How to use "The Advancing Guitarist"

[jrm]

Hello friends:

Due to the overwhelming recommendation of this book, I went ahead and purchased it. I received it the other day (along with Ted Green's Chord Chemistry), and it looks like a wealth of knowledge. How do you approach implementing it? I am still learning theory and application so when I read "play a modal vamp", I have no idea what that means. I will in time, but not yet. Regardless, how have you approched the material he presents?

-jon

[Mike T]

I believe he has a modal vamp written out for the modes from major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor, and he says what mode to use over each vamp. He tells you to record a vamp and even what size tape to use. A lot of that book is text, so I suggest to read it through before playing and try to understand how he is trying to present the information. He tells you it is not a method. He tells your that it is only information that he is exposing you to and it is you responsibility to do whatever with it. Just apply yourself in the most logical way that makes sense to you to what he says. It is designed to make you think. And it still has me thinking after I don't even know how many years.

[willhutch]

I've read thru the book many times. Goodrick shows the infinite possibilities of the guitar. You job is to explore those possibilities and turn them into something you can use to make music.

I've not delved particularly deep, but I can say I've gotten benefits from the following parts of the book: Playing on one string, Traids, 7ths (drop 2 voicings in particular).

To get started on your own exploration, try some of Goodrick's suggestions, find something that is interesting and then tinker with it until you get something useful. For instance, he suggests playing triads on a single string. Well, try it. Develop it. Find out how it allows you to do things that you couldn't do before. I've found that hammering-on, pulling-off and sliding around pentatonic scales on a single string can sound very dreamy and Hendrix-like. I've also found that I can switch positions with more confidence.

You do need a foundation in theory to be able to explore. Otherwise, the suggestions won't make sense. His book is about what to think about once you know chord construction, scales, modes etc.

[jrm]

yeah, some of his thoughts have been really great for me to ruminate on a bit. I've only tried a few things, but the single string triads, and working scales up from one string to all 6 have been very helpful. It is a very interesting tool indeed. I was just hoping to see if anyoen else had any insight too! Thanks fellas.

[Bryan T]

How do you approach implementing it?

Repeated doses. The real strength of that book is that it is re-readable. Each time I pick it up I get something different from it. I was working through it last night, actually, working on some of the sight-reading exercises.

One of the biggest lessons I got from that book was playing scales with two notes per string. I had already worked through three notes per string, four notes per string, all notes per string, etc., but hadn't really woodshedded two notes per string. It was a great lesson in moving around the neck and opened my fingers up to some fresh possibilities.

Bryan

[Clifford-D]

Best to have a solid foundation of theory and technique down.

Everyone talks of the reference quality of this book.

I agree.

I opened it the other day read where he says all the notes between
open and 4th fret don't repeat (except for the B note on 2/0 and 3/4)
I continued thinking and thought through how this must work up the neck
in four or five fret sections of non repeating notes. I just found it an interesting
thought process and how it has benefits with reading.
I got all that from probably 15 seconds of reading the book.

It's a thinking persons book for sure.