Bay Publications. Whether it’s a Civil War ballad or a jazz inspired tone poem, Raymond Gonzalez has a gift for creating unique settings that occasionally blend harmonics with normally fretted notes and open strings. The end result is a flowing melody/chord/bass arrangement that is challenging but accessible to the intermediate guitarist. All of the notation and tab settings in this book appear in standard or dropped-D tuning and are suitable for both steel and nylon-string guitar performance. To keep page clutter to a minimum, the reader is referred to the tablature for string, fret, and harmonic locations. Includes access to online audio of every tune recorded by the author.

The manuscript now known as The London Sketchbook was written by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart at the age of eight during his family’s sojourn to Great Britain in 1764-1765. Whether as complete pieces or preliminary sketches of his musical ideas, their harmonic structure and form reflect the immense richness of creativity that Mozart possessed even as a young boy. Written in standard notation with ample fingering suggestions, this edition of 27 transcriptions for classical guitar provides representative and enjoyable insights to W. A. Mozart’s early compositional technique and style.

Christmas Carols in the British Isles presents 20 songs from the Renaissance through early 20th century. It includes familiar compositions such as the “Coventry Carol”, “Away in a Manger”, and the “Wexford Carol”, and incorporates some lovely pieces that may be new to the listener. The melodies for these lyrical pieces appear in their most easily recognized form before any variation is presented. Raymond Gonzalez has a gift for combining traditional harmonies with occasional harmonic and rhythmic twists, providing freshness, color, and new life to familiar tunes. All arrangements are in standard or dropped-D tuning, suitable for both steel and nylon-string guitar performance and should be comfortably accessible to the intermediate guitarist. The reader is referred to the tablature for string, fret, and harmonic locations. The book includes access to online audio of every tune recorded by the author.

Most instrumentalists would agree with the author’s introductory statement, that the six Bach cello suites are “…one of the greatest collections of solo instrumental music ever written.” Many amateur classic guitarists have endeavored to play favorite movements of the suites, and a few professionals have recorded all six in their entirety. The author himself has played them on various plucked-string instruments. Here, for the first time, Rob MacKillop and Mel Bay Publications present the Six Cello Suites of J. S. Bach, transcribed for the plectrum-style acoustic or electric guitarist! According to MacKillop, Bach had an overall didactic plan and each suite increases in emotional depth and difficulty, posing specific problems to the plectrum guitarist or any instrumentalist. For example: Using a pick, how do you play a 2-note interval when there is a string in-between the two notes? MacKillop provides a good deal of fingering in the early suites suggesting solutions to this and other issues, but ultimately encourages readers to make their own decisions through careful analysis and left-hand fingering. If you stay the course and play through all six suites, you will gain a personal understanding not only of the Baroque suite, but also of left-hand digitation, picking direction, and the guitar fretboard. Written in standard notation in guitar-friendly keys for the intermediate to advanced plectrum guitarist, this book is destined to be a part of university curriculums and recitals worldwide. It deserves a place in your music library too.