Fingerpicking the Great American Songbook

Explore the rich harmonies, lyrical melodies, and rhythmic verve that defined early 20th century American popular music.

So what is the Great American Songbook? Not a single book, but a loose canon of songs written from roughly 1900-1940 – Tin Pan Alley hits and tunes from Broadway and Hollywood that later became jazz standards. Arranged here for fingerstyle guitar by Christopher “Isto” White, these timeless tunes remain fresh, playable, and endlessly open to interpretation.

Each song includes standard notation and TAB, chord diagrams, and lyrics, along with video instruction from White:

• After You're Gone
• Ain't Misbehavin'
• Alexander's Ragtime Band
• Blue Skies
• Can't We Be Friends
• Give My Regards to Broadway
• I Can't Give You Anything But Love
• Lazy
• Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)
• Makin' Whoopee
• Manhattan
• The Sidewalks of New York
• Singin' in the Rain
• Somebody Loves Me
• Someone to Watch Over Me
• St. James Infirmary
• Stardust
• Tea for Two
• They Didn't Believe Me
• Till the Clouds Roll By
• What'll I Do
• When You're Smiling
• Who's Sorry Now

This book includes downloadable video instruction.