Starting thoughts...

  1. Ted Eschliman
    Ted Eschliman
    "It's not so much that the concept is new, it isn't, it's that the concept is articulated in FFcP more clearly and logically than ever before. It's a dynamite instructional concept and aid too. Student fear of "the dusty part" of the fingerboard is put at ease. Ted's genius lies in the presentation of concepts, making the instrument accessible. For this I am grateful."
    Michael Bruce Crocker.
  2. LKN2MYIS
    LKN2MYIS
    Ted -
    Your book has done more to increase my knowledge of the mandolin than anything to date. I actually find myself learning! (A new concept since I'm self taught and my student is an idiot . . .)

    I like doing the scale exercises. I'm at the point now where I'm trying to see the chord shapes within the scales. A chore, progressing slowly, but my awareness is peaked which is always a key in my learning process.
  3. Daniel Nestlerode
    Daniel Nestlerode
    Sorry, can't comment now. Have to go practice Dorian Minors.



    Daniel
  4. pickloser
    pickloser
    FFcP is a regular part of my practice. As I've noted on the message board, the book has paid for itself many times over in helping me attain greater fluidity in my playing. I never could quite get my mind around modes before. Now, at least lydian and dorian don't seem at all mysterious. I'm currently on the dorian exercises. I'm eager to get to more good stuff, but I'm avoiding speeding thru the book in favor of getting what I'm doing before moving on.

    Thanks a lot, Ted!

    Oh, and that's a great idea LKN2NYIS. I'm gonna start looking for those chord shapes too.
  5. clem
    clem
    FFcP is the greatest thing to happen to mandolin since Thomas P. Ohmsen!! I love the thinking behind the system, the book and, most importantly, the ways in which it has improved my playing. I'm going to be a FFcP lifer.
  6. Mike Romkey
    Mike Romkey
    I love the exercises. They have totally changed my playing. I played bluegrass guitar and didn't have any insecurities about my left hand, but I seriously feel as if those four fingers and the attendant muscles and ligaments have been completely re-engineered!
  7. swampstomper
    swampstomper
    Love - hate- love - hate... Every time I get frustrated at not being able to play them all smoothly at speed and without thinking, I remember how much I love what they have done for my playing. Obviously, physically (stretch and strengthen) but mainly mentally (fingerboard knowledge, no fear of any key). Just the other day I was playing along with the internet radio, one of those old Flatt & Scruggs songs came on where they had tuned 1/2 step sharp ... no problem, I'm playing along in Ab. Also the "aha!" moments of seeing how it fits together -- especially the Super FFcP arpeggios: Imaj7, I6 = vi, ii7, V7 and seeing how all the notes are from the I scale... What has really opened up my improvising is trying to play from whatever position my hand is in, not shifting automatically to the 3rd-finger root. Another "aha!" moment is realizing that if I start the FFcP on another note of the scale I automatically get a workout in a mode considering the new starting note as the root! Starting on the 5th note of C gives me G Mix, on the 2nd of C D Dorian etc. None of this would have happened without hours upon hours of staring at the fingerboard and connecting the physical with the cerebral!! I've been at it seriously for about 2.5 years.
  8. hank
    hank
    As more of a novice and primative user of Ted's fountain of fingerboard understanding I would invite any level to partake of it's power. The mastery required by our Jazz players certainly fueled this fire but the rest of us can also benefit from the clarity FFcP brings to the fingerboard. I have enclosed a couple of links that have helped me restart my practice routine in a more productive manner. One is a link to help us understand why slowing down and learning it right the first time is SO IMPORTANT! The second link takes you to Mr. Charlie Jones's pdf's on Mandozine that puts together most of the leading particulars(including FFcP) beginners and intermediates can readily use without digging through books and notes. Thanks again Ted.

    http://www.newenglandconservatory.ed...hbyGebrian.pdf

    http://www.mandozine.com/resources/Practice-Sheets.pdf

    Henry
  9. MandoPheel
    MandoPheel
    Henry,
    Thanks for the links. The New England conservatory link doesn't seem to exist anymore (at least I can't connect to it). Here is an alternative link to the article you mentioned (it really is quite interesting):

    http://www.westboroughsession.com/mu...hbyGebrian.pdf

    Phil
  10. stevenmando
    stevenmando
    Have the book getting into jazz by Ted Eschliman and just starting to work on the exercisis and i practice about an hour each day so i figure a year from now i should be through the book it has got sooo much information and i hope my playing will take a great leap forward.
  11. tnt2002
    tnt2002
    I just picked up the book myself, I've been practicing the FFcP from the articles and tabs, and see the genious behind the FFcP concepts. I'm sure the book will really help my learning.

    One thing I'm noticing, and I wonder if I'm using the wrong left hand technique, everyone is complaining about using their pinky, It doesn't seem to bother me in the pinky as much as the muscle between the thumb and forefinger. After going through the excercises, especially where the pinky is being used a lot, that muscle is aching.

    I hope with continued excercises, it gets stronger. I've always had problems there, whether it's playing bar chords for a long time on the guitar, or chop chords on the mando.

    Just wondering if anyone else feels the burn there.

    TnT
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