If you have been waiting for a book of Mandolin licks and riffs that are not just the ordinary Bluegrass offerings... it won't be much longer! Seventy-Seven Head Bangin' Hot Licks is a collection of Mandolin licks and tricks that will make you stand out among Mandolin players. From the double stop patterns with moving parts, to hammer-pulls that will make'em sit up and take notice, this book is jam-packed with ideas that are adaptable to many musical forms including Bluegrass, Rock, Jazz, and Swing. There is also an optional accompanying cassette available with the book.
     This is not just your everyday book of Hot Licks, it includes tips on developing speed, playing up the neck, several cross-picking patterns (and the secret of how to change instantly between them), and getting the fastest growth from practice time. Also included is a handy chording matrix that will have you playing that Ebmin7#11 chord in a jiffy anywhere on the neck.
     The book, and the matching cassette, were created to aid in the growth of an intermediate to advanced Mandolinist. Contained within are Seventy-Seven licks, or melodic phrases if you prefer, that have become a part of my improvisational style over the last Ten years. I have arranged them in section by keys, and chord changes over which they are to be played. The last section of licks is centered on double and triple stop licks. I strongly encourage you to play each of these phrases in every key, as the tone change with different fingerings and positions will stimulate you to hear the licks in a unique light.
     In the last section of the book I have placed a matrix to aid you in chord building. In my interpretation, music is largely a mathematical concept. I have tried, by way of this matrix, to give you a tool to aid in memorization of block patterns for chords that can be used in any position. As you see and play the block patterns on the fretboard, they will become part of your unconscious music vocabulary adding a rich variety to your chording technique. At the rear of this book you will find a useful 'Resources' page. This is certainly not all the available information, but should give you insight into the publications, and other learning resources, that I have found helpful. Many of the publications are now 'out of print', but diligent searches can turn up copies of many of these books.