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Oh, I love books, and have an embarrassing amount of guitar books, dating right through the 20th and 21st centuries, but I haven't studied them all, or ever intended to study them. I just like collecting books. But although I'm curious about these Benson books, I will not buy them for two reasons, one being financial, the other being that they are not books, they are pdf files. I've downloaded so-called eBooks before, and have never found them satisfactory in any degree, and will not download any more. Best wishes to messers Farrel and Benson, nonetheless.
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11-26-2019 03:45 AM
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I should admit that I love published materials too. I love just serfing through methods and also playing through written out arrangements sometimes or different real/fake books.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Probably it is classical background that keeps my interest in the books.
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There have been other players that were close enough to Benson to call him a mentor, Mark Whitfield and Ritchie Hart are two that come to mind, probably more that I'm unaware of. And Benson does have instructional material out, some excellent videotapes etc..
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I think there is a bunch of players that I would even call 'Bensonians' - like those you mentioned + Bobby Broom, Russel Malone... Originally Posted by Alter
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Book is made of content, not of print on paper, or digital data.
Guess you are after ergonomics, ease of use, that is what you are not satisfied?
As far as selling scheme, if it was $15 per book, in 2 days, even I who have no interest in it whatsoever, would have it downloaded from somewhere, for free. Maybe that is more to real reason for prices. Who is really interested, will pay.
How many Benson copies and Benson method teachers (pupil becomes teacher) do we really need? Rather small number is enough, I'd say, both for us and for Peter Farrell.
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Whoa, I've been waiting for these books for a long time so really happy to finally see they are finished! But these prices :O. I understand that they may be goldmines but more than $200 for a single ebook?
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I have the 2001 Hal Leonard Book Best of George Benson by Wolf Marshall. A sample of his different epochs. Originally Posted by Alter
Book plus CD USD 22,95.
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What a beautiful way to put it. Originally Posted by gcb
Peter Farrell is highly regarded and has done something here that has probably taken him thousands of hours to develop. The potential market may only be 100-200 people world-wide. What's his time worth? It may be too expensive for some, but unlike marketing a widget it's difficult to determine retail price.
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The other question what raises, if one want so desperately learn and play like Benson, and she/he has the minimal required ear, rhythmic sense what makes this idea even reasonable (so the student will have valuable progress)... well, this person do not need the “book”. , especially nowadays, where Bensons any recordings are available for almost everyone, plus tons of live videos, plus tons of transcriptions.
Going a big further, it seems to be a consensus on that written material is less valuable, and sounding audio what matters and efficient when learning jazz.
The title promises and sends the message you can get closer to your hero for free. I mean you must pay the $$$, but you do not have to mine and ingrain the miracle with your hard musical work investing thousands of hours. This message is usual in the marketing and false. Actually the high price serves to lower your doubt in case you are hesitating.
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The economics of this don’t make much sense to me. The prices will deter the majority of less ‘committed’ buyers. If the books were priced at (say) $20 each and made available permanently, he would be guaranteed to make much more money eventually, given people’s propensity for buying loads more instruction books than they need (!).
Incidentally I could not see anything on the site that says they are only available for one week as the OP said.
I like Benson, but I don’t feel any great need to play like him. If I ever do, I will just study the ‘Billies Bounce’ solo he did (with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Billy Cobham), that one has got everything you need, great lines, and chord soloing too.
I’ll never take up Benson picking though, too old to change my ways now! (I don’t know if that is a required step in these books).
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These are the "on sale" prices ??
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yeah for one week only. Next week the prices go back to normal. Originally Posted by Alter
These are the "on sale" prices ??
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Henry Johnson is another one. Benson taught him. But Johnson doesn't teach 'the Benson method' (of picking / playing). He does have some TrueFire courses, though. And there is footage of his right hand, so you get a good sense of that. (He also plays with just thumb and fingers at times, as George does.) Originally Posted by Alter
https://truefire.com/jazz-guitar-les...ressions/c1231
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As I recall, the most I have spent for guitar books are the three books of the Mick Goodrick "Mr. Goodchord" series. They were something along the lines of $35 apiece brand new. Somebody mentioned liking printed books because he could "serf through" them. For me, this particular series is perfect for that. Pick one up, flip to a page, and just play with it to see what I can make from that page.
I have many books that are now out of print and am glad that I have them. I also have a number of PDF books and don't mind working with those. However, that is simply not the same as having a printed book to flip through, especially when it comes to skipping forward and backward, book marking pages to get back to as I go, or just flipping it open to a page or even just paging through it for quick ideas and inspiration.
As for the price of the Benson books, I guess if he is your hero, then maybe springing for the books might be a consideration. Each of us determines what a thing is worth to us, and then act accordingly. I certainly would not think less of a person who felt that at the price, these ebooks are a bargain. What is right for me has no bearing on what is right for another. Some folks thought I was being silly with my money when I bought the "Mr. Goodchord" series. Seeing what they go for now, I suspect such folks would probably change their opinion.
Tony
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Me neither, and I hope no one else here would either. Originally Posted by tbeltrans
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About books. I love them too. For music books, I think spiral bound is the best way to go: they lay open on a music stand (or table). That's a big plus. Making them spiral bound increases the price but if it's a good book, it's worth it.
If you get a book of pdf files, you can print them and make your own spiral binding. It's a bit of work, and also the cost of printing and the binding too. But if there's a book you want to work in for a long time, it's worth it.
I wish "Patterns for Jazz" were spiral bound.
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The private lessons prices also seem to be about double the price of most top new york players, considering you can arrange lessons with Lund, Moreno, Bernstein etc. for about 100$..
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My kids started a lemonade stand this summer. I asked my 8 year old how much he was going to charge for a glass of lemonade, and he said $20.
When I told him I thought that was a bit expensive, he replied "I only gotta sell one glass."
Joking aside, if anybody's qualified to teach Benson's method it'd be Peter. As for overpriced, it's only overpriced if nobody's buying it. Personally, I have enough problems sounding like myself.
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Sounding like yourself is the goal! So you’re there!!! Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Agree, and in general it is not a good attitude thinking less of a person who values something differently (this case more) especially if it is related with learning or music. I do not think anyone thought that. Originally Posted by tbeltrans
Many of posts mention the high price, btw I do not have problem with the price. I have problem with the message, and the concept and actually the price fits in that. I would not repeat my arguments, but as you exactly mention this is for people who’s hero is Benson, with other words this sells on Benson’ s wind. To be clear Benson is my hero, if I have to name the 5 greatest guitarist, he is in.
My most important doubt is the lack of audio. We all agree that listening is the more important thing when learning the feel. Benson’s greatness is how to express joy and sadness with simple tools, what would mean nothing from other musician, but transformed to the deepest by Benson. Sometimes he just pickin one single-note for two bars then ends it with two note, but what a groove. Now how to teach that in standard notation and explaining commentaries? Also we all know pentatons, and it is not too hard to find out how and where Benson applies them, but this is not the “recipe” to read this information as text, and see as standard notation.
And a final thought, when talking about Benson, blues which is integral part his expression, also can not be learned from books. I try it since decades, still no success
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Well, they've changed Bues to Blues, so they are listening :-)
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You can still cut it, then spiral bound. Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
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Excuse me an off-topic... a few times I ran across this 'kids running a lemonade stand' - it is a tradition in the States that kids do that during vacation in the summer like some sort of business game or something like that?My kids started a lemonade stand this summer. I asked my 8 year old how much he was going to charge for a glass of lemonade, and he said $20.
And the lemonade is home-made?
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Yeah, summer trad. Usually just a powder mix...$0.50 a cup, in my hood if we know you I'll tell the kids to fill it up short and then you can come by the house to "top it off." Originally Posted by Jonah
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I know. I'm considering that. But I'm worried I might screw it up! Originally Posted by Gabor
You can still cut it, then spiral bound.
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