Reading for the Contemporary Guitarist

Reading for the Contemporary Guitarist, Volume 1 is intended for guitarists who are preparing for a professional career in music. Assuming you are already familiar with pitch reading in Positions I and V, and with rhythmic notation, this book will arm you with the tools you need to work as a modern guitar player. Authored by Ian Robbins, this text provides a new approach to guitar reading by focusing on multiple reading positions in the lower quadrant of the neck, syncopated 8th note figures and picking strategies, double stops, and multiple articulations including hammer ons, pull offs, slides, accents and dynamics. Each chapter concludes with a composition designed for two guitar players which focuses on the material learned in the unit.

This book will help aspiring professionals read the type of charts and information they will be expected to perform in a gig, studio, or ensemble setting. Designed with current trends in mind, the examples presented here span numerous contemporary musical styles commonly performed in today’s music scene.

Reading for the Contemporary Guitarist, Volume 1 includes:

• Review of Positions I and V


• Study of Positions II-IV in all twelve keys


• Reading two pitches simultaneously


• Tips for coordinating picking with rhythmic groups


• Syncopation exercises at the 8th note level


• Melodic and slash notation reading


• Chord symbol recognition exercises


• Guitar Specific Articulations: Hammer Ons, Pull Offs, Slides, Accents and Dynamics


• Numerous practice examples to reinforce all concepts presented in the book