Beginner
The “a” finger moves less independently than p,i, & m. Shearer introduces “a” with sympathetic motion, adding it to the already established m-ii free stroke.
In Learning the Classic Guitar (1990), Shearer introduced one of his most important pedagogic ideas: the Four Principles of Efficient Musical Function.
To read and play music, instantly at first sight, is an impressive skill but also one of the most challenging tasks for musicians, particularly with guitarists.
When learning a new piece, it’s important to first scan the music to get an overall feel for its structure, a process called pre-reading. Look for elements like key signature, challenging rhythms and pitches, and musical patterns.
The skill of playing loudly is a vital one for our instrument based on the comparative overall dynamic range of the classical guitar.
For most beginners, the fingerboard with its 19 frets and 120+ notes is daunting. After mastering the open position, when and how should one begin learning the fingerboard?
Remembrance is a p,i,a,i,a,i arpeggio study. Before playing, make sure you’ve mastered free-stroke alternation on two strings. This requires two important techniques: the sympathetic and opposed finger motions.
The p,i,m,a,m,i arpeggio works most efficiently when organized as two sympathetic motions: i,m,a followed by m-i, with an opposed a,m in between.
Free-stroke position is the foundational position for the right hand. On average, guitarists use free stroke about 80% of the time when playing solo.
Scale practice develops two essential right-hand skills: finger alternation on a single string and finger alternation involving string crossings.
An excellent way to begin developing the alternation of a, is with the p,i,m-a,i arpeggio. It’s organized exactly the same as p,i,m,i, only a is coupled with m.
This video series, Mindful Learning from the Online Supplement accompanies the 3-volume Shearer Method and represents the cornerstone of Shearer teaching.
Two new beautiful studies composed by Alan Hirsh featuring rest-stroke melody with free stroke accompaniment–Solace in 5/8 and Lyric Tune in A major. Listen to a recording while you view and download them both.
While the art of being on stage as a guitarist can be a mystery, there are clear ways to ensure success when approaching performing. When it comes to performance skills, we sometimes think…
We often forget that our hands are connected to our minds and the rest of our physical body. In other words, our hands are affected by what we eat, how tired we are, how in shape we are, and how we treat ourselves.
Aim Directed Movement” or ADM is a really simple concept that allows the player to see in their mind’s eye, thus creating an“aim” which directs the movement of their hands on the guitar.
Daybreak is an p,i,m arpeggio etude originally composed for the GFA magazine, Prodigies. The article demonstrates how the technique of sympathetic motion as well as approaches of pre-reading and visualization are applied. An informative video accompanies the article.
Identify three-note fretboard patterns as chord names. Each pattern is part of a larger 4-, 5-, or 6- string chord. The qualities choices are lead-sheet style. (Here "o7" is for all types of diminished 7th chords)
