Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar Book & CD (Acoustic Masterclass) (Paperback)

~ Henry Mancini (Author)
Key Phrases: Main Theme, The Sweetheart Tree, The Thorn Birds (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This album-matching folio includes 12 classic Henry Mancini tracks arranged for solo guitar in standard notation and tab by 12 master guitarists. In addition to the breathtaking arrangements, this new folio includes a "masterclass" CD on which the artists walk through the key aspects and techniques for each arrangement. Titles (and arrangers) are: Baby Elephant Walk (William Coulter) * Charade (Aaron Stang) * The Days of Wine and Roses (David Cullen) * Dear Heart (Wayne Johnson) * It's Easy to Say (Doug Smith) * Moon River (Ed Gerhard) * Peter Gunn (Pat Donohue) * The Pink Panther (Laurence Juber) * What's Happening (Mike Dowling) * The Sweetheart Tree (Mark Hanson) * Theme from "The Thorn Birds" (Al Petteway) * Two for the Road (Amrit Sond).

Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Publications (October 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757923674
• ISBN-13: 978-0757923678
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #248,973 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For serious guitar players, June 8, 2007

By	J. Wingo "jwingo" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book+cd masterclass is just that, a master class. The quality of the arrangements make learning the songs very worth while, although most are challenging to master as they are technically intermediate to advanced.

The music from the Pink Guitar CD (Henry Mancini : Pink Guitar) is amazing and should be purchased on its own merit. If the music from the Pink Guitar CD inspires you to learn those arrangements, then this book is for you. It would be almost impossible to learn any of the pieces in this book without owning the retail Pink Guitar CD for guidance as the accompanying CD to this book focuses on the artists' comments and teachings on playing their respective arrangements.

Although most tab guitar books are focused at introductory lessons, this book is quite a bit more advanced and should be enjoyable for higher level acoustic guitar players. Beginner players may find many of the pieces outside of their range.

4.0 out of 5 stars new tunings..., December 2, 2008

By	S. Guernsey "sguernsey" (North Yarmouth, ME USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent way to be introduced to a selection of innovative acoustic fingerstylists through the beautiful songs of Henry Mancini. The CD of "helpful hints" range from a few thoughts from some to full walk-throughs by others. I would recommend that you invest in the actual recording "Pink Guitar" to use as a guide for the subtle details. For intermediate to advanced players. I don't think there is a standard tuning in the lot - maybe one drop D.

5.0 out of 5 stars So worth it, November 9, 2008

By	Adam Rose (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a really fun book!!! I loved the CD, but did not get the book for a while because I didn't want to spend too much time learnign these tunes, but I was pleasantly surprised how manageable they are.

I would recommend getting the cd first and if you like it, definitely get this book. The arrangements are fantastic, and within a short period of time I was able to get through most of the songs. Moon River is probably worth getting the book for alone, and it is very simple to play (it has an apparently awkward tuning, but only the low E needs to be retuned).

One reviewer made it sound as though the songs are really hard. Not true. If you're a beginner, maybe. But beginners shouldn't be whining about a book being challenging just because they are lacking in skill and want some water down easy version. Also, they complained about the alternate tunings. A really lame complaint, considering that the alternate tunings give many of these songs their great character, and learning alternate tunings is incredibly valuable to a solo acoustic guitarist. Many of the tunings are also very close together, so you can skip around the book and not have to retune that much.

I really enjoyed the cd that came with it too--since I did encounter a few typo's, the cd helped me figure out what was wrong. It's like getting a lesson from some of the world's best guitarists. It doesn't give you the whole song, but gives you enough to hear the general vibe, and gives you pointers on the more challenging bits.

Mancini was one of the great composers, and this book is a real treat considering that these guitarists all give you a unique perspective on some of his most popular tunes, and did the hard part of coming up with the arrangements. This one is a great joy, and a great learning tool. If you're a beginner and you dedicate some time to this book, you will emerge a much better guitarist.

(and watch out for the 3 against 4 in Peter Gunn!)