Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)What's wrong with the songbook is outweighed by what's right about it. Every song has complete lyrics. Almost every well-known Dylan song is included, including those he covered or co-wrote. There are no photos, graphics or pics to get in the way when you're trying to turn pages as you perform a song. Simple (i.e. melody) sheet music with guitar tablature is included, giving most Dylan wannabes or admirers with acoustic guitars and harmonicas more than enough to get by on for a nice set.
Problems: The songs are arranged in ROUGH chronological order, making it frustrating to find what you need in a hurry--especially if you're playing "unplugged and seated" at a coffee house and need to get to the next song quickly. Also, the guitar tabs and melody notation is nice, but how hard would it have been to include piano chords and bass lines for our non-guitar playing musician friends? Here's the big hurdle you'll face if you buy this book: The sheet music is hit-or-miss when it comes to getting the correct keys and chords of the original songs. Though many of them are close enough that a savvy player can make a quick mental note to transpose (eg., songs listed in F major that are actually in E major can be played by thinking 1/2 step down), some of them are not only in the wrong key--their chords are nothing at all like the original versions! I'm talking about substituting minor chords that should be major and augmented chords that should be simple triads (i.e. basic "cowboy chords" in the first position). If you have a pencil, pen or marker, you can make your own changes above the incorrectly notated chords, but that's not much help if you get a request during a gig, or worse, refer to the sheet music while you're playing and hit a chord that's not even close to what it should be.
The sadly out-of-print songbook, "The Very Best of Bob Dylan," didn't have the notation problems, and even though it is a much slimmer collection, it's worth seeking out.
If you plan to learn lots of Dylan's songs to play with a band or solo guitar/vocal, this book is a good starting point, but be sure to listen carefully to the original tracks when you're learning songs from this book. You may be surprised to learn that the chord progressions are way off the mark.
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The complete songbook from the greatest singer/songwriter of all time! Now in 7x10 format. The small format edition is the ultimate Dylan songbook and features over 329 tunes, including all of his greatest hits as well as his lesser-known work. With melody line, chord symbols and full lyrics. Songs include Blowin' in the Wind, Forever Young, Just Like a Woman, Mr. Tambourine Man, She Belongs to Me, Tangled Up in Blue, The Times They Are Changin', Visions of Johanna and hundreds more.
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