Insights Into THE ADVANCING GUITARIST by Mick Goodrick, Part 3.

Wearily I open my prayer book,Sepia photograph of sage on amber page,Flaming raven Sanskrit, strange syllables,Intone, chant, repeat.Number vows with beads:Every resolution is inspiration petrified.

First Things First: Homework! (Robert Fripp Sets The AGENDA.)"Your ability to play music on the guitar depends to a large extenton how well you know the instrument. Most guitarists have never hada chance to learn the instrument in an intelligent, logical andcomplete manner." (TAG: AGCT, pg. 9.) Begin to acquire thisunderstanding of the guitar by conducting a survey of theinstrument's historical development, from its evolution as vihuelaand lute during Medieval and Renaissance times to its refinement inthe Baroque era and perfection in the 19th Century. Believe it ornot, having this knowledge will give you psychological mastery overthe guitar at the outset since you'll come to understand theinstrument's limitations in terms of design, construction, andmusical range, and, also, as a result of knowing what a guitar ismade to do and why, its advantages over its cousin, the piano.Knowing how a guitar is built will add volumes to your understandingof the instrument. (Take my word for it, and consult Ralph Denyer'sTHE GUITAR HANDBOOK and Chapman's THE COMPLETE GUITARIST for anintense historical discussion of the guitar's evolution.)

Our AGENDA."We begin the possible and gradually move towards the impossible.This implies knowing where we are, knowing where we are going (thatis, being clear of our aim), knowing what we have to do to get there,and knowing what resources we may draw upon.

*"Do one small thing superbly, then move to the next. In arelatively short time, all of these small things will become the bodyof our playing.

*"Find a teacher, or instructor. This will save time. A good playeris self-taught, with the help of a teacher. The real value of aqualified instructor is a personal and direct connection to a schoolor tradition.

*"Our practice may usefully be divided into four:1. Calisthenics. This is the efficiency and sense of grace withineffortless physical movement.2. Fingerboard knowledge.3. Musical knowledge and repertoire.4. Play. Abandon personal judgement and have fun.

*"Learn to trust the inexpressible benevolence of the creativeimpulse." -Robert Fripp, 1992. (From the Foreword of the GUITARHANDBOOK.)

The sage whose words are ambiguous you call great.Those who advocate discipline you shun.With one, you treat words the way you want.With the other, you resent having no quarter.

On Carcassi's Method: The Open Position."The fact is that the vast majority of guitar method books don'treally explain very much at all, and the vast majority of guitarteachers are the products of these methods. As a general rule,guitar methods don't concern themselves with helping you to increaseyour overall comprehension of the instrument. Guitar methods get youto do a lot of things (which certainly can be useful). They show youa method of how to do something. But these methods seldom, if ever,lead to a growth of your understanding of how things work on theinstrument. If anything, they lead to a narrowing of possibilitiesbecause you don't have to figure out very much by yourself. You justhave to follow instructions. When you know the method, you are theresult of the method. If you teach, you tend to teach the method(perhaps with a few modifications -- a few improvements). The methodcan actually become more important than the music it is supposed tohelp facilitate. This is not so good." (TAG: AGCT, pg. 9.) Forthis reason, Carcassi's Method for Classical Guitar will not be ofreal value to us until we arrive at a study of the Open Position:When I say "First Things First," I am suggesting that the guitaristbegin where the guitar began in its musical evolution: Playing Upand Down a Single String (The Science of the Unitar).

"In most guitar method books, no mention is ever made of playing upand down one string. This omission is a huge oversight, becauseplaying on a single string is absolutely the most logical place tobegin on a guitar. Consider the following observations:*"The simplest way to see notes is in a straight line.*"A string is a straight line.*"On a single string, there is a direct relationship between intervaldistance and movement in space.*"Playing on a single string helps to eliminate two potentialproblems: "paralysis" (fear of movement) and "acrophobia" (fear ofhigher frets), since the entire length of the fingerboard is utilizedfrom the very beginning.*"This approach is conducive to learning note locations because youcan't rely on a fingering pattern (as in position playing).*"The problem of changing strings is eliminated. This simplifies theright hand function and displays the principles of left hand functionin their purest form.*"Different types of phrasing and articulations can be played veryconsistently.*"Elements of fundamental theory can be shown to a beginner in clearand simple visual and aural terms: Intervals, scale construction,chords, arpeggios, etc. The same could be said for dynamics,articulations, and timbre.*"Someone probably invented a one-stringed instrument (let's call ita unitar!) long before anyone ever thought of two strings, let alonesix of them. So it would seem sesible to learn in the same way thatthe instrument developed chronologically.*"Many stringed instruments in Eastern countries are played in a muchmore "up and down the neck" fashion (most notably, the sitar). Doyou have any idea how long the music of India has been around?"(TAG: AGCT, pg. 10.)

The second installment (actually, Pt.3) of INSIGHTS INTO THEADVANCING GUITARIST by Mick Goodrick will be posted to this groupwithin the next month. At that time, I will methodically dissect THE

APPROACH, concretize "Activities & Applications", and give realmeaning to "Applying Advanced Guitar Concepts and Techniques" as Idemonstrate practical uses for THE APPROACH. Also, I will delvefurther into Robert Fripp's AGENDA and explain why it is central toour mastery of the guitar. In the meantime, here are a few goodtidbits to ponder or take under advisement:*The only difference between the amatuer and the professionalguitarist is the number of musical compositions he has mastered. Aperfected knowledge of at least 100 songs, classical jazz standards,and popular musical pieces will, indeed, put you in league withtoday's guitar hero.*Initially, you should make it your top priority to put together acoherent 30 to 45 minute set of performance material ("auditionpieces") to play for people to enjoy. Building a good, solidrepertoire is extremely important, especially in the beginning, sincehaving a command of musical pieces will boost confidence in criticalsituations. i.e. Auditioning for a gig!!*"Study music much more than the guitar." -Andreas Segovia

"The master has no EGO;A Negro has no name."-- W.S. Duncan-Binns, explaining the origin of his last name to U.S.Homeland Security (U.S. Border Patrol) Agents at Hebbronville, TX,May 2003. "It's not an alias!"