Anyone tried the RGT classical syllabus/books?

VimFuego

Could've sworn I saw a thread about this a while ago, but couldn't find it, So will ask again. has anyone used the above? Either as a teacher or a stude? I have the Noad book, but agree with comments about it how it's a bit staid, so was wondering if anyone has any experience of other systems or courses? 

Toms_Dad

I haven’t used RGT, but I did work through Noad, and based on my experience might suggest the following before you write it off (if you haven’t done these things already of course).
If you do all the exercises and pieces in Noad it will be very dull, but I took my cue from the way my sons have learnt musical instruments. Essentially they work on pieces and use these to learn technique when needed.
So for instance, to work on arpeggios they are given a nice arpeggio piece to work on.  With that in mind I took one or two pieces per chapter and used them, only using the exercises if I got really stuck.  
If the pieces were dull I cross referenced with the ABRSM and Trinity syllabuses to find what grade I was at and picked something else from the grade syllabus having first used you tube to see whether I would like it.
There are some great pieces in Noad, Carcassi Op60 No3, Sor Opus 35 No 22, Tárrega Lagrima etc but you might want to use the above method to avoid some of the baroque and renaissance stuff which I found really dull at the time (although curiously I love Bach now).
Hope this helps.

VimFuego

Toms_Dad said:

I haven’t used RGT, but I did work through Noad, and based on my experience might suggest the following before you write it off (if you haven’t done these things already of course).
If you do all the exercises and pieces in Noad it will be very dull, but I took my cue from the way my sons have learnt musical instruments. Essentially they work on pieces and use these to learn technique when needed.
So for instance, to work on arpeggios they are given a nice arpeggio piece to work on.  With that in mind I took one or two pieces per chapter and used them, only using the exercises if I got really stuck.  
If the pieces were dull I cross referenced with the ABRSM and Trinity syllabuses to find what grade I was at and picked something else from the grade syllabus having first used you tube to see whether I would like it.
There are some great pieces in Noad, Carcassi Op60 No3, Sor Opus 35 No 22, Tárrega Lagrima etc but you might want to use the above method to avoid some of the baroque and renaissance stuff which I found really dull at the time (although curiously I love Bach now).
Hope this helps.

hmmm, hadn't thought of that, s'good idea, thanks.

BigLicks67

Depends what level you are at and what it is you are looking to achieve. When I started I got Noad's book and the core syllabus for Trinity College Grades 1-4. I've never really used the Trinity stuff as the pieces are really not that interesting musically at that level, but I did find the Noad very useful along with some basic lessons on reading music from a piano teacher. Once I got about half way through the Noad I started learning more difficult pieces, Adelita, Lagrima and some Bach stuff, Prelude to Cello Suite, for example and then the Noad was just there as something I could dip in and out of. I realised I could play stuff around the grades 6 to 7, so I just started learning stuff around that level.

I think the early levels are designed to be a foundation for the relatively new guitarist to build technique.

Other books worth looking at are Segovia's 20 studies for Guitar by Sor & Jerry Willard's arrangement of the Bach lute suites.

TBH if like me you spend most of your time playing steel string acoustic you need to be realistic about what level you can achieve from a classical perspective.