Masters of the Plectrum Guitar

**Kojo27** · 09-30-2012, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

Ah, memories! I had that book when I was 14. I remember trying to teach myself, in my bedroom, not able to read a note of music, and REALLY struggling with that book (no tab) and Mickey Baker Volume 1. That was nearly 40 years ago! Wish I'd stuck at it, but I found Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter much easier to pick out by ear, jamming along with the records.

Really awful weather outside, this Sunday morning, so I've been learning the three After Thoughts by Carl Kress, and might record them soon. Very nice pieces!

Check the attachment, Rob - memories, aye? Hah! I could't read a lick either, had this book and Paul Simon for Classical Guitar - very difficult, beautiful arrangements, many I still couldn't play, probably, though my reading is becoming much better. You could do these justice. "Scarborough Fair" is to die for. E minor, wow.

The Mairants book was just over the top, though - I did puzzle through a lot of the stuff, and I wish I'd stuck with it, as I came by another "method" that decreed that one *must* always pick down on a downbeat, up on an upbeat. Fine for bluegrass, but what about jazz and almost anything else?

Mairants' method is to use the down on a down, up on an up, as a jumping off point. It's a homebase sort of thing. But he by no means holds to that as a rule. In the piece I'm learning now, there are sweeps, downstrokes on upbeats - for emphasis, etc. A pretty good old book.

Edit: Oh, do record the Kress piece! I watch all your videos.

**Kojo27** · 09-30-2012, 08:56 AM

It's just so damned strange: here I am, 52 years old, talking with a guy in Scotland who had the same obscure music book (sold 12 copies?) he couldn't read when he was a teenager, as I had and couldn't read when I was a teenager!!! Figure the odds.

**Eddie Lang** · 09-30-2012, 09:24 AM

Yeah, two teenage guitar players who can't read music! Imagine the odds!

EDIT to add: Seriously, though, I'd love to find a copy of the Mairants book. I'll start hunting...

**Kojo27** · 09-30-2012, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Eddie Lang

Yeah, two teenage guitar players who can't read music! Imagine the odds!

EDIT to add: Seriously, though, I'd love to find a copy of the Mairants book. I'll start hunting...

For someone who reads fairly well, or even ploddingly, this is an excellent and slim method to work through. Good luck finding it - I've searched countless times on Abebooks.com, Amazon, Alibris... no luck. I'm trying to determine what it's worth!

It has some "plectrum guitar" pieces, too - "Meet the Blues" is the one I'm working on now. I'm slow, so give me a couple weeks or so and I'll post it.

Loren

**Rob MacKillop** · 09-30-2012, 10:55 AM

Please do, Loren. Don't worry about being slow! Recordings or videos of this material is what makes the internet interesting for me, not 'faster than you' scales under the guise of music.

**Kojo27** · 09-30-2012, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

Please do, Loren. Don't worry about being slow! Recordings or videos of this material is what makes the internet interesting for me, not 'faster than you' scales under the guise of music.

Same here, Rob -- too, too many too many notes.

Rests are so pretty, well played.

**monk** · 09-30-2012, 07:43 PM

I was floating my hand before I bought the book.

**Kojo27** · 10-16-2012, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Eddie Lang

Hooray! The book was in my mailbox this afternoon. I only browsed through it and it looks good so far. I am really looking forward to dig into this. Looks like parts of it will be not only good for my right hand but also for my sight reading...

Many thanks to Rob and Kojo for mentioning the book and to Monk for finding one so fast.

Good for you Eddie! If this calls for a fairly drastic change in how you pick, you'd probably do well to supplement the Mairants book with any picking exercises you already know, as well as scales and arpeggios, etc. Changing from a wrist player to an "elbow picker" can take a good while, but it was worth it to me. Good luck!

kj

**superswing** · 10-17-2012, 02:00 PM

Eddie, I'm looking forward to getting some feedback from you on the book. Good luck!

**TheGrandWazoo** · 10-21-2013, 04:34 PM

Bumping this thread as I am just mercilously ripping through this wonderful book after stumbling upon Rob's wonderful videos. I feel like I've found my calling as I learn these pieces and discover the genius of Volpe, Lang, and Cress, Frank Victor is my boy though this week. Pick It and Play It is just a lot if fun.

I would like to know if anyone has any other recommendations. I've found some compilations on Mel Bay that sound interesting. They are too numerous to post but one is a compilation of Sal Salvador and Johnny Smith Solos. Others are just stubbed by Bill Bay. Any opinions welcome.

**Rob MacKillop** · 10-21-2013, 05:25 PM

Thanks, Mr Wazoo

I've had a lot of emails about these videos. Seems there is a growing interest in this style. Good luck finding more good repertoire - I would like to find more, but there is very little. Mel Bay has an archive series which includes a volume of music by Al Hendrickson, which is definitely worth looking at. Bill Bay himself has written some good things, published by...himself.

**Kiefer.Wolfowitz** · 10-22-2013, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

Ivor Mairants is worth a mention - he really was a very fine guitarist and composer.

Ivor Mairants wrote two methods of plectrum guitar, only the latest of which I've seen:

Mairants, Ivor (1997). Perfect pick technique for guitar: A method of playing steel-strung guitar devised to result in a flawless basic right hand technique without limitations. Tyne and Wear NE21 5NH, United Kingdom: Ashley Mark Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7935-9195-3. Distributed by the Hal Leonard Corporation HL00695293.
Mairants, Ivor (1952). The Ivor Mairants’ book of daily exercises: The first of its kind to be written for the plectrum guitar. Francis,Day & Hunter. LCCN unk84170147. ASIN B007SFDIR2, ASIN B001IY2ZRI.

Mairants's 1997 "Perfect pick technique for guitar" advocates a free suspension of the right hand, unachored (i.e., not anchoring with either palm or fingers). The pick is held between the thumb and only the index finger.

Mairants's 1952 "Daily Exercises" was used by Robert Fripp,

Fripp, Robert (14 March 2013). "Robert Fripp's diary: Thursday, 14th March 2013". Discipline Global Mobile. Retrieved 21 May 2013.

who has himself drafted a book entitled "The Guitar Circle", which will describe his plectrum technique, according to Curt Golden.

**Rob MacKillop** · 10-22-2013, 09:56 AM

Ivor Mairants' magnum opus as far as the jazz guitar is his Three Jazz Sonatas, which is still in print, I believe. Very difficult, major works.

**va3ux** · 10-22-2013, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

..... Mel Bay has an archive series which includes a volume of music by Al Hendrickson, which is definitely worth looking at. .

This rings a bell. I do believe I have a copy of that somewhere. I must dig through some boxes.

**monk** · 12-04-2013, 10:29 PM

I may have mentioned this before. If not, anyone who is interested in this music and the players should search for the two IAJRC CDs Guitar Rarities Volume One and Guitar Rarities Volume Two. They aren't easy to find but they are wonderful and well mastered from the original 78 RPM recordings.

Masters of the Plectrum Guitar-rarities-1-jpg

Masters of the Plectrum Guitar-rarities-1-jpg

Masters of the Plectrum Guitar-rarities-2-jpg

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-05-2013, 03:08 AM

Fine playing there, Wazoo! A lot of work has gone into that. Well done.

**TheGrandWazoo** · 12-05-2013, 07:41 AM

Thanks Rob.

Monk, of all places I found vol 1 online available from Best Buy. Strange.

**ronjazz** · 12-05-2013, 08:55 AM

Very nicely done, Wazoo. I have some very old sheets of Eddie Lang's pieces like April Kisses, excellent workouts.

**lumena** · 12-05-2013, 11:51 AM

In the spirit of giving back ....

http://www.mediafire.com/view/7l1xh3...Excercises.pdf

Ivor Mairants exercises. Very old scan found floating...

**monk** · 12-05-2013, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by TheGrandWazoo

Thanks Rob.

Monk, of all places I found vol 1 online available from Best Buy. Strange.

Waz,
Grab them wherever and whenever you can find them. I'm constantly on the lookout for stuff like this and it isn't easy to find. These things will pop up and then quickly disappear because there isn't a large market for them.
Regards,
Jerome

**edh** · 12-05-2013, 11:33 PM

Do these books teach this style of playing or are they sheet music(chords & single notes)?

thanks guy/gals.

**TheGrandWazoo** · 12-06-2013, 07:33 AM

The books are in notation and tab. They do not cover theory or technique except in a few places where it discusses fingering for specific songs.

The music in it starts in the 30s (volpe, victor) and then goes up to 80s (cal collins) in terms of style. If you want to place this book I'd say it's filled with mostly older non standards. The songs are great though.

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-06-2013, 09:07 AM

If you want a book to lead you into this style, the "modern methods" by William Leavitt and Mel Bay are useful.

**edh** · 12-06-2013, 11:31 PM

Hello Rob, do you mean this book: http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Method-...der_0876390114

I don't see any of the Leavitt books with Mel Bay involved.

Thanks in advance for your help.
edh

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-07-2013, 04:39 AM

Sorry, edu, I didn't mean authored together. Yes that book, and this series: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...guitar+mel+bay

There is no tab in these books, but you will learn to read well, and there are lots of plectrum or pick solos. These books will prepare you well for the "Masters of the Plectrum Guitar" book. They won't, though, teach you how to improvise, but there are other books for that.