Product Description

A companion volume to The Art of Classical Guitar Playing. This book provides serious students of the classical guitar with enough exercise material to progress to the highest levels of competence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #174432 in Books
• Published on: 1993-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780874876819
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A great resource
This book is terrific for any serious student who wants a complete book of exercises for left and right hand development. What I like most about this book is the presentation of the scales. He gives you 33 pages of scales: melodic minor, major scales, chromatic, diminished, etc. in one, two, and three octave ranges. He shows you different approaches to the same scale -- two string version and three string version; 5 string versions and six string versions, etc.

There are good arpeggio exercises, cadence exercise,slur exercises, chord change exercises, chromatic octave and tenths exercises, and everything else you could think of. The explanations are clear. The print is big (nice layout to the book) and easy to read.

I first read Duncan's book, The Art of Classical Guitar Playing, which is a companion to his Classical Guitar 2000 book. That's also very good and unique. Classical Guitar 2000 is the practical application of what he discusses in his Art of Classical Guitar book.

I also have Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant, and although both books are outstanding and I use both on a frequent basis, I prefer this book.

My Review
This book contains the quintessential essay on nail-filing in the literature for classical guitar. I require it for all serious classcial guitar students studying with me. It's discussion of tension as falling into the categories of functional and dysfunctional tension is a very important discussion that helps the developing student realize how the hand function properly. This book is on my "Basic Library" list for all students, classical and otherwise.
Thomas O. Olson, MM, Performer and teacher of Classical guitar, graduate, the Cleveland Institue of Music.

For the Serious Guitar Student/Player
I can't really add much more to say about this very useful book - the above reviewers did an excellent job of describing it's content. I will, however, type up a list of what's in the content page since you can't "see inside" this book:

Preface
Introduction: First Principles
Section I: Scales
Comprehensive Diatonic Scales
Two-Octave Scale Forms
Rhythmic Formulas for Practice
Two-Octave Diatonic Scales in all Keys
Three-Octave Scales
Developing Velocity in Scales
Scales Beyond the Diatonic

Section II: Chords and Arpeggios
Systemic Cadences
Recurring Chord Forms
Cadences in the Principal Keys
Arpeggios
Basic Arpeggios in Increasing Complexity
Arpeggios with Thumb and Fingers Played Together
Practicing Arpeggios with the Carcassi Etude 2
Two Etudes by Dionisio Aguado

Section III: Left-Hand Development
Slurs
Basic Ascending Slur Exercises
Descending Slurs
Ascending and Descending Slurs Combined
Triplet Slurs
Slurs Across the Fingerboard
Chromatic Octaves and Tenths
Bar-Chord Strength Development

Section IV: Exercises in Technical and Interpretive Control
The Left Hand
The Right Hand
Interpretive Control

And there you have the entire contents page. Pretty impressive I think. If you practice these exercises and drills that Mr. Duncan has given, you will improve in many areas. I ask my more advanced students to purchase this book and we begin practicing two octave scales - minor and major.
There is nothing about this book so far, that I can find anything negative to comment on. It's well worth the money.
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UPDATE: OCTOBER 23, 2008

I see that one can now "SEARCH INSIDE!" this book. That's good. It's a great book and I'm always finding new things to study out of it!