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Banjo Chord Encyclopedia for Five String or Plectrum Banjo - G and C Tunings Paperback – Illustrated, October 23, 2015

by Mel Bay (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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This book presents an extremely comprehensive collection of 5-string and plectrum banjo chord forms for G and C tunings. Beginning with C and proceeding chromatically through B, every possible inversion of every chord, from basic triads to thirteenth chords are shown in easy to read diagrams. To aid in comprehension of chord construction, every chord is shown in root position in standard notation. A general review of hand positions, general technique, bridge adjustments, strings, and use of the capo is provided in the last few pages. Illustrated with pencil drawings, diagrams and photographs.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    128 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
  4. Publication date
    October 23, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.29 x 11 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0871669196
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0871669193
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mel Bay was born on February 25, 1913 in the little Ozark Mountain town of Bunker, Missouri. He bought a Sears Roebuck guitar at the age of 13 and several months later played his first "gig." (He recalled playing until his fingers were raw!) Mel took up the tenor banjo shortly thereafter and continued to play both instruments. During his teenage years Mel played with a wild assortement of bands and characters in rural Missouri. Perhaps no "gig" was as strange as the job he landed with, in Mel's words, "a snake oil salesman." This flamboyant peddler would pull his ostentatious Pierce Arrow automobile, complete with steer horns mounted on the grill, into the center of a small, rural town. Mel would sit on the car and play up a storm on the tenor banjo. After a crowd gathered, the peddler took over and began extolling the merits of his "wonder elixer."

In 1933 Mel Bay moved to St. Louis and began his professional career. He played with numerous local and traveling bands. In addition, he landed staff guitar jobs on several radio stations. Mel fronted his own trio (piano, bass, guitar) and played steadily for 25 years! He was equally adept on most fretted instruments and played mandolin, uke, Hawaiian guitar, tenor and plectrum banjo professionally.

While Mel was actively pursuing his playing career, he continued to teach as many as 100 students a week. He decided to begin writing instructional materials due to the difficulty encountered by guitarists at playing good sounding chord forms in rhythm sections and due to the poor note reading ability prevalent among guitarists.

After the war Mel was asked to write instructional materials on guitar for GI's wanting to learn music under the GI Bill. In 1947 Mel formed his own publishing company and wrote his landmark initial book titled The Orchestral Chord System for Guitar. (This book is still in print under the title Rhythm Guitar Chord System and continues to be one the finest rhythm guitar chord texts available!) His Modern Guitar Method was penned shortly thereafter. For years Mel traveled from town to town talking to guitar teachers and players and showing them his publications. At one time Mel claims to have known virtually every guitar teacher in America on a first name basis! The guitar and Mel Bay books caught on in a big way in the 1950's. Things have continued to grow ever since.

Mel used to sell D'Angelico guitars. At any given time he would have 5 or 6 "lying around the house." Mel played professionally on his New Yorker model but his favorite was the initial Mel Bay Model crafted as a gift for him by John D'Angelico. This famous guitar had all of the main features of the New Yorker but was a "cut away" model and had a slightly thinner neck. This instrument has been pictured on the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method for decades.

Someone once calculated that sales of guitar books written by Mel Bay have exceeded 25 million copies. When asked, Mel frequently said that he quit counting long ago. Sales of his Modern Guitar Method have alone surpassed the 7 million mark. It is safe to say that Mel Bay is one of the pivotal figures in the world of guitar music and instruction in this century.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mel Bay Publications, Inc.; Illustrated edition (October 23, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0871669196
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0871669193
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.29 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

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Mel Bay

Mel Bay

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bill Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
Helpful book
Helpful
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Carl Kohl
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for...
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
I have a Tenor Guitar tuned like a 'Plectrum Banjo' - C,G,B,D, - I have plenty of guitar music with chords and this book does the trick and let's me use what I already have... There is not much out there on the Plectrum Banjo... Happy I found this.
Helpful
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Gerald L Duvall
4.0 out of 5 stars Delux Encyclopedia of Banjo Chords For Five String and Plect
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2001
The book "Delux Encyclopedia of Banjo Chords: For Five String and Plectrum Banjo-G & C Tuning", is an excellent handbook for those banjo pickers who want an access to common major chords as well as very uncommon chords to possibly enhance the music they're playing or make the playing easier. I would recommend it to any banjo picker no matter what the experience level.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Gadgetman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great chord book
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Tutto perfetto
3.0 out of 5 stars It's a book of reference
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2019
Verified Purchase
Let me start of by saying that the content is good. Although putting two types of tuning in one book seems a bit odd. Why not make a separate book for each?
What is poor is the editorial presentation. First, the page layout is rather approximate. Some pages have the diagrams nearly up against the edge of the page. But, all that is the least.
No one is going to read this book from cover to cover so it is a book of reference. As such, the user wants to find what he is looking for with ease and without having to thumb through the whole book. If the pages were indicated, as I have had to do, and Mel Bay did not (see photo), it would make the use of this book much easier and useful.
Customer image
Tutto perfetto
3.0 out of 5 stars It's a book of reference
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2019
Let me start of by saying that the content is good. Although putting two types of tuning in one book seems a bit odd. Why not make a separate book for each?
What is poor is the editorial presentation. First, the page layout is rather approximate. Some pages have the diagrams nearly up against the edge of the page. But, all that is the least.
No one is going to read this book from cover to cover so it is a book of reference. As such, the user wants to find what he is looking for with ease and without having to thumb through the whole book. If the pages were indicated, as I have had to do, and Mel Bay did not (see photo), it would make the use of this book much easier and useful.
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