Customer Reviews

The Great Family Songbook: A Treasury of Favorite Folk Songs, Popular Tunes, Children's Melodies, International Songs, Hymns, Holiday Jingles and More for Piano and Guitar.

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has an excellent selection of songs for families to play and sing together, everything from "Hava Nagila" to "Look for the Silver Lining" to "If You're Happy and You Know It." You can argue with their song choice, of course. Everyone will find gaps, but that would be true of any book like this. Personally, I'd recommend "Keep on the Sunny Side," for their second edition. Pros: great songs in good keys, chords and piano arrangements, beautiful illustrations, etc. It came in handy last night when I looked up "Auld Lang Syne." However there are some easy ways it could be improved in the next edition: give it a metal spiral binding, simplify the chords a little bit, make the lyrics stand out a little more from the page (better typeface? different color?), and include more the lyrics (Erie Canal only has one of the three verses). That's nitpicking however, this book is a very good deal, particularly for $13.00.

Very good book of songs. However, it is a hardback and very difficult to manage on a keyboard. I wish I would have purchased it in paperback.

I was disappointed with the selection of songs in this book (I would have preferred more American folk songs and fewer show tunes; obviously that's a matter of personal taste though), and with the lack of lyrics for the songs they did include. For example, they only printed three stanzas for "This Land Is Your Land"; I know of at least five. Same for "Down in the Valley", which has at least three stanzas though only two were in the book. I don't have a great knowledge of lyrics (which is why I needed a book), so when I know more than the book does, that's a pretty sad day.

The Great Family Songook is a winsome effort that appears to have been inspired by a beautiful 50's book, "The Fireside book of Folk songs." I have ached for a successor to Fireside, and it appears we finally have it. The printing and selection of music is exciting and diverse, and the arrangements quite suitable for both novice and accomplished musicans.
I especially appreciate the illustrations, however. The illustrations by Sarah Wilkins are obviously modeled upon the stylized illustrations of Fireside illustrators Alice and Martin Provenses, though not as evocative. Similarly, the chapter introductions possess a strong resemblance to those found in Fireside. Special thanks go to the editors of this book for presenting a new classic that will no doubt become a treasure for mny in the years to come.

What a find in a bountiful library when you're snowbound in a warm spacious vacation rental during a blizzard! It provided a variety of songs to sing around the fireplace while watching the snowflakes whirl outdoors. There's a song for everyone, young or the well seasoned seniors. A spiral bound binding would make it perfect for use with a keyboard, piano, guitar or ukulele.

This is a must for family entertainment. As a teacher I use it in the elementary classroom all year long, and after school at the nursing home where the clients love to hear the traditional songs that made America great. The only negative is that it is not spiral bound which makes it difficult to use on a music stand. Worth every penny for the variety of material you get though.The Great Family Songbook: A Treasury of Favorite Folk Songs, Popular Tunes, Children's Melodies, International Songs, Hymns, Holiday Jingles and More for Piano and Guitar.

As many of the other reviewers have noted, this is a spectacular collection of American songs. The songbook is like an old fashioned tv show, suitable for everyone in the family to enjoy together. Just flipping through the pages provided a nostalgic journey as I heard the tunes in my head.

But beyond being simply a collection of wonderful songs, this book is fascinating at another level. It is a guide to the American musical soul, to our values, our fascinations, our interests. It is a guide to our musical heritage and, as such, a peek at us.

I like the family nature of the collection with some material for the very young and some for us who are not so young. The generous selection is carefully made.

-----Lawrence J. Epstein, author of Political Folk Music in America from Its Origins to Bob Dylan

I originally checked this book out at the library. My family and I LOVED the great variety of songs, each of us found many songs that we enjoyed! Which, honestly, doesn't happen often! Since the book was returned to the library we have missed having the book around. I was pleased to find it at amazon for such a reasonable price! Can't wait to get this book home, so we can enjoy it even more! An excellent family songbook!

This book provides music for many classic favorite songs in a variety of categories--children's, nostalgic, patriotic, hymns, Christmas, and American folk. The music is written at a level for an intermediate pianist, and carries the melody line in the accompaniment. I ordered this book to use during my weekly piano-playing visits to a local nursing home. The residents enjoy the music and sing along with many of the songs. The only criticism I have is that the book does not have a spiral binding; since it is fairly thick, it has to be propped open.

This book covers a nice range of "old" folk and popular songs. The music is written for someone like myself, that gets lost when the sharps or flats get past about 2. Great fun to browse and play around with.

Right now I'm working with my concertina, which is native to the key of C and G, and this book has a generous selection which works for me.