Civil War Period Music for Guitar

[aetius123]

I'm looking for guitar music for civil war period songs. Most music from the period isn't written specifically for the guitar. I was able to find one book, "Civil War Songs and Ballads for Guitar", that I've ordered. Any help would be appreciated.


John P. Winkler
john.winkler@jiowc.osis.gov

[HighPrvt]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

You might try searching the net by the song names on some Guitar tabuliture sites. Hey, ya never know!

[Dan Munson]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

Guys, here are a few links to searchable web sites where you can look up and view a wide collection of period sheet music. While most pieces in these collections appear to be specifically arranged for the piano, I know that there are a few in there noted as being arranged for guitar.

Lester S. Levy Collection:

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/index.html/

Duke University Collection

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/

Library of Congress Collection of Sheet Music About Lincoln

http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/scsmhtml/scsmhome.html/

Happy hunting!

Dan Munson
Co. K, 100th Penn'a V.I.

[Dan Munson]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

As an addendum to my previous post, I note the thread-starter's acquisition of a Civil War song book for guitars. I'd be interested in knowing the source of acquisition, price, contents, etc. Might be something I'd want to get hands on. Hopefully, the book is broader than the usual "Marching Through Georgia"/"Rally 'Round The Flag"/"Year of Jubilo" fare. The soldiers on both sides came to the war "pre-loaded" with a whole more music than that!

Dan Munson (again)

[aetius123]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

The book I ordered was called "Civil War Songs and Ballads for the Guitar". It is compiled, aranged and edited by Jerry Silverman. I'm still waiting for the book. I ordered it through Amazon.com. If you do a google search on the title there will be multiple hits.

John Winkler
Co K 6th TX

[MBBursig]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

I would poke around on the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sm2html/sm2home.html

Look at the early American Sheet music. You might find something that interests your fancy.

[Horton]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

Are you looking for chords to play play while you sing or are you trying to pick out the different melodies? Are you looking for classical music that would have been known or "camp" songs?

[Old Cremona]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

You wanna be a hardcore guitar player? Use primary sources, and learn like they did.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mussmquery.html

Go here, and type in "guitar."

[aetius123]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

Thanks Everyone for the links! I have lots of music to work on now. Additionally, my book arrived yesterday. It contains about 40 commonly known songs as Battle Hymn of the Republic, Bonnie Blue Flag, The Yellow Rose of Texas etc... The arrangements look technically simple enough for an amateur like me. It lists the basic melody, a combination of notes for guitar solos, and of course, the basic cords if you just want to strum along to the song. I guess I'll work on a little of everything, because another member of my unit plays the basic melody with his squeezebox. I'm used to finger picking because I play a little classical guitar.

John Winkler
Co K 6th TX INF

[Danny]

Re: Civil War Period Music for Guitar

John -

Beyond "Civil War Songs and Ballads for Guitar" (of which I have a copy and it's great) and a few others that are published today, if you want to get more hard core you may want to use original period music sheets, sources and methods that those modern books transcribed from. For one thing those recent books are written for modern standard pitch as obtained on steel-string modern guitars, not the somewhat different period pitch as used on gut and silk-string guitars of the period. Here's one source to order actual period music written for guitar:

http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/guitar.htm

As for a period guitar method, see the cover of the one showing here, that you with your classic fingerstyle experience might find helpful. I'll put the whole book in a printable pdf form on the Minstrel Banjo supplemental site later this week.

- Dan Wykes

http://groups.google.com/group/Albert-Baur?hl=en