Mapletrees-other Mark Hanson Books?

[Jeff M]

Mapletrees, I have been through the first Mark Hanson instructional book and it is the best I have ever come across. I am about to start the second book and was wondering if you have had the chance to look at his other books, specifically the Leo Kotke transcriptions and his Noel book? You also mentioned a book that was a good intro to reading music?

[GordonHLau]

I have Mr. Hanson's Noel book/CD (one of the few books I do have). It's a nice book for beginners to intermediate fingerstyle players looking to play some Christmas songs. Most of the tunes are in standard with a few in open G.

GL

[This message has been edited by GordonHLau (edited 02-16-2001).]

[mapletrees]

Jeff M

I lost my smiley face again...what am I doing wrong?

I like the Noel book.

Some of the tunes are quite advanced (maybe not for Gordon?????? - eek - I stink!), but indeed much of the book is geared towards beginning and intermediate level playing. So what does that mean? It might not make for the greatest listening ever, but it's very good for instructional purposes.

Mmmmmmmmmm, I'm going from memory here (well over a year? 2 years? (?)since I got the Noel book) and my book/CD are somewhere in a room where an elderly couple are sleeping.....grrrrrrr.....I honestly don't recall if the intermediate tunes are on the CD or not - the more advanced stuff definitely is.

One of the good things about the book (and I'm 99.999999999999999999999% sure about this - I don't think I'm thinking of another book) is that he always includes chord names (whether simple or complex) over the tablature. From an instructional point of view, that can be very valuable. Analyzing the chord progressions will give you very good insight into the process of arranging. With some basic chord construction theory in hand you could look at a SHORT sequence of chords, find some different ways of playing those chords (perhaps just completely ignoring trying to keep the melody going at first), and come up with your own smooth and slick ways of connecting them. Then try to add the melody back in. Undoubtedly you'll have to adjust fingerings a bit and throw a note or two of the chords out here and there to make things possible and practical. Arranging is one of those things in life that definitely gets easier the "dirtier your hands get".

Actually, if an army of people e-mailed Mark Hanson and asked him to produce an instructional book that dealt specifically with the concept of the arranging process, I'm sure the world would be a happier and more musical place!


I have his book of Paul Simon transcriptions and like it very much (many "older" students want to be able to play the older classic Paul Simon material. Go into a guitar shop and start playing Paul Simon's version of Scarborough Fair - which is nothing more than some pretty accompaniment - on a beautiful sounding Taylor with capo on 7th fret, and you've instantly got a group of old, saggy, and wrinkling up older middle-agers standing around you in wide-eyed amazement. Very good tune to point out how simple chords can be used in an interesting way to sound beautiful.

I can't comment on the Leo Kottke books, but I would assume they're dead on. I believe they're just plain old transcriptions more than something designed to be instructional.

I'll get back to the music reading question....

The much loved eldery people sleeping about the house are complicating life...I suppose I've complicated theirs over the years...but anyone leaving dentures soaking on top of an amp is in serious trouble.

[This message has been edited by mapletrees (edited 02-17-2001).]

[mapletrees]

Jeff M

I added a couple books to that fingerstyle instruction post in the General Discussion section...definitely worth checking out to help get more practice...suprisingly good sounds from some simple pieces...good, solid stuff to practice. Obviously the Mark Hanson books don't lack examples. I've always thought, though, that it would be great if he wrote a supplementary book of basic to intermediate arrangements to offer even further practice. Since everything is new to someone working through the books, they might end up practicing the songs so much that they get sick of them!

Check out that post.....

[GRW3]

Not a book but an article. The new Acoustic Guitar features a lesson from Mark. It covers in detail a tune, 'Canyon Cannon', that is covered in his intro fingerstyle video.

The video is a good teaching medium but hte article goes into a lot more detail of what he is wanting to accomplish and what you can learn from the piece.