Don't Cross the River: Authentic Guitar TAB
America
Item: 00-PS-0005424
$5.99
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Description
Titles are Daisy Jane * Don't Cross the River * A Horse with No Name * I Need You * Lonely People * Muskrat Love * Only in Your Heart * Sandman * Sister Golden Hair * Tin Man * Ventura Highway * Woman Tonight.
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Additional Details
Series:
Guitar Anthology Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
72
SKU:
00-PS-0005424
More about this title
About the Composer: Dan Peek
Dan Peek was a founding member and guitarist of America, the folk-rock band that emerged in the early 1970s. His songwriting shaped the band's signature sound, contributing several of their most enduring hits including "A Horse with No Name" and "Ventura Highway." Peek's approach to composition blended accessible melodies with thoughtful lyrics and distinctive guitar work, making his songs memorable for both casual listeners and serious musicians.
As a guitarist and composer, Peek understood how to write music that serves the instrument while remaining vocalist-friendly. His contributions to America's catalog demonstrate a gift for crafting songs that work equally well in intimate settings and stadium performances, making his compositions valuable resources for musicians exploring the intersection of folk and rock idioms.
Why we love this
These 12 songs represent some of the most recognizable guitar work from the 1970s folk-rock era, and having them in authentic tab form makes them immediately playable without guesswork. Guitar students gravitate toward material they already know and love, and this collection meets that real need while teaching solid technique through songs that demand precision and musicality.
What to expect
These songs evoke the warm, harmony-rich sound of early 1970s California folk-rock. The guitar work is clean and melodic without being overly complex, combining fingerpicking sensibility with rock accessibility. There's a sun-soaked, introspective quality throughout the collection that balances vulnerability in the songwriting with technical confidence in the playing.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advanced guitarists who want to learn from songs they already know and respect. This collection works equally well for self-directed students in a private studio and for ensemble or classroom contexts where folk-rock material complements standard guitar curricula.
How to get the most out of it
- Study the original recordings alongside the tab. The guitar parts in these songs carry melodic weight, and hearing how the dynamics and tone shape each arrangement will refine your phrasing beyond what notation alone can convey.
- Pay attention to fingerpicking patterns and alternate picking sections; the tab will show you the mechanics, but listening for the subtle rhythmic variations in songs like "A Horse with No Name" will deepen your interpretation.
- Work through the simpler arrangements first (some songs in this collection are more straightforward than others) to build confidence before tackling pieces with more intricate harmonic movement.
- Consider how tempo and feel shift across these songs. "Muskrat Love" demands a different rhythmic sensibility than "Ventura Highway," and respecting those distinctions will make your performances sound more authentic.
How to use it
Assign individual songs from this collection to students working at different levels, allowing them to choose material that speaks to them while building consistent technique. These pieces also work well as performance material for student recitals or ensemble showcases, since the songs are recognizable enough to hold an audience's attention while demonstrating real musicianship.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing fingerpicking patterns and alternate picking from tab notation
- Translating tab to music notation and developing ear training through known melodies
- Building dynamic control and tone variation across chord progressions and melodic passages
- Recognizing and executing tempo and feel changes across a cohesive repertoire
- Developing performance phrasing that balances technical precision with emotional expression in folk-rock idioms