WEEK 3: Is anybody out there ... practicing?

Andre Bernier First of all welcome, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.  I enjoyed your playing of Greensleeves.  Sounds like you are off to a great start!

Like you , I have been playing acoustic and electric guitar for about 2 years.  Earlier this year, I started doing some of the classical instruction and pieces on another website.  Found that I wasn't able to advance past a certain point, so I joined here.  By the looks of your profile, I joined 2 days before you did.  So I think that we starting out on similar journeys.

When I joined here, I found the levels on the community forum home page and opened Level 1.  That led me to the Beginning Guitar Course: Part 1 here at Tonebase.  I am glad I did because it pointed out a few things that I needed to correct from my previous venture into classical music.  It has also taught me several new things as well.  I am currently working my way through this course.  I mention this because you may wish to take a look at this course to see if it is of benefit to you.

I am now a good ways through that course, however, I was unsure where to proceed after that.  Based on the levels provided here, it would appear that Part 2 is not taken until Level 4.  So, I posted a query in the discussion boards in Level 1 .  The response I received mentioned, amongst other suggestions, that I might want to get the classical guitar books from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada.  I checked into them and ended up buying the set.  Since receiving them, I have been using them along with the Part 1 course above to learn to play classical guitar.  Been using them for about 1-1/2 weeks so far and am pleased with them so far.  These books give me exercises in technique and pieces to play appropriate for my level.  I mention this because I see that you are in Canada, as I am, so they may be of interest to you as well.

Thought I would share my experience so far in case it is of assistance to you.  In the meantime, you're off to a great start on Greensleeves.

Jim King Thanks for your comments. 

I also checked the recommended program for level 1 in the forum. I started the beginning guitar course. Despite the fact that it is very easy, I am still learning new useful things.

I will also go through the ''Reading sheet music on the guitar'' As I only used tablatures so far in my musical life.

Finally I am planning to go through the ''11 progressive ''Landslög''. I like this music and It is a great way to learn.

I also keep working daily on my acoustic guitar using 2 other programs and started to learn piano ''Just for the fun''

Good thing that I am retired so I have a lot of time

Stay in touch ....   

Jim King I'm glad to hear you're finding the RCM books useful, Jim. There's a lot of great music within those pages. One thing you might find useful, to both guide and map your progress, is to prepare one or more examination programs at whatever level seems appropriate. (I'm not recommending sitting for any actual exam, although this of course could be done.) The syllabus provides details of just what is expected at every grade level. If you don't have it, it can be dowloaded here:

https://www.rcmusic.com/learning/examinations/academic-resources-and-policies/syllabi-and-syllabi-errata

(I'm not a great fan of the technical tests, but a certain amount of technical work is useful, and possibly a prerequisite to playing well.) In any event, I've done something like this (i.e. preparing short programs) myself over the past few years, with the aim of rehabilitating my left hand following a rather serious injury.

By the way, if you want to hear the repertoire for the first three or four levels of the RCM series performed by accomplished guitarists, there is a channel on YouTube devoted to just that:
https://www.youtube.com/@nailsnscales13/featured

Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise for your comments. I am using a version from Andrew Leonard ''Take 5 beginner Classical'' course on True Fire. I am using True Fire to learn acoustic finger picking guitar but they also have many classical guitar programs.  

Andre Bernier Nice performance of Greensleeves, Andre. For someone who's being playing classical guitar for less than a month, you're doing remarkably well! That, I suppose, is in part a testament to the transferability of guitar skills from one genre to another. But it no doubt implies considerable aptitude too! By the way, if you have any interest in music (like Greensleeves) originally composed for lute (but playable on modern guitar) there is a wealth of tablature online available for free download. (Lute tablature is a little different than guitar tablature, but it is no more difficult to learn.) Just by way of example, here is a setting of Greensleeves by the Elizabethan lutenist Francis Cutting in what today is called French tablature:

https://www.lutemusic.org/sources/GB-Lbl_british_library/ms_add_31392/pdf/22_greensleeves_cutting.pdf

(Where guitar tab uses digits, tablature of this kind uses the letters of the alphabet, with 'a' for the open string, 'b' for the first fret, 'c' for the second, and so on. Note, if you are interested in trying to read through this, that the third (or 'G') string needs to be lowered a half-step to F#, for what is generally called 'lute' tuning.)

Blaise Laflamme I will certainly participate in the challenge. Keep me posted

David Krupka Thanks David for your comments. I agree that everything I learned on acoustic guitar can be transferred to classical guitar. Even more so as I was not using a pick and concentrating on finger picking.

Thanks for the info on Lute but I have to say that with Acoustic guitar, Classical guitar and piano..... my hands are full 

David Krupka Thank you for the additional information.  As for doing the exams, I don't have any desire to earn any certificates.  This is just a hobby for my own pleasure.  However, it will be useful in having the syllabus to guide me through all of the music pieces included in the books.  Also, the youtube channel will be useful as I am not familiar with the pieces in the books.

Andre Bernier Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting you take up the lute, Andre - only that you might want to play some music originally written for the lute (like Greensleeves) on the guitar. Actually, many classical guitarists do just this. (Of course, it's only worth doing if you like the music.) I bring it up because you mentioned that you already use tablature. Contrary to what many classical musicians seem to think, tablature is a perfectly good system for notating music, and indeed was used by guitarists for some two hundred years before  standard notation came into vogue. So there is a lot of music around that exists only as tablature! This isn't to say, of course, that one shouldn't learn to read music. In fact, it's an indispensable skill! But in my view at least, the importance of tablature shouldn't be overlooked.

By the way, I've gone through a number of the TrueFire courses too, though mostly the jazz ones in my case. They certainly have an amazing roster of players/teachers!

Jim King I didn't mean to give the impression that I think it is worth doing those exams. I absolutely don't! Their main use, I feel, is to provide a sort of guide through the learning process. For myself, it proved useful to learn small programs at various levels as I gradually recovered my ability to play. (That's still a work in progress ...) I have no intention of taking any exam, precisely because, as you note, this is just a hobby!

David Krupka 

Thanks David, I understand your point. I had a look at the tablature with the link you provided and you are right when saying I could easily transpose it for use on my guitar. I will keep that in mind when I look for new pieces to work on.

David Krupka Just a quick note to let you know that you did not give me the impression that you thought that the exams were worth doing.  My comment was meant to be an affirmation of that point.  My apologies if my comments lead you to that conclusion.

While I am here, I want to express my appreciation for your assistance as I begin this leg of my guitar journey.