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Sage Wisdom

"Good improvisation communicates harmonic progression melodically. Effective melodies manipulate harmonic content through the use of guide tones and preparatory gravity notes, masterfully woven in systematic tension, release, and transparent harmonic definition."



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April 16, 2009 | Maybe this feedback can give you some insight into using FFcP

We have a standing request for feedback on the resources here on the site, as well as response from the "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin Book." Time to share with you; we trust this can be an encouragement in your studies. Let us know your thoughts, too!:



"It's not so much that the concept is new, it isn't, it's that the concept is articulated in FFcP more clearly and logically than ever before. It's a dynamite instructional concept and aid too. Student fear of "the dusty part" of the fingerboard is put at ease. Ted's genius lies in the presentation of concepts, making the instrument accessible. For this I am grateful."
Michael Bruce Crocker.

"I'm sure you get this pretty often, but your book has helped me tremendously! I've only been doing the ffcp's for a month, but at least one hour every day, seven days a week. I've played mandolin for about a year and a half after discovering bluegrass and leaving 15 years of rock bass behind. I felt like my speed and fretboard knowledge might be getting a little better, but at band practice this week I took a break on a new song. Afterwards, everybody said 'where did that come from?' I didn't know either, but it sounded great and just kinda came out, without thinking. FFCP! I've advanced more as a player in a month than I have in a year and I'm only on page 16.

Sorry the long message, but I just wanted to thank you (thank you, thank you thank you!). I'm finally, slowly becoming a better player, which obviously makes playing much more fun. Thanks for writing such a great book and helping newbies so much!
Chris Willingham

"I've been starting practice with around 20 minutes devoted to GiJM as well. I've gotten to page 30. I'm determined to play all the FFcP and arpeggio studies near perfectly before I move on. (I've played Lydia a few times, but I'm trying not to move further forward.) So far I have noticed similar benefits--greater fluidity, better tone, confidence that I can start a run on any finger. That alone has been well worth the price. My plan is to take the time it takes, do the work, and not have specific expectations. I think it can't help but to improve my playing, but I am curious to find out what my fingers and brain are going to be able to do with it as I progress thru the book.

Good luck to us all. Maybe our secret sign can be a pinkie finger wave."
Name withheld

"This is a trivial bit of feedback from a rank amatuer mando player, but I want to thank you for the jazz book. I've been seeing good progress with the exercises, finger and pinky strength improvement. Never thought I'd be in a position to decide whether to play a string open or use my pinky. Where I still had been troubled was how to apply these exercises. So in an act of real insight, I "read the instructions". Instead of diving into playing as I usually do, I went back and read all the text accompanying the exercises and low and behold a light went off. And maybe that's part of the book's beauty, it's like good music, when you go back over it you pick up a little more each time. Enjoying the hell out of this book! Thanks.
Rich Young

"First, the scale exercises are the second thing I do after a little modal exercise I do to wake my fingers up. I don't do them particularly fast (anywhere between 84 and 102 BPM) because this is a time for concentrating on technique (I feel). So, I take great pains to be sure every note sounds musical, that my fingers are properly lines up (or at least making strides toward great hand position) and that there is a flow to the exercise. I think that this alone has greatly improved my tone.

Second, I am using my pinky much more than I ever have (save when I studied classical guitar). It is coming naturally now. When I'm improvising, the riffs I hear (in my head) do not exclude notes reached by the pinky. In fact jumping 4ths has become routine."
Brian Claffey


Send us your thoughts!

Posted by Ted at April 16, 2009 6:55 AM


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