25 Graded Pieces for Plectrum Guitar

[girevikdavid]

I am presently using Adrian Ingram's book in private lessons and would like to suggest that we have a study group similar to the Modern Method group, if there is interest.

I'm on the second piece now and I'm finding as a beginner that even in the first two pieces there are interesting challenges. We could You Tube our work if so desired. I was amazed in listening to a number of interpretations of Leavitt's Waltz in F, how much variation there was among artists. I think hearing many interpretations really has learning benefit.

The pay-off for me is that my reading, performance, and interpretation will improve, and I'll have a beginning repertoire of melodic jazzy pieces to share with others.

I guess if anyone has interest they can join in as desired.

[ten left thumbs]

Count me in! Good to hear how you're getting on. It's good your having lessons, this isn't a teaching book. I have a few recordings I can dig out, also I just started a new number from that book today.

[girevikdavid]

Great !

Glad to have you involved.

David

[girevikdavid]

For those of you who have played this piece, what did you find most challenging? For me the slurs in the 9th measure are very difficult to do while maintaining good tone. I know it's a blues, but not a "gut-bucket" blues and it's really difficult for me to pull-off the F# without a clanging sound. I don't have much experience in slurs so practice, practice, practice. Actually, I didn't even know they were slurs until after my first lesson when I had already posted the video so in the video they (pull-offs) aren't even attempted .

The 10th measure is also difficult to do consistently skipping from the A to the high E string.

Fortunately the piece is sufficiently "musical" to lend enjoyment to isolating those parts.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi David, I had overlooked this piece, but now I'll give it a go. The tunes in this book are quite musically motivating, I find. The technical challenges progress at quite a pace.

[girevikdavid]

I'll look forward to hearing your take on it.
D.

BTW, this doesn't have to be linear as the MMFG group. I know you had posted a waltz earlier and if any of the more advanced players want to jump in and post - well, more advanced pieces, so much the better. Hopefully we'll all get through the book eventually.

[ten left thumbs]

David, what did you make of the fingering? Did your teacher mention it? I don't really see the point of just sliding the index up and up and then using ring finger. I think I will just ignore the fingering. (I do that a lot).

For me the slurs in the 9th measure are very difficult to do while maintaining good tone. I know it's a blues, but not a "gut-bucket" blues and it's really difficult for me to pull-off the F# without a clanging sound.

I find pull-offs hard on the acoustic. Easier on the electric with the right amp setting. But I don't see any slurs here, or even any F#s in that bar. Where are the slurs? Maybe my eyes are deceiving me.

The 10th measure is also difficult to do consistently skipping from the A to the high E string.

I thought you managed that fine in the video.

[ten left thumbs]

BTW, this doesn't have to be linear as the MMFG group. I know you had posted a waltz earlier and if any of the more advanced players want to jump in and post - well, more advanced pieces, so much the better. Hopefully we'll all get through the book eventually.

Good idea, this doesn't need to be linear. The book actually covers quite a wide range of abilities. Tunes from it are used in the Trinity Guildhall plectrum exam syllabus. I will list them here for reference, so people can gauge the level of difficulty. As a rough measure you could count a grade as a year of study.

8. Valsetta - grade 3
13. Vic's Groove - grade 4
18. Song for Dorothy - grade 5

[Iman]

I'm learning jazz guitar and gypsy jazz .
I have a problem with my improvisation in gypsy jazz and I need help .
I need some common lines and arpeggios to handle my playing .

[girevikdavid]

Did your teacher mention it? I don't really see the point of just sliding the index up and up and then using ring finger. I think I will just ignore the fingering. (I do that a lot).

We haven't discussed it yet as I was just assigned the piece although I agree with you.

The slurs are in the first piece

D.

[girevikdavid]

I think you would have a better response in the general forum rather than this thread which is quite specific to a book we are working from. Incidentally, not an improv book but composed pieces. I love gypsy jazz so I wish you good luck - haven't gotten to the improv stage yet. Still working on La Pompe.

[ten left thumbs]

The slurs are in the first piece

D.

Ah, yes, the first piece! Now I remember. When I first got the book I disregarded the first two pieces. The first because I couldn't manage the pull-offs (that one in bar 9 while holding down the chord is a killer) and the second because the written fingering confused me. I went straight to #3, New Waltz, which I was surprised I could manage.

Now I have a bit more experience under my belt and I can ignore fingering if i want. I'm interested in what your teacher has to say about it. Here's my angle: if I take that initial E, F#, G, A using index, middle, ring and pinkie, then I can do it smooth, while exercising *all* my fingers and making them stretch.

Maybe it was written for a child with tiny fingers?

[girevikdavid]

Ah, yes, the first piece! Now I remember. When I first got the book I disregarded the first two pieces. The first because I couldn't manage the pull-offs (that one in bar 9 while holding down the chord is a killer)

Ha Ha, that's what I was talking about.

[/QUOTE]Now I have a bit more experience under my belt and I can ignore fingering if i want. I'm interested in what your teacher has to say about it. Here's my angle: if I take that initial E, F#, G, A using index, middle, ring and pinkie, then I can do it smooth, while exercising *all* my fingers and making them stretch.[/QUOTE]

I'm happy with i,r,m,r,r mainly 'cause I am not comfortable with a jump from pinkie to r there at the end.

I think the last measure of piece two is a little tricky also as it's really important for the e note to sustain. I settled on placing m on d in the measure before last so that the little barre is easier to grab.

[ten left thumbs]

Yes, the last two bars of simple study are tricky. Here's my recording from today:

https://www.box.com/s/cdf8f4eb160eb2b7758d

I meant to control that repeated chord better than I did.

[girevikdavid]

I loved your ending - very soulful.

You sounded a trifle more tentative than other recordings that I've heard from you. What do you think? Is that what you meant about the chord problem?

Here's something we don't always discuss that I think significantly influences guitar music sound, e.g., what is your gear? Guitar being played, strings used, and to an ever greater degree I'm impressed by sonic differences in picks used. So, if you don't mind - what's your gear?

I think pick choice for a piece is really important to get across the ambience you want. Or at least for me, will be when I learn how to play . I guess when you get "really good" you adapt to anything.

[ten left thumbs]

Hi David, thanks! I suppose I was probably just being careful as I only learned the piece yesterday and I wanted to get the notes right!

My guitar is a Freshman Apollo, chosen for folk-singing, not jazz. Steel strings, 11's, I believe. As for pick, I use a Dunlop stubby 3mm. Small and fat. Until recently I used a 'normal' sized pick (extra heavy) but picked with the shoulder, not the tip. I now use that only for strumming, and the stubby for picking. My hands are small, and a regular pick, held the regular way, immobilises the joints of my entire index finger. The wee pick fits neatly and allows me the flexibility to move.

Your playing is just fine, and I'm sure you will continue to make good progress. So what's your own gear then, what have you tried so far?

And if you don't mind me asking, what are your aims with guitar? It seems to me, plectrum guitar at this level it a bit of a minority sport. There's classical, there's jazz, there's fingerstyle, there's blues. Not many go down this route.

[oldhead]

Yes, the last two bars of simple study are tricky. Here's my recording from today:

https://www.box.com/s/cdf8f4eb160eb2b7758d

I meant to control that repeated chord better than I did.

That sounded really good, TLT. TFP

[ten left thumbs]

Thankyou oldhead!

[girevikdavid]

apologies - for some reason I didn't get notification that you had posted.

I am hoping to be able to play at a level sufficient to tackle pieces in Masters of the Plectrum Guitar and transcriptions of era players such as Django, etc. I'm also taking gypsy jazz lessons from a teacher to learn theory, harmonic structure, scales/arps/etc. as it is forever until Leavitt gets to that material. I'm 66 so I don't have 10 years to play around with paying musical dues (other than in the studio).

Ha Ha, gear. Well I freely admit that I'm a total sucker for beautiful and soulful instruments. Having said that I have mostly acoustics preferring the sound: 2 Maurice Dupont Gypsy Jazz (one nylon and one steel), a Loar 700 archtop, a Collings mahogany CJ (slope shouldered dreadnaught), a Heritage Sweet 16 archtop jazz guitar, and a Taylor GSMini.

The Heritage is strung with TI Jazz/Swing 12s, the Dupont with Argentine 1610MF, and everything else with Bosset Acoustiques light. The nylon Dupont uses Savarez Cantiga on the bass strings and New Crystal on the treble.

I have a couple of saucers filled with various picks. My favorites are the Dugains, V picks, and Wegen. I like the Dugain tone woods and acrylics for soft sounds and the Wegen for a brighter tone. The V picks are variable (they are all great but produce a wide variety of sound) - right now my favorite is the Tradition 4.0. I still like a Fender medium for bringing out the archtop highs. Nothing subtle about that one. Sometimes, I'll decide to do repetitive practice on a particular passage and cycle through all the picks (mainly to be sure I'm true to the intent of really practicing the passage and not just playing it once or twice.)

I just began the third piece New Waltz by Kevin Bolton. Would love to hear anyone's take on it.

[ten left thumbs]

Wow, you have a lot of guitars. I would love an archtop. My practice time is limited now while I get my shoulder back into gear, so it may be a while before I can record that waltz. It was nice, though.

[girevikdavid]

hope your shoulder gets better quickly. I'm finding that learning to work with the body problems is part of the art. I read somewhere a while back that at least half of the musicians in an orchestra have some kind of repetitive movement injury. Yuck.

[ten left thumbs]

Yeah, guitar's been like that for me. I go through two phases: denial and recovery. Then it's the next injury. This one's really not a problem though...

[ten left thumbs]

Practicing embedding videos, will see if this works:

Yee - ha, it works!

[Rob MacKillop]

Hi folks. I've added 15 mp3 files (the first 15 pieces in the book) to my Plectrum Guitar page here: Plectrum Guitar Rob MacKillop ~ banjos, guitars, lutes and more - scroll to bottom of the page.

For those interested, the ''Plectrum Guitar'' refers to pick/plectrum technique in a mixture of styles from jazz to classical. There is a lot of info on that linked page.

I do give Skype lessons in this style (already teach two members of this forum) and would be happy to hear from more, or just answer your questions here when I get the time.

[ten left thumbs]

Great to hear them, Rob, thanks for adding them and letting us know.

I do find this style of playing quite beautiful.