The Shearer Method Series:

A common sense, multi-media approach to

learning the guitar

by Aaron Shearer,
Tom Kikta, and Alan Hirsh
 Book I—The Shearer Method: Classic Guitar Foundations

Key Points
 Establishes foundations of positioning, right- and left- hand technique.
 Provides strategies for efficient learning (involving the mind; thoughtful practice)
 Free-stroke focused.
 General organization:
o First half—develops free stroke and sympathetic movement.
o Second half —develops finger alternation with arpeggio and scales
 Chord knowledge—relate left-hand shapes to chords. Introduce basic chord theory.

Sequence

Unit Technique Musicianship Study Concepts

 Visualizing,
Preface/Introduction concentrating, acquiring
habits, forming aims.

Beginning Right-hand Development

 Optimal position  Basic music notation.  Beginning pre-reading.

 Training the thumb.  Dynamic Expression.
 P free stroke (4) (3) (2).

Beginning Left-hand Development

 Pre-reading: left-hand
 Notes on fingerboard,  Tempo Expression visualization, air guitar,
strings (3) and (2). vocalizing.

Right-hand Fingers Free Stroke—I

 Unit Technique Musicianship Study Concepts

 Free stroke i-m.

 Right-arm shift (string  Dyads.  Movement forms and
crossing).  Accidentals. Isolation.
 Special training of the  Ties.
left-hand/arm.

Alternating Free Stroke fingers and p—I

 Alternating i-m and p.  Continue Pre-reading:

 Harmonics.  Harmonics. left-hand visualization,
 Notes on (4).  Ledger lines. air guitar, vocalizing
 Open (5) and (6).

Arpeggios—I

 Sympathetic motion  study chord shapes and

 Chords coordinate movement
 P,i,m  Key signature from chord to chord
 Strumming

Right-hand Fingers Free Stroke—II

 Continued pre-reading:
 Free stroke i-m-a.  Enharmonic notes. left-hand visualization, air
 Eighth notes. guitar, vocalizing, chord
 Glide shift.
coordination

Alternating Free Stroke fingers and p—II

Unit Technique Musicianship Study Concepts

  Alternating i-m-a and p  Syncopation.

Arpeggios—II

 Sympathetic motion.
 Chord coloring.  Common-tone fingerings.
 P, i m,a.
 Position shifting.

Arpeggios—III (with Alternation)

 Sixteenth notes.  Continued pre-reading:

 P,i,m,i arpeggio.  Dotted quarter note. left-hand visualization,
 Opposed finger sweeps.  Notes on (5) and (6). air guitar, vocalizing,
 P, i, a.  Compound meter. chord coordination
 P, i, a, i.  Understanding chords

Repertoire from the Masters I (Aguado, Carulli, Carcassi, Sor)

Alternation and Arpeggio IV

  Alternation fingers on a
single string.
 Pick-up.
 String crossing in
alternation.  Scales.
 Cross fingerings.
 P, i,m,a,m,i,.

Repertoire from the Masters II

Etude in E Minor Dionisio Aguado
Andante No. 7 Ferdinando Carulli
Andantino Op. 241, No. 19 Ferdinando Carulli
Minuetto, Mauro Giulianni (duet for guitar and flute)
Op. 10, No. 1 Matteo Carcassi
Andante No. 9 Ferdinando Carulli

Book II—The Shearer Method: Classic Guitar Developments

Key Points
 Establishes visualization procedures
 Introduces and develops Rest Stroke in combinations with Free stroke
 Develops understanding of Key.
 Develops music reading in 12 keys in Open Position (see the Invention Format)
 Develops barring, slurring, ornaments.
 Develops rhythmic training in from simple meter to compound to irregular and mixed meter.
 Establishes the Invention format used also in Book III (in progress).

The Invention Format

For visualization and reading, duets called Inventions are provided throughout. Each invention is primarily
organized with a high register on the top and low register on the bottom. Both parts are to be learned by the
student and may be practiced with a teacher or accompanying media disc. There are at least three inventions
per key, in varying levels of difficulty from easy to more challenging

Level Rhythm Melody

Invention No. 1 Primarily half note and quarter
notes
Invention No. 2 Mostly quarter- and eighth-notes;
some dotted and tied rhythms
Invention No. 3 Syncopation, Compound meters;
some mixed and irregular meters
Mostly conjunct and scalar
motion
Mostly conjunct but added skips
More skipping motion
Sequence
Media
Study Support
Unit Technique Musicianship
Concepts

Video

Audio

Online
Preface
Warm-ups and stretches  
Introduction
Introducing Rest Stroke 
Alternation on a single string 
Alternation on adjacent strings 
Visualization 
5-step Pre-Read

Play and Say


Memorization
 
How to Play Inventions
Switching between Rest and Free 
Stroke
About the Key
Half and Whole Steps
Harmonies

The Key Progression
The Key of C Major
Scales free and rest stroke multiple and
Scale Visualization
single strokes
Scale structure Inventions
The Key Progression Visualization
Inventions #1-3 
The Key of A minor
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
Compound meter rhythmic patterns 
Playing Chords with P and Fingers 
Block and Roll 
The Key G Major
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
Multiple and single strokes
Visualization 
The Key Progression 
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
 Media
Study Support
Unit Technique Musicianship

Video

Audio

Online
Concepts

Slurring 
Momentary shift into higher position 
The Key of E minor
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
Multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization 
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
A on  Compound meter rhythmic patterns
Slur Studies 
Eighth and Sixteenth Patterns
Alternating Rest a and Free p-i-m 
Tone Coloring 
Campanella
Tasto 
Ponticello
Staccato
Playing Chords P-i-a 
Modes 
The Key of D Major
Scales free and rest stroke Scale structure
Multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization

The Key Progression Reading—Inventions #1-3 

Syncopation
Barring  
The Key of B minor
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
Hemiola
16th note rhythms

Rest -stroke Fingers and Free-stroke 

arpeggio 
D on 

Alternating Rest-Stroke fingers and P
free stroke 
Chords of Four Notes Chord Visualization 
Barring with added left-hand fingers 
Arpeggios without P (A,M,I) 
Rhythm Dance I 
 Media
Study Support
Unit Technique Musicianship
Concepts

Video

Audio

Online
The Key of F Major
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
th
Compound meter with 16 notes 
The Key of D minor
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization

Reading—Inventions #1- 4  
Mixed Meter
Alternating Compound and simple
meter—Rhythm Dance II
Arpeggios without P (A, I, MI) 
Simultaneous Rest/Free stroke 
Dyads  
Involving scalar passages
Ornaments—grace notes and trill  
Simultaneous Rest/Free
Melody and Accompaniment  
The Key of A Major
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1- 4 
Irregular meter (5/4)

The Key of F# minor

Scales free and rest stroke
multiple and single strokes
Scale structure 
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
Compound meter rhythmic patterns
Arpeggios without P
(A, M,I, MI) 
(I,A,M,A)
Glissando 
E on  
String bending and strumming Rhythm Dance III (counting 5/8) 
Rhythm Dance IV (counting 7/8) 
 Media
Study Support
Unit Technique Musicianship
Concepts

Video

Audio

Online
The Key of E Major
Scales free and rest stroke
Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization 
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
Arpeggios without P 
(AIMI) 
The Key of C# minor
Scales free and rest stroke Scale structure
multiple and single strokes
The Key Progression Visualization
Reading—Inventions #1-3 
Percussive Techniques Rhythm Dance V 
One-hand Harmonics Rhythm Dance VI—Mixed Irregular meter 
Repertoire From the Masters
Works presented in a variety of keys and historical periods:

Renaissance—Packington’s Pound (Cutting), Tarantella (Anon.)

Baroque—Two Dances (Sanz), Minuet (Petzold), March (Bach), and Sarabande (Handel)
Folk—Barbara Allen
Classical—Andante and Allegro (Sor), Rondo (Molino)
Romantic—Etude (Mertz) , Two Andantinos, Allegretto, (Carcassi)
 Book II Developments:

Rest-Stroke Developments
Switching Alternating Rest stroke Alternating
Alternating Simultaneous
between rest Rest Stroke a fingers and Rest Stroke
Single String on Adjacent Rest and Free
and free with p-i-m free stroke fingers and p
Strings stroke
strokes chords arpeggio free stroke

Chord Developments

p-i-m p-i-a p-i-m-a

Arpeggios without p Developments

a,m,i a,i,m a,m,i,m a,m,i,m i,a,m,a

Rhythm Developments
Compound 16th note Alternating Mixed
Syncopation Mixed Irregular
meter rhyhtmic Compound Irregular
and hemiola meter Meter
patterns patterns and simple Meter

Key Developments
Understanding C major/A G major/E D major/B F major/D A mojor/F# E major/ C#
key minor minor minor minor minor minor