anyone else using Leavitt?

[ten left thumbs]

Anyone else using Leavitt's modern Method for Guitar? I am in volume 1 now, and if there are others here we could have a study group thread - posting recordings and giving encouragement. Maybe some of the more experienced members could stick around to keep us right?

Anyone interested?

[AlsoRan]

That is one great idea tenleftthumbs!

I do not have that method and already have enough material to obsess on for months. I hope you get some takers.

[fumblefingers]

i use it, along with all kinds of Berklee stuff.

the only thing i do is use CAGED fingerings instead of Leavitt's stretch fingerings (which i learned in my 20s but find uncomfortable now. furthermore, i have never been able to observe any of the greats using those fingerings. at least not in a majority sense, or down low on the fretboard.)

[pierre richard]

I have played through all three volumes.....among other books and methods..

Have played through most methods ( the older ones ) through my 53 years of playing...

All of us are different and will see these books differently...a teacher will help guide you and reccomend books that you may need...

It depends on who your favorite player is and you want to play like him or do you want to single string or chord melody or both...

Learn what you can and do ask questions on this forum...you will get many answers from as many players..

time on the instrument...pierre

[the*doctor]

I'm On book one as well right now. I'm up to page 31 'sixteenth notes'.
I think that that's a great idea to start a thread on it

Hopefully something will come of this...

[fumblefingers]

Level 1 is near and dear to my playing heart. likewise it has been used by many, many people around the world - tres beaucoup!

here are a few pointers:
1. if you are a serious student, try to accomplish 4 pages per week. if that is too aggressive a schedule for you, then 2 pages per week, etc.

2. follow Leavitt's advice - that is,

• don't "slight" any material before moving on to the next page but also don't "master" it like its a classical masterpiece performance, before moving on.
• constantly review past pages. (that will be your opportunity to "perfect" past lessons, if thats what you want to do).

3. in section two, don't sweat it if the arpeggio studies on pages 61, 71, etc (triad arpeggios beyond one octave) are ball busters. if those are the only studies that are halting you from progressing to the next set of pages, then move forward and keep coming back to master those arpeggio studies.

4. have fun.

[JakeAcci]

I think I went through volume 1, but I do prefer the Mel Bay Modern Method series and recently went through all 7 volumes! Quite a lot of work, but certainly helpful.

Kind of funny, so much time spent reading chord voicings, but lately I haven't been reading anything with voicings notated. Probably should get back on that horse, but I suppose it doesn't come up that often at a gig.

[jsepguitar]

Question for someone who has seen the DVD that comes with volume 1. Why does it say to use rest strokes (with a pick) to play through the book? I wasn't expecting that. Did anyone actually follow this advice?

[ten left thumbs]

What a wonderful response! Cool to know I'm not the only one using that book.

[ronjazz]

Having studied that method with Leavitt himself, I don't recall him calling for rest-strokes only at all, but both rest and free-strokes, with the idea of getting them all to sound the same, rest and free, down and up. And don't let yourself get bogged down and discouraged over difficult sections; move on but constantly review. Leavitt's fingerings are, as I recall, mainly for use in sight-reading on actual gigs: Bill was always first-call for big shows in the Boston area, both as player and arranger. While his fingerings may not be the most jazz-friendly, they certainly are very practical for those of us who do studio work and pit work.

[Nuff Said]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

Anyone else using Leavitt's modern Method for Guitar?

I use these type of Leavitt fingerings. (Yes, I know I've mentioned these fingerings in a previous post.)

I find the Leavitt Fingerings excellent, but I have huge hands, which I like to stretch.
Nuff

[ten left thumbs]

Nuff said: Mega-respect! I have small hands.

ronjazz - thanks for that nugget. I did do rest strokes for a time. I found sometimes they were muting strings I was trying to keep ringing. So I figured they were there for a reason, but what that reason is I have no idea.

The big draw and motivation for me is that i just love the music in the book. I feel it's inspired right from the start - not all of it, but some of the pieces are just lovely.

Some recordings:
solo p23.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage
Etude p26.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage
Waltz p38.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

I enjoy playing these, but when i listen back I realise how uneven and poor the legato is. Anyway, tia for any comments and suggestions. I am working now without a teacher.

What I really struggle with is the F# diminished triad which he seems determined to put in every page and really hurts me.

[ten left thumbs]

Originally Posted by fumblefingers

i use it, along with all kinds of Berklee stuff.

the only thing i do is use CAGED fingerings instead of Leavitt's stretch fingerings (which i learned in my 20s but find uncomfortable now. furthermore, i have never been able to observe any of the greats using those fingerings. at least not in a majority sense, or down low on the fretboard.)

OK, I read this yesterday and didn't really understand it. I'm just beginning to get there. I am familiar with the CAGED patterns and scales based on it, though rusty. So guitarists call these fingerings. [mental note to self - get used to this]

I have small hands (woman, smaller hands than normal) so anything that is a stretch for a regular guitarist will be impossible for me. I keep bearing in mind that some folks don't have hands and play with their toes. Gives me perspective!

When I get to these 'stetch fingerings' I will bear all this in mind and not get too worried about it.

The ethos of the book so far has been: See what's on this page? This is important. If you move on without taking it in, you will be hopelessly out of your depth.

[ten left thumbs]

Originally Posted by the*doctor

I'm On book one as well right now. I'm up to page 31 'sixteenth notes'.
I think that that's a great idea to start a thread on it

Hopefully something will come of this...

Hi doctor, we are at similar stages. I am working around there and up to page 49. There is some great music in these pages, I am enjoying and hope you are too. Do you ever record yourself?

[the*doctor]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

Hi doctor, we are at similar stages. I am working around there and up to page 49. There is some great music in these pages, I am enjoying and hope you are too. Do you ever record yourself?

Hey thumbs,

Yeah I think they are pretty nice songs. I like the fact that they are original songs and not boring old nursey rhymes or traditional tunes in a lot of other books. It's also more of a challenge when you've never heard the song before.

I have recorded myself once or twice, but mainly use my looper to hear how sections sound and to practice the duets.

[ten left thumbs]

Originally Posted by the*doctor

Hey thumbs,

Yeah I think they are pretty nice songs. I like the fact that they are original songs and not boring old nursey rhymes or traditional tunes in a lot of other books. It's also more of a challenge when you've never heard the song before.

It does make you exercise your *reading* brain when you play tunes you don't know. I like nursery rhymes myself and picked out a few when learning the notes on the fretboard. But I just like that, for example, Sea to sea is playable, and readable - both parts - and it was a challenge, and it sounded good. And then I just think, hey, I can do that with a major scale.

The only one I didn't like so far was Two Two.

I have recorded myself once or twice, but mainly use my looper to hear how sections sound and to practice the duets.

Ah, a looper would be good for that. I have a looper but it only takes about 15 seconds.

[the*doctor]

Yeah, that two two song was pretty hard for the first week, but I went back to it and perfected as a warmup to reading before I went to the mxt part of the book.

[ten left thumbs]

Yeah, I 'slighted' that one. Just didn't enjoy it.

May the frets forgive me, I worked extra hard on everything else.

My aim in all of this is that I want to feel competent on the guitar. Not just someone who knows a few chords. I want to know the notes and see the patterns. And I do now absolutely see the notes in open position, they are clear as day. I still have major issues with my RH knowing where to go. My LH has problems stretching.

[fumblefingers]

Originally Posted by jeffhilsonn

the alone affair i do is use CAGED fingerings instead of Leavitt's amplitude fingerings (which i abstruse in my 20s but acquisition afflictive now. furthermore, i accept never been able to beam any of the greats application those fingerings. at atomic not in a majority sense, or down low on the fretboard.)

edit.

am willing to meet you any time to discuss this in more depth, smart ass.

here's the point. Leavitts fingerings cause the hand to stretch. some of the exercises that some Berklee instructors (like mine) have advised over the years have you playing 12 keys in the 2nd position, then 12 keys in the 3rd position etc up the neck (using Leavitt's fingerings of course, which insist that you stretch and not shift). this made my hands very sore when using Leavitt's fingerings. you may have noticed the warnings on Berklee's guitar dept. site against practicing too long on intense exercise like scales etc. i for one, can understand their warning.

you see, many serious students and professionals (not you) practice for hours on end, daily. great musicianship and a competitive market demand it. but some of the "great" workouts that we do when young are actially too hard on the body for the long run. when the body is young, soft tissue is more elastic. that starts to change at about the age of 24.

overuse injuries have ended many a musicians career. i dont care if you believe or understand that. who knows? maybe it will happen to you.

my point wasn't about me, i was trying to advise a relative beginner.

so, up yours.

[fumblefingers]

i quickly reviewed all posts from jeffhilsonn.

i don't believe that is a genuine person. a computer program or hacker programmer perhaps? time to disable "jeff".

[ten left thumbs]

Hi fumble. I thought jeff might have used an online translate thing.

At any rate, I'm a shifter rather than a stretcher. Not good, I know. There's only so much pain I can enjoy, and I'm a few years past my best-before date.

Sometimes, you just need to be realistic. While still practising, of course. And stretching.

[fumblefingers]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

Hi fumble. I thought jeff might have used an online translate thing.

At any rate, I'm a shifter rather than a stretcher. Not good, I know. There's only so much pain I can enjoy, and I'm a few years past my best-before date.

Sometimes, you just need to be realistic. While still practising, of course. And stretching.

you will see what I mean if you get to page 70. also Volume 3, page 9 and others like it...

[ten left thumbs]

The pattern on p70 doesn't look remotely possible for me. I can use CAGED instead.

I'm hoping the course will continue to offer me something? I can't accept that only those with large hands are capable of playing guitar - though I can believe that they can do certain things that I can't.

No point trying to ram a square peg into a round hole.

[fep]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

- posting recordings and giving encouragement.

+1,000,000 on that

You can talk all you want about the book, but...

I think if you want to make this a good learning experience, posting recordings or even better videos is the key.

And then you self evaluate each other. Kind of like a Bruno kind of thing.

It's very motivating knowing you have to create a 'performance'. For me that is probably the biggest benefit of taking lessons. And you could create that motivation right here on this thread (or a new one).

[ten left thumbs]

OK, well here goes again. This is the second picking etude. I love this one. I could play it for hours. Well, at least minutes. Isn't it amazing how pretty a major scale can be?

Anyway
picking p33.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

My own self critique is that sometimes I'm pushing the metronome, and the legato could be better (but how?). As for accuracy, what you hear is my normal level.

May be able to do videos next year.

I would love to do lessons, just for the motivation factor. However it's an expensive form of motivation. You guys are cheaper!

Can I tempt any other learners into recording?

[fep]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

OK, well here goes again. This is the second picking etude. I love this one. I could play it for hours. Well, at least minutes. Isn't it amazing how pretty a major scale can be?

Anyway
picking p33.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

My own self critique is that sometimes I'm pushing the metronome, and the legato could be better (but how?). As for accuracy, what you hear is my normal level.

May be able to do videos next year.

I would love to do lessons, just for the motivation factor. However it's an expensive form of motivation. You guys are cheaper!

Can I tempt any other learners into recording?

I think your self critique is pretty right on.

It sounds to me you are picking pretty hard which is a legitimate sound. But you may want to experiment with some softer picking which is a sound I prefer (not so much attack and rapid decay, it's a bit smoother when you pick softer). It may also sound more legato with less attack.

Also, that metronome is pretty loud on the recording. Perhaps place it behind the mic so it doesn't pick up as much.

[ten left thumbs]

thanks for that fep. I'll try picking softer. I normally use a regular sized strumming pick (extra heavy) but pick with the shoulder. On the electric I used to use a wee chubby pick - maybe I should try with that.

[fep]

I had this book from way back when I was a beginner but never got thru it.

Now I'm opening it again due to this thread. Maybe I'll go thru it, it's always good to review things. I'll have to catch up though.

But skipping ahead to pg. 33, I just read thru this twice and then did this video, I'm reading...

YouTube Video

[ten left thumbs]

Ah, that's how it's done. I reckon you're allowed to skip.

The book would be heaving going for an absolute beginner.

[fep]

That pg. 33 exercise is some tricky picking that I'm not use too; all those string skips.

Normally I'd do that with hybrid picking (pick and fingers). But I stayed with the program and used pick only.