dave marshall guitar studio
Pisgah Forest, NC
themarsh
Publications
To date, I have published three books with Mel Bay Publications, Inc. I have included links to the Mel Bay website that describes each book in detail. The books can be purchased there or at various music sites online. I've also provided a few guitar sound clips and associated first-page of the music.
(For the sheet music, click on the title, for the sound clip, click on the speaker icon.)
Learn to Play Brazilian Jazz Guitar
I wrote this book, which was published in September 1999, as a by-product of teaching a class teach a class in Brazilian jazz at the Paganini School of Guitar in Baltimore. In preparing for the class, I couldn’t find much background material. So, I compiled my own and handed it our to the students. After the class, it occurred to me that possibly there were others who might want to have basic instructions for playing this wonderful musical style. I had the extreme good fortune to have a two-hour session with the great jazz guitarist, Charlie Bird, who reviewed the draft and offered advice. Charlie almost single handedly introduced Brazilian jazz to the U.S. and the rest of the world.
(Minor Choro)
The Choro is a wonderful Brazilian rhythm, a precursor to the Bosa Nova. It was a favorite of the great Brazilian composer Villa Lobos, who used it extensively in his early works nearly a century ago.
(Sleepy Samba)
The samba is one of my favorite rhythms. It's origin is from an Afro-Brazilian couple dance, which was imported from certain circle dances that originated from Angola and the Congo. While working on this book, I woke up in the middle of the night and this tune came to me. In the morning, I still remembered it and named it Sleepy Samba.
Dropped D Guitar: Bach to Blues
For me, playing in dropped D (in which you tune the top bass string down a full tone from E to D) has always been a favorite tuning other than standard. This book was the result of a collection of arrangements I had compiled over several years for my students and friends, and for my own use. I considered packaging them together as a convenient way to make them available for others. As I began this project, I was struck by a common, reoccurring theme: many of the arrangements required the guitar to be tuned to dropped D, regardless of the key. The collection formed the beginning of this book, which was published in August 2003.
Read what Michael Parrish, writing for Dirty Linen magazine, and Linda Kelsall-Barnett, Classical Guitar magazine (London) have to say: <reviews>
Ode to Joy
Ode to Joy is the fourth and final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It's been praised as one of his most brilliant works and has also been called a beer hall song.Hard Times Come Again No More
This tune is by Steven Foster (1826-1864), America's first professional songwriter. Foster knew hard times (mostly self-inflicted) and sang this song often.
Wildwood Flower
A great Appalachian folk tune, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. The original tune, which can be traced back to the 1860s, was titled I'll Twine 'Mid the Ringlets.
St. Louis Blues
W.C. Handy's classic tune in 1914 that almost single-handedly established the blues as a separate art form.
The Spirituals—Their Story, Their Song
One evening, I played several spirituals for my neighbors and good friends Prudence and Spencer Boyer. Spencer made the suggestion that I write a guitar book devoted solely to the spirituals. His suggestion planted a seed that eventually lead to this book. I am in his debt. Mel Bay published it in September 2007.
Richard Turner reviewed the book in the November 2007 issue of Mel Bay’s Online magazine, Guitar Sessions. Richard a graduate of San Jose State University, majoring in music, lives in Fullerton California and has taught at Cal State University at Fullerton since 1994: <review>
One of the best known and loved spiriuals. Czech composer Anton Dvorak used fragments of it in his wonderful work, The New World Symphony.
An upbeat spiritual filled with hope and expectations of a better life in the hereafter. Do Lord, do remember me...
My August 2008 article on Mel Bay's "webzine" online guitar resource, Guitar Sessions is still available in which I discuss the 50th anniversity of the bosa nova and Brazilian jazz.
My July 2008 article is also availablein which I talk about dropped d playing in keys other than D major:
Finally, my June 2008 article is still available, in which I explore the guitar connection with the world of opera via the creative genius of Fernando Sor.
Fernando Sor: The Opera—Classical Guitar Connection
Pisgah Forest, NC
themarsh
