Book excerpt: 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.