Mastering the Guitar is an innovative, exciting way to learn the guitar. Co-authored by William Bay and Mike Christiansen, this extremely comprehensive method applies the array of musical styles and techniques found in today's music. Written in notation and tablature, it covers a vast array of guitar solo and accompaniment styles. A special feature of this method is that it teaches both flatpicking and fingerstyle solo and accompaniment techniques. We feel that Mastering the Guitar is the most comprehensive approach to guitar technique repertoire and performance to be found anywhere. Volume 1A: Presents the essential foundational studies for contemporary guitar performance; Immediately introduces the student to the concept of playing contemporary music through the creative use of tablature; Logically and methodically teaches note-reading, utilizing the notes in first position on each string in numerous pages of playing material (over 155 solos and duets in the keys of C, A minor, G, and E minor); Contains more than 140 scale and picking studies, chord etudes, and accompaniment pieces; teaching contemporary techniques such as the slur, hammer-on, pull-off, vibrato and slide; Includes in-depth sections on back-up guitar and rhythm; Incorporates guitar duet material. The companion recording is for the first volume of the comprehensive Mel Bay method of the same title. These CD's contain almost all of the solo and duet settings found in the book as performed by William Bay, Mike Christiansen, and Corey Christiansen. The recordings present an eclectic assortment of guitar styles played on steel string guitar, nylon string guitar and electric guitar. Some of the selections feature fingerpicking; others feature the use of the flatpick. Both CD's contain over 100 minutes of recorded guitar solo and duet material.