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Mel Bay Study Group

The Mel Bay Method For Guitar According To "The Principles"

CHECKPOINT 1,  PAGE 12 .... Aura Lee 

    Checkpoints:1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16            

ULTIMATE FOLK CHECKPOINTS 1-2-3-4-5-6-7


Tell me more about "The Principles"

 Receive the guidance of GuitarPrinciples, and the help of other people studying the Mel Bay Method. method.

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After   "The Principles",the  metronome is the most important practice tool you can use.

Used as shown in " The Principles", it will increase your rate of progress faster than anything else.

Click below for further info:

Why must I use a metronome?

What type should I get?

 

 

 

 

 

If you have gotten this far in Mel Bay 1, you should be able to do what is required on this page. If you are further along than this, you might want to check yourself anyway. I often find people who think they have finished the book can't even play this song on page 12!

At least not smoothly along with the chords to a steady beat, that is. And if you can't do that, well, you should not move further along the book until you can! 

Now, assuming you have taken seriously everything I said on the previous page, consider these things about this song "Aura Lee". In fact, make sure you investigate every one of these things I list. These are the common stumbling blocks. These are the things I have corrected in thousands of students!

Check  1 The second note. Have the C down when you play the first note. Is your shoulder relaxed as you play that C note with your first finger? Don't forget, the first fret is the hardest part of the guitar to play. Are your other fingers relaxed, or are they squeezing with tension against the first? Hmmm? Take a look.........
Check  2 The third note, B. Are you transitioning properly and relaxed as you release your finger from the C note, and going to the floating arm? 
Check  3 The fifth note, D. Leave your 1st finger lightly in touch with that C note, as you place a relaxed finger on the D note. 

Super Important! As you play the D note, place your relaxed 2nd finger in the A note coming up next. Let the 3rd finger go light on the D as you shift weight to the 2nd finger for the A note, but keep it in contact with the string. Now, it is still in place when you need it next. Pose here as necessary!

Everyone stumbles at this spot when using this book. If you follow these instructions, it will be everyone minus you!

Continue to follow the logic of this approach. It is a dramatic example of how The Principles can and should be used right from the beginning of your guitar study. 

Now, it is time to test yourself. You should be working the tempo of this piece up using The Basic Practice Approach. Then, try playing the music along with the accompaniment chords, given below at different speeds. Make sure you can successfully play along, from beginning to end. 

Yes, you will totally mess it up at first! Keep trying, and keep analyzing what is going wrong, and use The Principles to fix it.......Good Luck!

Go To Checkpoint 2


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