
So after a LONG break I a here to bring
you my final installment of my multi part review of Adam Satur's
Playing Guitar Musically. In this final chapter we will discuss the
chapters on Notation, Chord Extension (or as Mr. Govan calls it, “How
to play big scary sounding chords”) and finally Minor Scales.
Together they offer a little “extra” to an excellent book. While
the rest f the book offers the basics to learning the instrument
these chapters really help you to get going into the more advanced
stuff. They start to show all of the possibilities that are to be had
when playing the guitar, or any instrument really.
Satur starts the chapter on notation
with the basics. He shows the student what the musical staff normally
looks like and then introduces the different clefs. While I think the
introduction of clefs that most guitarists will never use is a tad
unnecessary ( I didn't learn about other clefs until I had done 5
years of saxophone) I see why Satur might have done it. It definitely
makes everything feel a bit more complete. The description of where
the notes are on the clef is a tad clunky and I feel like it might
have just been improved with a simple diagram. But again, I
understand why Adam wanted to do it this way. It allows the student
to figure it out on their own. Adam describes the “extras” rather
well. He provides a great description as to how to identify sharps
and flats as well as giving a good idea on how to determine which
note is which when it falls outside of the clef. He describes rhythms
well too. Unfortunately he again uses the English terminology for the
duration of notes. This is something that will probably turn off a
lot of international readers. Otherwise, he provides an excellent
description as to the use of rests and really helps clarify how key
and time signatures are marked. In conclusion, asides from a few
minor issues, this is an excellent chapter that really helps to show
how notation works.
The next chapter covers Chord
Extensions, a subject that downright scares many guitarists. Yet
Satur describes it perfectly. He starts off by explaining the basic
types of 7 chord, how to form them. and there applications. Then he
goes on to more elaborate stuff. He adds in 9ths' and things start to
get tricky. He does a good job of explaining the different notations
and how they are constructed though and you will not be lost by his
explanations. The same goes for his descriptions of 11th's and
13th's. These are extremely tricky and very mathematical concepts and
explaining them properly is no mean feat. Yet he does it, somehow,
Satur's explanations make sense! When it comes time to talk about
2nds and 4ths he yet again does a great job. I really like
how he describes the different uses for these chords. To finish, this
chapter is a great resource for any young guitarist seeking to
understand the complex concept that is chord extensions.
The final chapter is on minor chords.
Here we get a brief introduction to these concepts. While de does not
dedicate much space to them it is clear what he is trying to
accomplish with this chapter. He is A. Trying to give the reader a
taste of things to come. B. Helping the reader learn that he does not
have to be spoon fed theory anymore. This chapter exists to help
students confirm their skill. While his explanations are not very
long or thorough here, they do indeed get the job done. They show
what a minor scale is and give a basic idea on how to use them. This
is the scantiest chapter, but in some ways the most important. It
gives the reader confidence to go off on his own and become a true
virtuoso.
All in all these three chapters provide
an excellent terminus to an excellent book. They help a young
guitarist in many ways and give a view of all that an be done with
the instrument. The chapter on notation helps the player be able to
start playing with a practitioner of any instrument right away. Then
the chapter on chord extensions helps the student in making their
music a bit more interesting. Finally, the chapter on minor scales is
great as it really instills the student with a sense of
accomplishment showing them that they CAN work this stuff out on
their own. So, to finish, Adam Satur's Playing Guitar Musically is a
BRILLIANT book and you should REALLY consider buying it!
https://www.facebook.com/PlayingMusically
download sample chapters there!
download sample chapters there!
No comments:
Post a Comment