Reading more

[John Bertotti]

I find myself starting to think about where I can conveniently finger multiple notes at one time. The problem is I don't know the fret board very well past the 9th fret. I am having the most problems with reading double stops and chords, anything requiring reading more then one note at a time. I know I just need more practice and don't even know what my question is. Just venting some frustrations I suppose.
On second thought does anyone have or can anyone recommend a good three finger chord etude for the chordally challenged?
Thanks all John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[Jim Garber]

I have a violin method published in Italy called 30 Double Chord Studies. There is also a section in the part 2 of the Munier method that deals with "double strings."

There are various chord studies in Bickford:
Vol. 1: pp. 71 and 78
Vol. 2: p.86
Vol. 3: p. 8, 85
Vol. 4: p.51

I am ure that there are sections in other methods dealing with this.

The primary tact to reafing chords should be like reading single notes and the more you do it the better it gets. Bickford has a section that addresses improving reading and likens it to reading words. Just as we don't read individual letters we don't read the individual notes but read the prhases and chrods together. After awhile, you will prob recognize certain arrangements of notes in chords.

Jim

[billkilpatrick]

john - your level of not knowing the fret board will be just fine for me but i found this site very helpful:

http://www.thecipher.com/index.htm

a bit wordy and too technical (for me) at first but he has a common sense approach to music theory with sections devoted to most of the chordophones - including the mandolin.

it's where i first saw the light.

- bill

[John Bertotti]

Jim, I may have the study you referred to on that cd of violin studies. I haven't even looked through it yet. I will check Bickford. I haven't done a lot with it lately.
Billkilpatrick, I think I am learning the theory successfully the Ohmson book really helped. It got down and dirty real fast. The big issue is just following the long stems with lots of dot,s. Lots means more then one.
I have a short double stop study Jim posted a while ago the I have been working with. Slowly. Thanks all. # John

[Jim Garber]

Bill:
That cipher page is for folks who want (for some reason) to avoid std notation. I find it more confusing that other methods, tho there is a logical basis for it.

I think John is well on the road to reading, just has to do more of it, as certainly do I. I find, tho, that the more I do the better I get at it. I can look at certain chords and read them immediately. Others esp in less common keys I need to study and they do provide roadblocks.

Jim

[billkilpatrick]

i'm hoping that standard notation will fall into place a little later on. i'm quite content to plod along with tabs - i understand it and the songs i'm after (medieval/rennaisance) aren't usually that complex. like i say, the light went on while reading material on that sight.

but you're right ... i'm avoiding standard notation. it's one of the hills that's after the one i'm climbing now.

- bill