Proper Method Book use . . Mel Bay Mastering Guita 1Ar - Hal Leonard Method 1-3
Wayne P
book 3. I also was working through Mel Bay Mastering the Guitar 1A but found
it more difficult and set it aside for now. So I am working on the HL book
mainly along with a fingerstyle book from Mark Hanson. My questions are in
regards to the Method books, being either MB or HL.
Maybe there are some teachers here that use these books? If so could you
indicate such if you answer?
1) I assume one works through the exerises in orderas one builds on previous
ones. How many exercises is it recommended that I work on at one time? 2-4 ?
2) How well should someone learn each exercise? To memorization? Be able to
play with mistakes, as long as the mistake isnt always in the same place?
Any other advice working through these books ? ? ? ?
wayne
mark (sixstringtheoryDOTcom)
> I am working through Hal Leonard Method Book 1, 2, & 3. I am just beginning
> book 3. I also was working through Mel Bay Mastering the Guitar 1A but found
> it more difficult and set it aside for now. So I am working on the HL book
> mainly along with a fingerstyle book from Mark Hanson. My questions are in
> regards to the Method books, being either MB or HL.
I haven't seen the Hal Leonard method books but am going to make a point
to check them out soon just to see what else is out there. I've been
working on the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method Grade 1 for the past 4
months. I'm exactly halfway through now. The main reason I'm going
through it is because my teacher, thank goodness, would not accept me as
a student unless I committed to learning to read. I was skeptical at
first, but I'm thrilled with this book and my ability to read. I've
played a long time now. I mentioned that I was working on Mel Bay book
one to a friend and he laughed his ass off. I'm laughing now. Being able
to read, even at the relatively elemental level I'm at now, makes me
feel like a legitimate musician. It has helped me greatly in being able
to learn much more, and make correlations/understanding of music.
How long did it take yout o make it through HL books 1, 2, and 3? I do
vaguely remember looking through the book 1 and thought it was similar
in scope to the Mel Bay method. I'm amazed anyone could really make it
through any one of these books faster than a few months, and that would
be only if you had some good technical ability like I had when I started
with it and also devoted a minimum of 45 minutes a night to it. My
current practice regimen consists of the following:
5 minutes of a warm-up exercise that switches up each month
20 minutes of scale work (but not "running scales" like I used to waste
my time doing - this is solely for improving my improvisational skills).
20 minutes working on a specific tune - currently it is Parker's "Anthology"
20 minutes running through previously learned standards (this month it's
mostly been "As Time Goes By" and "Ain't Misbehavin" but I'll throw in
another depending on my mood).
The above times are minimums, but this month I've got so much going on
in regards to other things, that I've only been able to devote about an
hour each night to guitar, which is nowehere near enough time. Previous
months have been 2 hours +, which is what I need to really see a lot of
progress. That said, the reading/MB book is actually enjoyable and
methodical, and just a little bit each day has resulted in very steady
improvement.
> Maybe there are some teachers here that use these books? If so could you
> indicate such if you answer?
>
> 1) I assume one works through the exerises in orderas one builds on previous
> ones. How many exercises is it recommended that I work on at one time? 2-4 ?
>
Again, I haven't looked much at the HL books. But if they are like the
Mel Bay books, then IMO you really should come pretty close to mastery
on a particular section before moving to the next. Certainly you should
do it in sequence and not skip around. Of course, this requires great
discipline, which is why so few guitar players, even those most people
consider to be very good, can learn solely out of a book like these that
is very rigid in its approach. But it works. Like weight-lifting I
guess....painful and not glitzy, but it works.
> 2) How well should someone learn each exercise? To memorization? Be able to
> play with mistakes, as long as the mistake isnt always in the same place?
>
Memorization isn't important, but it should come naturally, right?
That's the problem with reading (again, I'm assuming the HL books are
requiring reading, right?). An occasional mistake is fine, but you know
whether you have a particular exercise down or not. This is where a
metronome is invaluable. Other than an occasional exercise, the majority
of the pieces I aim for about 75 or 80bpm, which isn't all that quick,
and really the few times I've bumped up the tempo I've been able to get
through them just as quick, but by the time I get to about 80bpm I know
it's time to move on, and that I basically have the exercises memorized
(not consciously, but that's the problem with reading any music - it
quickly becomes second nature).
> Any other advice working through these books ? ? ? ?
>
I honestly think it is best to put books 2 and 3 away until you've
gotten through book 1 legitimately. Cover to cover. And I also suggest
you do not rely on the HL books as the sole practice material you use.
Remember, the goal is making music. Theory and reading etc are very
important to achieve that goal legitimately for most of us, however I
think you should also make sure to work on making real music for the
majority of your practice session. In my case, as a student of jazz,
that means repertoire (working on tunes). I don't think it should be any
different for other types of music either.
Either way, stick with it. There are few "methods" that have proven
results. This is one of them.
> wayne
>
>
>
Wayne P
each exercise before moving on. By play, I mean play it at a reasonable
speed, and can play through it with a minimum of mistakes. I make sure I
dont have a spot that continually messes with me. I can play it, but am not
ready to perform it in front of a lot of people.
"mark (sixstringtheoryDOTcom)" <mark2741@no_chance_spammers_verizon.net>
wrote in message news:1xBbe.6580$WX.5174@trndny01...
mark
"Wayne P" <w_pa...@yaNOSSPPAAMhoo.com> wrote in message
news:%DCbe.7871$Bb.3473@okepread06...
> The HL book requires reading like you say ., . .. I get where I can play
> each exercise before moving on. By play, I mean play it at a reasonable
> speed, and can play through it with a minimum of mistakes. I make sure I
> dont have a spot that continually messes with me. I can play it, but am
> not ready to perform it in front of a lot of people.
>
>
I guess it depends on what you are satisfied with.
It's like any other skill you learn.
For example do you want to learn how to play billiards enough so that you
sometimes make some
mistakes or do you want to learn to play so that it's a work of art looking
at you play?
mark (sixstringtheoryDOTcom)
> I guess it depends on what you are satisfied with.
> It's like any other skill you learn.
> For example do you want to learn how to play billiards enough so that you
> sometimes make some
> mistakes or do you want to learn to play so that it's a work of art looking
> at you play?
Complete mastery of the exercises, in terms of memorization, isn't
necessary or even beneficial IMO. Not the ones in the HL books if they
are like the Mel Bay books. The purpose of the first half of the first
book is to learn to read. And unfortunately (fortunately if you're
trying to learn for performance purposes, but not good if you're trying
to improve your reading) once you play a piece too much you begin to
anticipate the notes and not actually read the notes.
waynep
memorized, but can play it even with a mistake, but I make sure I dont
make the same mistake in the same place. If so then I work on that
part. Every so often I find anexercise or song in the book that I work
on harder. An example in the HL book was the Star Spangled Banner. I
wanted to memorize it and wanted to be able to play it as well as I
could. I still play it every week to keep up on it. I'll do that again
with "The Entertainer" which is coming up soon since I just started
book 3. I am working on Arkansa Traveler now. I like it but it's not
something I want to memorize.
I am working on some fingerstyle stuff outside HL using Mark Hansons
material. Some of that I skim over and some I work very hard on to get
down solid.
wayne