Wisdom of the Wood's News & Events Acoustic Instruction Recommendations

April, 2007: Be sure to visit: Mystic West Products to view the complete WOTW selection of DVD's ... along with new releases coming soon.

November 17, 2004: The entire WOTW catalog has now been converted to DVD Format (see Mystic West Products). Be sure to check out the Website Map for latest updates and newest titles. The DVD Conversions, on most all titles, were transferred directly from Hard Disk Recording; all videos were originally produced with Digital Video Camcorders with a 48 kHz sound quality.

Here are a couple of out of print books of which we believe deserve recognition:

1. "The Art of Ragtime Guitar" by Richard Saslow
2. "Banjo Sampler" by Greg Gilbert

Soon to be released by Acoustic Truth
"The Art of Ragtime Guitar" by Richard Saslow
Posted March 12, 2003 Updated April 1, 2003	Mickey's Take: This book is a classic and was originally released in the early '70s. This well thought out instructional course carries the beginner to intermediate fingerstyle guitarist to new Ragtime heights. Richard has composed some timeless Ragtime pieces that, when accomplished, will make the aspiring Ragtime Guitarist feel like they've arrived. These are some very addictive pieces; I've personally performed many of these very same pieces since I first learned them (from one and the same book while still in High School) to this very day. Many for whom I have played these for became overly inquisitive on where I learned them and how to go about acquiring the tablatures. Well, ask no more. Richard will be re-releasing this book in the near future. Check out: Richard Saslow at Acoustic Truth. A Bio on Richard Saslow: Richard Saslow has been playing professionally and composing for the guitar since the late 1960's. Most of his professional work has been as a sideman playing electric guitar in blues, soul, and rock revival bands, but he has always had a strong love for the acoustic guitar. He wrote 2 books for Green Note Music Publishing of Berkeley, California: The Art of Slide Guitar - 1972 The Art of Ragtime Guitar - 1974 He wrote, performed and produced much of the music for two documentaries about surfing by film producer and director Scott Dittrich of Malibu, California. Tales of the seven seas - 1981 Adventures in paradise - 1982 He studied film scoring with Don Ray at the UCLA Extension Program. This gave him an appreciation of orchestration, which can be surprising relevant, even when composing for the solo guitar. In 2001, he wrote and performed acoustic guitar solos and duets on a compact disk titled "PS1". This CD was the result of Richard's collaboration with another fine guitarist, Jimmy Pagano. The two of them composed fourteen original tunes, which they perform both solo and duo. These instrumentals have strong melodies, express a variety of moods, and are very impressively executed. They also provide a fine duo rendition of "Holly", written by the legendary folk blues guitarist Steve Mann. Additional information is available at http://www.acoustictruth.com/ You may send him email at richard@acoustictruth.com. Richard is currently working on some new material in a modern ragtime vein. In the early 1980's, Richard came across an early personal computer, and and wrote some software to practice his sight-reading skills. This lead to an additional career in software engineering, which he actively pursues. Return to Top of Page
	Another Great Classic
"Banjo Sampler" by Greg Gilbert
Posted March 12, 2003	Mickey's Take: This is a great banjoistic overview of the many possible venues a 5-string banjo can be carried into...from fiddle tunes, to jazz arrangements, to classical and ragtime...This book is essential and a great addition to any pro banjo player's library...playing these pieces will break the preconceived notion that 5-string banjo is a bluegrass-only instrument. Lots of fun to tackle...while adding to your dexterity, arranging skills and increasing your repertoire. Many performing situations require connecting to an audience with extreme tastes. Here's a book that will give you many a song selection to satisfy most any listener's taste. (Banjo Sampler is currently out of print ... hopefully, Greg Gilbert considers re-releasing this wonderful collection of tabs.)