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Thread: Two exercise books I am really liking

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Two exercise books I am really liking

    I just received Todd Collins's two books and find they are really worth working through. Modes on Mandolin and Fretboard Studies.

    I took them to a Staples and had them cut apart and spring bound together into one thick volume that lies flat on the music stand.

    They are both notation and tab, which in this case is an advantage even to those who can read standard notation because the tab shows what specific fingerings Todd is after.

    I often sit down with my mandolin with no particular music I am interested in playing, and these books are a great way to spend the time.

    NFI on my part, just passing on what is working for me.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Wow, what a work out.

    These books sneak up on you. I go maybe 10 minutes, and then work on something else or play Soldier's Joy until I feel better about myself.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Thx for heads up.

    I got the Modes a few days ago and i just ordered Fretboard studies. Of course there's overlap with books by Julin, Eschliman and Marshall's finger busters, among others, but i like all of them.
    Kentucky km900
    Yamaha piano, clarinet, violin; generic cello;
    a pedal steel (highly recommended); banjo, dobro don't get played much cause i'm considerate ;}

    Shopping/monitoring prices: vibraphone/marimbas, rhodes, synths, Yamaha brass and double reeds

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    The key to them, and to any of these books, is to take them right away to an office center, Staples for example, and get the binding cut off and have them spring bound. They lie totally flat, and you are not pre-occupied with pages threatening to turn, or looking for those clothes pins to pin back the pages and then being reluctant to turn the page because you have to undo and redo the darn clothes pins, etc.

    Spring bound, they lie flat and allow you to concentrate on the lesson.

    Its a bigger thing than I ever realized and I do this all the time now.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Registered User chris24's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    I see these books are also available for kindle. Could someone who has a copy of the book comment if the layout of the exercises such that this would be a sensible option to view on an iPad?

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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Got the Fretboard Studies in e-book format. Fabulous exercises! Haven't had an exercise book really hook me since FFCP. I can't speak to the Kindle format, but the version I got is a PDF. I use my desktop (large monitor) and scroll through, though I believe it can also be viewed in a "page-flipping" mode. Anyway, gonna spend some time with this, then might get the Modes as well.
    Mitch Russell

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    Newbie Seeking Clues tangleweeds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Where can I buy it as a pdf? I would much prefer that to kindle.
    recurrent beginner spring 2020 (2016, 2014, 2010)

    Eastman MD-515 ... Kentucky KM-172 ... Trinity College Octave TC-325B ... Rogue RM-100A
    various "artisan tweaked" tin whistles ... digital piano ... other small instruments ... way too much sheet music

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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    I got it from the Mel Bay site.
    Mitch Russell

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    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    How's this for customer service? We asked our contact at Mel Bay for clarification on their eBook format two hours ago and received a response already. Thought it might help to have the official word from them. Here it is in their words:

    Our eBooks are PDF format. We sell the titles that are available as eBooks on our site. We have many of our best-sellers available in Kindle and ePub format, on Amazon, iBooks, Nook, etc. we don't sell those formats on our site yet, but hope to in the not so distant future.

  14. #10

    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Quote Originally Posted by tangleweeds View Post
    Where can I buy it as a pdf? I would much prefer that to kindle.
    It is possible (I do it myself) to remove the DRM from kindle-books and then you can transform them into any format you want.

    I am not sure if that is legal in your country (so I won't go into details here), but it's not too hard to do if you are computer-savy.

  15. #11
    Newbie Seeking Clues tangleweeds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Score! I was able to use a Mel Bay coupon code from the home page to get 25% off a PDF of Fretboard Studies, along with another technique book I would recommend for less advanced players like myself:
    Mandolin Technique Studies by Matt Raum

    Thanks everyone who facilitated!
    Last edited by tangleweeds; Jul-04-2016 at 10:10pm.
    recurrent beginner spring 2020 (2016, 2014, 2010)

    Eastman MD-515 ... Kentucky KM-172 ... Trinity College Octave TC-325B ... Rogue RM-100A
    various "artisan tweaked" tin whistles ... digital piano ... other small instruments ... way too much sheet music

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    Default Re: Two exercise books I am really liking

    Just got both books in today's mail - hope to start into them this weekend!

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