About This Book

The Positional Reading Method is a concise, advanced reading method for guitar. It will be challenging to even the most experienced guitarist.

This book is not a "teach yourself" method book. Guitarists and teachers with previous experience in positional reading will be able to use it, and newer players may need a qualified instructor.

The method

Reading standard music notation on the guitar can be very difficult. This is because the guitar fretboard has many duplicate notes that can be played with any given finger. This makes for many note and fingering possibilities, which can make reading difficult.

This book's reading system eliminates the endless note and fingering possibilities, making it easier to focus on the notes within the applied position.

There are 12 etudes in 12 keys that are played in several fretboard positions. By only having 12 etudes, it will teach you that positional major scale patterns have the same relative sound no matter where they are positioned on the fretboard.

Once you have completed this reading method, reading in any key signature and in any position on the fretboard will be possible.

About the author

Since 1994 Mike James has been a full-time guitar teacher and performer. He has taught many years as a private teacher and as adjunct faculty at several universities in the upper Midwest.

This is Mike's second guitar method book. His first is a chord method book, Inversion Guitar Chord Method, which has sold hundreds of copies.

Backing tracks

Every etude page has its backing track at the top, recorded as a Bossa and as a Swing. Play it at full tempo, or slow it down with Speed while you learn the etude.