Learn Guitar using Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade1-Pt2

This course will give you a Page-by-Page understanding of how to play Guitar using Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade 1.

This course is divided into 2 parts, and this is the Part 2 of the course. This would cover pages from, page number 21 till the End of Book.

In addition, you must understand the following commitments as you proceed with your Journey in Mastering Guitar.

Importance of Playing Guitar Everyday

1. Depends on how serious you are. If you will give it a 1/2 hour a day, growing to an hour, every day as you grow calluses on your fingertips, then in 6 months you will be able to play well enough to share your skill with others.

2. Commit to playing forever - if you learn to do it well, you will never let it go. And 6 months will seem like as small amount of time.

3. If you overdo it, you will have a lot of finger pain and frustration, and may never acquire the skill you will desire.

4. If you practice once a week, you will never get there. You will quit.

5. Key thought: everyday. every single day. Exceptions should be very rare.

Concentrate on Mechanics

1. There is also value in picking up your guitar for 5 minutes throughout the day as you have time (this is in addition to the 1/2 hour or hour of practice).

2. At first, concentrate on the basic mechanics - don’t choke the neck, thumb center on the back of the neck to give you finger reach, how to hold the guitar, etc. You can vary this once you have skill, but honor the basics until you have mastered them.

3. Learn to finger behind the fret, not over it, and do not press the string harder than necessary to get a clear tone. Over pressuring a string is one of a beginner’s most common mistakes. Pick a string gently, repeatedly, lowering finger pressure each time. You will be surprised how little pressure it takes if you have the fingertip coming down on the string rather than holding it down with the finger sideways (barre chords are clearly an an exception, and this is partly why such chords are harder to play).

4. Practice sitting down. You can add standing and “performance appearance” after you actually play your instrument well.

5. Learn that you control dynamics by how tightly you hold a pick, not how hard you pluck/strum the strings. Tuned right, using good strings, you should not be breaking them. Change strings about every 6 weeks at first. It will take awhile for you to hear when they need changing. Wipe finger oil off your strings with a soft cloth after each playing session.

Music Theory

1. Start learning the theory of scales a bit every day also, and understand how chords are constructed. Theory is the language that lets you work with others, which will add incredible pleasure to your playing. It is a lot easier to learn in small doses.

2. Really, really, practice listening - to your guitar, and to music. Think about what you are hearing. Train your ear to hear the pitch. Use an electronic tuner (they are so cheap now) from the start so you won’t train your ear to hear incorrect tuning.

3. Tap your feet to keep time and rhythm, don’t try to do this by intellect alone. Timing and rhythm are physical experiences, so let your body participate.

Which Guitar to Buy

1. Understand that you will end up owning more than one guitar. I recommend that you start with an acoustic, as its portability opens up a lot of possibilities, and you can hear its tone more clearly.

2. Then take up an electric. Acoustics are harder on the fingers, and if you start with an electric, you might never feel completely comfortable with an acoustic guitar.

3. Also, you might tend to focus too much on electronic tone manipulation and under-focus on actual playing skills.

Learning the instrument using this course

It is imperative that you go through all the modules designed in this course in the same order as it has been constructed. Do not ignore even a single lecture no matter how small or big it might be.

This would ensure that you get a complete knowledge of the instrument and start understanding the idea behind playing a particular chord or scale.

Realize that no matter how much speed, technique, etc. you acquire, what will actually earn respect both from others and yourself is to learn to use the instrument to speak emotionally. The longer I have played, the more I focus on how my playing affects others rather than on the playing itself.

Above all, consider music performance as involvement with joy. Play for the pleasure, not some external goal. You will likely achieve such goals, but it is the love of music you will acquire that will make it a lifelong addition to your life.

See you in the course!