Well, see if you understand the rhythm to this song.......

Reaction To "The Path" from long-time teacher/player Byron Santo..... Received Jamie's new book yesterday, WOW! I must say she has done it again, explained the unexplainable. I wish that I had this book when I was learning how to read music. Would have saved teachers and myself allot of time and headaches. Just the chapters on rhythm are worth the cost of the book! Oh, and the chord chapters. I could have saved a few years of practicing chords just with those pages. It is defiantly a first to have information like that in print! With Jamie's books aiding musicians in learning, a "new breed of musicians" is being born; the level of musicianship even from beginners in the next few years will be extraordinary. Great Book Jamie, Byron Santo

The fact is that one of the reasons so many guitar students have such a hard time getting to first base on guitar (ability to change chords smoothly, strum and sing together, and really feel comfortable), is that they are really being asked to do things they are completely unprepared to do, and by rights, should have an incredibly difficult time with.

Specifically, I am referring to the fact that most songs the beginner is going to find themselves dealing with are going to contain very syncopated melodies (notes occurring on the weak parts of the beat).

Syncopation is by its nature difficult, and must be learned and practiced carefully, and is certainly beyond the abilities of most beginners. So, while the poor beginner is struggling to get their fingers into those torturous pretzels shapes called "easy beginner chords", they are expected to, at the same time, be able to sing along, and worse than that, sing a syncopated melody with their voice while maintaining a steady strum with their strumming hand!

Well, most of the time, it just doesn't happen. Something happens, but it is not exactly what one is supposed to hear when they hear the song. There are gaps, confusions, breakdowns, etc. The student is just not sure where exactly they are supposed to be in terms of words matching chords. And this is why they have trouble getting to first base. This is why they "play" for so many years and still don't sound good or feel comfortable. Well, those days are over!

What is needed is what I have done in "The Path Level One: Chords & Rhythm". What is needed is a complete and separate breakdown of the two subjects:

• The body-learning methodology that will effectively teach the fingers how to get to the point where chord changes are done quickly, easily, and automatically, AND
   

• The COMPLETE story on rhythm, what it really is, and how it is written down and communicated from one player to another.

Now, I am not saying there is some magic involved here, I am not saying this book arrives in the mail and all of a sudden your problems are solved. No, you are going to have to work hard and be on the top of your game as you read, practice, and absorb all that is inside. But, as with The Principles, you will notice a very heartening difference with the time and effort you spend on The Path as opposed to so many other books you have: you will really be "getting it" and "getting somewhere", and you will feel like you have what you need to KEEP getting somewhere.

You won't feel like you just sat down with somebody who showed you where to put your fingers to play your favorite song, and that is as far as it goes. You will know how to learn ALL your favorite songs because you will have gained fundamental insight into the essential elements of manipulating the left hand fingers into what we call "chord shapes", and how to approach the process of changing these chords while marinating the rhythm of your strumming as well as the rhythm of the words you are singing.

Here is a question from someone who apparently never made it to "first base", and is exactly the kind of person who MUST know and use The Principles, and The Path.......... 

   "Hi Jamie,

    About your books. I have been taking weekly lessons for about three months, but just started practicing/playing about two weeks ago. (I realize that really I am not practicing. I am trying to play songs with the chords that I know--but I can't play them because I don't change chords quickly enough!)


    So the question is, which book do I buy first... "The Principles for Correct Practice for Guitar" or "Guitar Principles Path Level One: Chords and Rhythm?"

Susan


Susan, you must first study The Principles, and begin to practice the Foundation exercises so that you understand the practice approaches used in The Path. After a few weeks studying and using The Principles, you will be ready to use the Path with great benefit. However, since the second half of The Path is a separate course on the subject of rhythm, and how it relates to guitar playing, you can begin that separately at any time, as long as you have the time to devote to it in your personal practice schedule.


If you are one of the many students like Susan who has never really gotten to "first base" with the guitar, or one of the many players who really does not understand all that "time signature, sixteenth note, ties, dots and syncopation" kind of stuff, do yourself a favor and work with this book!

Here is how I have used the Path to solve some pretty severe rhythm problems in students.....
 

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