Bluegrass Guitar: Know the Players, Play the Music

In the wake of the success of "O Brother, Where Art Thou's" soundtrack, bluegrass music has undergone something of a renaissance. Listener's ears were opened to the rootsy, rolling sound, and began to look again at a music that had largely been ignored for many years. People are now keen to learn about and play bluegrass, and there is a burgeoning scene both in the US and the UK. The flatpicking guitar technique, a major part of the bluegrass sound, is something many guitarists are keen to add to their armoury, whether they want to play bluegrass or adapt it into some other genre. "Bluegrass Guitar," a new title in the Fretmaster series, will combine a history and a playing guide, with brief biographies of key artists, and transcriptions, original recordings and style demonstrations. In this title, the history section will focus on players such as Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Clarence White, Norman Blake, Tony Rice and Bryan Sutton. The accompanying CD offers specially recorded backing tracks, allowing readers to play along and hone their technique.