This is a collection of over 100 bawdy folk songs. If you are looking for sheet music (melody lines and chords) and lyrics, this is the book to get. Like a lot of Jerry Silverman's texts, this is a vehicle to get the music out in a clear and simple form so you can play it now.

This is not a scholarly text, there is no commentary. If you want to know the sources of these songs or more background, you need to look at a book like Ed Cray's The Erotic Muse. But if you want to start playing and singing now, start here.

This review refers to the trade paperback reprint by S/X Press 174 pages, plus basic guitar chords (includes some woodblock/other illustrations).

My copies of The Folksinger's Guitar Guide, Vol. 1 & 2 published in 1962 and 1964 are almost worn out from constant use. Like Goldylocks might have said, they are not too hard and not too easy, they are just right!

This is Volume 2 of a two-volume, phonebook-sized collection, 421 pages of lyrics and music for the best-known traditional folk songs of America and the world. Originally published under a different title for the U.S. Bicentennial, this book has become a classic reference. These are good, singable songs - it's fun just to sit down and sing your way through the book. The two-volume set has a total of 845 pages of songs. (Original title: "Heritage Collection of America's Best Loved Folk Songs")

This is Volume 1 of a two-volume, phonebook-sized collection, 424 pages of lyrics and music for the best-known traditional folk songs of America and the world. Originally published under a different title for the U.S. Bicentennial, this book has become a classic reference. These are good, singable songs - it's fun just to sit down and sing your way through the book. (Original title: "Heritage Collection of America's Best Loved Folk Songs")

This collection of Civil War stories and songs may hold lyrics and a sheet music to such notables as Dixie's Land, but it also holds plenty of background history, making it more a history presentation than another songbook. From the practice of fitting new words to existing melodies during the war to the historical background covered in the songs themselves, this provides an excellent and unusual overview of how Civil War history is reflected in verse and music.

This is a fun book of what I take are traditional songs from Spain and Latin American countries. Each song is represented twice - once with the lyric part written in words and standard notation on a treble clef above a separate, second accompaniment guitar treble clef line. The song is then presented a second time a few pages later as the guitar solo version only. The solo version has the guitar part written in both standard notation and tablature. All the songs are fun to play and within reach of a beginning to intermediate guitar player. A beginner will appreciate the fact that the majority of music is played within the first 4 frets. A few songs use drop D tuning but most use standard tuning.

Since I'm not a native Spanish speaker I really have no way of knowing if these are traditionals or not - one song has a composer credit, the rest don't. The lyrics are provided in both english and spanish. Sometimes Mr. Silverman provides translator's notes about what some words really mean since a literal translation is not always the most accurate. I deducted 1 point from the score because the book does not offer a cd.

Song list -
Lagrimas/Tears
La Cana/Sugar Cane
Alala (no English translation was provided for this title)
Moza Navarra/Navarra Beauty
Pastora/Shepherdess
Venias de la Mejana/You Came From La Mejana
Morena salada/Dark Haired Enchantress
Eres Aguila Real/You Are a Royal Eagle
Yo Quisiera Ser Guitarra/I Would Like to Be a Guitar
Viva La Quince Brigada/Long Live the Fifteenth Brigade
Si Me Quieres Escribir/If You Want To Write to Me
Venga Jaleo/Join In the Struggle
Los Cuatro Generales/The Four Insurgent Generals
Ay! Linda Amiga/Ah! Dearest Sweetheart
Malaguenas al emigrante/Malaguenas for the Immigrant
Serranilla/Mountain Song
Estoy Sonando con Ella/I'm Dreaming of Her
Las Palabras, Amor Mio/All Those Words, My Dear Beloved
Canto de Romeria/Pilgrimage Song
Me Ilamaste "Morenita"/You Called Me "Little Dark-Skin"
La Huevera/The Egg Lady
Los Biblicos/The Nightingales

Here's a qoute from the foreword:
Its a song book that teaches, an instruction book that "sings."
....here...in one volume, a treasure chest of folks and and thoughtfully worked out lessons.

End qoute, I like this guy's older books, they definetely are a good way to learn folk guitar techniques.

But there's a huge honking flaw I found in his book.
The first chapter is all about Bass Runs. What are bass runs? He explains that on the first page in a paragraph and then gives a couple examples hoping you will learn the concept. On the third page he says:
not all the bass-chord notes and slashes have been written out in each measure...however, you must carefully play them all.

So, you teach me the concept on the first page and then let me fend for myself in the following chapters? That's asinine.

Makes me nervous about the whole book and mislearning the music, so I bought it 5 months ago and its just sat on the shelf. I'm thinking about selling it used....

It is chaulk full of folk songs though. It doesn't have freight train, anybody have a copy of that? Look me up.

This is a nice collection of songs---but I just got my copy, and was horribly disappointed to discover that the music is only chorded for guitar, without piano accompaniment.

I bought this book with the thought that it was for beginner's (never judge a book by it's cover). Whoever put this book together did not put themself in the readers shoes. Example on the bottom of page 2 "Brush down with thumb on each cord or slash, or slash...Brush down twice with the thumb on each cord or slash, for a "ba-bump, ba-bump" rhythm".

What the hay is a slash? I as an intermediate player have no clue. There is not even an introduction in this book. I tried to play along with the CD and was left in the dust on the first song.

The whole book is the same three or four songs over and over and over and over again, but it's only 48 pages. A rip off to put it mildly. Take my advice, save your money and never buy Mel Bay products.

Then I burned it. Think twice before buying it

Okay, so the title is deceptive -- it's for folk guitarists who want to learn some interesting blues techniques. And it's dated, certainly though understandably, since it first came out in 1964. But I still have found it one of the best books for introducing specific blues techniques in a way that allowed me to internalize them and add them to my bag of tricks. It's got a lot crammed into 64 pages, so you have to be patient in mastering each song/technique, but it really pays off.

Better yet is Silverman's Beginning Folk Guitar book from the same time. Don't be daunted!