The Good Stuff
Sound files for all sheet music are over there ⇒
They’re down below if you’re on a phone.
Read This Before You Begin
You’ve got 220 songs to knock out. Track your progress: PDF Practice Logs: PDF
Sound Files: Download the sound files and listen to them a zillion times prior to tackling each song. The sound files are to your right. If you’re on your phone, they’re down below.
Standard Notation: In tablature we trust, but we like standard notation too. If you want copies without tablature, we can make that happen. It’s the modern world and we own software.
What’s TuffAxe? It’s the chord-melody arrangement. Some people call it “fingerstyle.” It’s tough to play, and if you can do it, you’re “tuff” … that’s good.
Multiple Voicing: Each piece of sheet music is designed to be played in at least four different ways. Level 5 and 6 material is meant for ensemble work and usually has even more voicings.
Our Books: We have pre-printed books waiting for you at the office. They have plenty of instruction not available online. Save your sanity and your printer and buy them.
Copyright: Don’t sell anything you find on this page or we’ll hunt you down and start dating your sister. If there is no PDF, email me to acquire a copy after a short discussion about your plans.
Get a Teacher Ya Lunatic: Sheet music won’t make you a musician. You need tools. Get a qualified instructor and stop wasting time gutting it out by yourself with internet downloads. You really are developing bad habits without somebody to keep an eye on you once in awhile.
Stoicism: The problem is not a problem. Our attitude toward the problem is the problem. Start right now. Do what you can. Analyze the results. Start again tomorrow. If you play one hour a day every day, you’ll master the guitar in just over 27 years. If you play less than that, it’ll take longer. Enjoy the ride and have realistic expectations. If making music were as easy as those “play guitar the easy way” advertisements suggest, everybody would be doing it. It’s not easy, and they’re not doing what those ads say at all. You’ll need to plan on many hours of gutting it out with a good sense of humor, some patience, and a willingness to keep showing up.
Book 1: One Chord Songs
Yup, we know, these songs aren’t cool enough for you. Do ’em anyway. They’re way more important than you might imagine when getting started. They are the foundation for everything else in the program.
- Brother John [E] PDF ~ Video ~ Lesson ~ Lesson
- Frère Jacques [A] PDF ~ Lesson
- Farmer in the Dell [A] PDF
- Row Row Row Your Boat [D] PDF ~ Lesson
- Three Blind Mice [G] PDF
- Introduction to Strumming [A & F#m & D & E7]: Print Double Sided SHORT EDGE Binding PDF
Video Playlist for Level 1
Book 2: Two-ish Chord Songs
Most of these songs are on the annoying side, but some are wonderful and all are helpful to finish out your toolbox necessary to effectively play sophisticated music for the rest of your life. Melody, Chords, TuffAxe, Duets, Arpeggios … oh my. And yeah, the printed edition of Book 2 has tons of additional stuff you’ll want. Come buy the complete book.
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket [A & E7] PDF ~ Lesson
- Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ [D & A & A7] PDF
- Alouette [D & A7] PDF
- Buffalo Gals [G & D7] PDF
- Carnival of Venice [C & G7] PDF
- Clementine [A & E7] PDF
- Day-O: The Banana Boat Song [D & A] PDF
- Down in the Valley [C & G & G7] PDF
- Drunken Sailor [Am & G, Dm & C, Em & D, Movable Bars] PDF
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody [C & G] PDF
- Hokey Pokey [C & G7] PDF
- Hush Little Baby [E & B7] PDF
- Itsy Bitsy Spider [G & D7] PDF
- La Cucaracha [D & A] PDF
- London Bridge is Falling Down [A & E, C & G] PDF
- Mary Had a Little Lamb [D & A, A & E] PDF
- Pay Me My Money Down [A & E] PDF
- Simple Gifts [A & E] PDF
- Skip to My Loo [F & C7] PDF
- The More We Get Together [G & D] PDF
- This Old Man PDF [A & D & E] ~ Lesson
- Tom Dooley [D & A7] PDF
- Wheels on the Bus [F & C] PDF
Book 3: Multi-Chord Public Domain Songs
If you can play all the parts of all these songs, you are ready for a life in guitar. Get the complete Book 3 to be cool and delightfully informed.
- Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman [G & C & D7] PDF ~ Lesson
- All Through the Night [D & E & A & G] PDF
- Aloha ‘Oe [D & G & A7] PDF
- Amazing Grace [C & F & G] PDF
- America the Beautiful [G & G7 & D & D7 & A & A7 & Am & E7 & C] PDF
- Andante in G by Carulli [G & Am & C & D & D7 & Em] PDF
- Ash Grove [D & Em & A7 & Bm] PDF
- Beautiful Dreamer [A & D & E PDF
- Brahms’ Lullabye [A & D & E7] PDF
- Danny Boy [A & D & E7] PDF
- Down by the Riverside [A & A7 & E7 & D] PDF
- Estudio in E Minor by Tàrrega [Am & Em & B7 & G] PDF
- For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow [D & G & A7] PDF
- Für Elise [Em & B7 & G & D] PDF
- Happy Birthday [G & D & D7 & C] PDF
- Heidenröslein [A & D & D7 & E & E7 & Em7 & B7 & Bm & C#] PDF
- House of the Rising Sun [Am & C & D & E7 & F] PDF
- Internationalé [D & G & A & A7 & & E & E7 & Bm & F#7 PDF
- Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair [G & C & Em & A7 & D & D7 & Bm] PDF
- Kumbaya [C & F & Em & G] PDF
- Las Mañanitas [D & A7 & G] PDF
- Last Rose of Summer [A & D & E & F#m] PDF
- Minstrel Boy [C & F & G & Am] PDF
- Ode to Joy [C & Dm & Dm7 & G & G7 & Am & E7] PDF
- On Top of Spaghetti [C, F, G, G7] PDF
- Parting Glass [Bm & G & D & A & Em & F#7] PDF
- Santa Lucia [G & D7 & Am & C] PDF
- Scarborough Fair [Em & D & G & A] PDF
- This Little Light of Mine [G & A7 &Am7 & C & B & D7] PDF
- Trumpet Voluntary [D & A & E7] PDF
- Waltzing Matilda [D & A & Bm & G] PDF
- Water is Wide [E & A & C#m & F#m & B & B7 & G#m PDF
- When the Saints Go Marching In [C & F & G7] PDF
- Wildwood Flower [A & D & E7] PDF
- You are My Sunshine [C & F & G] PDF
Book 4: Iconic Songs Worth Mastering
We’re developing multiple books of modern songs you’ll likely spend significant time developing into something worth presenting to an audience — you know, your cat. Most are still under copyright protections to the original composer so we don’t post PDFs here. Should you like to tackle these songs, we’ll need to chat over email to get you started. Buying the pre-printed book will save your time, your printer, and your sanity, but hey, we know you’re cheap, er, thrify. Stop by the shop (call first!), bring some cash (and a pretty girl), and let’s set you up for a healthy amount of musical aggravation and beauty. You’re lucky to know us. 😉
Spanish Influenced (We’re working on these now.)
- Cielito Lindo and Jarabe Tapatío PDF
- El Noi de la Mare Via Email
- La Llorana Via Email
- La Paloma Via Email
- Malagueña PDF
- Remember Me (from Coco) Via Email
- Spanish Romance Ensemble PDF
- Un Dia de Noviembre: Via Email
Broadway
- All I Ask of You
- Do Re Mi
- Edelweiss
- Give My Regards to Broadway
- My Favorite Things
- Summertime
- Try to Remember
- Yankee Doodle Boy
Cowboy Tunes
- Ashokan Farewell
- Clementine
- Colorado Trail
- Don’t Fence Me In
- Down in the Valley
- El Paso
- Ghost Riders in the Sky
- Happy Trails
- Home on the Range PDF
- I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
- Red River Valley
- Streets of Laredo PDF
- This Land is Your Land
- Tenting Tonight
- Tom Dooley
- You are My Sunshine
Jazz-ish for Fingerstyle Guitar
- All of Me
- As Time Goes By
- Beyond the Sea
- Fly Me to the Moon
- Girl from Ipanema
- Harlem Nocturne
- La Vie en Rose
- Mack the Knife
- Misty
- Moon Glow
- Moon River
- My Funny Valentine
- Nature Boy
- Satin Doll
- Smile
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
- Take the A-Train
- What a Wonderful World
Movies & TV
- Godfather Theme
- Hallelujah
- Over the Rainbow
- Remember Me
- Singing in the Rain
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- Both Sides Now
- Candle in the Wind
- Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
- Hotel California
- Love Me Tender
- Morning Has Broken
- Red Red Wine
- Sound of Silence
- YMCA
Tin Pan Alley
- After the Ball (1891)
- Ain’t She Sweet (1927)
- Ain’t We Got Fun (1921)
- Alexander’s Ragtime
- Blue Moon
- By the Light of the Silvery Moon PDF
- Daisy Bell PDF
- Dream a Little Dream of Me (1930)
- Come Josephine in My Flying Machine (1910)
- Five Foot Two (1914)
- Happy Days Are Here Again (1929)
- If You Knew Susie (1925)
- I’ll See You in My Dreams (1924)
- It’s Only a Paper Moon (1933)
- Man on the Flying Trapeze
- Tip Toe Through the Tulips (1929)
- Tonight You Belong to Me (1926)
- Twelfth Street Rag
- Ukulele Lady (1925)
- Yes We Have No Bananas (1923)
Beatles (Done & Good!)
- All My Loving
- Blackbird
- Eleanor Rigby
- Here Comes the Sun
- Hey Jude
- Imagine
- I’ve Just Seen a Face
- I Want to Hold Your Hand
- Let It Be
- Michelle
- Norwegian Wood
- Obladi Oblada
- Octopus’s Garden
- Penny Lane
- Something
- Strawberry Fields
- When I’m 64
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Yellow Submarine
- Yesterday
We anticipate having approximately one million songs in Level 4 in multiple books. Help us decide what is worth memorizing.
Book 5 & 6: Multipart Arrangements
Full arrangements for ensemble work. We can chat on email about how you can have a copy. Arrangements typically can be used in may ways including singing with lyrics, playing chords, guitar melodies and second voices, arpeggios, basslines, percussion, and of course solo play with standard notation or tablature. We’re in love with our TuffAxe lines (fingerstyle chord-melody) and you should be too. In addition to the conductor’s score and sound file, individual parts have their own sheets and sound files are available for those too.
- Annie’s Song
- Bad Romance Poker Face Gaga Medley – Lyons
- Cielito Lindo and Jarabe Tapatío
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik with Frankfurters PDF
- La Paloma
- Lean on Me – Lyons
- Lara’s Theme
- Lyon’s Arpeggios – Lyons
- Melville Castle PDF
- Menuett Suite in G major & minor (but not really) PDF
- Of A’ the Airts the Wind Can Blaw PDF
- Remember Me
- Spanish Romance
- Tears in Heaven
- Un Dia de Noviembre
- Unchained Melody – Lyons
So much more is on the way … but the secretary who puts these together in pretty little packages with bows is “a bit of a drinker” if ya know what I mean.
Book 7: Classical Guitar
- Classical Music Program is being posted HERE. You’ll need a password (and patience).
Book 8: Christmas and Hanukkah
All these songs along with instruction not available online can be acquired in a pre-printed book. Come pick one up. If there is no PDF, it’s probably a modern song with copyright concerns, so we can chat about how you can have a copy over email.
Second Edition 2020
- Auld Lang Syne PDF
- Christmas Is (members)
- El Noi de la Mare PDF
- First Noel PDF
- Greensleeves PDF
- Imagine (members)
- Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring PDF
- Silent Night PDF
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas PDF
- Wonderful World (members)
- White Christmas (members)
- Winter Wonderland (members)
Stuff from the Previous Edition
- Adeste Fideles (2017-11-22) PDF
- Angels We Have Heard on High (2017-11-23) PDF
- Away in a Manger (2017-11-04) PDF
- Bring a Torch (2017-11-16) PDF
- Carol of the Bells
- Dreidel Song (2017-11-06) PDF
- Entre le Boeuf et l’Ane Gris (2017-11-23) PDF
- Happy Xmas – War is Over (2017-11-24)
- Jingle Bells (2017-12-01) PDF
- Joy to the World (2017-11-24) PDF
- Ner Li: I Have a Candle (2017-11-12) PDF
- O Come O Come Emmanuel (2017-11-24) PDF
- O Tannenbaum (2017-11-26) PDF
- Silver Bells (2017-11-22)
- Twelve Days of Christmas (2016-10-17) PDF
- Up on the House Top (2017-11-24) PDF
- We Three Kings (2017-11-24) PDF
Other Holiday Tunes
- Peter Cottontail (members)
Book 9: Theory and Comp
- Blank Tab-Only Sheet PDF
- Chromatic Scales PDF
- Composing Blank PDF
- Circle of Fifths PDF
- Fretboard Memorization Tool PDF
- Vocabulary:
- punteado (“plucked”)
- rasqueado (“strummed”)
Book 10: Teacher’s Guide and Certification
Contact me for details.
