Mel Bay Steve Kaufman's Favorite 50 Mandolin, Tunes N-S Traditional American Fiddle Tunes Paperback – November 21, 2006

This is the 2nd volume I bought in this series of 4 songbooks. I play at an intermediate level and found that these books suit me just fine. On the CDs he plays the tunes at a moderate fast tempo. Just the perfect speed to work up to as I'm learning the tune. I have found other books have the recorded tunes playing at breakneck speeds and that can get discouraging. The choice of tunes are fine as well. Some I have been learning at the pickin' sessions I attend while others are more obscure but fresh sounding. The titles of many of the songs are entertaining in themselves. Highly recommend this for intermediate players or anyone who wish to expand their old-time mandolin repertoire.

I have the other two,,,150 tunes now,,,gees,,so many tunes so little time,,,great arrangements as always with Steve, would love if it was already in tabedit,,,but hey,,you can't have everything.....

Well, it's all there,,,50 tunes,,,,keep you busy for quite a spell

nice book delivered timely

Useful book with CD, tab, and music notation. Good tune choices, too.

Perhaps the most published music teacher in the Mel Bay catalog, three-time National Flatpick Guitar Champ Steve Kaufman has produced about 100 books and videos since 1989. While Steve focuses on guitar, he's no slouch on the mandolin either. Written in standard notation and tab, there are a total of four volumes that span the alphabet. There's also a sister series for guitar. Between "N" and "S," he chose fifty interesting tunes. Most are reels, and nearly half are in the key of D. About a third also appear in the Fiddler's Fakebook (and Mandolin Picker's Fakebook) by David Brody. Those are favorites like Old Joe Clark, Old Mother Flanagan, Opera Reel, Over the Waterfall, Petronella, Red Haired Boy, Sail Away Ladies, Saint Anne's Reel, Sally Gooden, Sally Johnson, and Salt Creek. There's fair variety with Irish, Old-Time, French Canadian, and Bluegrass. I enjoyed the more obscure tunes that aren't already in that "ultimate sourcebook" for the traditional musician referenced above. And ones with novel names like "Shove that Pig's Foot a Little Further in the Fire" immediately caught me eye. The accompanying CD is a very helpful and immediately accessible resource, but each page of the book should've included a reference to the track on the disc so you don't have to keep flipping back to the table of contents.It wouldn't have hurt for him to include some tune source info when available. For example, I originally learned "Peter Francisco" and "Quince Dillon's High D" from Fuzzy Mountain String Band albums. The former was published in G. P. Knauf's 1839 "Virginia Reels," and was named for a Revolutionary War hero of great size and courage. His shoes are on exhibit at Guilford Courthourse Battlefield near Greensboro, N.C. Henry Reed was a source for "Quince Dillon's High D," named for a Civil War fifer. "Pacific Slope" has origins in the midwest, but Steve's arrangement is different than the one I've heard before.Beyond just building new repertoire, fiddle tunes improve right and left-hand coordination, as well as allow one to work on tone, timing, and tempo. You'll discover new licks by exploring tunes like New Five Cents, New Money, Old Jack Gillie, Peas in the Pod, Pineywoods Gal, Pretty Betty's Reel, Quarter Deck, Rachel, Rambler's Hornpipe, Sandra's Reel, Shaker Ben, Sheep Shell Corn by the Rattling of his Horn, Single Footing Horse. The B-part for "Shoot Two Bits" is a great finger exercise. "Shipping Post" and "Shortenin' Bread" have three parts.Variety is a good thing, and a player's repertoire should have offerings in many keys. Because the preponderance of traditional tunes are in the keys of A or D, I found myself gravitating to those such as the 4-part Shelburne Reel (key of Bb), Rosebud Reel (Bb), Roving Piper (G), Run Rabbit Run (G), Nine Miles Out of Louisville (G). We need more tunes in the key of C like "Pegleg" and "Padgett." Steve only offers two tunes in the key of Am (Paddy On The Handcar, Shaking Down The Acorns). "Sally Put A Bug On Me" and "Rabbit in the Woodpile" are fun to pick because their two parts alternate between keys. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)