This is a new 18-page eBook from Hristo Vitchev. It presents an interesting take on the pentatonic scale. This time, he examines the melodic possibilities of 9-note groupings from A minor pentatonic.
This is useful because guitarists are often trapped by typical 3, 4 and 5 note groupings. This is a common pitfall that many guitarists (including myself) fall into.
I love the way Hristo keeps the book on point. He goes into the exercises without much explanation. As I played the various exercises, I started to see how Hristo thinks about the fretboard.
As fan of Hristo’s playing, I love understanding how he creates his creative lines. This volume (like many of his recent eBooks) gives us an insider’s perspective to his thought process.
This Book would be great for intermediate and advanced guitarists. If you’re looking for new ways to play the pentatonic scale, you’re in the right place. His Zig-Zag, String Skipping, Vertical & Horizontal Displacements are some of my favorite parts.
As a teacher, I would recommend this book as supplementary material for students who want more technical exercises. Teachers can extract specific passages and use fragments as mini exercises. I see a lot of potential for more exercises developed from the book.
If you’re familiar with the classic Joe Diorio books, you might enjoy Hristo’s books as well. Also, don’t underestimate the fact that the book is only 18 pages. Remember, the examples are in one key! So, it hasn’t included the multitude of possible creative applications. For example, you could adapt it for playing over changes, standards, substitutions, time signatures & rhytmic aspects.
In the right hands, this book is potent material full of creative applications!
In conclusion, Hristo has once again created a wonderful focused book. Like his previous books, this is an excellent addition to the guitar education world.
Pros: Great book with great melodic ideas, lots of technical challenges included.
Cons: Exercises include higher range of guitar neck. I recommend practicing these exercises on an electric guitar. Otherwise, please do octave adjustments and key changes when needed.
TLDR: Get this if you’re bored of how your pentatonic soloing sounds like AND you’re ready for a challenge.
This book was a gift from Hristo to me. Thanks Hristo!
You can get it here: https://gumroad.com/l/ekdlc
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