Contents
Preface & The Author
A Modern View of Tuning
Holding the Guitar
Right-Hand Positions
Left-Hand Positions

The Musical Alphabet
Learning the Staff Using Ladders and Hands
Placing Notes on the Staff
Ledger Lines for Reading Bass Notes
Drawing Ledger Lines
Using Words to Understand Rhythms
Understanding Measures
Grid Diagrams
Creating a Notation Reference Chart
Octaves
Melodic Direction
Reading Melodic Lines
Reference Notes: Using Key Tones
Reference Notes: Using Open Strings
Reference Notes: F-A-C-E
Reference Notes: Using High and Low Points
Skips
Identifying Skips
Reading Melodic Leaps: Identifying Intervals
Writing Intervals
Identifying Chords by Reading Intervals

Exploring the Open Strings
Finger Independence
Travis Picking
Finger Alternation
Adding a Melody to an A Bass Note
Harmonized Scale Steps over an Open Bass
Adding a Melody to an F Bass Note
Harmonized Scale Steps Over the F Bass Note
Adding a Melody to a G Bass Note
Harmonized Scale Steps Over the G Bass Note
A Dozen Fingerpicking Patterns with Practice Progressions

Amazing Grace: Adding a Bass Note to a Melody
Amazing Grace: Adding Fill Notes to a Melody and Bass
Amazing Grace: Writing Your Own Variations from Chord Tones

Silent Night: Rest Strokes
O Come, Emmanuel: Bass Melody
Leyenda: Free Strokes
Coventry Carol: Melody Over Open Bass Strings
Welsh Hymn: Melody Over Fretted Bass

Key of C

Be Thou My Vision
Shenandoah
Star of the County Down
Danny Boy
My Country 'Tis of Thee
America the Beautiful
The Water is Wide
Jolly Blues in C

Key of A minor

Für Elise - Basic Version
Für Elise - Embellished Version
Greensleeves
Scarborough Fair
Gypsy Blues in A minor

Key of G

Morning Has Broken
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Dixie
The Star Spangled Banner
Lazy Blues in G

Key of E minor

Moonlight Sonata
Boogie Shuffle in E minor

Notes on the A String
Notes on the D String
Combining the A and D Strings
Melodies on the A and D Strings
The G and B Strings
Melodies on the G and B strings
Review of Four Strings
Notes on the High E String
Notes on the Low E String
Combining the Low and High E Strings in Octaves
Some Important Music Concepts: Sharps, Flats, Naturals, Enharmonics and Ties