New York Guitar Method Primer Ensemble, Bk. 2 (Spiral bound)

This book is a prerequisite for entering New York University's Summer Guitar Intensive Program and provides students studying independently with the tools they will need to successfully move on to Volume 1. Our Ensemble Method presents a breakthrough approach for teaching guitarists how to sight read. Each chapter has eighth note, sixteenth note, single string, lines, and chord exercises. This book also includes modal jazz vamps and solos and is an excellent resource for lab/ensemble studies as it contains 3 and 4-part reading examples. How To Use This Book - The purpose of this book is to improve your sight reading skills. Each chapter is broken down into several sections to help isolate the many challenging areas of this topic. The first and perhaps most important aspect of sight reading is reading rhythm. Chapter One includes a complete description for understanding rhythmic notation. Each chapter contains three rhythm exercises.The goal for these exercises is to familiarize your eye with the many different combinations of rhythm you will encounter. You want to be able to read those rhythms as quickly and accurately as possible. Directions for these exercises can be found on page 23. The next exercises are single string studies. The goals of these exercises is to get you reading on one string the entire length of the neck without having to look down to see where your hand is. It usually takes a student at least six months to become comfortable reading these exercises but the reward is invaluable: you will know where every note occurs on the entire length of each string and you will never again have to look at your hands to find a note on the fretboard. The rhythm changes exercises in this book serve a dual purpose. Reading these lines at extremely fast tempos will get your eye accustomed to the kind of reading you might encounter in up tempo big band charts.These exercises are also great material for part reading in a guitar ensemble. The last section in each chapter consists of a modal vamp and a solo to go along with the vamp. The vamps which take a short modal progression through twelve keys are a great resource for working on commonly used comping rhythms and voicings. The solos will challenge your ability to read single note melodies and will increase your rhythmic and melodic vocabulary in the jazz idiom. Included at the end of each solo is a description of the improvisational techniques used throughout the example. You should read these descriptions and then review the solo as they can open the door for understanding how great improvisers use techniques like modal sequencing and approach notes. Directions for all these exercises including tempo suggestions can be found on page 23.