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@juliel – I asked Steven his thoughts on this and this is what he said:
“I’ve had a little play through some of the exercises and pieces and I would say it is definitely possible to complete the course using ID, TU, IU. It won’t sound quite the same but it will work.
However I would definitely recommend trying to persevere with the ID,TD,IU technique. When I first learnt the triplet strum I learnt the ID,TD,IU technique. I later stumbled across a Jake Shimabukuro video where he taught the ID,TU,IU sequence which he used because he could generate more speed this way.
I didn’t think I’d be able to learn it because I already had the TD sequence so ingrained. However, I stuck with it and I can now play both sequences completely interchangeably without getting confused between the two of them. I find the TU pattern better for strumming and the TD pattern is so much better for chord melody.”
Dr. Matos, do you mind contacting me privately about this. Thanks!
If I understand you correctly, as we move forward there will be songs with the modules that are aligned with level of the material for the module.
Yes, every course has performance songs that’s related to the material taught in the course.
In addition, the families can explore songs that they are interested in regardless of the levels.
Yes, I’d encourage them to work on songs in addition to course work.
Can you remind me the EDT time and days of your live sessions?
Live lessons are every second Saturday of the month at 12 PM EST. Here is the forum post with more info on it, as well as, this month’s topic 🙂
Hi Dr. Matos. To be honest, “I’m Yours” should be placed in a higher level. It was one of the first songs I arranged for the site and was placed there before I had a clearer understanding of how the 5 difficulty levels would unfold.
But I do want to stress that the majority of songs in each level are suitable for the suggested level. With that said, the best place to begin with our lessons is by reading through Learning Paths. It’s our step-by-step guide for creating a practice schedule and defining a path to work on.
For linear learning, I’d recommend starting with our Beginner’s Course. It teaches the fundamentals that prepare you for playing songs. You could also compliment this course with our Fingerpicking Course. It has lessons tailored for 3 levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Likewise, the Reading Course is setup the same way.
With fundamentals intact (e.g. understanding of simple rhythms and playing technique), you’ll be better able to navigate the songs list to tackle beginner level and level 1 songs.
I’m always available too if anyone has questions on a lesson. Feel free to post here or email me 🙂
@lisa-k – That’s def more developed, good job!
I’d record yourself playing into and thru that section at diff speeds. When you listen back, you’ll have multiple options. That’s the way I’d approach figuring out what works best.
@robinboyd – I loved it, Robin! You really should continue writing, I think you’ve got a knack for it. The only suggestion I have is for the B Melody. I like that it slowed down, but maybe too much IMO. I’d go a touch faster.
Glad to hear you like it and I will keep your suggestion in mind 🙂
In the meantime, here’s a few more from Matt that are a blend of fingerpicking and strumming:
@ukandrea – I like what you did w/ the B Melody! I think it compliments the A Melody perfectly 🙂 Good job!
The chord your are playing is A Major. Check out our lesson on the CAGED Method to learn how to move chord shapes up the neck in which they become different chords.
@brettboy – Awesome tune, Brett – but to me it sounds like how I’d feel if I someone stole my laundry LOL@lisadmh – That was awesome! I have a suggestion on song structure: So 10-17 is the first little melody and it varies again at 26-34. So that section in-between, I would cut b/c you want this melody to repeat – that’s the trick in making songs catchy, they just repeat. Although, it’s super cool you through in variations the 2nd time around – I really dig that 🙂
@effortless – That was very cool! The intro – the hammer-on part – that’s where I’m hearing the most melody. The middle section is heavy on harmony, so I’d suggest trying out some more ideas on how you can add more melody to it. But overall really cool, kinda gives me John Mayer acoustic-folk vibes 🙂
@ukandrea – Sounds awesome so far! Here’s an idea using movement for the B melody and I subbed in a diff chord ending.
@lisa-k – I really like the A Melody! It’s got some classical inspiration, I dig that! I think you can expand on the B Melody, it’s a little sparse atm, so I’d work on embellishing it. Overall, bravo for your first tune! Well done!@nthibode – Your performance was awesome, Nathalie! The only thing I’d suggest is more of a “to taste” thing – which is to staccato some of the pops more, like the ‘beat 3 hits’ in the first 4 bars of theme 1. I think that makes them stand out more from the “let ring” feel of the phrases that surround them.
@deadbuggy – Your song was AMAZING! I loved it, gonna def share this in our email tomorrow 🙂 And wow, you have a great voice too!