BMG Magazine - Plectrum Guitar Tablature (1920s-1970s guitar tabs)
BMG Magazine was started in 1903 by Clifford Essex in London, England. They specialized in articles and sheet music for banjo, mandolin, and guitar, hence the initials BMG. They began publishing solos for plectrum guitar in 1928 and by 1930, a new plectrum guitar solo appeared almost every month. From the 1920s through the 1970s, there are about 400 plectrum guitar solos and duets. I'm steadily making my way through entabulating these to present them to a new audience today. The difficulty on these is intermediate and up. For version three of this eBook, there are 60 different tunes presented in standard notation and tablature. They span from the earliest plectrum tunes in the late 1920s through the mid 1970s. Nothing has been removed from versions 1 and 2.
There is one PDF containing all 60 solos plus some introductory notes that I wrote. A few pages of tablature explanations and examples are also included. I also have a folder containing individual PDFs of each tune. You'll also find a folder of MP3s of my computer playing these back for your reference while you're learning the tunes. You're welcome to download any or all of these items to your computer to keep forever. You can also access them anytime in your Gumroad library.
As I get more tabs prepared, I will update this eBook. If you purchase this eBook now, you will get free updates for life!
Table Of Contents
*indicates a new title for v3.0
1920s:
That’s My Weakness Now
December 1928 - composed by Bud Green & Sam H. Stept, arranged by Emile Grimshaw
Excuse Me Lady
December 1929 - composed by Edgar Leslie, Jos. Geo. Gilbert, & Horatio Nicholls; arranged by Emile Grimshaw
1930s:
Silv’ry Moon
June 1930 - composed by Al Frazzini, arranged by Emile Grimshaw
On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Click for a free sample!)
October 1930 - composed by Jimmy McHugh, arranged by Syd Vernon
*Bathing In The Sunshine (Of My Baby’s Smile)
April 1931 - composed by Horatio Nicholls, arranged by Emile Grimshaw
I Found You
December 1931 - composed by Ray Noble, Jimmy Campbell, & Reg Connely; arranged by Emile Grimshaw
Reverie Blues
July 1932 - composed by R.A. Bradfield
Tell Me With A Love Song
August 1932 - composed by Harold Arlen, arranged by Emile Grimshaw
Same Old Moon
December 1932 - composed by Billy Baskette, arranged by Emile Grimshaw
*Musing
March 1933 - composed by Cyril Greenland
I’ve Got The World On A String (Click for a free sample!)
September 1933 - composed by Harold Arlen, arranged by Bert Bassett
Dinah
May 1934 - composed by Harry Akst, arranged by Geoff Sisley
*Leisure Moments
September 1934 - composed by Vess Ossman, arranged by Bert Bassett
Serenity
December 1934 - composed by Geoff Sisley
What A Diff'rence A Day Made (Click for a free sample!)
February 1935 - composed by Maria Grever, arranged by Louis Gallo
Lazy Rhythm
October 1935 - composed by Bert Bassett, arranged by Geoff Sisley
One Out Of The Bag
March 1936 - composed by Wally Hadley
Soliloquy
April 1936 - composed by Terry Usher
Only A Stone’s Throw From Heaven
July 1936 - composed by Alan Linden, Pat Patterson, & Allan Ingram; arranged by Bert Bassett
*Nearly Blue
November 1936 - composed by Bert Bassett
Stardust
December 1936 - composed by Hoagy Carmichael, arranged by Terry Usher & Charlie Scott
Harbour Lights
May 1937 - composed by Jimmy Kennedy & Hugh Williams, arranged by Ray Baillie
*Dinah (modern plectrum guitar solo)
May 1938 - composed by Harry Akst, arranged by Louis Gallo
Notturnino
June 1939 - composed by Harry Volpe
Skeleton Dance
September 1939 - composed by Harry Volpe
1940s:
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
June 1940 - composed by Jimmy McHugh, arranged by Arthur Ingham
Dainty Steps
December 1940 - composed by Harry Volpe
*Sobre Las Olas (Over The Waves)
December 1940 - composed by Juventino Rosas, arranged by Geoff Sisley
Legende
April 1941 - composed by A. de Vékey
Burmese Twilight (Click for a free sample!)
May 1941 - composed by L. Green
Summer Evening
March 1942 - composed by J.F. Treadgold
*Improvisation
August 1942 - composed by K.G. Morgan
Nocturnette
May 1944 - composed by Allan Hodgkiss
Quiet Mood
July 1945 - composed by L.H. Spickernell
*Apple Honey
August 1945 - composed by Den Berry
*Mosaic
May 1946 - composed by Les Green
*Dance
December 1947 - composed by Harry Volpe
Dreaming (Click for a free sample!)
December 1948 - composed by L.H. Spickernell
1950s:
*D Rhythm
April 1950 - composed by A. Sharp
Beatbop
September 1952 - composed by Louis Gallo
Beautiful Dreamer
April 1953 - composed by Stephen Foster, arranged by Vince Miller
*Thinkin’ My Way
April 1954 - composed by R.A Holland
Modern Mood
April 1957 - composed by Derek Phillips
*Summer Evening
September 1958 - composed by T.J.W. Dorward
*Gallovanting
July 1959 - composed by Louis Gallo
Reflection (Nocturne in C Minor)
November 1959 - composed by D.W. Roberts
1960s:
Flight Of The Bop Bee
March 1962 - composed by Louis Gallo
*Chicken Barbecue
April 1962 - composed by Chris Spedding
A Meditation
January 1963 - composed by Len Walker
Rocket In Orbit
August 1963 - composed by Louis Gallo
*Skeleton Blues
November 1964 - composed by Colin R. Tribe
*Thinking Of You
July 1966 - composed by T. Whincup
Vamp In Swingtime
October 1967 - composed by Eric R. Enderby
Over The Rainbow
August 1969 - composed by Harold Arlen, arranged by Eric Kershaw
1970s:
Troubled Teenager
September 1971 - composed by Dundas K. Bednall
*Four String Axe (a tribute to Tiny Grimes)
December 1971 - composed by Don Roberts
Trickychic
March 1972 - composed by Colin R. Tribe
*Novaro
September 1973 - composed by L.H. Spickernell
*Mid-Century Blues (dedicated to the post-Charlie Christian era)
April 1975 - composed by Don Roberts
Token
June 1975 - composed by L.H. Spickernell
v1.0: September 2022 - initial release, 20 tunes
v2.0: December 2022 - 20 more tunes added
v3.0: September 2023 - 20 more tunes!