Guitar Atlas: Japan: Guitar Book & CD

This book bridges cultural exploration and genuine guitar technique in ways that most world music resources don't attempt. Rather than offering surface-level arrangements, Speed grounds each piece in authentic Japanese musical principles—scales, tunings, traditional instruments—so students understand the "why" behind what they're playing, not just the notes.

Stepping into a world of contemplative melodies, delicate ornamentation, and unexpected tuning colors that make the familiar guitar sound entirely new. The arrangements sit somewhere between respectful homage and inventive reinterpretation, balancing authentic Japanese musical ideas with what works naturally under the fingers.

Intermediate guitarists ready to move beyond standard Western repertoire and explore music rooted in different cultural traditions. This book works well for players interested in world music, tuning exploration, and expanding their technical vocabulary beyond standard tuning conventions.

• Listen to the included CD before tackling each piece; Japanese music operates on different melodic logic than Western tonality, and hearing the authentic sound first will guide your phrasing and ornamentation
• Experiment with alternate tunings early and often. The tuning changes are central to capturing the character of Japanese instruments on guitar, not optional decorations
• Study the shamisen and shakuhachi technique sections closely before attempting pieces that emulate these instruments; the guitar fingering translates their bending, sliding, and tonal qualities in ways that require deliberate practice

Assign pieces from this book during units on non-Western music traditions, or use individual arrangements as recital encores that showcase your students' cultural awareness alongside their technical growth. The study sections on Japanese scales and modes work especially well in guitar ensembles exploring harmony beyond major and minor tonality.

• Alternate guitar tunings and their voice-leading implications
• Japanese scales and modes (including pentatonic and hirajoshi structures)
• Emulating shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi techniques on guitar
• Bending, sliding, and ornamental techniques for non-Western melodic style
• Sight-reading within unfamiliar tonal frameworks