Discussion : Gmc Endorsement/validation Program Options

[Andrew Cockburn]

Kris, Smells and I have been chatting this week about Dave Walliman's excellent idea of using lesson difficulties as some sort of progress or rank indication at GMC - we threw a few ideas around and have come up with a basic idea, but we wanted to throw this out to you, the members for some open discussion and brainstorming!

The basic idea is that GMC members can earn points by playing a lesson to a competent level - this could start out as a kind of honor thing, but eventually could be made into some sort of validated GMC diploma perhaps, with support in the site to handle this if it takes off.

We basically figured out that there are 2 separate important measures, both based on lesson levels, and completion of individual lessons to a satisfactory level. Adding the number of lessons completed over time will give an indication of keenness and also breadth of experience, whereas averaging them would give a good indication of skill level. We agreed that both were important, and would prevent someone getting to a high level by playing many low level lessons - if I learn 10 level 1 lessons I am not the same player who learns 1 level 10 lesson. The first is more diverse but less skilled - the second is more skilled, less diverse. With the 2 scores in place, this would be better reflected, as player one would have a score of 10 but an average of 1, the second would have a score of 1 but an average of 10. We could call the number of lessons completed the "Experience" and the Average difficulty the "Level"


Player 1 : Ex=10,Lvl=1
Player 2 ; Ex=1,Lvl=10

I actually think that gives a very useful track of what each player has achieved - what do you guys think?

The next step is to decide how to track this - initially we decided to start simply as we always do, with a thread that we could rollup the sores into so that everyone could see how it works out, or perhaps a wiki page. Ultimately this could be added as a part of the site. We would also want to reflect this somehow as a badge or level indication under each student's Avatar.

The next issue is how we adjudicate this - we kicked a couple of ideas around here - a panel of Seniors perhaps, but with some instructor input. I though it would make sense to allow the instructor who wrote the lesson to make a final determination but Kris pointed out that in some cases we no longer have access to the original instructors, so we discussed having an Instructor on the Panel who would perhaps have a veto or something similar. Since this was David's idea originally, perhaps he would help out here

Next we need a name for this initiative - so far I have drawn a blank but I haven't spent much time on this - "GMC Validation Program" was my first attempt, Smells came up with "GMC Endorsement Program" - any other ideas out there? Also, this would be a voluntary program as some members would enjoy and benefit from having a structure to work within, other members will dislike this approach, and shouldn't feel compelled to take part.

Finally we need to figure out what all the levels are called - this is the fun part! It would be cool if we could separate the experience and level scores somehow and have a 2 part title that reflects both. Here are some ideas, but I need help with this!

Level (Average Lesson Hardness):

1 - 2 Guitarist
3 - 4 Player
5 - 6 Rocker/Shredder
7 - 8 Guitar Hero
9 - 10 Guitar God

Experience (Number of Completed Lessons):

1 - 20 Learning
21 - 40 Experienced
41 - 60 Accomplished
61 - 80 Very Eclectic
81 - 100 Ultimate


So a guitarist with experience 30 and Level 5 would be an "Experienced Rocker" (or "Experienced Shredder") if they preferred

Experience 65 level, 9 would get you "Very Eclectic Guitar Hero"

Experience 10, level 3 would be "Learning Player"

You get the idea, we probably need to tweak the level ranges and titles but what do you all think overall?

We are looking forward to some good input and lively debate on this - as ever, it is the GMC community that shapes GMC so we want to hear from you!

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[lcsdds]

I really think that the purpose of this whole program should be to get people to COMPLETE lessons!! Being able to play something from start to finish takes your playing to a whole other level, IMO. I know for me that for years I could come up with what I thought were cool licks but I had no idea how to apply them. When I found this site and started doing the lessons I could see how really these solos were just somebody else's "cool licks" that had been put into a coherent solo. It is cool to steal licks from lessons you like but it is altogether another skill to be able to play the solo seamlessly from start to finish, up to tempo, in time and with feeling. Just my 2 cents.

Monte

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[Jeff]

I really think that the purpose of this whole program should be to get people to COMPLETE lessons!! Being able to play something from start to finish takes your playing to a whole other level, IMO. I know for me that for years I could come up with what I thought were cool licks but I had no idea how to apply them. When I found this site and started doing the lessons I could see how really these solos were just somebody else's "cool licks" that had been put into a coherent solo. It is cool to steal licks from lessons you like but it is altogether another skill to be able to play the solo seamlessly from start to finish, up to tempo, in time and with feeling. Just my 2 cents.

Monte

You bring up an interesting point. I can learn how to play one of the lessons and make a video of myself playing it. That doesn't mean that I understand what I'm playing. It just means that I have memorized it.

In order for me to truly know it and the context to which it applies, and be graded on it, I should be able to explain the concept/theory behind it to someone else. That would be the real test. How does one do that for this program? It seems that you would have to make an explanation video or text like the instructors do. So, without that, what would really be evaluated is your ability to play it but not necessarily understand it...

Maybe the instructors should post a few questions along with the videos so that students can answer them and be scored that way too.

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[lcsdds]

You bring up an interesting point. I can learn how to play one of the lessons and make a video of myself playing it. That doesn't mean that I understand what I'm playing. It just means that I have memorized it.

In order for me to truly know it and the context to which it applies, and be graded on it, I should be able to explain the concept/theory behind it to someone else. That would be the real test. How does one do that for this program? It seems that you would have to make an explanation video or text like the instructors do. So, without that, what would really be evaluated is your ability to play it but not necessarily understand it...

Maybe the instructors should post a few questions along with the videos so that students can answer them and be scored that way too.

I don't know that you really need to be able to explain the solo, it would be nice but especially for a beginner it can be overwhelming. I just know that with all the really cool lessons on here I don't know how many people are truly taking advantage of them by learning them all the way through until they are done. We are all on different levels. I could pretty easily play most or all of the "beginner" lessons on the site but I don't think that is beneficial to me. I want to learn the advanced stuff so that is what I am working on. Maybe I am way off but I just think that alot of us don't realize how beneficial it is to be able to learn the lesson from start to finish and up to tempo. I know I learned Muris's Canon lesson and it took me a few months to get it down and up to tempo. I had to change some of the licks from picking or hybrid picking to legato and tapping but I got it to where I could play it. The biggest thing I got out of that lesson I think was string skipping, and it was probably the first time I had learned to play a piece of music from start to finish with the backing track. The licks in that piece were difficult so I obviously had to slow them way down and work them up to speed. Even when you get to where you can play the licks up to speed now you have to figure out how to string them together fluidly and how to play them with the backing track and not just a metronome or drum machine. I had never really attempted string skippping at all until this lesson and I forced myself to keep at it for a few months. Now I notice on some of Muris's other lessons I am working on that the string skipping licks aren't as hard as they used to be. I am even getting better at the hybrid picking, which is another technique I never attempted before coming to this site. I'm babbling now. I just think that this program should really encourage people to pick a lesson they want to learn and really stick with it until they finish it. I'll quite preaching now.

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