Study Group: A Modern Method For Guitar Vol 1 pages 1 to 8

[flashlarue]

Can someone tell me where to begin. Are there pdfs to download?
Thanks
Michael

[Help!I'maRock!]

Originally Posted by flashlarue

Can someone tell me where to begin. Are there pdfs to download?
Thanks
Michael

buy the book, post in the thread.

[jazzymarky]

Where should I start on the lessons provided here?

[ten left thumbs]

We're started at the beginning of the book on January 1st. Do you have the book? Post recordings, questions, comments in the thread of the appropriate page (i.e. pp1-8 here). It's not too late to join in.

[oldhead]

I posted (or so I thought) last night but it doesn't show up, so thought I'd give it another go today. Back from road trip and trying to catch up. this is much more difficult than I anticipated and I probably won't be able to catch up to the group, so I'll just keep dogging along. I've posted Sea to Sea with all the misstrokes, mistakes, etc., because this is basically where I'm at in my playing/reading. If I waited for perfection, I'd probably never post. Should my post from last night show up, someone can delete it. Also, I need to work out the recording part - a lot of noise. I think there's a short in the mic input.
CtoC.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

[ten left thumbs]

Hi oldhead, congratulations on posting! Sounds mostly accurate.

I would really take on board what leavitt says about not aiming for perfection before moving on - do review, but also move on when you can.

[FKH]

Nice !

[onetruevibe]

Hello all!

I'm way late to the MMG game, but I hope to catch up and that folks are still checking in here for late-comers.

Anyway, I've been playing guitar for years but never took the time to learn to read - so I'm really looking forward to this study.

Question - on page 4, when he refers to the "First Position," is he talking about the CAGE system or just the open chord position (which just happens to be for C
for Exercise 1).

So, thanks for any insight!

[fep]

Welcome aboard onetruevibe.

First Position is the open position where your first finger is at the first fret (just behind it actually).

I hope you'll post some recordings, it's really a good way to test yourself and get critiques.

[onetruevibe]

Ok - spent some time with this this evening, and my brains are smoking!

That was much harder than I thought it would be. Reading the notes on the staff, and then finding them on the fretboard in time...whoa.

Also - the line seemed to intentionally trick my ear. So often I would be playing along and my ear would hear it going a certain direction, but the notes on the staff didn't always jive with where my ear wanted it to go...around bar 13.

Exercise #1 @ 80bpm

Anyway, Feedback is much appreciated.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi Onetrue, you've got it, that was exactly as written. The book is all about *reading* especially at the beginning, and so everything is designed to make you use reading skills - as opposed to your ear. That's what makes it so hard. It does get a lot easier once you're over the hurdles of where the notes are on the staff and on the fretboard.

Congrats on posting your recording!

[Will Glen]

First, thanks everyone for participating. This is very challenging for me as someone with little experience reading and overall being a strummer of chords playing folk songs.

I am finding that I'm having trouble playing from page 6 to page 7 in Sea to Sea (duet) and think that I'm not looking far enough ahead. I keep accidentally switching from the 2nd guitar part to the 1st guitar part moving from page to page 2.

I am fair playing single notes but throwing in 2 notes at a time and 3 notes is challenging. One thing that has really stuck out to me is the differenet voicings being played within the same barre chord that I'm familiar with. This is awesome. And talk about helping wtih pick control! Wow, I usually just strum like a hack and focusing on only playing two notes or three notes is really great.

The good thing is that I am beginning to see where I am making mistakes and am correcting them as best I can. I am counting out loud as I play to keep in rhythmn.

I plan to post my Sea to Sea Duet here soon. I've learned a great deal reading through everyone's posts and have seen a great deal of things that I have never even considered. This is an invaluable resource everyone. Thank you again.

[jsepguitar]

Originally Posted by Will Glen

...This is very challenging for me as someone with little experience reading and overall being a strummer of chords playing folk songs.

I am fair playing single notes but throwing in 2 notes at a time and 3 notes is challenging. ... Wow, I usually just strum like a hack and focusing on only playing two notes or three notes is really great.

This is my experience too. I was used to either strumming chords or playing single note lines. Going back and forth between 1 and 3 notes is a challenge for me, but I'm getting better at it. You should read the stuff in this post about using the rest stroke technique. It helped me.

[Will Glen]

Originally Posted by jsepguitar

This is my experience too. I was used to either strumming chords or playing single note lines. Going back and forth between 1 and 3 notes is a challenge for me, but I'm getting better at it. You should read the stuff in this post about using the rest stroke technique. It helped me.

I will go back and re-read right now. Thank you kindly.

EDIT: After reading about it above and watching a YouTube video I understand now. I have been allowing my right hand to fly off so to speak and this technique has shown me to use a very controlled and small movement. Very helpful indeed!

[ten left thumbs]

Hi Will, the two and three note chords are a challenge, but Leavitt does repeat them *a lot* so after a while you get used to the common ones.

Welcome aboard.

[onetruevibe]

Sorry in advance if this was posted earlier and I missed it.

I also realize that the answer to my question is pretty subjective, but what are folks using as a benchmark for moving forward on an exercise?

I'm currently at 80bpm on the first 3 exercise, but I noticed that Fep took one of his instructional videos on at 120bpm.

Should I continue with exercises until I'm comfortable at 120bpm, or is 80bpm a good enough benchmark to move on, with the intention of coming back to review periodically?

Thanks for any insight.

[ten left thumbs]

Don't wait for perfection: move on, but continue to review old material.

I keep needing to remind myself that.

[onetruevibe]

Originally Posted by ten left thumbs

Don't wait for perfection: move on, but continue to review old material.

I keep needing to remind myself that.

Thanks Thumbs!

[Will Glen]

Sea to Sea Duet.wav - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

I just saw that the file cannot be previewed but has to be downloaded. I will try to figure out how to get the preview to work so the recording does not have to be downloaded as a file.

Here is my entry for Sea to Sea (duet) in the above link. Hope it uploads ok.

This is the first time I've used Box.com to store an audio file. I'm using a pair of computer headphones with a mic attached to it to record on and I used Kristal recording software which is available for free online. I panned right to left. Just put on some new strings. I'm playing with my Taylor 415-LTD acoustic.

This is the first time I've ever recorded a duet like this from reading music and I am learning a great deal.

1) I suck! No seriously though, I've always known that!

2) I need to better identify where I am not giving the proper value to notes or even playing the correct note. There are several places I can do better in the duet. I will keep coming back and will continue to work on previous material.

3) I slowed down the tempo just a bit on guitar part II measure twenty but failed to slow down tempo on guitar part I. I need to stick to the metronome and just play solidly as I can.

I don't have thin skin you all so if you have time, your feedback is always appreciated and take care.

Will

[onetruevibe]

Hey Will.

Thanks for posting you work. Sounded good. I plan on recording this over the weekend and listening to your recording gives me a good reference for my own playing.

Question - did you record the two parts as separate tracks using Kristal and then mix them down into one? I'm currently using a hodge-podge of tools for my recordings and am looking for something a little more straight forward.

Thanks,
Brian

[Will Glen]

Originally Posted by onetruevibe

Hey Will.

Thanks for posting you work. Sounded good. I plan on recording this over the weekend and listening to your recording gives me a good reference for my own playing.

Question - did you record the two parts as separate tracks using Kristal and then mix them down into one? I'm currently using a hodge-podge of tools for my recordings and am looking for something a little more straight forward.

Thanks,
Brian

Glad to do it. Really enjoying this book and the forum is amazing. Thank you for your participation as well.

Yes I did. Let me know if you need help using it but like you said, it's very straightforward and hopefully it will meet your needs. Thanks again.

[fep]

Originally Posted by Will Glen

Sea to Sea Duet.wav - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

This is the first time I've ever recorded a duet like this from reading music and I am learning a great deal.

1) I suck! No seriously though, I've always known that!

2) I need to better identify where I am not giving the proper value to notes or even playing the correct note. There are several places I can do better in the duet. I will keep coming back and will continue to work on previous material.

3) I slowed down the tempo just a bit on guitar part II measure twenty but failed to slow down tempo on guitar part I. I need to stick to the metronome and just play solidly as I can.

I don't have thin skin you all so if you have time, your feedback is always appreciated and take care.

Will

I'm glad you posted a recording.

You don't suck.

I think what happens (at least this is how it works for me), if you haven't recorded yourself or haven't recorded recently you enjoy the sound of your guitar and the sound of your playing and you tend to think you sound better than you do.

Then you record, and listen back, and you focus really closely on the details, details that a lot of listeners wouldn't even notice, and you tend to think you sound worse than you really do.

You are correct that on this recording you did slow down a bit here and there.

You played this piece well, imo.

Originally Posted by Will Glen

I just saw that the file cannot be previewed but has to be downloaded. I will try to figure out how to get the preview to work so the recording does not have to be downloaded as a file.

Here is my entry for Sea to Sea (duet) in the above link. Hope it uploads ok.

This is the first time I've used Box.com to store an audio file. I'm using a pair of computer headphones with a mic attached to it to record on and I used Kristal recording software which is available for free online. I panned right to left. Just put on some new strings. I'm playing with my Taylor 415-LTD acoustic.

Will

If you create an mp3 file, it can play at box.net without anyone having to download. Many folks are reluctant to download, you'll get more listens if you upload the file to box.net as an mp3. Hopefully that software you are using will convert your recording to an mp3.

That is a really nice quality recording, I was surprised to read that it was done with a headphone mic.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi Will, sounds nice. Stick to metronome, don't worry about occasional mistakes. It's a good skill to learn to carry on regardless. If you can play perfectly in time with no mistakes, then you're probably wasting your time on material too easy for you imo. Of course we all want to be perfect...

[cjandthebreakfast]

What a wonderful site and community you all have here! I'm in.

I actually started doing THE Leavitt book Vol. 1, last Friday, I think it was. I was getting stumped on Ex. 10 and decided to look for some audio examples and luckily found this lovely place.

So, I'll try to follow along and contribute when and if a can. I've never had any music lessons and I definitely don't read music. I have some singer songwriter stuff up on the youtubes...that's the only kind of stuff I've ever really done. I have teamed with some old timey type guys in new bluegrass collaboration, but that's another animal.

I'm not sure if these threads are dead (the older ones) but they're open so here's my meager attempt at Sea to Sea.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/62435963/Sea...et%2084BPM.mp3

[Will Glen]

I had the very same experience. I learned about this book researching online and then went online and found some YouTube videos, but eventually Google pulled up this thread. I was very excited. I got a late start as well and being able to read the threads is extremely helpful. This is an indispensable source for people going through this book on their own. Glad you could make it and sounds great.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi cj, we don't appear to be dead yet! welcome. If you've just got the book and your stuck on ex 10, then I'd say you're doing pretty well! Just keep going, you will make progress.

re your recording, sounds good. Nice to hear you count yourself in. often you strum right through the strings, sounding your top E. You need to think about where your pick is going to land, so if you're to play E, G and C, then your pick lands on that E string and doesn't strum through it. If you go through the thread you'll find some material on rest strokes which may help.

[Brianmcg321]

Ok. After a brief hiatus I am now back on board. Got distracted practicing some fingerstyle songs but now I am ready to go. Got some confirmation on my direction now I am more motivated to get through these series of books.I won't be trying to catch up, but this is what I wil be working on each day. See you in the funny papers!!

[Brianmcg321]

Finished the exercises, now working on Sea to Sea. Its a pretty little song. The three string chords are funny though, but I'm getting the hang of them.

[Marty W]

I thought I'd post my rest-stroke and muting demos together here to help anyone getting started with the group. We've had quite a discussion on the difficulties of these techniques.

Here are my thoughts on the basic rest-stroke idea:

YouTube Video

Here are 2 ways to strum the rest-stroke --slow and fast:

YouTube Video

Muting ideas that can be used in the exercises:

YouTube Video

[Rick M]

Hi Gang,

I'm new to the forum and aspiring to play some jazz guitar one day, but at the moment I am a complete beginner. I am following along with the Leavitt Method and I am doing ok with interpreting most of the notes, however I am experiencing some challenges with the chord notation. Has someone by any chance made any chord charts for the chords in the books? For example the 3 note chords in first few exercises. I can't tell what they are supposed to be.

Thanks