Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1 (Grade 1) [Paperback]

Mel Bay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1990

The world's premier method for learning modern plectrum style guitar, time-tested and proven successful in building the theoretic and technical foundation needed to play in any style. All seven grades of this method are written in standard notation only to encourage better sight reading. In Grade 1, the student guitarist will learn to play solos, duets, scales, and chords in the keys of C, A minor, G and E minor. Even in Grade 1, the student is already exposed to the chord/melody concept of guitar performance. A supplementary study book entitled Grade 1 Studies, two different play-along CD recordings (pop and traditional), and a VHS or DVD video are available. The companion recordings feature Tommy Flint and William Bay playing in split-track format, with the solo parts performed on the right channel, and the accompaniment or second duet parts played on the left. The student can play along with the full recording, or tune out either channel and play the missing part.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I was 17 years old teaching at Ernie Ball's Guitar Shop in Tarzana, California. That's where I met Mel Bay through a workshop he taught. It was then that I took myself through his 7 book guitar method the first time which was very instrumental toward my professional training. Now, all these years later just I completed the updated expanded edition of the 7 book method. It is a beautiful workout and journey of graded material including: 1. Reading studies in all keys and positions. 2.Beautiful chord melodies ranging from classical to folk, blues, jazz and latin in style. 3. Theory is an integral part of this method presenting harmonized chord forms, studies in thirds and triads and quartal harmony in all keys. 4. Technical development and challenge and strong musicality frame this great work. This production is in my opinion the consumate guitar method which I recommend as a must to all serious guitarists. Congratulations to William Bay for this masterpiece. --Michael Anthony --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Mel Bay was born on February 25, 1913 in the little Ozark Mountain town of Bunker, Missouri. He bought a Sears Roebuck guitar at the age of 13 and several months later played his first "gig." (He recalled playing until his fingers were raw!) Mel took up the tenor banjo shortly thereafter and continued to play both instruments. During his teenage years Mel played with a wild assortement of bands and characters in rural Missouri. Perhaps no "gig" was as strange as the job he landed with, in Mel's words, "a snake oil salesman." This flamboyant peddler would pull his ostentatious Pierce Arrow automobile, complete with steer horns mounted on the grill, into the center of a small, rural town. Mel would sit on the car and play up a storm on the tenor banjo. After a crowd gathered, the peddler took over and began extolling the merits of his "wonder elixer." In 1933 Mel Bay moved to St. Louis and began his professional career. He played with numerous local and traveling bands. In addition, he landed staff guitar jobs on several radio stations. Mel fronted his own trio (piano, bass, guitar) and played steadily for 25 years! He was equally adept on most fretted instruments and played mandolin, uke, Hawaiian guitar, tenor and plectrum banjo professionally. While Mel was actively pursuing his playing career, he continued to teach as many as 100 students a week. He decided to begin writing instructional materials due to the difficulty encountered by guitarists at playing good sounding chord forms in rhythm sections and due to the poor note reading ability prevalent among guitarists. After the war Mel was asked to write instructional materials on guitar for GI's wanting to learn music under the GI Bill. In 1947 Mel formed his own publishing company and wrote his landmark initial book titled The Orchestral Chord System for Guitar. (This book is still in print under the title Rhythm Guitar Chord System and continues to be one the finest rhythm guitar chord texts available!) His Modern Guitar Method was penned shortly thereafter. For years Mel traveled from town to town talking to guitar teachers and players and showing them his publications. At one time Mel claims to have known virtually every guitar teacher in America on a first name basis! The guitar and Mel Bay books caught on in a big way in the 1950's. Things have continued to grow ever since. Mel used to sell D'Angelico guitars. At any given time he would have 5 or 6 "lying around the house." Mel played professionally on his New Yorker model but his favorite was the initial Mel Bay Model crafted as a gift for him by John D'Angelico. This famous guitar had all of the main features of the New Yorker but was a "cut away" model and had a slightly thinner neck. This instrument has been pictured on the Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method for decades. Someone once calculated that sales of guitar books written by Mel Bay have exceeded 25 million copies. When asked, Mel frequently said that he quit counting long ago. Sales of his Modern Guitar Method have alone surpassed the 7 million mark. It is safe to say that Mel Bay is one of the pivotal figures in the world of guitar music and instruction in this century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Publications (June 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871663546
• ISBN-13: 978-0871663542
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > Instruments & Performers > Guitar
  • #13 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Techniques
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > Instruments & Performers > Strings

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Method Books Around, November 4, 2003

By 

Scott Kolecki (Brooklyn, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1 (Grade 1) (Paperback)

I have been a professional guitar teacher for over 10 years. In that time, I have had more than 100 guitar students, many of whom came to me with no former playing experience. At the onset of my own career as a guitar student, I never had a single method book that I studied from, but instead learned from various instructors who gave me exercises they created. As a result, when I started teaching, I had no idea which method book to use. In the course of ten years, I have seen and tried many method books, and none has ever been more useful than MelBay's Gutiar Method Books.

These books are laid out exactly the way I think the guitar should be taught. Too often, method books want to introduce the student to a couple of notes on the first two or three strings, and then delve right into chords, by-passing much of the needed understanding of where notes are located on the neck.

However, MelBay's books do the opposite. They begin by teaching meter and note identification, providing the student with a comprehensive overview of all notes on all 6 strings in 1st position. By the time the student is introduced to even a single chord, he/she should have a strong understanding of how to count and read music on the treble clef, as well as a better than average vocabulary of many guitar and music terms.

The book teaches the strings one at a time, and as each string is introduced, exercises are given that focus on the new string as well as those already learned. Familiar songs, such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore","When the Saints Go Marching In", "Aura Lee" (Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley) and many others give the student a means of measuring their individual success by giving them amterial that is recognizable, even to the casual listener.

As the student masters each string, chords are introduced, and, like the development of exercises for each string, one building on the next, chords are taught the same way, focusing on playing rhythem guitar and lead guitar at the same time. Many songs are written in a "classical" style, and require the student to play melody and chords at the same time, integrating the two parts of the book together, and allowing the student to have a decent knowledge of how to use the chords when playing any song.

As this is the first book in a series, the student, upon completion, will still have a great deal to learn-but-by the time he/she finishes, they will have the ability to play with a level of competence far greater than peers who have finished the first level of a method book in any other series. They will graduate with a strong knowledge of notes-both counting and reading, the ability to play a variety of chords: C, G7, G, A, D, Emin, B7, Dmin, Amin, F, E7, and will be able to play rythem and some basic lead guitar.

With instruction, the book should take 6 months to a year to complete, and somewhat longer if the student wishes to go about it without the aid of an instructor. The book is designed to be self-teaching-that is, anybody wanting to learn can teach themselves with the aid of this book.

I recommend it highly for anyone aspiring to begin playing. I have seen many method books over the years, and I keep coming back to this one for its concise approach to playing the guitar.

NOTE: This book does not teach TAB. For students looking to learn tablature style playing, this book is not for you. However, for anyone who is serious about playing, learning to read music will serve you in far better stead than relying solely on tab.

Scott Kolecki

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great for sight reading, January 8, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1 (Grade 1) (Paperback)

Despite what the previous reviewer said, this is a great book for self-teaching. But, I don't necessarily recommend it for the absolute novice. I began working with this book after having played a little over a year, and it benefitted me greatly. The entire book is written in standard notation (treble clef), with NO tab. While note-reading may seem daunting at first, it is presented very logically, adding one string at a time, until half-way through the book you find yourself reading notes with no problem. Mel Bay's modern method is time-tested (written in 1948) and proven. Is it the most exciting method book published? No. But it will lay an excellent foundation for any aspiring guitarist.

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for Self-Learning, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1 (Grade 1) (Paperback)

Good book for a beginning guitarist, but must be used in a class or private lesson setting. The novice will be lost if trying to use this book on his or her own. Some of the practice songs are out-dated, even though musically valid for learners.