View Full Version : Tune book aquisition syndrome
Well I haven't counted, but I named as many as I could just sitting here out of sight of my music room, and I named off 37 without hesitation, so its probably something well over 50 tune books. Thats old timey, celtic, waltzes, etc., and doesn't include "tune books" for classical, medieval, Christmas collections, and some old books of pop standards.
How many of them are used or at least referred to routinely? Well I would guess most of the 37 I listed without much thought, so say 30 or so.
These are published tune books. I have in addition some ten or fifteen binders of collections of xeroxed tunes, from various jam sessions, folk clubs, contra dance pick up bands, and other musicians' collections that they let me copy.
I am sure I am not alone in this, and that compared to some of you I am a piker -
So, as the first step lets admit to the magnitude of our TBAS.
Jefa432
Jan-05-2007, 6:40am
Oh yeah, I was just getting ready to buy another fiddle tune book(I love playing old fiddle tunes on the mando), and thought to myself, I'm getting out of control with buying all these books. #I only have about 10-15 right now but I see it being a slippery slope and thats not counting all the songs I have downloaded off the internet. #The prize of my "collection" is The Old-time Fiddler's Repertory Vol 2 by R. P. Christeson(1980's?). #It is out of print and I got the last copy direct from the publisher. #The one I'm getting next is Appalachian Fiddle. #Does anyone know anything about this book?
mehrsam
Jan-05-2007, 6:57am
Tune books, instruction books, instruction CDs and DVDs, music D/L'ed off the Internet...I've got some, but I'm nowhere near your numbers, which makes me very happy, because now I can justify getting John McGann's new Rhythm Mandolin DVD.
TBAS, IBAS, MAS, GAS...as I routinely tell my wife, "Just be glad I don't collect Corvettes or luxury yachts."
mandocrucian
Jan-05-2007, 7:10am
If I built anymore book shelves, the place would look like (more like?) the library. There's all that unused "vacant space" on the walls above the door jams up to the ceiling, but my wife says no way.
60 or so (but not all tunebooks) - but that's just the folk music of Finland shelf.
A quick estimate with the measuring tape and calculator puts things at somewhere around 28 linear feet of shelf space. That's including bios, overviews of particular genres, music biz, record review compilations, and then all the tune collections, guitar transcription books, fake books, instrumental methods........ I didn't even figure in the stacks of years of numerous music magazines.
When you stop bothering to count "how many", and start thinking instead in terms of shelf footage, then you've got an <s>addiction ... problem.....</s>, (what's the term?)....ah yes... a hobby!
Sooner or later, everything will turn up at/in a friends of the library sale, garage sale, used book store, remaindered books warehouse etc. at a fraction of the original price. So you just wait with a spider's patience and keep your eyes open...
Egg-cellent!
Jim Garber
Jan-05-2007, 8:41am
I fear for my family (hopefully) many years from now when I am gone and leave these pilece for them to go thru. Not only tune books b ut piles and piles of antique folios, method books and sheet music of all kinds for the mandolin. I may consider scanning it all and leaving it to some archive at some point. Much of it is junk but some of some interest.
Jim
Dave Reiner
Jan-05-2007, 8:48am
Oh yeah, I was just getting ready to buy another fiddle tune book ... #The one I'm getting next is Appalachian Fiddle. #Does anyone know anything about this book?
There are simple but quite decent versions of some fine oldtime tunes in Miles Krassen's Appalachian Fiddle. #He was my wife's banjo teacher a long time ago, and he's a good oldtime fiddler. #I recommend this book.
Dave Reiner
Co-author, Oldtime Fiddling Across America
Author, Anthology of Fiddle Styles
Bobbie Dier
Jan-05-2007, 8:48am
I have TBAS and have had it for a LONG time. It is worse than MAS. I don't really have a bad case of MAS but TBAS has me. Now I'm starting on Banjo TBAS. I'll need another room to store it all. That can run into some serious cash too since I can't seem to part with any of them.
I've got more mandolin tune books and instructional materials than most music stores. Still can't play worth a dang - but I have fun tryin'. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Wayne
gnelson651
Jan-05-2007, 11:42am
I really don't want to think about all the instruction/tune books/CDs/DVDs I have. If I do, I realize I could have bought a Gibson A for what I paid for all this stuff. But I rationalize it in that I don't have a teacher (none to be found around here) by what I would have paid for personal instruction.
There are some instruction books I used for a short time then threw it aside because it was too difficult, too easy or too boring. I'm always looking for that new material that will take me to next level. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Jim MacDaniel
Jan-05-2007, 11:51am
Guilty here too -- and I am especially fond of tunebooks in standard notation that come with CD's, as well as DVD tutors from most any genre and on technique. (Regarding the latter, if the author puts the word "essential" in the title, it tends to move to the top of my to-buy list. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif )
violmando
Jan-05-2007, 1:44pm
I'm guilty of TBAS too--my excuse it that I'm a school music teacher so I "can use it for school". I have fiddle books, misc. tune books, method books for anything with strings, you name it! I've got 2 short file cabinets plus several boxes at home and several milk crates full at school....and I still occassionally catch myself buying a "dupe" at a garage sale or off eBay. Oh well....I just love to read through them and I'm constantly refering to one or another. Yvonne
My rule of thumb while thumbing through a new tune book at the store - if I randomly come across more than three tunes that "look" like they would be fun to play, I buy the book.
MandoSquirrel
Jan-05-2007, 5:16pm
I have an excuse, I've been officially & psychiatrically diagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive, & I gave up the Shrink & medication a few years ago to save money. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
So now I'm feeling guilty about all the books that are on my waiting list to buy, as well as all the oodles I already have & can't work my way through in a month of practicing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
At least I don't have those complete collections of "Mandolin World News" & "Bluegrass & Oldtime Mandolin" taking up space, since my ex-wife threw them out behind my back years ago! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif
sachmo
Jan-07-2007, 9:00am
Has anyone had any experiance with the Kaufman mandolin stuff. I see he has the 50 tune series as well as the 50 fiddle tunes. I know he's great guitar player but how is he on the mandolin? I've had a couple guitar series books and found them that I could'nt use the licks he was teaching. They didn't seem "natural" to me. The mandolin series would be great for learning tunes if his versions are do-able.
I'm just looking for input.........
Thanks in advance.
S
TBAS - Hi, I'm Alan and I suffer!
Twin Mandolin Workshop by Robert Bowlin. A sleeper here, done probably 20 years ago. Tunes are Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Roanoke, Opus 57 in G minor, Snowball, Festival Waltz, 8th of January, Scotland, Apple Blossom, Gypsy Swing - this last number a Grisman tune, also done by T. Rice. Some of the titles may appear ho-hum, but the harmony lines are hip and sophisticated. The main problem is the tab (no std. notation included) is virtually unreadable - no timings given, notes run into other measures. But, if you know the tunes and can figure out how it 'should' sound, the arrangements are great.
fiddle5
Jan-07-2007, 11:39am
I have hundreds of books in my library, for a number of popular instruments. Many of them are lent out and I usually keep track of who has what books by photo-copying the front cover and keeping it in a "on-loan" file. Sometimes some other instructors borrow them 20 and 30 at a time.
Because of multi-instruments, styles, and musicians, I often look for books that everyone likes and can play, and are written in a format for Piano with lead melody line, abreviated chords, and vocals if available. Most of the stuff is written for common key signatures, and range from beginner to intermediate. All my books are Standard Notation, Purchasing books in Tablature is a waste of money because it doesn't read for other instruments, or I have to buy the same tunes a second time for a second instrument, or third...
Other than the odd chart or method book, I don't really buy any that are strictly for mando since most popular pieces are written as fiddle tunes, and there are many times more of them.
Too many books.... not enough time
Another set of mando-related works are Joe Carr's Texas Fiddle Tunes and Merlin's Magical Mandolin Method, both done many years ago. Written in a down-home way, these are good books for increasing the repetoire. Many standard tunes, some obscure ones, all in Joe's nice style. Have a few tunes from his days in Roanoke, and some pointers on trills, B breaks, etc.
He also tabbed out his cool soloing on the old Slim Richey JazzGrass record on Ridgerunner. These were hand written and are somewhat elementary in their noting, which he admits he was very green when he wrote these out. But some hip lines, like his theft of Charlie Christian and Lionel Hampton solos <g>. I hunted him down a long time ago to get these, and he even included a copy of the hand-written chart to Gravy Waltz, in Slim's hand.
Seth Austen
Jan-08-2007, 9:06am
Yes, I'm definitely afflicted with tune book acquisition syndrome. I have old time fiddle tune books, Celtic, klezmer, Balkan, Scandinavian, real books, fake books, classical guitar collections... Add to that tons of books about music, biographies of favorite musicians and composers... We won't even mention CDs, LPs and cassettes or where the heck to put all this stuff http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Seth
ondigo
Jan-10-2007, 5:54pm
Spread the affliction!
I'm looking for Irish/Scottish tune books. Any recommendations?
I've got the "Celtic Encyclopedia: Mandolin Edition" on my Amazon wishlist. Is it any good?
John Hill
Jan-10-2007, 6:06pm
It's spilled over from fiddle tunes to my new "The Real Book, Vol. 2". Pretty cool stuff there and I'm relishing the Monk tunes...that and plus it's a good way to keep me on my resolution of reading standard notation more efficiently! And to add to the fiddle tunes collection I just found out that a used book store in town has a copy of the Marion Thede book; one for the shelf to be sure http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif .
John
Spread the affliction!
I'm looking for Irish/Scottish tune books. #Any recommendations?
I've got the "Celtic Encyclopedia: Mandolin Edition" on my Amazon wishlist. #Is it any good?
If you read standard notation, there are tons of Irish and Scottish tune books available - written ostensibly for fiddle but exactly suited to the mandolin as well.
My favorite Irish tune book is O'Neils 1,850 fiddle tunes, the big yellow book, though I have many other favorite Irish tunebooks.
I have many Scottish tunebooks, and I love them all and would recommend them, but there isn't one that I keep going back to as often and consistantly as I go to the big yellow book for Irish music.
Hope it helps.
Fred Keller
Jan-10-2007, 7:47pm
I'm a junkie too.
I own a copy of Mr. Aloys Fleischman's "Sources of Irish Traditional Music" in addition to numerous other books. Check it out on Amazon or one of those: 6000+ tunes going back to the late 1500's. Amazing! Practical? Perhaps not, but amazing nonetheless.
ondigo
Jan-11-2007, 12:07pm
"Sources of Irish Traditional Music" is $400 on Amazon. You really do have TBAS, Fred.
Fred Keller
Jan-11-2007, 12:20pm
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Yup, I does. I do confess to having purchased the Fleischman book when it was at least $100 cheaper AND in tandem with birthday money. But still. I cured my MAS with a Brentrup but I haven't found the right fix for TBAS.
Don Grieser
Jan-12-2007, 9:47am
The good folks at Penn State put this classic out-of-print tunebook up in pdf form. It's mainly tunes collected from Pennsylvania fiddlers. Samuel Bayard also published a huge collection called Dance to Fiddle, March to the Fife that is also out of print. I really like some of the tunes in this book that he transcribed from Sarah Armstrong.
Samuel Bayard's Hill Country Tunes in pdf (http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes/hct/index.htm)
After I bought the book, I found the pdf file. Too bad more out of print tune books aren't available like this.
Somewhere I found O'Neill's 1000 tunes in pdf with midi files too so you could hear the tunes too. I'll post the link if I can find it again.