A Modern Method for Guitar Vol 1 Pages 27 to 29

[fep]

Off we go...

Page 27, Picking Etude No. 1 and Etude

and Pages 26 & 27 Two, Two (duet)

Edit (Oldhead, I just played thru this weeks pieces without using my LH index finger, it can be done )

[oldhead]

I haven't really looked at them yet, but I'll give it a try. I played golf with a guy this summer that only had one arm. It was absolutely amazing how he overcame that handicap. 220 yards straight down the fairways off the tees.
I guess where there's a will there's a way. Thanks for going through that exercise and letting me know.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi Oldhead, I managed p27 and the lower part of Two two without index finger. For the upper part, I got as far as the F chord, and stopped. But you may be able to bar with it, depending on where the cut is. Good luck!

[oldhead]

Hi Oldhead, I managed p27 and the lower part of Two two without index finger. For the upper part, I got as far as the F chord, and stopped. But you may be able to bar with it, depending on where the cut is. Good luck!

Thanks, TLT. I can bar the first one, but measure 15 and 19 are going to give me a little trouble. I also think I can do the picking exercise and etude.
It's little weird using my second finger to play the C. The good thing is it doesn't look like I'm going to really have any down time like I thought.

[ten left thumbs]

Thanks, TLT. I can bar the first one, but measure 15 and 19 are going to give me a little trouble.

Because you come from the G? This duet is so much same old same old you could miss that F and pick it up later when you're healed up, no problem. Or you could just do a C and A and miss out the root (F). New things here are the Dmin (bar 3) and the Bb combos in bars 12 and 16.

[jsepguitar]

I'm curious what, if any, muting techniques people are using for the etudes on page 27 (Picking Etude No. 1 & Etude). Specifically for the open notes on the G string. Are you using the palm of your right hand, using another technique, or just letting the string ring out?

Also, is anybody else finding it difficult to adjust to 2/2 time?

[ten left thumbs]

I'm curious what, if any, muting techniques people are using for the etudes on page 27 (Picking Etude No. 1 & Etude). Specifically for the open notes on the G string. Are you using the palm of your right hand, using another technique, or just letting the string ring out?

Also, is anybody else finding it difficult to adjust to 2/2 time?

Sorry, I'm going to come across as a lazy sod. I don't mute there. And I count 2/2 as 4/4.

I don't get it. He covers 2/2 which to all intents and purposes hasn't existed for about the last 200 years, but doesn't cover 6/8.

I know, someone's going to find something written in 2/2 in the last 200 years, but my point it that it could as easily be written in 4/4 or 2/4. With slow, medieval-type chants I can see the point in 2/2, just.

The man in the dvd is priceless. He starts out showing you how to count in 2/2 and going into the theory or it all. Then he shows you how you can just count in 4/4.

[Marty W]

I'm curious what, if any, muting techniques people are using for the etudes on page 27 (Picking Etude No. 1 & Etude). Specifically for the open notes on the G string. Are you using the palm of your right hand, using another technique, or just letting the string ring out?

Also, is anybody else finding it difficult to adjust to 2/2 time?

I think fep said this in another thread but I don't *think* we are supposed to mute on this exercise. The only place it's indicated is the lower voice in m.m. 4, 10, 12, 16 & 20. We're told to mute the open G note in each of those bars.

Edit: after looking at it again I think the rests might just be there to indicate that he's leaving out the note in the lower voice. But I really don't know.

I do this by using the thumb of my picking hand as I'm playing the next note. IOW... in m.4 as I'm playing the half notes C & E, I will stop the previous G from ringing with my thumb. Hopefully! My goal is to not have any silence between the notes but not let them ring together.

Having said that, for practice purposes I am muting all the the notes just to get better at doing it. It's cruel and unusual punishment!

The 2/2 was hard at first. I started at 50 bpm.

Question for the rest of the group: Is 2/2 the same as cut time? I've never really understood that.

[Marty W]

In the Etude on page 27 I'm confused as to where to start the ritards. Does he want us to start on beat 4 of m.11 and beat 2 of m.19?

Thanks!

[Aant]

In the Etude on page 27 I'm confused as to where to start the ritards. Does he want us to start on beat 4 of m.11 and beat 2 of m.19?

Thanks!

I'd say so, or 3rd beat of m.19.

[fep]

Tried a different picking technique, often called the benson technique where you hold the pick differently and roll your wrist so the palm of your hand is pointing more upward. The picking motion becomes more like taping your finger or like striking a piano key. Just experimenting with this technique.

Recorded on my laptop, just a webcam and webcam mic. (No other software. Marty, no reverb )

[ronjazz]

While 2/2 is not the same as cut time, both are counted the same way. Writing is cut time looks less complicated.

[Marty W]

While 2/2 is not the same as cut time, both are counted the same way. Writing is cut time looks less complicated.

Thanks Ron but I'm not sure what you mean, can you clarify a little?

On page 28 the exercise Two,Two has the C with the vertical line through it in the time signature. In the written notes Leavitt says C with line = 2/2. How would cut time be indicated?

[oldhead]

Pages 28, 29, Two, Two (Duet) I counted 2/2, just because this is about learning to read and thought it would be a good exercise.

Pg 28, 29, Two Two (Duet).mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

[Marty W]

Tried a different picking technique, often called the benson technique where you hold the pick differently and roll your wrist so the palm of your hand is pointing more upward. The picking motion becomes more like taping your finger or like striking a piano key. Just experimenting with this technique.

Recorded on my laptop, just a webcam and webcam mic. (No other software. Marty, no reverb )

Hi fep. Thanks for posting, sounds great even without reverb. I did notice in m.4 you played the B on the 2nd string instead of the 3rd string as written. And at the same time, we're supposed to hold the C and E notes for 2 beats.

[ronjazz]

C with the line through it is "cut" time, counted in two. This gives the quarter notes the same value as 1/8 notes in 4/4 time. It's hard to explain, but psychologically, cut feels different from 4/4 or even 2/4.

[Marty W]

C with the line through it is "cut" time, counted in two. This gives the quarter notes the same value as 1/8 notes in 4/4 time. It's hard to explain, but psychologically, cut feels different from 4/4 or even 2/4.

Thanks, yeah I can understand that. I see it written like that in some country and bluegrass songs. I was confused when you said 2/2 was different than cut time.

[ten left thumbs]

Oldhead - that sounds very musical! Somehow it reminds me of the music to childrens' programmes when I was young. How's the finger?

fep - Funny, I've been experimenting with the same thing, in terms of hand angle. It feels very different, but I still don't think I'm doing it right! You cope with a good tempo on this one, it's not easy at all.

[oldhead]

Oldhead - that sounds very musical! Somehow it reminds me of the music to childrens' programmes when I was young. How's the finger?

Thanks, TLT. I was really striving for musicality in this one, so your comment is very encouraging. I really like this piece. I had Liquid Bandage with clear fingernail polish on top to play this week. Wanted to get the misstrokes and stumbles out of this before I posted but took my wife for emergency appendectomy last night. Recorded this between trips to the hospital today.
So the finger is good and my wife is on the mend.

[oldhead]

Hi fep. Thanks for posting, sounds great even without reverb. I did notice in m.4 you played the B on the 2nd string instead of the 3rd string as written. And at the same time, we're supposed to hold the C and E notes for 2 beats.

You're moving on that one, FEP, and it sounds good. I like the pause before the last chord. I do have a question. I thought the squiggly line (I don't know what it's called) before the last chord indicates a glide across the strings so every note sounds individually, and to my ear it seems like you have more of a strum. That's not meant as a nit, just a question. Are things like this left up to interpretation?

[Marty W]

Had a big aha! moment yesterday when practicing the wretched rest stroke. I'm prone to strumming too slow sometimes and inconsistent volume. What I noticed was I wasn't strumming too slow, I was starting too soon.

I was focused on how fast I should be strumming and I needed to focus on when to begin the strum. The speed takes care of itself because we have to end in the right spot for the melody to be in place.

As soon as I started thinking about the beginning of the strum instead of the end, the consistency got better. The most important thing is now I know why I miss sometimes. I still like the slow strum for putting feeling into a song but now I can choose between the 2.

I start the slow strum around the middle of the beat and end on the downbeat:

1   &   2
     --->

With the fast strum I strum on the downbeat:

1   &   2
        >

It seems obvious now but was an epiphany at the time!

Here's a quick demo of the 2 strums:

[Will Glen]

I'm going to practice that Marty. I like it. Thanks for sharing bro.

[ten left thumbs]

Thanks, TLT. I was really striving for musicality in this one, so your comment is very encouraging. I really like this piece. I had Liquid Bandage with clear fingernail polish on top to play this week. Wanted to get the misstrokes and stumbles out of this before I posted but took my wife for emergency appendectomy last night. Recorded this between trips to the hospital today.
So the finger is good and my wife is on the mend.

You are most welcome. Clearly a cut on a fretting finger and an emergency appendectomy were all you needed to bring the musicality out. Let's hope it doesn't always need to be so dramatic. My best wishes for your and your wife's recovery. And don't forget to let that cut breathe.

[ten left thumbs]

It seems obvious now but was an epiphany at the time!

Aren't these moments amazing? What I notice is a moment like that only happens when you've got the technical skill to back it up - in this case starting and ending on the intended strings without too much thought.

[fep]

Pages 28, 29, Two, Two (Duet) I counted 2/2, just because this is about learning to read and thought it would be a good exercise.

Pg 28, 29, Two Two (Duet).mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage

That was really good and fund to listen too.

Now a couple of nits:

It sounded to me like it sped up during the 7th system. Was this without a metronome?

m.1 of last system and m.4 of the last system, the notes on the third beat where cut short (good job on the rests on the 2nd beat though, that sounded cool).