Home » Jazz Articles » The Art and Science of Jazz » Dennis Sandole and Guitar Lore

345

Dennis Sandole and Guitar Lore

By

Sign in to view read count
Guitar Lore by Dennis Sandole was not originally published by Theodore Presser. I published the book and distributed it through my school Modern Music Studios Inc. A second edition paperback was published later by Pressers.

There has always been controversy about the origins of the book. Dennis had conceived and organized this material long before it was published. At my urging (and I'm sure the urgings of others), he finally agreed to proceed with the production of the book. I took dictation and the outlines of the book directly from Dennis and then hand wrote and developed the entire manuscript.

The original copy of Guitar Lore was black and had steel spiral bindings. There were only 1,000 copies of that edition made so if you can find one, it's a collectors item.

The material was essentially a compendium of techniques considered essential for the virtuoso guitarist. It first covered left hand position and then right hand pick hold and stroke. Contrary to popular opinion, it did not advocate strict alternate picking nor a "stiff wrist" picking technique.

Topics covered were the development of a system of "jazz" chords, chord scales, rhythm studies, sequences both diatonic and chromatic, arpeggios through extensions, scale fingerings in multiple octaves, interval studies, exotic scales, and technical studies of all different types including double stops. This was in essence a technique book—not so much mechanical but musical technique. Of course, all technique must have a musical aspect to it or it won't be applicable to the "real" world.

The book did not deal directly with improvisation, melody and chords or repertoire.

There was to be a follow up to this book called Scale Lore but it was never published.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Jazz article: Where in the Brain Does Creativity Come from? Evidence from Jazz Musicians
Jazz article: Thelonious Monk Inside Out: A Fresh Perspective On His Music
Jazz article: Access for People with Disabilities at Jazz Venues:  What is really missing
Jazz article: The Healing Power of Music:  Can Jazz Repair a Damaged Brain? The case of trumpeter Louis Smith

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.