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    The Natural Guitar Player
    The Natural Guitar Player
    The Natural Guitar Player
    Ebook86 pages47 minutes

    The Natural Guitar Player

    By Rick McKeon

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    About this ebook

    If you study nature closely you will start to understand the strategies and techniques that the natural world has developed over millions of years! Many of these strategies can be applied to the guitar. With practice, your guitar playing will become enjoyable, natural and effortless!

    This is not a "how to play the guitar" book for beginners where you learn chords and songs. In this book you will learn beautiful and powerful nature-based approaches to guitar playing.

    Nature flows. Wind and water move effortlessly through an environment filled with obstacles. Observing plants and animals can teach us how they accomplish amazing feats with minimal effort. You might be thinking, "I'm not a tree or drop of water. What does this have to do with me?" Well, that's what I hope to explain in this book.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRick McKeon
    Release dateJun 25, 2019
    ISBN9781393191810
    The Natural Guitar Player

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      Book preview

      The Natural Guitar Player - Rick McKeon

      The Natural Guitar Player

      Nature's Lessons for Effortless Playing

      Author: Rick McKeon

      Copyright 2016 Rick McKeon

      Preface

      If you study nature closely you will start to understand the strategies and techniques that the natural world has developed over millions of years! Many of these strategies can be applied to the guitar. With practice, your guitar playing will become enjoyable, natural and effortless!

      This is not a how to play the guitar book for beginners where you learn chords and songs. In this book you will learn beautiful and powerful nature-based approaches to guitar playing.

      ––––––––

      Nature flows. Wind and water move effortlessly through an environment filled with obstacles. Observing plants and animals can teach us how they accomplish amazing feats with minimal effort. You might be thinking, I'm not a tree or drop of water. What does this have to do with me? Well, that's what I hope to explain in this book.

      I have gleaned these insights over a lifetime study of music and nature, and now I will show you how to apply them to your guitar playing.

      Each chapter presents a lesson learned from nature. I have tried to maintain a consistent organization where each chapter has:

      An Overview of the Concept.

      An Activity where you go out in nature and make some observations.

      An Exercise that gives you a chance to apply the concept to the guitar.

      It is my hope that the concepts contained in this book will make your guitar playing more interesting and enjoyable, but it is also my desire that you will be inspired to get out and enjoy nature at a deeper level. I believe that we are meant to live in harmony with the natural world. We should feel just as much at home laying on the soft grass of a mountain meadow as we are at home sitting in our nice comfy recliner.

      This is a reference book and a workbook with practical exercises to illustrate each concept. As such, you don't need to work your way from beginning to end. Feel free to jump around and spend more time on some concepts and less time on others. Many of these concepts are fun to just think about, but I also want this to be a hands-on playing book.

      So, pick up your guitar and let's get started!

      Table of Contents

      1. Flow Like a River

      2. Conservation of Motion

      3. Conservation of Energy

      4. Focus on the Target

      5. A Variety of Sounds

      6. The Natural Approach to Practice

      7. The Natural Approach to Playing

      8. Nature Sings Without Worry

      9. Anticipation Means No Surprises

      10. Strength

      11. Momentum

      12. Nature's Balance

      13. Limitations and Setbacks

      14. Knowledge

      15. Nature's Diversity

      16. Nature's Jam Session

      17. Where Do We Go from Here?

      Meet the Author

      Other Books by Rick McKeon

      1. Flow Like a River

      Figure 1.1 Flow Like a River

      1.1 Water and Wind

      Nature has a balance and flow that we can learn from. Think about water and wind. Think about nature's cycles both short and long, and let your guitar playing become fluid.

      This first lesson is about fluid motion and how to allow your left hand to move over the fingerboard like water flowing in a stream. What a lovely and natural concept! After all, we are playing music. Shouldn't the mechanics of right and left hand be smooth and fluid?

      Activity 1.1 Spend Some Time Observing Nature's Flow

      To understand this concept we need to spend some time observing nature's flow. This is important. Don't just think about it, go out and do this activity. Even if you have spent a lot of time in nature, do this again.

      Find a nice quiet spot by

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