The Multi-Instrumental Guitarist: Guitar Book & CD

This book breaks open the acoustic guitar world by treating mandolin, ukulele, lap dulcimer, Dobro, and banjo not as separate instruments but as natural extensions of guitarists' existing knowledge and muscle memory. The dual authorship brings both pedagogical clarity and hands-on mastery from someone who performs these instruments at the highest level, making the transition from one fretted instrument to another feel genuinely achievable rather than daunting.

Opening this book feels like getting a backstage pass to a jam session where every instrument on the table is within reach. The writing invites you into a world where the guitar is just the starting point, and the textures available across mandolin, ukulele, lap dulcimer, Dobro, and banjo become part of your personal sonic toolkit.

Acoustic guitarists with solid foundational technique who are ready to expand their musicianship across related fretted instruments. This resource works for self-taught players, studio musicians seeking versatility, and ensemble performers who want to add texture and variety to their playing.

• Begin with the tuning systems specific to each instrument before tackling technique; understanding why an instrument is tuned differently will accelerate your grasp of its unique voice and playing approach.
• Use the accompanying CD to hear professional demonstrations of each instrument in context; listening to authentic tone production reveals what you're aiming for before you attempt the techniques yourself.
• Start with one secondary instrument at a time rather than attempting all five simultaneously; mastering mandolin or ukulele first builds confidence and transferable skills before moving to more complex instruments like Dobro or banjo.
• Apply your existing guitar fingering patterns cautiously; while fretted-instrument fundamentals carry over, each instrument has distinct ergonomic and tonal priorities that require intentional adjustment.

This works best as a supplemental resource for guitarists in your program who want to develop versatility for acoustic ensemble settings, session work, or genre-specific contexts like bluegrass or folk music. It pairs naturally with your existing guitar curriculum as a bridge into the broader family of fretted instruments, encouraging students to think about how different instruments solve different musical problems.

• Reading and applying instrument-specific tuning systems
• Transferring and adapting fingering techniques across related instruments
• Understanding the physical and tonal differences between similar fretted instruments
• Recognizing and performing stylistic techniques unique to Dobro, mandolin, banjo, and ukulele
• Building dexterity and muscle memory across multiple instruments with shared fundamentals