# how do you use technique instruction?



## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

Jeff's thread about the Tomo Fujita dvd and subsequent detractors brings an interesting question to my mind - what types of instructional formats work for most people? I am not the most creative musician and my 'style' is largely an amalgam of the various musicians I've tried to emulate over the years. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing as I've read enough interviews with other guitarists that, unlike me, are actually talented that have come upon their style by the same approach. I've bought enough guitar magazines over the years to realize that it takes a great deal of determination on my part to take a nugget of guitar wisdom in abstract form and use it to spawn a variety of uses in my playing. I NEED to have at least the occasional concrete example - but that's me. Some people have raved incessantly about the Goodrick book 'The Advancing Guitarist' which convinced me to purchase it for myself. While I think it would be a great book for some, I think it's intended more for already great guitarists that tend to get in ruts with their playing as opposed to hacks like me that are simply in a rut :tongue: . I have two books that I have used (in varying degrees) over the past few years. One is an introductory jazz book imaginatively called Beginning Jazz Guitar http://www.amazon.ca/Beginning-Jazz-Guitar-Jody-Fisher/dp/0882847929/sr=1-1/qid=1170944708/ref=sr_1_1/702-4879829-4842465?ie=UTF8&s=books It is great in the sense that it starts off at a level which I believe is appropriate and building from that. The only problem I had with it is that I'm inherently lazy, which of course is a problem that cannot be fixed by any book. 

The other book I've found somewhat useful is Joe Satriani's 'Guitar Secrets' http://www.amazon.ca/Joe-Satriani-Secrets-Lane-Cherry/dp/0895247380/sr=1-1/qid=1170944782/ref=sr_1_1/702-4879829-4842465?ie=UTF8&s=books Initially I was disappointed when I received it since it's really nothing more than a collection of his articles from Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazine without any real flow from article to article (which I would have realized if I actually read the description of what I was buying :confused-smiley-010 . However, I've come to appreciate it for what it is. Basically I can flip through it when I'm practicing and can't think of anything in particular that I want to work on. There are lots of digestible lessons in there that you can work through either occasionally or inject into your daily warmups or even become a focus of study. 

Unfortunately I can't seem to find a book that makes you a better guitarist simply by reading it :tongue: - with the possible exception of this one: http://www.amazon.ca/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X/sr=1-1/qid=1170945332/ref=sr_1_1/702-4879829-4842465?ie=UTF8&s=books


----------



## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

Zen Guitar is a good book. But you won't be a better player just reading it. It has some great advice in it but no musical information. It's really more of a philosophy than a how to.

I think the Tomo Fujita dvd is great. I wasn't really expecting much in the way of musical ideas but was looking for more of an approach to be a better player. Speed and accuracy were what I was looking for.

I find the Guitar World dvd's to be pretty informative, but that just may be me.


----------



## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

J S Moore said:


> Zen Guitar is a good book. But you won't be a better player just reading it. It has some great advice in it but no musical information. It's really more of a philosophy than a how to.
> 
> I think the Tomo Fujita dvd is great. I wasn't really expecting much in the way of musical ideas but was looking for more of an approach to be a better player. Speed and accuracy were what I was looking for.
> 
> I find the Guitar World dvd's to be pretty informative, but that just may be me.


I actually own the Zen Guitar book. When I said it'll make you a better player just by reading it I meant in terms of the way in which it can change the focus of your playing and help you avoid mental traps in your playing. 

Since my initial post I've spent a few more hours going through the Fisher book and I really do like it. The 'problem' with it is that there is a lot of stuff in there to get through and progress can be really slow. Since I have no guitar gigs on the horizon that's not really a problem right now so I just have to keep telling myself 'slow and steady . . . .'

If anyone is interested in learning jazz guitar it's the best book I've seen to get started - and it's good for general knowledge as well.


----------



## Mr. David Severson (Feb 3, 2006)

There are a lot of great book out there, unfortunatly they don't interact with you so it can't say if your doing it right or wrong. I always get guitar students with a massive pile of theory and method books that they have started but never got into because it becomes to hard..Having a lessons with a proper instuctor can make all the difference in the world.:rockon2:


----------



## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

Mr. David Severson said:


> There are a lot of great book out there, unfortunatly they don't interact with you so it can't say if your doing it right or wrong. I always get guitar students with a massive pile of theory and method books that they have started but never got into because it becomes to hard..Having a lessons with a proper instuctor can make all the difference in the world.:rockon2:


I'm basically waiting in line for lessons with one of the two teachers in town with a stellar rep for teaching jazz - the other one I gave up on waiting for after a year or so. I figure that I'm not going anywhere anyways and the better the base I have when I start the faster I can get to playing cool stuff. I just stumbled across a great video lesson on http://www.guitarplayertv.com/ by Mimi Fox called 'Jazz Anatomy' which has some neat tidbits about jazz blues. Between that, the books and wholenote.com hopefully I can continue to learn while waiting . . . . and waiting . . . .


----------



## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

*Starting Out Playing the Bass*

This may not be the right thread to jump into but I am having problems getting going.
I have downloaded some stuff from the net but i have found it of no help for me to get going. I bought a dvd from Homespun, but again it isn't doing it for me.
Are personal lessons worthwhile for a newbie, or does one just keep plugging away until some basics are figured outand then take lessons?

Riff Wrath


----------



## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

RIFF WRATH said:


> This may not be the right thread to jump into but I am having problems getting going.
> I have downloaded some stuff from the net but i have found it of no help for me to get going. I bought a dvd from Homespun, but again it isn't doing it for me.
> Are personal lessons worthwhile for a newbie, or does one just keep plugging away until some basics are figured outand then take lessons?
> 
> Riff Wrath


I'd personally recommend taking some lessons right away. A good quality bass teacher can not only help you off to a quicker start they will also help you figure out the proper technique. Make no mistakes, the bass can be a dangerous instrument to play improperly leading to carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress disorders so even if you only get a few lessons I think it's worth it.


----------

