Schottenbauer Publishing

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Introduction to The Big Print Guitar Method

The Big Print Guitar Method features easy tools for learning basic guitar skills! The method series currently includes several essential skills books for guitar and bass guitar.


The first set of exercise books features big print instruction, fingering charts, extra-large musical notation, clear note names, and keyboards in brightly coordinated colors. Books include:

  • Method Boosters 
  • 3-Note Exercises 
  • Interval Studies 
  • Learning String Crossing and Double Stops 

The next step in learning includes a series of exercises with big print musical staves and traditional black-and-white ink, allowing students to have a gradual transition to standard musical notation. These exercises are available in packages including multimedia (audio and/or MIDI) support. Packages include: 
  • Big Print Tunes 
  • Big Print Duets 
  • Big Print Ensemble 
  • Elementary Exercises (Multimedia Component Expected Separately in 2015) 

The series also includes a theory series, available separately. 
  • Big Print Theory

Each of these components is described below, with sample pages illustrating the style:


Method Boosters
Improve basic skills with large-print fingering charts, note names, and keyboards, plus 1-note and 2-note exercises.  Transposition charts are included for relevant instruments.







3-Note Exercise Books
With these big print exercises, students systematically hone fingering skills throughout the entire range.




Interval Exercises
Learning interval fingering combinations and names has never been easier!  Big print exercises systematically teach all interval combinations, up to one octave. 




Learning String Crossing and Double Stops
These pictorial fingering charts enable string students to visualize and learn all combinations of notes up to one octave. Overlapping with Interval Studies, this book is nevertheless quite useful due to the arrangement of intervals by type, rather than by starting note. In this book, students practice intervals in parallel series, from low to high range.



Elementary Exercises
Large-print, systematic exercises provide support for practicing basic techniques. Lengthy introductory texts provide tips for technique and practice. Exercises focus on long tones, short tones, 2- and 3-note combinations, and basic scales and arpeggios.



Big Print Tunes
Large-print children's folk tunes, transposed chromatically into every key within a 2-octave range, provide excellent practice on beginning instruments. The print size is the same font as Elementary Exercises above. Packages available from MusicaNeo include both pdf and MIDI computer files. Tunes suitable for guitar include Treble Clef C, Treble Clef F, and Low Treble Clef F; tunes suitable for bass guitar include Bass Clef. Tunes are organized into three levels of difficulty, corresponding to the structure of The Big Print Music Method: 

  • Level 1: Basic Duple Time
  • Level 2: Faster Tempo
  • Level 3: Triple Time



Big Print Duets
Large-print duets provide an easy start for pairs of similar instruments, including two guitars or bass guitars! The Big Print Duet Exercises provide instructional guidance, plus audio and MIDI files, so that even one instrument can learn to play duets at home by playing along with the computer!





Big Print Ensemble
Large-print flexible ensemble music, plus audio and MIDI files, provide an easy start to learning ensemble music, even with one instrument! The Big Print Ensemble pieces are sold with one folk tune per package, and include parts for Treble instruments in C, which are suitable for guitar, and Bass instruments in C, which are suitable for bass guitar, plus up to 3 unpitched percussion parts. Files include instructional guidance, plus audio and MIDI files, so that even one instrument can learn to play ensemble at home by playing along with the computer!




Theory: Scales, Chords, & Arpeggios
In this textbook and workbook, students can practice theory skills pictorially, with large-print keyboards and arrows. Future theory books will address additional topics.




Completion of the Series

The complete Big Print Music Method, including the main method series and other support materials, is expected soon.

Availability

Currently, books from The Big Print Music Method are available at low-cost via direct download and printing from MusicaNeo. Selections from the method series are available in full-color print on high-quality paper from CreateSpace and Amazon.

Additional information on the series, as well as free samples, are available from the Schottenbauer Publishing website and MusicaNeo.  Preview videos are available from YouTube.


Additional Information