Art of the Shuffle [Paperback]

Dave Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1996

This method book explores shuffle, boogie and swing rhythms for guitar. Includes tab and notation, and covers Delta, country, Chicago, Kansas City, Texas, New Orleans, West Coast, and bebop blues. Also includes audio for demonstration of each style and to jam along with.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793542065
• ISBN-13: 978-0793542062
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dave Rubin is a NYC blues guitarist, teacher, author and journalist. He has written over 50 books for the Hal Leonard Corporation, being nominated for a Paul Revere Award for 12 Bar Blues, and conducted over 200 interviews for all of the major guitar and blues magazines. Currently he writes for Guitar Edge Magazine. In 2005 Dave won the Keeping the Blues Alive Award in Journalism from the Blues Foundation in Memphis. He has performed with Chuck Berry, Son Seals, Johnny Copeland and others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Irresitable, January 27, 2000

By 

"rdhsbluz" (egroups.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art of the Shuffle (Paperback)

The Art of Shuffle by Dave Rubins is the best book on the subject I have ever come across and is a sheer delight for teachers and students alike. It realistically defines an area of study and then simply and clearly delivers all that the printed page can. Where the printed page falls off, the information is then supported by a CD that is divided into individual tracks for easy-find student repetition. At first the student will use these tracks to understand what is being rhythmically and musically said then, later on, it is just good jam tracks to enjoy and keep your memory and chops together. I particularly appreciate the divided tracks (this should be an industry standard) so you can skip over the tuning section or any part you're not focussing on instead of having to listen to the whole CD in order to get to a specific section. I give this effort eleven stars ( a perfect ten...plus) and I sincerely hope this author will do it again; I'd love to have one on turnarounds and as many other aspect of the blues as any series could ever hold. This author makes the art of shuffle simply irresitable.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book if you want to play the blues (rhythm guitar), May 6, 2005

By 

M. C Cardoso "marciohaas" (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of the Shuffle (Paperback)

"Art of the shuffle" is another winner by Dave Rubin and part of the worthy collection *Inside the Blues*, published by Hal Leonard. You get great music to perform - such a book can provide hours and hours of enjoyment and learning - at a fraction of the cost of a one-hour lesson!
Art of the Shuffle is like having a course with a guitar teacher who is also a music historian! The book has substantial, out-of-the ordinary information on the history of the blues, including GREAT pictures, mostly from unsung heroes of the genre.
The lay-out of the charts is superior and it is a breeze to read the charts and the tabs. Mr. Rubin's comments on the music and his performing tips are precise. The CD recordings are professional and enjoyable and cover ample territory: from basic 12-bar Delta blues to sophisticated jazzy workouts, from jump blues to classic Chicago riffs. A student should first listen, then play at a lower tempo until he/she can play the varied shuffle rhythms along with the tracks. Additional great value of the "Art of the shuffle" CD: the tracks are perfect for practicing lead guitar as well! In fact, 2 guitarists (rhythm and solo) can build an enjoyable set-list based entirely on the material of this book.
I highly recommend this book, which is a fine choice for the advanced beginner/ intermediate guitarist who wants to play blues rhythm guitar.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars get into the blues, August 9, 2006

By 

J. Robinson "starcatjr" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art of the Shuffle (Paperback)

This is a great book for expanding your knowledge of shuffle, swing, and boogie rhythms and of blues history. Starts off with some good old blues Jimmy-Reed type shuffles and then expands into some more challenging boogie/swing/jazzy sounding progressions. Many of the chords and progressions are meant to emulate the classic blues piano styles of the old days.
The book also has a scholarly and interesting history of the development of blues and jazz rhythms and the ragtime, dixieland and boogie woogie rhythms they developed from. Plus lots of cool pictures from the old days of big bands and original blues recordings.