New Releases by William Bay

The guitar has so many moods and colors. I have always loved the expressive, lyrical pieces written for this unique instrument. This book is a collection of 19 solos of medium difficulty which present a colorful array of moods, harmonies and tonal textures. Each piece gives the guitarist ample opportunity for reflection,interpretation and expression. The solos should be played freely with maximum use of dynamics and tone color. The harmonies are rich and often contemporary. I hope you enjoy playing these compositions as I certainly enjoyed writing them

I have always loved the book of Psalms. The range of human emotions conveyed in that book is so real. Joy, sorrow, fear, hope, worry, confidence, anxiety, assurance and much more spring out of those wonderful verses. Yet underneath all of that is a bedrock faith that the cries of exhilaration and anguish will be heard and answered. In this collection I selected 13 verses from Psalms. On each I set a melodic line to the verse and then composed 9 variations on that line. Many of the arrangements were written and recorded on a 7 string guitar; however, everypiece may be played quite successfully on a 6 string guitar. Where a low A or Bappears in the notation, I have written a substitute note in the tablature which willwork on a 6 string guitar. All of these solos are on my recording Psalms for Guitar. These solos may be played in concert, recital or in worship celebrations. I hope you enjoy them as they are very meaningful to me

Fingerstyle Technic is a collection of 34 original compositions designed toenhance important elements of fingerpicking guitar technique. I have always feltthat as important as scale and technique drills are, they can by themselves be very tedious to practice. In addition, technique has relevance only in the context of the entire musical composition it is intended to enhance. The compositions can be used merely as technical studies but they also may be used as short concert or recital pieces. Several of them may be grouped to present a kind of suite. I hope you enjoy playing these solos. The guitar has so many moods and colors. Good technique enables the guitarist to bring out the breadth and subtlety of expression possible with this instrument. I have tried to present a variety of moods, rhythms and textures in these compositions and have presented a workable assortment of keys, both major and minor. In Notation and Tablature

Acoustic Guitar Portraits is a collection of scores from my recording of the same name. The music reflects a rich variety of musical styles and is original. Therhythms are contemporary and the harmonies are lush. The duos feature an intricate dialog between the two acoustic guitars. It has been my goal to present performance or concert material for the plectrum (flatpick) guitar. These compositions were written with that in mind

The Christmas season has always been special to me. It is a season that has crystalized the hopes, aspirations and faith of millions of people through the centuries. The amount of music written for Christmas is monumental. This book contains 14 scores from my Christmas Guitar Portraits recording. I selected various genres dear to me. First, there are selections from the early American sacred song tradition. The Babe of Bethlehem, Cherry Tree Carol, A Star in the East, The Shepherd''s Star, A Virgin Unspotted are all from this rich heritage. I also picked a number of carols from the Old English genre. Away In The Manger, Green Grow''th the Holly and What Child is This are included. Then there are the Christmas favorites. In the Bleak Mid-winter and a medley of Baloo, Lammy; The First Noel and Silent Night make any Christmas complete. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence is one of my favorite Advent hymns. Gaudete, Christus est natus isa rousing carol dating back many centuries. Finally, I included two originals. Lullay, My Liking is an ancient carol text. Many composers over the centuries have written melodies to these lyrics, most notably Gustav Holst. I could not resistthe temptation so the melody here is original. Finally, Christmas Prayer is a new composition. I have always wanted to compose and arrange music designed tobring the plectrum or flatpick guitar to the concert stage. These arrangements were written with that in mind

The solos in this collection present a myriad of moods on the guitar. They were written to be very expressive, contemplative pieces which could be performed in a variety of secular and sacred settings. Most of them are from three solo collections previously released, entitled Guitar Meditations (MB22029), Guitar Airs and Ballads (MB22039) and Timeless Solos for Guitar (MB22041). Some of the pieces were scored for 7-string guitar; however, they can also be performed on 6-string guitar—indicated are the alternate 6-string pedal tones in the tablature part. Many of the solos use a cross-picking technique alternating higher position closed strings and open strings, resulting in a "harp-like" effect. the included tablature parts allow for a clear presentation of this effect and clarify where on the fingerboard these passages should be played. A number of the pieces are in Dropped D tuning, highlighting the rich resonance that tuning gives the instrument. All of these solos may be performed by the classical or fingerstyle guitarist or, as originally performed, with a pick. Explore the diverse moods presented in this collection and make full use of the many avenues of expression offered in these pieces! A companion dual CD is available with all 25 solos included. Performance Notes

A comprehensive 96-page, large print perfect-bound book of chords using a capo. Chords include major, minor, 7th, diminished, major 7, 6th, augmented and more. Chords are shown in all keys and in various capo positions.

Intermediate-advanced level. Presents 16 solos carefully written and edited to build technique. Ideal for solo performances and recitals, this volume contains works by Carcassi, Sanz, J.S. Bach, Sor, Tarrega, Coste, Diabelli, and Aguado. All solos are written in notation and tablature.

A valuable book for any guitarist. Part one presents a dictionary of essential chord forms shown by inversion. Part two features a very thorough analysis of chord melody and quartal harmony voicings in each key. Playing through part II will train your ear to improvise chordal melodies. Ideal for daily practice.•

This 48-page method is geared toward the beginning student of guitar. the method is presented in tablature - not standard music notation - in order to get the student playing as quickly as possible. Notes are presented one string at a time. Students will be taught the most widely used scales and chords on the guitar. Audio accompanies each exercise and piece in the book.

Part of Mel Bay''s new and innovative QWIKGUIDE® series, this handy-sized book features selections such as: Blackberry Blossom; St. Anne''s Reel; Whisky Before Breakfast; Morrison''s Jig; Billy in the Low Ground, Crazy Creek, Cold Frosty Morning, Harvest Moon, Sweet Lillie, East Tennessee Blues and more. Written in standard notation and tablature.

A collection of Southern Gospel and Camp Meeting all time favorites scored in notation and tab in an easy to play flatpicking guitar style. A companion CD is included. on the CD each piece is played twice, once as a guitar solo with accompaniment and again as a back-up track so the guitarist may practice the piece and use in a worship setting; ideal for small group or church performance.

All time favorite hymns arranged in notation and tab for easy to play flatpicking guitar. A companion CD is included. on the CD each piece is played twice, once as a guitar solo with accompaniment and again as a back-up track so the guitarist may practice the piece and use in a worship setting; ideal for small group or church performance.

A step-by-step method teaching correct modern jazz interpretation and phrasing. Great for reading and for learning to "play in the pocket". Companion CD allows the guitarist both to hear how the phrases should be interpreted and to play the jazz etudes with a rhythm section.

A very easy, step-by-step book/CD package teaching chords, backup licks and breaks, hammer-ons, pull-offs and other solo techniques. Written in notes and tablature.

A collection of reels written in the keys of C, Am, G, Em, D, A, E, F and Dm. Each reel is written in a different position. Thus, the guitarist learns to play great sounding flatipicking solos while learning keys and positions. Play along CD allows the guitarist to hear each piece and to play with a rhythm backup.

A collection of Southern Gospel and Camp Meeting all time favorites scored in notation and tab for fingerstyle guitar. A companion CD is included. on the CD each piece is played twice, once as a guitar solo with accompaniment and again as a back-up track so the guitarist may practice the piece and use in a worship setting; ideal for small group or church performance.Check out the Free PDF Download that contains a third of the book!

Contains 56 big-note, easy solos for beginning B-Flat trumpet. Includes folk songs, sea chanties, sacred songs, ragtime and dance tunes. Fun music for the beginner.

Contains chord forms for all of the most commonly used chords. Chords include major, minor, altered 7ths, diminished, augmented and many more. All forms are shown in picture and diagram form for the left-handed guitarist.

Big note solos on folk favorites designed to build technique, range and endurance while maintaining student interest. Serves as a supplement to any method.

A collection of 47 big-note, easy level-one solos on folk favorites designed to build technique, range, and endurance while maintaining student interest. Fun to play and serves ideally as a supplement to any method. All of the solos in this text may be played together in ensemble with the Fun with Violin, Fun with Cello, and Fun with String Bass books.

An excellent text for any trumpeter called upon to play in worship celebrations. In this popular book, 116 favorite hymns are arranged for melody, harmony and trumpet descant. the descants are lyrical and festive, and showcase the brilliance of the trumpet sound.

A follow-up book to the popular Fun with the Saxophone text. Contains 56 big-note, easy solo setting of folk songs, sea chanties, sacred songs, ragtime and dance tunes. Fun music for the beginner.

Playing chords is the emphasis of this Mel Bay Guitar University (MBGU) book. Over 100 songs arranged for chord strumming accompaniment to singing. Presented are easy chord forms, strumming in different time signatures, master chord reference chart, use of the capo, musical terms, types of guitars, and frequently asked questions. This is an ideal supplement to any guitar method. Online audio files available.

A carefully graded series of exercises, solos, duets, and chord studies which are an ideal supplement to the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method Grade 1 and to the note-reading section of Mel Bay''s Guitar Class Method. Studies are included for each string, and the keys of C, A minor, G, and E minor are presented. Guitar Studies Grade 1, in addition, will be a valuable aid to any beginning guitar student and the content will augment and enhance learning regardless of the basic instructional text being used. In notation only.

A full collection of popular harmonica songs for the beginning player. All songs are easy and fun to play, and are marked with blow/draw and hole indications. Written for the 10-hole diatonic harmonica in C.

This landmark book of music for the plectrum style jazz guitar took years to compile, write and edit. It contains some of the greatest solos and duets ever written and performed on the plectrum or flatpicked guitar, including works by Carl Kress, Dick McDonough, George Van Eps, Bucky Pizzarelli, George Barnes, Eddie Lang, George M Smith, Al Valenti, Mel Bay, Frank Victor, Harry Volpe, Carmen Mastren, Oscar Moore, Mundell Lowe, Tony Mottola, Al Hendrickson, and Cal Collins. All solos are in notation and tablature while the duets are shown in standard notation only.