JAM Songbook
Pete Wernick presents: the most practical compact songbook yet — The JAM Songbook is perfect for all jammers, including complete beginners!
“Ticks all the boxes for becoming the go-to jam songbook”
– Bluegrass Unlimited“Getting into jamming, the best first resource to purchase. Highly recommended.”
– Bluegrass Unlimited
- All students paying to attend a Wernick Method class receive a copy as part of their tuition.
Get information on quantity discounts (such as 5 for $30, 10 for $50) by sending your request through our Contact form.
Bluegrass Songbook
The Bluegrass Songbook, in print since 1976, has 140 standards, melodies presented in easy tab, and is the only bluegrass songbook to offer instruction on singing — in the words of all-time bluegrass singing greats: Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Charlie Waller, Hazel Dickens, Peter Rowan, Red Allen and more. Extensive appendices on harmony singing, phrasing, pronunciation, songwriting, much more.
Sections Include:
- Harmony Singing: Duets, Trios, and Quartets
- Singing in Pitch
- Bluegrass Songwriting
- Finding the Right Key
- Your Vocal Range
- Phrasing and Styling
Interview excerpts with these original bluegrass singing and songwriting legends:
- Bill Monroe
- Lester Flatt
- Ralph Stanley
- Jimmy Martin
- Bob Osborne
- Red Allen
- Jim and Jesse McReynolds
- John Duffey
- Charlie Waller
- Peter Rowan
- Keith Whitley
- Hazel Dickens
- Mike Seeger
- John Starling
- Jack Cooke
Bluegrass Banjo
“A landmark!”
— Bluegrass Unlimited
“Highly recommended without reservation.”
— Banjo Newsletter
The “classic” from 1974 that started many professional players, with almost a quarter-million copies in print! A clear, complete course from the easiest chords, songs and beginning rolls to advanced licks and instrumentals. 143 pages with many photos, 43 tablatures. Includes access to online stereo recording with examples, standard licks, moderate-speed play-along songs with exact banjo parts as tabbed in the book, in easy, intermediate, and advanced versions.
Sections on:
- Creating solos
- Music theory
- Up-the-neck
- Playing with other people
- Melodic and single-string styles
- Double banjos
- Advanced rolls
- Learning from recordings
- Banjo construction and maintenance
- Most important recordings to study
- Slow playing
- Playing in different keys
- Non-G tunings
- Much more!
Bluegrass Banjo (Music Minus One)
Using a code to access online recordings, you can stream either of two full albums: The first album presents all 14 songs with just banjo in one stereo channel, and the rest of a 5-piece bluegrass band (with vocals) in the other. With your balance control, remove the banjo to play along – or raise its volume for closer study. On the second album the minus-banjo tracks are slowed down to moderate speed, mostly in the 102-120 beats/minute range, for easy playing along.
Performed by Country Cooking:
Pete Wernick, banjo
Russ Barenberg, guitar
Greg Root, mandolin
Kenny Kosek, fiddle
John Miller, bass
Joan (“Nondi”) Leonard (Wernick), vocals
The book you’ll be sent includes the code to stream the music, as well as the chords for all 14 standards (see list below) plus tab for solos. Great for practicing breaks, backup, timing! Solos are typical melody-based, standard content and licks. Typical choice of keys, including G, A, B, C, and E. Many applications for all players, beginning/advanced.
Songs Include:
Ballad of Jed Clampett
Foggy Mt. Breakdown
It’s In My Mind to Ramble
Salty Dog Blues
Dark Hollow
Late Last Night (Way Downtown)
Dueling Banjos
Mountain Dew
Lonesome Road Blues
Little Maggie
All the Good Times Are Past and Gone
Roll On Buddy
Sitting On Top of the World
Jesse James
Bluegrass Guitar (Music Minus One)
Using a code to access online recordings, you can stream either of two full albums: guitar in one stereo channel, and the rest of a 5-piece bluegrass band (with vocals) in the other. With your balance control, remove the guitar to play along–or turn it louder for closer study. On the second album, the minus-guitar tracks are slowed down to moderate speed, mostly in the 102-120 beats/minute range, for easy playing along!
Performed by Country Cooking:
Russ Barenberg, guitar
Pete Wernick, banjo
Greg Root, mandolin
Kenny Kosek, fiddle
John Miller, bass
Joan (“Nondi”) Leonard (Wernick), vocals
The booklet includes words and chords for all 14 standards (see list below) plus tab for solos. Great for practicing breaks, backup, timing! Solos are typical melody-based, standard content and licks. Typical choice of keys, including G, A, B, C, and E. Many applications for all players, beginning/advanced.
Songs Include:
Ballad of Jed Clampett
Foggy Mt. Breakdown
It’s In My Mind to Ramble
Salty Dog Blues
Dark Hollow
Late Last Night (Way Downtown)
Dueling Banjos
Mountain Dew
Lonesome Road Blues
Little Maggie
All the Good Times Are Past and Gone
Roll On Buddy
Sitting On Top of the World
Jesse James
How to Make a Band Work
The classic from the 90s, based on Pete’s experience with Hot Rize and other groups, now out of print and available as a 142-page pdf for download. Though of course dated in places (pre-internet advice), the book’s info and advice has enduring value throughout most of its sections. See the Table of Contents.
Masters of the 5-String Banjo
By Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka
432 pages, over 200 photos, 50 tablatures of of all-time favorite arrangements. Style, influences, tone, technique, interviews & more of 70 all-time great banjo players. This is “The Banjo Bible”, the most comprehensive banjo book ever published. A treasure trove with:
This book is no longer in print, but is available as an eBook on Amazon.