Synopsis
A collection of writings, charts, and suggestions, which will benefit any guitar player no matter what musical genre one is pursuing. Music is music, and beneath the art and mystique lies science. An understanding of this science can only benefit and expedite one's progress as a guitarist. Having evaluated many existing systems and methods over the years, I have identified the source of much student frustration . It is the lack of a challenging, interesting, and generally educational approach to the guitar. Most methods. are lacking in one way or another. I"ve heard from many a student: "Your method is different and it really works!" A common question I get from students is: "Why haven't I been told this before?" Some of the concepts covered in this book are: Basic Guitar & Music Theory Scales, Scales, Scales Primary Chord Groups About Capos & Transposition Secondary Chord Groups The "Chordal-Scaleular-Merger"
About the Author
I was at the tender age of ten in 1957 when my brother Bob was drafted into the army, leaving behind his 6-string Stella guitar. I felt it my duty to look after it in his absence and it soon became my constant companion. Two years later he returned and reclaimed his prized possession but not without rewarding my efforts by giving me a Silvertone 6-string of my own. My addiction to all manner of string playing & paraphernalia has only increased since then. The infamous ‘60 were soon upon me, and I was ready for the obsession with guitars that was about to sweep my generation into the fabulous music of that decade. Playing guitar with other people was the obvious cool thing to do in the early days of the great American “Folk Era”, and since I didn’t know anyone who played, my best friend George was the obvious (and willing) choice for “other person #1” in my performing life. On Christmas Eve 1961, I taught my first guitar lesson to George. Within a month we were playing and singing together. Little did I know he was only the first in an endless stream of people “in my teaching life” who would learn to play from my instruction as private students or in classes, and that music instruction would one day become my livelihood. While our high school mates pumped gas and checked groceries to earn their spending cash, George & I and two other chums earned ours playing music in and around the New York metropolitan area. In 1963 we even attracted enough attention to garner an audition from Columbia records in New York. Our name, The Yeomen, can be found on the Goya Guitar banner in the list of “These famous (?) people play Goya Guitars”. Getting our heads through doorways was a problem at that time! Throughout the 1970s, the ‘80s, & on into this new millennium, performing has slowly taken a backseat to teaching. How does that go? “Those that can’t do, teach.” Over these decades I have written two instructional-reference books for guitar, one for mandolin, and one for ukulele. I presently have several others books in process on studying Banjo, Bass, General Theory for string players, and an Intro to Jazz Guitar. Besides serving as the staff guitar teacher for Linn Benton Community College and a music instructor for the Benton Center, throughout the ‘90s on into this new millennium I will be found cloistered in my home studio teaching as many as 1,000 private lessons a year.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
