Mel Bay's A Treasury of Songs for Young People: For Autoharp, Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo, and Keyboard [Paperback]

Meg Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

The songs in this book are familiar to children of all ages. They include not only traditional children's songs, but also rounds, cowboy tunes, and popular Christmas songs. They have been arranged in the keys that are most suitable for singing, and can be played in a variety of styles using only the words and the accompanying chords. In cases where there are two versions of a particular tune, both have been included. If one version is not well known, however, the most widely used melody is selected. The songs are written as lyrics with chord symbols only; no music notation is provided.

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About the Author

Meg Peterson is the premier Autoharp teacher in the U. S. She has introduced thousands of people-- teachers, students, young and old-- to the delights of this versatile instrument. She has spent the last thirty years collecting and transcribing traditional and innovative ways to play the autoharp, which has resulted in the writing and arranging of thirty books. In her first method book, written in 1965, she introduced her own scoring tablature that has become universal to all autoharp pickers, from beginners to advanced players. Since the autoharp arrived on the musical scene relatively recently, as musical history goes, very few people had learned to do anything with it, except push buttons and stroke. Meg, therefore, invented many of the strums and new techniques shown in her books, using existing guitar and banjo patterns as guidelines, and transcribed them in a way that is playable on the autoharp. As a result, the autoharp has come into its own as an integral and respected part of country and bluegrass combos. Meg has travelled widely, giving workshops as far away as Australia, England, and South Africa, and has been a judge at the Walnut Valley Festial in Winfield, Kansas.

In July 1995 Meg was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame "for her exceptional contribution to the autoharp community." Meg is also a violinist and was educational director of Oscal Schmidt International for 15 years. During that time she worked extensively with music educators, classroom teachers, music therapists and special educators, showing them how to use the autoharp in their teaching programs. Ms. Peterson also served as executive director of Music Education for the Handicapped for six years, during which time she ran three international symposia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786670029
• ISBN-13: 978-0786670024
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,205,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)