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Introduction
The guitar is a deceptively simple instrument. Andres Segovia, the great Spanish
classical guitarist, once described it as the easiest instrument in the world to play badly.
For many people, learning to play classical guitar is a frustrating and difficult
experience. Why is it that so many people never progress beyond those first simple
chords? After 30+ years of performing and teaching the guitar, I've concluded that too
often the building is built before the foundation is laid. The purpose of this Total
Classical Guitar Method is to offer an accurate, detailed, and complete course of study
that will lay the proper foundation for a lifelong study of this incredible instrument.
Although this method can be successfully learned without the assistance of a teacher, I
recommend strongly that you find a qualified teacher once you understand the basics of
the guitar. You would be appalled at how many self-proclaimed guitar teachers don't
have a clue about what it takes to really play the guitar. By the end of the first few
lessons in this method you'll be able to recognize when you've found a qualified teacher.
This method is called the Total Classical Guitar Method because it teaches each of the
fundamentals of playing the classical guitar sequentially, before allowing the student to
encounter the need to use any previously unlearned fundamental skill. Each new skill
builds only on previously learned skills. Because the foundation is built one step at a
time, the student is "totally" prepared for the next lesson before it is introduced.
I have designed this method to prevent bad habits from forming, therefore progress is
always forward. To some people this may be initially frustrating. Some people will
expect to be able to play the guitar after only a few lessons. I could teach you to strum a
few chords and pick a simple but intricate sounding "picking pattern" in a single lesson.
You'd come back and want to learn a few more chords and a few more picking patterns,
then a few more, and on and on, until one day you'd came back and tell me you wanted
to play music. At that point I'd have to undo everything you had already learned and
then, after ten times the effort you put into learning how to play badly, you would be
back at the starting point ready to begin again. What a waste of both of our time!
Chances are good that you would put the guitar away and never try playing it again.
Another big waste of talent and a loss of all the years of pleasure the guitar could have
brought you and others who could have enjoyed listening to you play. Please be patient.
You will learn a skill that will last a lifetime and it deserves a solid foundation.
The focus of this method will always be the art of making music. Although the details are
grounded in the physical interaction between you and your instrument, I will continually
stress the absolute necessity of mental focus on the music itself. Playing classical guitar
is not an athletic event. I've "been there and done that". Practicing scales while
watching Monday night football is not what this method is about. Fifteen minutes a day
of truly focused practice is infinitely better than two hours of mindless finger exercises. If
I can help you understand only one fact, that making music is the art of communicating,
my efforts in writing this method will have been generously rewarded. Think of the times
in your life when you have looked someone in the eye and focused your whole being on
that other person. Music has the power to hold entire groups of listeners in that same
intimate embrace. You can make that happen if you focus on communication as your
personal musical goal. I hope that this Classical Guitar method will help you achieve
that result in your own musical odyssey.
IMPORTANT NOTE
THE GUITAR IS TUNED ONE OCTAVE LOWER THAN THE PIANO FOR THE
SAME PITCH NOTATED IN A MUSICAL SCORE.
THE "A" ABOVE MIDDLE "C" ON THE PIANO HAS A FREQUENCY OF 440 CYCLES
PER SECOND. THAT NOTE IS NOTATED BY THE SECOND SPACE FROM THE
BOTTOM OF THE STANDARD G, OR "TREBLE" CLEF. THAT SAME NOTATION IN
GUITAR MUSIC PRODUCES A PITCH OF "A 220", A NOTE EXACTLY ONE OCTIVE
LOWER IN PITCH THAN THE PIANO. THE "A" STRING OF THE GUITAR IS
ACTUALLY TUNED TO 110 CYCLES PER SECOND, TWO OCTAVES LOWER THAN
"A 440". THE VALUE OF TUNING THE REFERENCE STRING TO THE HARMONIC AT
THE 5TH FRET OF THE "A" STRING IS THAT THE ACTUAL PITCH IS THE EXACT "A
440" OF YOUR TUNING FORK.
Each of the following methods of tuning assume you have already tuned the "A" string.
DO NOT RE-TUNE THE "A" STRING! It is your reference pitch and if it is adjusted you
will have to re-tune all of the other notes as well.
Method 1 - Sequential Tuning of Adjacent Strings.
This first method of tuning is simple and easy to learn, however, it is not the best way to
tune the instrument. Each time you progress from one string to the next any slight error
in tuning is propagated to the next string. By the time you get to the high "E" string you
may not even be close to correctly in tune. Once you get to the point where you are
playing chords on the guitar this method of tuning will prove inadequate but it is fine for
very early beginners on the guitar.
• Press the low "E" or 6th string at the fifth fret. Play the "E" string and the open "A"
string and adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Press the "A" or 5th string at the fifth fret. Play the open "D" or 4th string and the
"A" string while adjusting the "D" string until there are no beats between the two
notes.
• Press the "D" or 4th string at the fifth fret. Play the open "G" or 3rd string and the
"D" string while adjusting the "G" string until there are no beats between the two
notes.
• Press the "G" or 3rd string at the fourth fret. Play the open "B" or 2nd string and
the "G" string while adjusting the "B" string until there are no beats between the
two notes.
• Press the "B" or 2nd string at the fifth fret. Play the open "E" or 1st string and the
"B" string while adjusting the "E" string until there are no beats between the two
notes.
Method 2 - Tuning Relative to One Fixed Pitch
This method of tuning is more accurate than the previous method because it avoids
cumulative errors by always tuning each sting to a single reference string. It does
require that you learn how to play a harmonic on the "A" string at the 7th fret (you may
have already played your first harmonic on the 5th fret of the "A" string to tune the "A"
string to the tuning fork). The actual note that will sound when you play the "A" string
while touching the string lightly above the 7th fret will be an "E." This "E" harmonic
which is played on the "A" string at the 7th fret will be your reference pitch. All other
strings will be tuned to this note by finding "E" notes on each other string (yes, there
actually are "E's" on every string), and by comparing each "E" with the "E" harmonic on
the 7th fret of the "A" string. The only problem with this method of tuning is that it is
sometimes difficult to get each "E" to resonate well enough to be able to use it to tune
the instrument. This is especially problematic with inexpensive instruments which may
not resonate evenly on all notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the low
"E" or 6th string while pressing the string against the 12th fret. Adjust the "E"
string until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "D"
or 4th string while pressing the string against the 2nd fret. Adjust the "D" string
until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "G"
or 3rd string while pressing the string against the 9th fret. Adjust the "G" string
until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "B"
or 2nd string while pressing the string against the 5th fret. Adjust the "B" string
until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the open
high "E" or 1st string. Adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the
two notes.
Method 3 - Harmonic Tuning Relative to One Fixed Pitch
This final method is the best method for tuning the guitar. It is very similar to Method 2
but uses harmonics on all strings except the 2nd instead of using normal notes. The
advantage of using harmonics is that they have fewer overtones to confuse the ear so it
is easier to hear the beats when two strings are not correctly tuned. This method
requires the use of "artificial harmonics." They are a little tricky to produce, but are worth
the effort to learn.
Playing Artificial Harmonics
If you have read the supplement to this lesson: The Acoustics of Music, you will have
seen how strings vibrate at many frequencies or pitches at the same time. If you excite
the string (pluck it, strike it, move it, etc.) directly above a point on the string where a
"node" exists for some harmonic frequency, you will be able to clearly hear the pitch of
the harmonic, rather than the fundamental frequency of the string. If you press a string
against any fret on the neck of the guitar, you effectively shorten the string length. A
complete harmonic series will then be accessible relative to the new string length, rather
than to the original string length. This opens up some very interesting possibilities, not
only for tuning, but for making music on the instrument - more on that later...
In order to produce the harmonic, you must strike the string and touch it lightly at the
same time with the fingers of the right hand. This leaves the left hand free to press
down at any desired fret. To practice this, choose a string...say, the "D" string. Fully
extend the index finger of the right hand (like you're pointing at something) with your
other 3 fingers rolled into your palm. Align your right thumb so that it is parallel to the
index finger. You should be able to look directly at your right hand and see the top of the
thumbnail and the outside edge of the index finger. Lower this entire assembly down to
the "D" string. Touch the "D" string lightly at the 12th fret with the soft tip of the index
finger, while striking the same string with a lateral movement of the thumb. As soon as
the thumb stroke is complete, move the index finger away from the string so that the
note will continue to sound. You should hear a bell-like tone, a harmonic, that is actually
the octave of the open "D" string. Try the same thing on each of the other strings until
you get a feel for how to sound each harmonic. This same technique can be used to get
harmonics from each string at the 5th and 7th frets. If you experiment, you will discover
that there are other harmonics just waiting to be heard, some of them at points on the
string that don't even correspond to fret positions. Anyway, we diverge...
Now try pressing the "D" string at the 2nd fret while producing an artificial harmonic by
touching and playing the string at the 14th fret. That note happens to be an "E", exactly
the note you will need to continue this lesson on tuning. You can continue experimenting
with this technique by pressing any note on any string and counting 5, 7, or 12 frets up
from that note to pluck the artificial harmonic. Once again, there will be other harmonics
at many other points on the strings, enjoy!
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the
harmonic at the 12th fret of the low "E" or 6th string. Adjust the "E" string until
there are no beats between the two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "E"
artificial harmonic on the 14th fret of the "D" or 4th string while pressing the string
against the 2nd fret. Adjust the "D" string until there are no beats between the
two notes.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "G"
or 3rd string while pressing the string against the 9th fret. Adjust the "G" string
until there are no beats between the two notes. You will adjust this string later to
an "A" harmonic, but let it go for now.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "B"
or 2nd string while pressing the string against the 5th fret. Adjust the "B" string
until there are no beats between the two notes. This is the only string where
harmonics aren't used in tuning.
• Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the
harmonic at the 12th fret of the open high "E" or 1st string. Adjust the "E" string
until there are no beats between the two notes.
• Recheck the "G" string by playing the harmonic at the 12th fret of the "A" string
while pressing the 2nd fret of the "G" string and playing the artificial harmonic at
the 14th fret. Adjust the "G" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Checking the strings
The final step in tuning the guitar is to check that the strings have not "gone bad". A bad
string will be in tune on some points on the neck but way out of tune at other points due
to uneven stretching of the string when it is tuned up to pitch. The quickest way to check
a string is to play a harmonic at the 12th fret and than compare the pitch to the pitch you
get when you actually press the string down on the 12th fret. This should be done for all
6 strings. Because the 12th fret is the half-way point of the string length, the harmonic
and the natural tone should be identical. In practice, it is not uncommon that the two
pitches will differ slightly so I usually continue to use a string that has only a slight error
at the 12th fret. If you get too picky about the correctness of the pitch you might go
through many strings before you finally find one that is perfect. Another consideration
before you replace strings on the instrument is your own level of playing. If you are a
beginner and play mostly on the 1st five frets of the guitar you probably won't be
affected too badly by a bad string. On the other hand, if you use the entire neck of the
instrument in your playing you will most likely find a bad string to be unacceptable.
Conclusion
Almost all vibrating objects produce harmonics above the fundamental frequency. As a
matter of fact the ONLY thing that differentiates the timbre of one instrument from
another is the relative mix of harmonic frequencies present in the tone. This is a very
important fact with implications that are especially important to the guitar and we will
explore this in later lessons.
This concludes the lesson on tuning the guitar. You learned quite a few other things as
well, but I believe they were necessary in order to truly understand not only how, buy
why. I guess it's on to lesson 6!
The Staff
A notation of pitch has been developed which uses a set of parallel horizontal lines and
spaces on which "notes" are drawn to represent distinct pitches. A grouping of five lines
with the four spaces between each line is referred to as a "staff". From any starting
pitch, notes increase by one letter name for each progressively higher space or line on
the staff, and decrease by one letter name for each progressively lower line or space.
"Ledger lines" are small line segments which are used to place notes above or below a
staff to indicate pitches higher or lower than can be represented on the staff itself.
The Clef
The clef is a symbol that is placed at the left edge of each staff which defines a
reference pitch from which all other notes on that staff are computed. There are three
types of clefs, the G-clef, the F-clef, and C-clef. Most modern publications use only the
G-clef and the F-clef with the older C-clef being replaced by the use of a G-clef with an
"subscript 8" to indicate that pitches on the staff are to be played an octave lower than
those with the usual G-clef.
The G-clef resembles a large number eight with each circle in the 8 shaped as a
vertically oriented oval, the bottom oval being about 3 or 4 times larger than the upper
oval. The lower oval is drawn as an open loop where the loop encircles the second line
from the bottom of the staff. That line is defined as g' ("g-one-line" is the first g above
middle-c on the piano). The G-clef is the clef which is used in Classical Guitar music.
Because the actual pitch of the guitar is an octave lower than that which is indicated by
the standard G-clef, the correct method for notating Classical Guitar music is to place a
small numeral 8 below the G-clef symbol. That small 8 tells the reader that the actual
pitches which follow are to sound an octave lower than indicated. Unfortunately, it is
very uncommon to see the 8 subscript in Classical Guitar music; the reader is expected
to know that the pitches are an octave lower than written.
I HAD a wonderful guitar that had developed a small crack in the back of the instrument.
Since the repair of that part of the guitar is pretty straightforward, I chose to bring the
instrument to a violin repair person because there were no guitar repair shops in my
town. When I came to pick up the instrument, there was a huge crack in the top of the
guitar. I was told that the instrument had "just cracked as I tried to tune it"... It was about
a year later when it dawned on me that the violin repair person probably didn't know that
the guitar should sound an octave lower than its music would indicate....Ouch! As I said,
I HAD a wonderful guitar...
The F-clef, often called the "Bass clef", resembles a backward C with a full colon close
to the outside right edge of the symbol. The full colon of the F-clef straddles the second
line from the top of the staff and defines the placement of the pitch f (f below middle c
on the piano).
The C-clef resembles the numeral 3 with a heavy vertical line drawn close to the left
edge and is used to define the pitch c' (c-one-line, or middle c on the piano). This clef
can be placed in either of two positions on the staff. The C-clef is placed on the staff so
that the intersection of the top and bottom curves in the symbol (essentially the "center"
of the 3) touches either the middle line of the staff (alto or viola clef), or the second line
from the top of the staff (tenor clef). Historically, this clef was used as a "moveable clef"
to reduce the need for "ledger lines", but modern publishers are tending to avoid its use
altogether and to opt instead to use the aforementioned subscript 8.
Key Signature
A key signature is a method whereby all of the pitches within a line of music can be
assigned a set of "sharps" or "flats" in order to reduce the number of individual sharp or
flat symbols that would otherwise be required. Later lessons will deal with scales and
the theory behind the creation of key signatures, but suffice to say here that the key
signature has a big effect on the pitch of notes placed on the staff. Classical music is
notated with the key signature placed at the start of each staff for every line of music.
The Notes
A "note" is the smallest unit of music that can be represented in our system of notation.
In modern music notation, a note is drawn on a staff as a circular mark with a diameter
that is approximately equal to the distance between the lines of the staff. Notes that are
drawn on a line are centered on the line, notes drawn in spaces almost touch the lines
above and below the note. The position of any note drawn on a staff determines its
"lettered tone", ranging from A to G.
Sharps, Flats, and Naturals -> the "Accidentals"
Pitches which exist between any of the lettered tones are notated by the use of symbols
called "sharps(#)", "flats(b)" - similar to a lower case b, or "naturals". These symbols can
occur, at the start of each line of music to define a key signature, at any point in the
music where a change in key signature is to occur, or just before any note in the music
to indicate that its pitch is to be altered. The sharps, flats and naturals are referred to
collectively as "accidentals".
Natural signs are similar to sharp signs with the upper right and lower left line segments
removed and the two horizontal lines terminating exactly at the vertical lines they touch.
Glissando and Portamento
The Harvard Music Dictionary defines Glissando as "the execution of rapid scales by a
sliding movement". This is sometimes confused with the term Portamento which is
where the pitch is raised or lowered from one note to another with a continuous
movement. It is not possible to execute a Portamento on a Classical Guitar because the
pitch will always change in discreet increments when the fingers cross a fret as they
slide from one note to another. The Glissando on the guitar is a chromatic scale - each
succeeding tone of the scale exactly one half step from the last preceding tone - from
the starting pitch to the ending pitch. It is notated by connecting the note or notes which
are to be slid by a straight line, usually with the abbreviation "gliss." written above the
connecting line(s).
Harmonics
The last element of pitch notation that I will discuss is the use of the harmonic pitch
indicator. The sad truth is that there is no true standard for notating guitar harmonics in
printed music. One common aspect of almost all harmonic notation is to draw a hollow
note in a diamond shape instead of in the shape of a circle. Confusion arises because
sometimes the composer indicates the actual pitch, sometimes indicates just the
position of the fingers above the fret and string where the harmonic is to be created, and
sometimes notates the pitch on the staff one octave below the desired pitch with the
standard diamond harmonic shape. The guitar can produce natural and artificial
harmonics (see lesson 5), and that also adds to the notational confusion. There are too
many common variations in the notation of harmonics, but music from a reputable
publisher - usually - explains how to interpret the notation of harmonics in a preface to
the music in that publication. If that is not the case you should either listen to a
recording of the piece, or, just use your best guess based on how it sounds to you.
Rhythm
Rhythm can be defined as the quality of music which determines its motion through
time. In this lesson I will introduce the most common notational elements used in printed
music to express rhythm. These include: the Beat; Measures; Time Signature; the
"Rest"; Tempo Markings; Stems, Flags, Dots, and Ties; Legato(slur), Portato, and
Stuccato; and Fermata.
The Beat
The beat of the music is the primary recurring pulse which moves the music forward. In
popular music, the beat is usually very obvious. It's the feeling that makes you want to
"tap your foot". Classical music does not usually exaggerate the beat to that extent. As a
matter of fact, it is very often the case that classical composers deliberately write music
to de-emphasize the primary beat in order to create rhythmic "flows" which can extend
through many measures. It is important in your playing to always be aware of "where
the beat is" so that you can work within, but not necessarily on, the beat in order to give
life to the music.
Measure
The basic rhythmic "container" used in musical notation is the "Measure". A measure of
music is defined as the musical notation contained within a vertical line which extends
from the upper line of the staff to the lower line of the staff and the next vertical line
encountered on the staff. Accidentals which occur within a measure (not key signatures)
apply only to the note where the accidental appears and to subsequent identical notes
within that same measure. If the composer wants the same accidental in the next
measure it must be notated again. A measure MUST contain the exact number of beats
of music as defined in the current time signature.
The justification for the use of measures is that most music has regular, recurring
accents. In measures with four beats, the main accent is usually on the first beat of the
measure and there is a weaker accent on the third beat. In measures with three beats,
the first beat is strong and the third beat also contains a weaker accent. Be aware that
not all music written uses measures, however, most of the music you will probably see
as a classical guitarist (except for some very modern pieces) will use measures in the
notation. They are an invaluable aid to sight reading, a skill too few guitarists ever
master.
Time Signature
A time signature is comprised of two numbers written on the staff immediately following
the key signature of the first line of the music and at any point in the music where the
composer wants to change the time signature. The form of the signature is an upper
number and a lower number, similar to a mathematical fraction. The lower number
indicates the base unit of measurement, i.e. the unit of measure used for each beat, and
the upper number indicates how many of the base units, or beats, should appear in
each measure. For example, a time signature of 3/4 means that the base unit is the 4th
note (the "quarter note"), and that there are three of those base units contained in each
measure. In an manner exactly analogous to fractions, the number of base units can be
any combination of fractional sub-divisions or multiples of the base unit that sum
EXACTLY to (in this case) three beats where each beat is a quarter note. A measure of
3/4 can contain six 8th notes (sums to 3/4), one half note and one quarter note (sums to
3/4), or any of an infinite combination of notes and note duration's as long as the sum is
3/4.
The most common time signature used in our music is 4/4. It is so common that it has
earned the moniker "common time". Common time is notated by either 4/4 or by a large
C. You might also see a large C with a short vertical line "cutting it in half". That symbol
is a shortcut for 2/2 - two beats per measure with each beat equal to a half note - and is
commonly called "cut time".
The Rest
The figure above shows the notational symbols for "rests". A rest is a period of time
within the music where a "voice" is silenced. It can be argued that the rest should be
considered as a pitch - the "no pitch" - which must be "played" just like any other pitch.
Regardless of how it is viewed, rests are an important part of any piece of music. Some
types of music require a very strict adherence to the rests within the music in order to
realize the total musical effect of the piece. This is especially true in music from the
"classical" period (about 1770 to 1830. Rests can be loosely interpreted in other music,
especially more romantic or music with its roots in "folk" culture.
It is important to carefully consider how to play any rests within the music you are
studying. Some players never "stop" notes after they are played, they simply allow the
note to fade away or it just stops when the player moves his fingers to go to another
note. While that technique of playing results in a more full sound on the guitar, it can
often result in harmonies that take away from the direction which the music should be
going.
Tempo Markings
Tempo markings give the player an indication of the tempo or speed at which to play
each beat. Most printed music uses words or phrases to indicate the tempo. From
slowest to fastest, the following tempo markings are commonly used but are by no
means the only possible markings: Largo, Larghetto, Adagio, Andante, Moderato,
Allegro, Presto, and Prestissimo. They represent absolute speeds ranging from about
40 beats per minute to about 200 beats per minute. Modern music is often marked with
symbolic declarations where a basic unit (half note, quarter note, eighth note, etc.) is
explicitly set equal to some number of beats per minute. Some composers have begun
using tempo markings which state the composers desire for the time duration of the
entire piece. It's then up to the player to figure out haw fast to play the piece so that it
ends at the right time.
Other tempo markings are used to specify the composer's desire for the player to slow
down or speed up at certain points in the music. The term "ritardando", or "rit" or "ritard",
means to gradually slow the tempo, a "Ritenuto" indicates an immediate slow down is
required. An "Accelerando", or "Accel", means to speed up the music. The most abused
and misunderstood marking is the "Rubato". It is most commonly used to indicate to the
player that rhythmic freedom should be taken by slowing or speeding the tempo slightly,
being careful that the first note played at the conclusion of the rubato occurs at exactly
the same time it would have occurred had no rubato been played. That result rarely
occurs in actual performance so a rubato effectively results in the player ignoring the
beat and just being expressive at that point in the music.
Heads, Stems, Flags, Dots, and Ties
One of the principal aspects of rhythm is the expression of the duration of each note. All
notes are written with a "head" - the circular part of the note to which a "stem" can be
attached. If a stem is attached to the note head, it may have one or more "flags". Finally,
the head-stem-flag group may have one or two "dots" following the symbol. When the
head of the note is drawn as an open circle with no stem, it is a "whole note". If the
circle has a stem attached, the note becomes a "half-note. If the circle is filled in, it
becomes a "quarter-note". Add one flag and you've got an "eighth-note", add two flags -
a "sixteenth-note", three flags for a "32nd-note", etc. for a practical limit of 5 flags. You
cannot have a filled in head with no stem or an open circle head with a flag. Those
limitations make it easier to quickly understand the duration of the note when the music
is read.
Dots can be appended to any type of note or rest, each dot adds one half the duration
of the value to the immediate left of the dot. For example, if you have a whole note
(open circle) and you "dot" it, you have a note with the duration of a whole-note plus a
half-note. If you "dot" it again (double dot), you add another half of the half-note. In
terms of quarter notes, that would be 4 (the whole note) plus 2 (the first dot) plus 1 (the
second dot) = 7 quarter notes. Dats a lot a dots, but you can be comforted in knowing
that you will rarely see any more than one dot used on any one note in most musical
scores.
A tie is a short arched line that connects two adjacent notes of the same pitch. It
functions to extend the duration of the first note by the value of the note to which it is
tied. Ties are often used to extend a note past a single measure.
Legato (slur), Leggiero, Staccato, and Portato
Another important aspect of rhythm is the question of what happens between each note.
The "legato" is notated by an arching curve which starts above the first note of the
passage to which the legato is to be applied, and extends to the last note of the legato.
It is used to indicate that each note should be played as "connected" to the previous
note as possible. Do not confuse the legato with the "tie". The legato connects notes of
differing pitches, the tie connects notes of the same pitch.
The leggiero is written with a short horizontal line above the note and indicates that
there should be a clear separation between the sound of the each succeeding note.
The staccato is notated by placing a small dot directly above each note to which the
effect is to be used. To play a note "stuccato", you must stop the tone quickly after
sounding it. The note can be stopped by slightly lifting the finger of the left hand, by
placing a finger of the right hand on the string to dampen the sound, or by any other
method that you can devise that is convenient to the musical passage being played. Be
careful to make sure that the note is actually sounded - it is easy to make the duration
so short that it sounds more like a tambora than a stuccato.
The portato is played by sounding the note for about half of the note's duration; the
other half of the duration is to be treated as a rest. A portato is notated by placing a slur
above the desired notes which themselves are written with "staccato" markings.
Fermata
A fermata is indicated by a symbol which consists of a small dot with an arch over the
dot. It means that you should stop the rhythmic flow and suspend the music for the
period of time that you, as a performer, should decide upon. The duration of the fermata
will depend on the musical context to which it is applied.
Dynamics
Musical Dynamics are defined here to be the intensity or volume of the sound and the
changes in that intensity through time. The word "dynamic" implies motion or change. In
the context of music, Dynamics are both static and dynamic in that a constant volume at
a certain intensity, such as "Forte (from the Italian word meaning strong) would have the
static dynamic marking "f". The use of dynamics in music is very subjective and
depends very much on the instrument and the context of the music. A dynamic marking
of "f" in Lute music can not be realized with the same level of intensity as the same
marking on music for a baritone saxophone. We will cover the symbols for piano (p),
forte (f), mezzo (m), cresendo, decresendo, and Sforzando.
p, f, and m
There are only two dynamic markings in common use: piano (p) and forte (f). These
marks are often doubled (pp, ff) or tripled (ppp, fff) to indicate degrees of piano or forte;
more "p's" mean make the music quieter, more "f's" mean make it louder. As in the
rhythmic indicators, words such as pianissimo (pp) and fortissimo (ff) are also
commonly used. The modifier Mezzo (m), meaning "half" is also often applied to
dynamic markings. For example, mp, meaning mezzo piano, could also be written as
pp. Obviously, there is a lot of subjectivity with this type of notation. I have never seen
absolute markings such as "90db", which would be equivalent to the absolute rhythmic
markings of "d=60", but, who knows. With modern electronic music that might become
common practice. I think you can rest fairly confidently that it won't happen in classical
guitar music.
cresendo and decresendo
The cresendo and decresendo are common markings which indicate increasing or
decreasing volume respectively. A cresendo marking is drawn as two lines of equal
length which intersect at their origin on the left end of the symbol, and open gradually as
the symbol extends to the right. The symbol is drawn with its origin at the starting point
of the cresendo and it extends to the where the composer wants the effect to stop. A
decresendo has its open end on the left and converges as the symbol extends to the
right. There is frequently a dynamic letter symbol at the start and end of a cresendo
marking (i.e. ppp>fff) If the cresendo or decresendo must last for too long a time for it to
be practically drawn, the words cresendo or decresendo are written in the musical score
with a single line drawn which extends beneath the musical passage to which the effect
is to be played.
Sforzando
Another common dynamic marking is the Sforzando (sf or sfz). It is drawn above the
notes where it is to be applied and it indicates that a sudden strong accent is required at
that point.
Dynamics on the classic guitar
It is not that difficult to create very effective dynamics on the classic guitar, however,
many professional classical guitarists under-utilize the potential of that technique. If you
play each note so that it rings clearly on the instrument, even a triple piano can be
heard at quite a distance from the source. The biggest threat to effective dynamics on
the guitar is tension in the hands. Tension tends to mute the sound and prevent the
guitar from amplifying each note so that is projects to the audience. You can practice
dynamics by just playing a single note. Some guitarists claim they can actually cause
the sound of the note to increase in volume AFTER it is played! That seems illogical at
first until you consider that other strings and the top of the instrument can begin to
resonant along with the note you first sound. It may be possible, but I haven't yet
reached the point where I have can personally verify that effect.
Timbre
Technically, Timbre is a quality of sound that is caused by the harmonic content of that
sound. This is more fully explained in the supplement to Lesson 5: The Acoustics of
Music. Timbre is used on the Classic Guitar to add "color" to the music. I will often use
the word color instead of Timbre because music is painted with the harmonic palette of
Timbre in much the same way an artist uses color to give life to his paintings.
Notation of Timbre
There are only a few notational elements that hve been used traditionally to denote
timbre in printed guitar music. Modern guitar music has expanded the notation to
indicate how to make sounds that can be produced with a guitar but are not part of the
traditional technique of the instrument. I won't attempt to address these modern
notational elements because they are not standardized and won't generally be used by
players just beginning their study of the instrument.
Pizzicato
The meaning of Pizzicato on the guitar is slightly different than how it is interpreted on
other stringed instruments. Pizzicato as applied to the violin and other orchestral string
instruments that use a bow just means to pluck the strings as one would pluck a guitar
or a harp. Since the strings of a guitar are normally plucked, the technique as applied to
a guitar is achieved by damping the string with the fleshy part of the right hand as the
strings are plucked by the thumb or fingers. Various effects can be achieved by varying
the amount of pressure used when damping the string.
Tambora
If the head of a note is written in the shape of an X instead of the usual shape, the note
should be fingered with the left hand as per the location of the note on the staff, but
played by striking the string with the outside edge of the right thumb as you would strike
a drum or "Tambora". The pitch of the note can be heard, but, because it is not possible
to drum on only one string without also striking adjacent strings, the effect is difficult to
control.
The next lesson will talk about how to control the timbre of the sound on the guitar, and
how to apply it to your playing.