Last Call For The Fingerstyle Five
Published: Tue, 09/29/20
And is it? As my old counterpoint teacher liked to say concerning what makes a good melody, "It depends." And of course, only you know for sure where you're at with your playing, your practicing, your various aims and ambitions. I'm the guy making the lessons, so I can only give you my take on who it's aimed at, and what it's supposed to do. Which, after all the notes and words already, I'll try and sum up as succinctly as I can.
The Fingerstyle Five is meant to solve three things. First, if you're struggling with your right hand coordination – getting your fingers to agree with your thumb, keeping a solid groove, working out those pinches and syncopations that make fingerstyle guitar swing – the membership is here to address that. By working through the simple version of one tune a month, and focusing on a few concise, focused exercises to accompany that tune, you can really zero in on getting your groove together. One of my mantras is, "the simplest things sound great when played with good time." So aim number one in the membership is to help you do just that: play simple things with good time.
Second, if you'd like to make playing fingerstyle guitar feel more personal and expressive, the membership is here to address that, too. Maybe you feel comfortable memorizing tab or playing by rote, but want to understand what you're doing better. Maybe you want to be able to improvise on the tunes you know. Maybe you want to be able to take what you know and build on it, extending the tunes you play into complete arrangements. I believe improvisation is something you can practice, and each month you can work through a set of short, specific exercises to develop your phrasing, build your vocabulary of licks, and apply it all to an advanced version of that month's tune. Aim number two in the membership is to show you how to practice improvisation, develop a song, and play with more personal expression.
Third, if you struggle to know what to practice, when to practice and how much to practice, the membership offers a clear, linear path forward. With one specific tune to work on each month, and weekly postings of organized, sequential arrangements and exercises, you can sit down to practice knowing what to work on, and feel confident that what you're working on has purpose and direction. Aim number three in the membership is to help you stay focused, moving forward on a few specific skills and techniques, and avoiding that feeling of being overwhelmed by all the things you could be working on.
Beyond all this, the membership forum can help you keep everything in perspective. By staying in touch with a group of like-minded musicians working on the same material, you'll have a place to compare notes, find inspiration, and be reminded that everyone is working on something. No matter where you are in your practice, you'll know you're not alone in your quest for the ultimate solo or the groove of your dreams.
If now's not the right time for you, that's cool too. But if it is, come join us at the link below!
Register Now
– David