"Guitar Playing and how it Works"
3rd Edition, 2007

Announcing: "Guitar Playing and How it Works - 3rd Edn." A new edition! Twice the information! More images! Improved musical examples! Improved categorisation!

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Author: Inglis, Peter, 1958-
Title: Guitar playing and how it works / author, Peter Inglis.
Edition: 3rd ed.
Publisher: Baulkham Hills, N.S.W. : P. Inglis, 2007.
ISBN: 9780980459203 (pbk.)
Notes: Bibliography.
Subjects: Guitar--Instruction and study.
Dewey Number: 787.87

Information about the previous (2nd) edition: Who is the book for ? What Styles does it cover? What are the benefits? What are some of the special features? Reviews of the previous (2nd) edition: review by Martin Finnegan for the "Australian Alexander Teachers Journal" Reza Ganjavi's review of "Guitar Playing and How it Works" Philip Hii's review of "Guitar Playing and How it Works" Samples from the previous (2nd) edition: Click here to read free samples from "Guitar Playing and how it Works" -2nd edition

Table of Contents

Introduction
1.1.1 Anybody can play music.
1.1.2 Talent
1.1.3 A Hierarchy of Musical Skills
1.1.4 Coordination
1.2.1 Systems of Learning
1.2.2 A Wholistic approach
1.2.3 Summary of Key Concepts
1.3    How to use this book

Definitions
2.1   Playing
2.2    The Guitar Family



Practice
3.1    Play only real music
3.2.1 Practice from memory
3.2.2 Write it out
3.3.1 Use Field Tested Fingerings
3.3.2 Fingering Systems, Self Actualisation and Peak experiences
3.3.3 Tablature
3.4.1 Independence
3.4.2 Flexibility and endurance
3.5    Mind and the Senses
3.6    Repetition and Loops - also see section 8.6
3.7    Prehearing
3.8   12 Rules for Efficient Learning

Performance
4.1.1 Concentration and Calibration
4.1.2 Intentional Mental States
4.2    Performance Anxiety
4.3    Environmental Factors
4.9.1 Further Reading
4.9.2 Musical Wisdoms



Your Body is your instrument
5.1.1 What is Holism?
5.1.2 What is Reductionism?
5.1.3 Limitations of reductionism
5.1.4 When to use them
5.2.1 The tightrope Walker
5.2.2 Body Awareness
5.3    Visual feedback too slow
5.4    Optimum Process for performance

Coordination
6.1.1 Why Coordination?
6.1.2 How can you improve coordination?
6.1.3 Implications for Musicians
6.1.4 More information
6.2    Relax and Connect with your spine - Semi supine
6.3    Sitting with the Guitar
6.4    Points of contact with the guitar

Rhythm is Movement
7.1.1 Time, Space and Energy
7.1.2 Grace and Flow
7.2    Walking
7.3    Swaying
7.4    Skipping
7.5    Running

Right Hand is your Voice
Tuning
8.1.1 Tune to A-440
8.1.2 Natural Harmonics

Thumb
8.2.1 A Natural hand position
8.2.2 Thumb in a Circle
8.2.3 "Gravity Strum" and the plectrum
8.2.4 Alternating strokes with the plectrum

Basic Movements
8.2.5 Flexing
8.2.6 Extending
8.2.7 Extensors One at a Time
8.2.8 Application: "Quiet Hand"
8.2.9 Adduction and Abduction
8.2.10 Adduction on the Guitar
8.2.10 Application: "Artificial Harmonics"

Roles
8.3.1 Roles of the Right Hand
8.3.2 Right Hand techniques compared
8.3.3 A right hand checklist

Combined Movements
8.4.1 Rippling and Stroking
8.4.2 Become aware of your joints
8.4.3 Rocking the forearm
8.4.4 Finger names

Some Applications
8.5.1 One Impulse equals Four Notes
8.5.2 Energise the Strum with Rasgueado
8.5.3 Rasgueado and Stroking combined
8.5.4 Basic elements joined to form music
8.5.5 Continous rasgueado
8.5.6 Ripple - Rotate - Stroke
8.5.7 Energise the melody with Tremelo

Practice Loops
8.6.1 Abstract the Problem, Apply Different Starting Points
8.6.2 Dotted rhythms develop accuracy
8.6.3 Syncopation develops independence

More Applications
8.7.1 Sustain a melody
8.7.2 Apply tremolo fingering to a scale

Timbre and Volume
8.8.1 Timbre
8.8.2 Volume
8.8.3 Timbre and Volume Chart
8.8.4 Dynamics and Timbre

Articulation
8.9    Articulation adds clarity (Twinkle)

Left Hand, Melody on a Tightrope
9.1.1 Barre Chords - One Coordinated Gesture of Expansion
9.1.2 Mistakes caused by contradictory gestures
9.2.1 Playing one note
9.2.2 Changing Position
9.2.3 Temporary Displacement T.D.
9.3.1 Expanding body, weightless arms
9.3.2 Expansion and embrace
9.4.1 Simple Presentations
9.4.2 Mixed Presentations
9.5    Left Hand Symbols

Melody on One String
10.1    Playing by ear
10.2.1 Only 2 fingering types
10.2.2 Example: On the G string: "Twinkle Twinkle"
10.2.3 Fingering one string
10.3.1 Change of position ascending
10.3.2 Change of position descending
10.3.3 Portamento
10.4.1 Home Base and Important Positions
10.4.2 Slow Practice and Fast Position Changes
10.5    C major scale in pictures
10.6    Major Scales in all Keys

DOWNLOAD a PRINTABLE high resolution pdf of page 93

10.7    Harmonic Minor Scale on One String, in all keys
10.8    Melodic Minor Scale on One String, in all keys

Harmony: Voices singing together
11.1    What is Harmony?
11.2    Tonic and Dominant

Walking, Swaying and Running in Major
12.1    Bar 1: Tonic and Dominant Chord in Walking Rhythm
12.2    Bar 2.: Tonic and Dominant Chord in Swaying Rhythm
12.3    Bar 3: Melodic Arpeggio in Swaying Rhythm
12.4.1 Bar 4: Running melody: DOH to SOH
12.4.2 A versatile and reliable fingering
12.4.3 Articulate to Separate
12.5    Bar 5: Running to the 9th
12.6    Bar 6: Running Melody over 2 octaves
12.8    Bar 8: Alberti Bass
12.9    Bar 9: Dominant Seventh creates a Modulation
12.10  8 bar sequence in Major, with modulation, in all the Major keys

DOWNLOAD a PRINTABLE high resolution pdf of page 125

Walking, Swaying and Running in minor
13.1    Minor key scales - Harmonic and Melodic
13.10  8 bar sequence in minor, with modulation, in all the minor keys

Credits
14.1.1 Dancers
14.1.2 Photography
14.1.3 Sources
14.1.4 The Author
14.1.4 The website





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"Guitar Playing and How it Works" 3rd edition © 2007 by Peter Inglis - www.thewholeguitarist.com No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilised in any form by any electronic, mechanical orother means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, scanning, digital photographing, microfilming, or committed to any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

"This is truly an innovative and intelligent mind-body method for playing the guitar, using some of the finest products of the human mind to create a unique creative synthesis. Overall this book and this approach are a revelation. Highly recommended for aspiring guitarists or Alexander Teachers who want an insight into the workings of guitar playing." Martin Finnegan - Alexander Teacher Click the cover to read about 'Guitar Playing and how it works' and how it can improve your Guitar Playing !