The Scottish Guitar: 40 Scottish Tunes for Fingerstyle Guitar

The review quoted in my title is a big one to live up to. I don't believe you'll be disappointed.First things first -- lord, that 1 star review below was silly. The fact he says DADGAB throws it out the window..Rob MacKillop is probably a leading musician of Scottish music of today, and he is near Julie Fowlis in purpose and rank in my opinion.This book is a medievalist's dream come true, it is at the least an incredibly well-laid out reference for Scottish lute tunes on guitar, at the best something that will completely take your perception of classical music to another level.I've been playing classical guitar for at least 4-5 years, and guitar in general for at least a decade. I started my classical repertoire with Mel Bay's Celtic Fingerstyle curriculum (another great book); but Rob's book here is much more along the lines of what I have always been looking for. While I have no problem figuring out songs by ear -- when you have such a huge thirst for knowledge, any notation/tablature is great to make the ride smoother and more easily memorized - and like said before, wonderful for quick reference when you know you're just not playing that section right even after playing it so long (it happens).I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic.Though, I will say, I think it is *best* utilized in the hands of an experienced musician who can tailor his performances to his personal tastes and liking -- there is a ton of room for improvisation and creative inputs here, and most likely if you're playing these pieces exactly the way Sir Mackillop has them written out, they're not going to sound as good as they could.Now, that statement above in NO way discredits this book or Mackillop; he practically says very similar comments in the book himself. Quirks, here, are encouraged, and the fact that these pieces are lain out for you to digest in a favourable fashion makes this book all the better.The only thing I feel might throw off some fresher-players, is that he is very free with his timing in a lot of the recordings -- sounds great to hear, but difficult to learn in some cases, likely because rhythm which can be consistently analysed is a huge memorization tool. I personally find myself referencing Ronn Macfarlene's Highland King album exceptionally often to hear his versions of many of these same tunes -- and indeed that album itself is a magnificent piece which I highly suggest for anyone in this area.I also recommend the person interested in this topic (and/or this book) to visit Mackillop's youtube channels to see him personally perform many of the songs presented here, on both classical guitar and lute.So in summary; this book is neat and organized and well made; laid out that really any level player could approach (plenty of simpler melodies; but also enough tunes which are more difficult); but I still stand by my statement, that this is the best as a guide for the experienced guitarist wanting to get into this genre, and to him, this book will be an irreplaceable tool and reference.And, geeze, of course, the price is great!

I first heard Rob MacKillop playing Scottish lute music on YouTube, and I became instantly fascinated by it. A quick search lead me to this book, which I immediately purchased. I began learning the tunes, which are all incredibly beautiful and arranged so that they make logical sense on the guitar (hence the alternate tunings). It opened a whole new world for me. That was a couple of years ago, and I'm just as interested in Scottish music as I was then. I'd like to think that my playing has improved somewhat since then, and I have a few videos on YouTube of myself playing tunes out of this book.This is by far the best Celtic guitar book that I have seen (and I've seen quite a few). The first Celtic guitar book I bought had finger-twisting arrangements that discouraged me from playing them. This book is the exact opposite, and you'll find yourself challenged but not frustrated by it.The book centers on Scottish music in particular, which is what I'm most interested in anyway. I still have a lot to learn, and I think that I might even become a musicologist or ethnomusicologist to have an excuse to keep studying it forever.It's also worth mentioning that the author does Skype lessons at an affordable rate, so even if it's a 4,500 mile swim to Scotland from your front door, you can still contact him for help. I've taken advantage of that on more than one occasion!

well written, clear tabs and instructions, but definitively for beginners, don't waste your money if you are intermediate.

This is a great resource for fingerstyle guitarists who love Celtic music and are interested in exploring alternative tunings. MacKillop offers a rich library of spare, tasteful arrangements of Scottish tunes, many of which I had not heard (or heard of) before. They are easily playable by guitarists of intermediate ability, and the notation and tab are easy to read. There is a CD with the pieces played as notated (which makes for good listening as well as instruction. I only wish I could pronounce some of the Gaelic names.

Even first efforts sound good! DADGAD is a fairly new option for me but even working out these arrangements sounds like music.

I am giving a 1 star review because there is no product description and there should be in this case. IF the book used standard tuning, there would be little need for a description. However, if you are working on improving your skills - especially your sightreading skills - and not looking to go off into left field and experiment with non-standard tunings, you will not get much out of this book. It is in DADGAB tuning. For some, it may be no big deal. For others, it will be counterintuitive and run against what they're already working on. There's nothing inherently wrong about DADGAB tuning, but for those using standard EADGBE tuning and not looking to branch out, it is a big disappointment to find out post-purchase.The funny thing is, I actually like listening to players who use DADGAB tuning like Pierre Bensusan. The CD that came with the book was kind of interesting, so I elected not to return it. I can get, I suppose, a little use out of the book and the CD makes for interesting listening. It's enough that it's not worth the trouble to return a single $16 book. But had I known about the tuning, I would not have originally purchased it.I will edit to raise the stars in my review if a description is added that lets people know what they're buying.

Good selection of tunes from Scottish source material

The tunes are pretty comprehensive however they are only offered using alternate tuning such as DADGAD and drop D.

Recommended for both folkies and classical players wanting a new direction, there are some weird and wonderful tunes in this collection. I was looking for generic, 'celtic sounding' pieces but these seem to go beyond any clichees, having a thoroughly authentic ring. That's hardly surprising given the acclaimed author's background as performer and researcher.And simple too - at least, you'd think from a first glance at the tab. There are plenty of open strings in each piece, in all three tunings, and relatively little left hand fingering (especially compared to standard classical guitar which is frankly impossible.) But look or listen again and it's not so straight forward - try getting the phrasing right, then the ornaments and you realise that this is as subtle as it is powerful.The section in open d is a collection from various 17th century manuscripts of Scottish lute music. I didn't know there was such a thing but here it is, conjuring up castle halls, wood pannelled rooms with wall hangings, a blazing fire and a wee dram against the cold mist outside. And a few demons maybe? Shades of James VI and witchcraft? Haunting, dare I say?I'm fortunate in having two classical guitars, one of which is now reserved for these tunings. I wouldn't be tempted to try and play celtic music in standard or even drop d anymore, not after finding these treasures. I also appreciate Rob MacKillop's explanations of his playing technique on youtube - thank you.

I borrowed this from my local library and liked it so much I had to buy my own copy. I've been playing about a year and am finding some of the pieces easy to learn and others quite challenging. The CD is beautiful to listen to and the explanatory notes are very helpful. Lovely to have access to such a great collection of music.

A bit more advanced than I had realised! Will be great later on when the player I bought it for gets to grips with non-standard tunings. Tunings used are DADGAD, Open D, Open G.

Finger picking style, well written.

I love this book. Beautiful tunes taught well. In no time at all, I was feeling my way around the alternative tunings intuitively (if not expertly.....yet).