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Summary: Chords actually sound right
Review: As a beginner on the guitar it is hard to find songbooks that actually sound like they are supposed to -- this is one. And good selections to boot! Three thumbs up.
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Summary: Watch for the spiral binding!
Review: As the fellow at the store said: "this book should be issued to everyone at birth!"But be sure to buy the SPIRAL bound version because it will lie flat whereas the "reprint" version won't.
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Summary: A "Must-Have" for any gathering!
Review: Because Rise Up covers so many different subject, culture, and difficulty levels all in one text, I give this collection my highest regard!The spiral binding makes it very easy to read from, and the chords are (generally) quite easy to follow, even with only a basic working knowledge of a song. I especially enjoy the kid's songs, many of which I remember singing at an older relative's knee! I recommend owning multiple copies, so that you can share at any gathering!
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Summary: My copy is falling apart from overuse
Review: I browsed over to this section just becasue I need to replace my copy of Rise Up Singing. After several years of heavy use, mine is falling apart. I disagree with a previous writer, in that I think this book has a wide range of music, ranging from very old songs such as 'The Cutty Wren' and 'The Coventry Carol' to 1910s ('In the Good Old Summertime'), 1930s (Woody Guthrie), Motown, protest songs, and modern folk classics (several songs each from Stan Rogers, Bill Staines, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and on, and on...). Rise Up Singing owes some of its genes to Winds of the People, an older compilation (I think circulated by the Society of Friends) and it shows.It is certainly slanted more in the direction of those who wish to build a better world rather than those want to retain the status quo, but I find it fascinating to see how that status quo has changed, in protest songs from way back ('The Waulking Song') or about events from way back ('The Diggers') through the battles for universal suffrage and the labor songs of the 1930s and 40s, to problems of the present day. Plus, I just like to sing the songs. My only complaint is that, at least in my mid-1980s edition, the songs are not indexed by author.
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Summary: This book is a treasure
Review: I have bought more copies of this book than I can count. Why? I keep giving my copy away! This is a must for any family that enjoys singing. Every mother or father with a decent voice wlll want a copy after looking it over, it's got so many great songs -- from the shakers, to spirituals, to the grateful dead, to rogers and hammerstein. A few minutes thumbing through this book and you are humming. Every night for 9 years we have sung from a well-worn (and now missing!) copy to our children as they drift off to sleep. I'm ordering two this round, I'm hoping they will stay in my house for a while. I imagine that someday my 2 children will each want a copy so they can sing the songs that meant so much to them to their own children. I only hope its still in print by then -- or that I have managed to hold onto two copies!
Rating:
Summary: This book is a treasure
Review: I have bought more copies of this book than I can count. Why? I keep giving my copy away! This is a must for any family that enjoys singing. Every mother or father with a decent voice wlll want a copy after looking it over, it's got so many great songs -- from the shakers, to spirituals, to the grateful dead, to rogers and hammerstein. A few minutes thumbing through this book and you are humming. Every night for 9 years we have sung from a well-worn (and now missing!) copy to our children as they drift off to sleep. I'm ordering two this round, I'm hoping they will stay in my house for a while. I imagine that someday my 2 children will each want a copy so they can sing the songs that meant so much to them to their own children. I only hope its still in print by then -- or that I have managed to hold onto two copies!
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Summary: The musical history of America in spiral binding.
Review: I have gone through 3 copies of this book. It is a folk-singer's starting block, a learning book for new musicians, and a great book of songs to sing to your children. Packed with songs from the Revolutionary War to the 1970s, this book manages to express in popular songs the feeling of the people during every major experience in American history. Buy your first copy now and I guarantee you'll wear it out and buy another copy before you buy another music book!
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Summary: Wonderful book!
Review: I love this book. There is something in here for everyone. At first I did not know many songs, but as I shared the book with friends and also heard more songs on my own I was able to refer to the book. A must have for folk guitarists! This book is a treasure.
Melissa
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Summary: You'll sing your heart out and finally know all the words
Review: I love to sing all types of songs, but when I came across this book, I thought I had died and gone to song heaven. 90% of my favorites were included (and I know a lot of songs)and it's great to have them all in one place. The catagories are many and the print is easy to read. Plus, you get chords, which I appreciate since I play an autoharp. The cross references to other catagories at the end of each section is useful also. I have used this songbook at many, many singalongs and hope that someday, they will come out with a vol.II to cover the small percentage of my favorites not in this volume. Until then, I will continue to rise up singing each and every time I use this great book!
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Summary: This is a must have for all singers!!!
Review: I love to sing and I needed a book with a variety of songs. I decided to buy "Rise Up Singing" and I was immediately glad I did. The songs are great and there are so many to choose from! The only thing I would change if I could is that there are no vocal notes, only chords, which don't tell you much if you don't already know the song. But, all in all, this is a great book.
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