Music Reading
Guitar percussion has roots that can be traced back to 19th-century flamenco with techniques such as golpe (hitting the soundboard) and tambura (hitting the strings).
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 tonal music, knowing the key of a piece is a great fingerboard organizer, telling the guitarist what chords to expect and which possible positions they may be played in.
Much of the music written before 1900 is in fixed meter, that is one meter (or time signature) per piece. When the meter changes, frequently or infrequently, from one time signature to another within the same piece, it is called mixed meter.
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.
Scales are essential building blocks of music. The Preface of Aaron Shearer’s Scale Pattern Studies for the Guitar (1965) begins with
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.
Nearly all beginning guitar method books start in the open position for good reason. The left hand stays fixed in place, oriented at the first fret.
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?
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)
