313:, the Retail Print Music Dealers Association, and the American Federation of Musicians. The St. Louis Music Educators Association gave him a Certificate of Merit. The Missouri House of Representatives honored his achievements with a resolution. Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. made October 25, 1996 Mel Bay Day in St. Louis. President Bill Clinton sent Bay a letter of commendation. He was inducted into the
28:
277:
was written shortly after in 1948. After the success of Elvis
Presley in the early 1950s, the guitar became more popular, helping to ensure the success of the company. For years Bay traveled from town to town, talking to guitar teachers and players, and showing them his publications. He claimed to
264:
After the war, Bay was asked to write instructional material on the guitar for GIs wishing to learn music under the GI Bill. When he approached the three major music publishers in New York City, they turned him down, saying there was no future in the guitar. In 1947, he formed Mel Bay
Publications
251:
While Bay was pursuing his playing career, he continued to teach as many as 100 students a week. He decided to begin writing instructional material due to the difficulty encountered by guitarists in playing chord forms in
248:, Missouri, to find his audience. He played with numerous local and traveling bands. In addition, he landed staff guitar jobs on several radio stations. He led the Mel Bay Trio and played for twenty-five years.
281:
Mel Bay
Publications produces instruction books and sheet music for many instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, violin, clarinet, accordion) and many genres (classical, jazz, folk, blues, rock).
232:
in and around his hometown. The man hired Bay to play the banjo while sitting in the salesman's car. Once a crowd gathered to listen, Bay would stop playing, and the salesman would pitch his cure-all.
510:
205:
guitar at the age of 13 and several months later played his first "gig". Bay did not have a guitar teacher, so Bay watched the few guitarists he knew and copied their fingering on the
298:
as a gift. The guitar had the features of New Yorker, but it was a "cutaway" model with a thinner neck. This guitar has been pictured on the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method for decades.
256:, and the poor note reading ability prevalent among guitarists at that time. These books became the basis of the Mel Bay instructional method and the Mel Bay publication house.
176:
27:
628:
333:
series are estimated to be more than 20 million copies. Bay established the structure for modern guitar education and helped increase the popularity of guitar.
341:
314:
608:
603:
623:
361:
613:
209:, teaching himself chords. Once he felt he knew the rudiments of the guitar, he started experimenting with other instruments, including the
583:
593:
588:
618:
598:
310:
403:
469:
337:
240:
Bay knew that to make it as a professional musician he would have to be in a large city. He therefore moved to
491:
291:
578:
573:
294:. He played professionally on his New Yorker model, but his favorite was the Mel Bay Model made by
543:
440:
245:
229:
295:
336:
The comedy song "Ode to Mel Bay" (written and first recorded by
Michael "Supe" Granda of the
198:
144:
73:
171:
98:
345:
253:
567:
106:
218:
228:
Bay played in front of an audience every chance he got, including a stint with a
349:
210:
206:
132:
553:
301:
Mel Bay was still playing guitar every day until his death in 1997 at age 84.
102:
557:
511:"New St. Louis Walk of Fame inductions include Mel Bay, Robert S. Brookings"
411:
241:
214:
140:
33:
329:
magazine called him "the George
Washington of the guitar". Sales of his
222:
136:
170:, was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of
194:
128:
278:
have known every guitar teacher in
America on a first-name basis.
202:
166:(February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997), known professionally as
110:
445:
193:
Melbourne E. Bay was born on
February 25, 1913, in the little
538:
309:
Mel Bay received
Lifetime Achievement awards from the
470:"Star Power: Kirkwood's Mel Bay Joins Walk of Fame"
317:in 2001 for his work furthering banjo instruction.
150:
124:
116:
94:
80:
60:
50:
45:
18:
441:"Music Instruction Series Marks 60th Anniversary"
180:, first published in 1971, remains a bestseller.
560:(ukulele) at 8:00, plus a banjo duet at 22:08.
269:. This book is still in print under the title
546:, son of Mel Bay, on National Public Radio's
8:
554:Roy Smeck: The Wizard of the Strings (1983)
352:), pokes fun lovingly at Mel Bay's books.
342:The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World
325:Many guitarists have studied Bay's books.
26:
15:
391:Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1.
373:
404:"100th Anniversary of Mel Bay's Birth"
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
267:The Orchestral Chord System for Guitar
556:. Mel Bay (guitar) plays a duet with
435:
433:
431:
429:
7:
629:20th-century American male musicians
509:Johnson, Kevin C. (14 June 2011).
315:American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame
14:
410:. 1 February 2013. Archived from
609:20th-century American guitarists
604:Sheet music publishing companies
539:Mel Bay Publishing official site
624:Country musicians from Missouri
244:in 1933, and later to suburban
36:, about 1963, used in his book
1:
177:Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords
120:Publisher, educator, musician
614:People from Bunker, Missouri
311:Guitar Foundation of America
584:American country guitarists
468:Lori Rose (June 22, 2011).
645:
362:Banjo Hall of Fame Members
340:and featured on the album
271:Rhythm Guitar Chord System
265:and wrote the first book,
338:Ozark Mountain Daredevils
25:
594:American music educators
589:American male guitarists
201:, Missouri. He bought a
619:Educators from Missouri
544:Interview with Bill Bay
515:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
496:americanbanjomuseum.com
599:Fingerstyle guitarists
492:"HALL OF FAME MEMBERS"
236:St. Louis and Kirkwood
46:Background information
38:Fun With the Mandolin
331:Modern Guitar Method
275:Modern Guitar Method
260:Mel Bay Publications
90:St. Louis, Missouri
498:. 24 January 2019.
292:D'Angelico guitars
230:snake oil salesman
305:Awards and honors
158:
157:
71:February 25, 1913
636:
526:
525:
523:
521:
506:
500:
499:
488:
482:
481:
479:
477:
472:. Kirkwood Patch
465:
459:
458:
456:
454:
437:
424:
423:
421:
419:
400:
394:
387:
164:Melbourne E. Bay
87:
76:, Missouri, U.S.
70:
68:
56:Melbourne E. Bay
53:
32:Mel Bay playing
30:
16:
644:
643:
639:
638:
637:
635:
634:
633:
564:
563:
548:Morning Edition
535:
530:
529:
519:
517:
508:
507:
503:
490:
489:
485:
475:
473:
467:
466:
462:
452:
450:
439:
438:
427:
417:
415:
402:
401:
397:
388:
375:
370:
358:
323:
307:
296:John D'Angelico
288:
262:
254:rhythm sections
238:
219:Hawaiian guitar
191:
186:
172:music education
161:
145:Hawaiian guitar
89:
85:
72:
66:
64:
51:
41:
21:
12:
11:
5:
642:
640:
632:
631:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
566:
565:
562:
561:
551:
541:
534:
533:External links
531:
528:
527:
501:
483:
460:
449:. 10 July 2007
425:
395:
393:Pacific: 1948.
372:
371:
369:
366:
365:
364:
357:
354:
346:Tommy Emmanuel
322:
319:
306:
303:
287:
284:
261:
258:
237:
234:
195:Ozark Mountain
190:
187:
185:
182:
160:Musical artist
159:
156:
155:
152:
148:
147:
126:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
96:
92:
91:
88:(aged 84)
82:
78:
77:
62:
58:
57:
54:
48:
47:
43:
42:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
641:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
571:
569:
559:
555:
552:
549:
545:
542:
540:
537:
536:
532:
516:
512:
505:
502:
497:
493:
487:
484:
471:
464:
461:
448:
447:
442:
436:
434:
432:
430:
426:
414:on 2014-02-22
413:
409:
405:
399:
396:
392:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
374:
367:
363:
360:
359:
355:
353:
351:
347:
343:
339:
334:
332:
328:
327:Guitar Player
320:
318:
316:
312:
304:
302:
299:
297:
293:
285:
283:
279:
276:
272:
268:
259:
257:
255:
249:
247:
243:
235:
233:
231:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
203:Sears Roebuck
200:
196:
188:
183:
181:
179:
178:
173:
169:
165:
153:
149:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
127:
125:Instrument(s)
123:
119:
117:Occupation(s)
115:
112:
108:
104:
100:
97:
93:
83:
79:
75:
63:
59:
55:
49:
44:
39:
35:
29:
24:
17:
547:
518:. Retrieved
514:
504:
495:
486:
474:. Retrieved
463:
451:. Retrieved
444:
416:. Retrieved
412:the original
408:Mel Bay Blog
407:
398:
390:
335:
330:
326:
324:
308:
300:
289:
286:Later career
280:
274:
270:
266:
263:
250:
239:
227:
192:
175:
167:
163:
162:
86:(1997-05-14)
84:May 14, 1997
37:
579:1997 deaths
574:1913 births
550:, July 2007
520:February 9,
453:February 8,
418:February 9,
350:Chet Atkins
211:tenor banjo
174:books. His
133:tenor banjo
568:Categories
389:Bay, Mel.
368:References
189:Early life
67:1913-02-25
52:Birth name
558:Roy Smeck
321:Influence
290:Bay sold
242:St. Louis
207:fretboard
184:Biography
99:Classical
476:April 1,
356:See also
246:Kirkwood
215:mandolin
197:town of
141:mandolin
34:mandolin
223:ukulele
168:Mel Bay
154:Mel Bay
137:ukulele
107:country
20:Mel Bay
273:. His
221:, and
199:Bunker
151:Labels
129:guitar
95:Genres
74:Bunker
522:2014
478:2015
455:2014
420:2014
348:and
111:jazz
103:folk
81:Died
61:Born
446:NPR
344:by
570::
513:.
494:.
443:.
428:^
406:.
376:^
225:.
217:,
213:,
143:,
139:,
135:,
131:,
109:,
105:,
101:,
524:.
480:.
457:.
422:.
69:)
65:(
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
