Recommendation for Bill Monroe Instructional Book

[Sadee]

I wasn't sure where to post this so hope it's o.k. here. Can anyone recommend a user friendly tab/chord instructional mando book for beginner/intermediate players? Thanks!

[AZStu]

This DVD "The Mandolin of Bill Monroe - DVD 2 A Detailed Analysis By Sam Bush Taught By: Bill Monroe, Sam Bush"
has a tab booklet with it. DVD 1 has a lot of Bill Monroe footage playing the tunes, but no tab that I recall.

http://www.homespuntapes.com/shop/product.aspx?ID=1247

[Perry]

Todd Collin's book

http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Monroe.../dp/0786664878

[Alex Orr]

Todd Collin's book

http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Monroe.../dp/0786664878

Butch Baldassari also transcribed all the solos to the 16 Gems compilation. It's in a book called 16 Gems for Mandolin.

[Mandolusional]

I have the Todd Collin's book but never use it. While it's probably okay for learning the melody of the tunes, they really are not in the "Monroe style." The intro of the book mentions that it functions as a "fake book."

So if you just want to learn Monroe tunes, it's a pretty decent collection, but if you want to learn how he actually played them, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

[Gerry Hastie]

There's also this Todd Collings Book too. It's all Bill Monroe stuff:

[URL="http://www.amazon.com/Bays-Classic-Bluegrass-Solos-Mandolin/dp/0786676531/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246215822&sr=1-4"][url]

[fishdawg40]

Another suggestion would be to take mandolin lessons online from Mike Compton. He knows a thing or two about Monroe style mandolin.

http://www.mikecompton.net/lessons.php

I have the Sam Bush set and the 16 Gems Monroe book and both are good. You get more depth in the Bush set and the footage of Monroe playing is educational in it's own right.

[woodwizard]

Butch Baldassari's Mandolin Tunes and Practice and Repertoire - 25 great! tunes
Also: 30 fiddle tunes for mandolin taught by Butch Baldassari... each has two CDs to help. He was a great talent and great teacher. You can't go wrong with these two lesson books. Trust me... it will help any intermediate player. I love both of them. There's Bill Monroe and more ...all great melody stuff.

[dochardee]

Butch's tab is great, I really recommend the "16 Gems" book.

[Denny Gies]

Another vote for the DVD/VHS Sam Bush interviewing and teaching about Bill's music and technique.

[Perry]

Sam Bush is probably my favorite all around mandolin player and as much as I like the Homespun Monroe DVD (he also does Monroe tunes on his other two Homespun DVD's) he has his own spin on Monroe...sort of like a game of telephone. Watching the first DVD of all Monroe playing is a great learning tool. Sams versions really sound like Sam' it's inevetible. I think he mentions this right from the get go.

Taking lessons from Compton is another way to go but the original poster asked about "user friendly tab/chord instructional mando book for beginner/intermediate players?" A straightforward enough request.....I don't own it but 16 Gems is a good suggestion but mostly vocal tunes I think. Todd Collins' book(s) would certainly fit the original poster's request.

Too much subtlety in Monroe's playing to be fully captured in TAB.

[jaco]

I think books and DVDs are great. There is so much good material out there. If I really wanted to learn anyones style or licks, etc.; Get slowdowner and learn it note by note on your own. You'll have a better understanding of the music than going through any book and your ear will be much better as well.

[Perry]

"Get slowdowner and learn it note by note on your own. You'll have a better understanding of the music than going through any book and your ear will be much better as well"


What he said! Though easier said then done but I suppose that's why the rewards are so great. Also anything you transcribe yourself will stick in your head quicker then reading someone else's TAB.

[Alex Orr]

I have the Todd Collin's book but never use it. While it's probably okay for learning the melody of the tunes, they really are not in the "Monroe style." The intro of the book mentions that it functions as a "fake book."

Are we talking about the same book? The one I have has extremely accurate, note-for-note tabs/music for a number of Bill's lead breaks. My main issue with the book is that it may be fairly tough to learn, depending on much of a beginner we're talking about. That being said, it's cheap, so why not pick it up?

[earthsave]

Another vote for 16 Gems and the Monroe Homespun video. The booklet with the Homespun is not the best, but the video of Bill playing and Sam breaking them down is excellent.

The Amazon link for the Collins are all instrumentals and you can view the contents and a sample of Honky Tonk Swing if you look around the left hand side of the page. http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Monroe...6664878#reader

Also, TablEdit has some very good tabs of Monroe style.

[Mike Romkey]

Another vote here for hooking up with Mike Compton. You get a lesson, you get a video of the lesson, you get the notation/tab, sometimes even an MPG.