Page 9-14 ?

[Bertotti]

Seems to me that the author JS had a reason for almost everything he is doing in this book. What is the reason for the progression of these chord shapes?
C major to A minor to F major to D minor to B flat maj to G minor? Etc?

if I look at a circle of 5ths wheel and I’m reading it correctly then the major is followed by its relative minor? I did not get this from memory I had to look at the wheel but at least I thought to look at the wheel. I consider that a minor win, certainly not flat though!

I’m not sure why this is important yet but it seems significant and isn’t spelled out so I can only guess JS figured people would already grasp this?


@Synchro you may have mentioned these chord relations earlier but today it seemed more understandable. Provided I am thinking straight, no promises on that one!

 

[Bertotti]

I’m a bonehead! Page 15 basically spells out what I thought I figured out and I do believe I had already asked about page 15 doh!

but it starts a new question for instance the C and A minor 1,2 and, 3 forms for practice how do you use that chart? Play major one than minor 1 or play them in tue order written,

This one says Cmaj 123 Amin 231 so play in that order? The top says chord forms and positions should be memorized.

 

[Shock]

Since you ask, I will take a stab at it. From what I can tell without looking at what you are looking at, I would reference it to Alice Cooper's Elected chorus. In A, the chorus goes to:

F
C/B-
E-/A-
D/B-
C
A

Because it is rock and roll, power chords or 5 chords are generally used. But if you wanted the full tonal breakdown (like what a textbook gives), the F, C and B- would be majors, D a minor. To play the whole chord voicing comes off a bit too much in application. The Coop was a theory madman. Try Amaj/C+m/Gmaj/Bm D/E. That is No More Mr Nice Guy. Much easier to understand progressions in reference to a melody line.

 

[MrWookiee]

That Am shape near the 12th fret gives me hand cramps like I used to get learning my first FM barre. I guess that means it's working!

 

[Bertotti]

That Am shape near the 12th fret gives me hand cramps like I used to get learning my first FM barre. I guess that means it's working!

I haven’t gotten to where I can apply tue fourth finger yet my pinky curls and is too short close but not quite. I’m doing more pinky work on the mandolin to build up the pinky finger tip. Something about double courses makes my fingers grow. Actually it is just the thickening and toughening of Tue skin at the top but it will add a 1/8” over the course of a month or three. That should make that Am possible maybe not easy but possible and that’s a start.

Since I’m not remembering these chords by rote yet maybe the Cmaj and Am are almost there, I think I’m going to move to those two scales and just keep playing through all those chords once those first two groups of chords are solid and scales I’ll do the next. It’s a thought.

 

[MrWookiee]

I haven’t gotten to where I can apply tue fourth finger yet my pinky curls and is too short close but not quite. I’m doing more pinky work on the mandolin to build up the pinky finger tip. Something about double courses makes my fingers grow. Actually it is just the thickening and toughening of Tue skin at the top but it will add a 1/8” over the course of a month or three. That should make that Am possible maybe not easy but possible and that’s a start.

Since I’m not remembering these chords by rote yet maybe the Cmaj and Am are almost there, I think I’m going to move to those two scales and just keep playing through all those chords once those first two groups of chords are solid and scales I’ll do the next. It’s a thought.

Yeah, the pinky finger is tough.
I share your difficulty with rote memorization and actually had an epiphany after my last post. I've been stuck on first page of chords, trying to memorize the 3 CM chords and the 3 Am chords ( I already knew the ones in position 1). The epiphany was that a better approach for me would be to study the left column all the way down, then the middle, then the right. Sounds like you've been doing that all along. I'll try the new approach as guitar practice time allows.

 

[GDGT]

Seems to me that the author JS had a reason for almost everything he is doing in this book.

I'm going to ask a probably-dumb question: who is JS and what book is this? Just curious.

 

[MrWookiee]

JS is Johnny Smith, an old-school jazz guitarist of some renown, who wrote, among other things, Walk Don't Run, which The Ventures later covered in the surf style. A few of us have been studying (or trying to study) a method book he authored. It's out of my league but ya gotta start somewhere.

 

[GDGT]

JS is Johnny Smith, an old-school jazz guitarist of some renown,

Gotcha—thanks for spelling it out. Reasonably familiar with Johnny Smith's legacy but I never studied his method. When I was in college I did some work for a man had played with Smith under Toscanini with the NBC orchestra: managed to wrangle a few stories out of him.

Edit: And plainly my working knowledge of these forums isn't so great, because i just realized this is in a topic called "The Johnny Smith Approach," which wasn't apparent to me for some reason when I asked. I tend to scan the "New Posts" list and it doesn't seem to call out topics, just post titles.

 

[Bertotti]

I did buy the spiral bound copy since it lays and opens nicely. That was important to me.

 

[Bertotti]

I

That Am shape near the 12th fret gives me hand cramps like I used to get learning my first FM barre. I guess that means it's working!

hit it cleanly twice tonight but not for a duration of any note before my fingers slipped! I need a bit longer third and fourth fingers so more work in that! Nevertheless Im just happy I pulled it off even if it was short lived. I found I really love the sound of it with the optional third finger!

 

[Synchro]

It gets easier with time. In some of the higher positions, it can get a bit cramped.

 

[MrWookiee]

I think I'm going back to a mix of the cross-wise and vertical approaches. It's nice to hear the inversions while having more tonal variety.

 

[Bertotti]

It ain’t perfect and I still mute some strings and have to spend a little time to get my fingers and hand into place but I did hit it cleanly a few more times today!

 

[Synchro]

It ain’t perfect and I still mute some strings and have to spend a little time to get my fingers and hand into place but I did hit it cleanly a few more times today!

Good work. It will get easier.

 

[Bertotti]

Good work. It will get easier.

My fingers are not long enough to make this one with all of the fingers but I try. If I stretch the pink across the third finger rolls forward too far and it’s my very short nail in tue fret board if I put the third down firmly the pinky mutes the next string. There is ver little room and a minute of maneuvering the string under the pinky to make it work. I’m trying to use the third and fourth fingers more to build thicker skin and some more callouses but as that wears down it becomes a problem again. the Little Martin is the only guitar I’ve accomplished it on so far.

 

[Synchro]

If you keep working at it, your fingers will get more flexible. It was pretty challenging when I first did it.

 

[Bertotti]

If you keep working at it, your fingers will get more flexible. It was pretty challenging when I first did it.

I’m looking at it like a chop cord on the mandolin the C and G chop were undoable for me at first now I can do them and even do them much quicker. Not Buick enough to jam with but it’s coming along as well.

 

[Synchro]

I’m looking at it like a chop cord on the mandolin the C and G chop were undoable for me at first now I can do them and even do them much quicker. Not Buick enough to jam with but it’s coming along as well.

Just keep slogging along. It will come together.

 

[MrWookiee]

Man, this Am is tough! Either some strings get muted or my hand cramps up. Just gotta keep at it, I guess.