Books From Pik-Ware Publishing

This is Not a Banjo: Essays about making music (and other stuff) by Patrick Costello & Dear Old Dad

The book collects 27 essays and online workshops written by Pat & Patrick Costello over the last twelve years. Subjects range from banjo & guitar instruction to music theory, thoughts on the learning process and much more.

Songs For Sunday

A collection of hymns, country gospel and spirituals arranged for frailing banjo.

Songs include what Are They Doing In Heaven Today?, Shall We Gather At The River?, Oh Mary Don’t You Weep, For The Beauty Of The Earth, Oh How I love Jesus, Never grow Old and many more.

Patrick walks you through each song on the accompanying DVD.

The Outlaws and Scalawags Songbook

Songs about villains, assassins, hobos, bad boys, badder girls and other folks you wouldn't want to bring home to meet mom arranged for frailing banjo.

Play and sing great old songs like Stagolee, Frankie and Johnny, Streets of Laredo, Worried man Blues and many more!

The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo

The groundbreaking book that has people around the world playing the five-string banjo!

In a book that is redefining how traditional music is taught Patrick Costello shares the basic skills of old time "frailing" banjo and much more. Starting with a simple picking pattern and a handful of chord forms (as the author points out, "if you know three chords you can play thousands of songs!") the book continues to build on those basic skills covering everything from complex fiddle tunes to working up chord melody arrangements of Dixieland songs and beyond.

Each chapter of The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo is filled with the authors warm "down-home" sense of humor. Throughout the book readers are encouraged to get out and make music, have adventures and celebrate this wonderful thing called music. Patrick isn't bashful about relating some of his own misadventures from his days as a beginner to encourage you to go out and and make music with other people.

The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo is a treasure trove of information and encouragement for anyone who wants to start playing the banjo. Don't wait. Order your copy today and start making music for and with your friends and family.

New! The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo is now available with spiral binding!

A Book Of Five Strings

In this revolutionary follow-up to The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo Patrick Costello tears down the artificial boundaries imposed on old time banjo over the last twenty years and presents frailing banjo in a manner that gives the reader the know-how to play anything, anywhere with anyone.

This is not a tune book or a study of Appalachian banjo styles. A Book Of Five Strings is a guide to understanding and mastering the techniques that form the core skill set of old time banjo. Music theory, improvisation, rhythm and other topics are covered along with left and right hand exercises to build up your coordination and overall understanding of the fretboard. There is even instruction on how to use old time banjo techniques in bluegrass and blues settings.

A Book Of Five Strings is a must-have for any student or teacher of old time banjo who wants a better understanding of old time banjo and the language of music.

The How and The Tao of Folk Guitar

A book that makes the guitar fun and easy to play!

In a truly unique approach to learning the acoustic guitar Patrick Costello starts off with "one finger" chords in open G tuning and slowly guides the reader into exploring flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar techniques. If your goal is to strum chords, play rhythm in a band or to knock out complex fingerstyle guitar solos The How and the Tao of Folk Guitar will give you the tools you need to start your journey.

Written with the same down-home warmth as his other books, The How and the Tao of Folk Guitar offers solid instruction, from-the-heart advice and encouragement to aspiring guitar players of all ages.