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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ William Leavitt Melodic Rhythms Book
Posted by: Jim S. Oct 27 2014, 12:36 AM
Many years ago while taking guitar lessons at a locL music store the teacher listened to my playing and he got very excited to give me this book. He said that learning these rhythms would help me creatively. I started the book and very quickly got turned off, like a knot in my stomach. I've always kept it near though in hopes one day I'd really sit down and do it.
What is it about these books that give me a phobia? Typically I've always liked learning about music but reading has always been a fear of mine. Anyone else have issues like this and how did you get over it?
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 27 2014, 04:22 AM
I've learnt a lot from books in the past and still continue learning. There are books, and books, off course. My favorites of all time are:
Creative Guitar I & II by Guthrie Govan
Speed Mechanics by Troy Stetina
But I've learnt many things by other guitar books. However every person and every musician is different so if learning from books is not your thing you don't have to obligate yourself to do it. There are many ways to improve your guitar playing that can be felt like more musical than reading a book and playing examples. GMC lessons are most based on musical stuff, and you can complement the stuff reading the texts and explanations below each video. You can also use Vchat sessions where we use to explain theory and technique stuff, if you prefer a real time teacher.
There are many options for learning, but my main suggestion about this is to find your own way to learn things. 
Posted by: klasaine Oct 27 2014, 05:29 AM
That Leavitt book is great ... if you want to get better at reading standard notation.
Other than exposing you to maybe some different rhythmic combinations that you're unfamiliar with, it's not gonna really do a lot for you 'creatively'.
*Learning to read music well is a noble undertaking and can introduce you to a lot of stuff that you'll never find TAB'd out or Youtube'd but unless you want to be a professional freelance musician, it's not a necessity.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Oct 27 2014, 12:52 PM
Ken put things into a very good perspective here - reading music is necessary if you want to build a career as a freelance musician or if you will have to work a lot with classical artists.
As I said before, you don't have to know all the theoretical knowledge around, in order to be good at what you do - aim for the theory which you will actually use for what you are doing and if it will be necessary to learn more, do learn more, but don't feel compelled to learn everything because you will suck otherwise - that's totally untrue 
But know well what you want to use! There's an old martial arts saying that goes:
'Fear not the warrior who knows 10000 techniques, but beware the one who knows one perfectly'
Posted by: klasaine Oct 27 2014, 03:12 PM
I like that!
As for books that actually do push creativity, I recommend these two ...
http://www.amazon.com/Guitarists-Guide-Composing-Improvising-Book/dp/0634016350
http://www.amazon.com/Advancing-Guitarist-Mick-Goodrick/dp/0881885894/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414419075&sr=1-1&keywords=the+advancing+guitarist
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Oct 27 2014, 03:22 PM
Got both! I haven't throroughly understood Jon's book at the time I first read it - back in 2008 I think, but I will read it again with a new mind
Posted by: klasaine Oct 27 2014, 04:29 PM
Either do I
. Those books are designed for a lifetime of study. Even when you do 'understand' a concept, it can and usually will evolve over time ... as you evolve.
The beautiful thing about both those books is that they are not 'method' books. You can open up to any page at any time in your development and get something out of it.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Oct 28 2014, 08:01 AM
. Those books are designed for a lifetime of study. Even when you do 'understand' a concept, it can and usually will evolve over time ... as you evolve.
The beautiful thing about both those books is that they are not 'method' books. You can open up to any page at any time in your development and get something out of it.
Exactly! Well said, Ken
I felt the same thing about them as I feel about Musashi's Gorin No Sho - The book of 5 rings, or Sun Tzu's 'The Art of war' or maybe the 'Life giving sword' written by Yagyu Munenori. All these are principial martial arts books written so that they may be used differently, in respect to your personal evolution along the streams of your lifetime! I love this sort of book 
Posted by: Jim S. Nov 1 2014, 02:44 PM
Hi everyone I'm going to address all comments here since I let them pile up. I can be a punk sometimes.
There is a file on my hard drive that has every guitar book I've acquired for the past 6 year. From frank gambale to greg howe and Guthries creative 1 book which I've pulled back out to read. I feel pretty lazy that I never really looked at any of them. It seems only fair that I get something from each one since there is a lesson book from my favorite players.
After reading the intro to his book it inspired me to start transcribing my own ideas. I've put off guitar pro for so long but was able to write four fairly similar guitar ideas very fast. It's giving me a better understanding of what I'm playing.
I notice that my best solos are ones that are moving with the chords and with each chord change the notes of the solo change as well. Hopefully writing them out will help with my timing and how to add to it and make a song or section of music.
Motivation seemed low recently and picking up this topic has helped remotivate and point me in a new direction!
Peace, Love and little guitars!
Posted by: klasaine Nov 1 2014, 06:44 PM
I have a shitload of music/guitar method books.
Probably two dozen of those I've only gotten one or two things from.
As far as I'm concerned, if I get even just one idea that propels my playing/musicianship forward it's worth the price of admission.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Nov 1 2014, 07:46 PM
There is a file on my hard drive that has every guitar book I've acquired for the past 6 year. From frank gambale to greg howe and Guthries creative 1 book which I've pulled back out to read. I feel pretty lazy that I never really looked at any of them. It seems only fair that I get something from each one since there is a lesson book from my favorite players.
After reading the intro to his book it inspired me to start transcribing my own ideas. I've put off guitar pro for so long but was able to write four fairly similar guitar ideas very fast. It's giving me a better understanding of what I'm playing.
I notice that my best solos are ones that are moving with the chords and with each chord change the notes of the solo change as well. Hopefully writing them out will help with my timing and how to add to it and make a song or section of music.
Motivation seemed low recently and picking up this topic has helped remotivate and point me in a new direction!
Peace, Love and little guitars!
Mate
Writing and recording your solos and understanding what's going on in there is one of the most important things you can do in order to progress and develop! Why? Let's see a few reasons:- you will understand your way of thinking
- you will see what cliches you tend to use without knowing it
- you will see what you have to change in order to sound fresh each time - after all, it's composition, not improvisation and you can change things until they sound as you want them
Add a break here, substract or add a different note there or maybe even use a certain other scale than you were tempted to when you first recorded ... Definitely give this a try!
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