Classical Guitar Technique from Foundation to Virtuosity A Comprehensive Guide (in 81 progressive lessons) Part 2—Mastery and Virtuosity oe Stanley YatesClassical Guitar Technique from Foundation to Virtuosity — AComprehensive Guide — (in 81 Progressive Lessons) Stanley Yates Part 2 — Mastery and Virtuosity CGST-0040-2 Classical Guitar Study Editions Copyright © 2016 by Stanley Yates TN, USA All Rights Reserved YL ISBN-13: 978-15-3971-667-9 ISBN-10: 15-3971-667-8 BISAC: Music / Musical Instruments / GuitarPublisher Acknowledgments Copyright musical examples in this book have been reproduced by kind permission of the following publishers: Edizioni Berben Antonio Jose, Sonata para guitarra, © 1990 Ediioni Bérben; Benvenuto Terzi, Opere Scelte, © 1990 Edizioni Berben - Editions Orphée Stepan Rak Balalaiko, © 2006 Editions Orphée; Emilio Pujol, Escuela Razonada Vol. 3, © 1991 Editions Orpheée » Faber Music Ltd. Benjamin Britten Nocturnal after John Dowiand, © 1965 Faber Music Utd Guitar Solo Publications Stepan Rak, Temptation of the Renaissance, © 1992 Guitar Solo Publications: Les Productions dz Annette Kruisbrink, Raga Suite, © 2008 Les Productions d/Ox - Mel Bay Publications J. S. Bach (arr. Yates), Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites Arranged for the Guitar, ©1998 Mel Bay Publications. Issac Albéniz (ar. Yates), 26 Pieces Arranged for Guitar © 1999 Mel Bay Publications. The Guitar Music of Stepan Rak Vol. 1, © 1999 Idbri Music/Mel Bay Publications. The Contemporary Guitar, © 2001 Mel Bay Publications Opera Tres Leo Brouwer, Sanata for Guitar, © 1991 Opera Tres “Tuscany Publications Jose Luis Merlin, Suite del recuerdo, © 2000 Tuscany Publications - Ediioni Suvini Zerboni Goffredo Petrassi, Nunc, © 1971 by Sugarmusic Sp.a- Edizioni SuviniZerboni, Milano, No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, nor transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical including, but not limited to, Photocopying, audio or visual recording, or by any means yet to be discovered, without express permission in writin from the publisher. Published in the United States, October 2016. Cover Art: Juan Gris, ‘The Guitar’ (1913)FOREWORD With this work, Stanley Yates goes beyond the tra or the guitar technique treati: examples, but none that constitutes an adequate precedent to this book from the Anglo- American master. From Sor to Pujol, from Aguado to Carlevaro, the most important authors have always and in every way operated within a well-defined historical and aesthetic purview. This infused their work with character, but also marked its limits. Yates, on the other hand, examines guitar technique and its related musical situations as a series of ‘objects’ for investigation under an approach that I do not hesitate to call phenomenological (referring to the teaching of Edmund Husserl and the masters of the School of Brentano). He puts forward intuitive experience and emphasizes the value of observation, accepting that these arise from one’s point of view—without, however, raising the problem of subjectivity. He tends, therefore, toward a kind of epistemological awareness which does not stop at observation, but which points to the very essence of our act of experiencing and learning, In other words, his work is posed in terms of a knowledge that transcends itself, wrapped up in the phenomena of instrumental music-making (only guitar technique is dealt with, but there would be no obstacle to employing this phenomenology in the realms of piano or voice). nal concept of the guitar method ‘The history of the instrument includes outstanding I am not able to evaluate the efficacy of this phenomenology without the direct supervision of its creator. However, Yates’s thinking is in itself something formidable, and I would not be surprised if it came to be interpreted by teachers who have nothing todo with the guitar. This is what I hope and wish for its distinguished author. Angelo Gilardino Vercelli, aly 2 September 2016Pre-Publication Endorsements for Classical Guitar Technique “This book represents an extraordinary accomplishment: for the first time presented together, the author offers us a sequential, rigorously calibrated and breathtakingly comprehensive pedagogical resource for the classical guitarist. From the most basic elements of playing to the most difficult and sophisticated techniques in current use, Yates gives thoughtful, scholarly and above all, practical lessons. His love of both the ities of our instrument and the tactile experience of playing it are as obvious as his mastery of the process by which virtuosity is achieved. This book may well be the indispensable method.” expressive possil Stephen Aron Chair Guitar Department Oberlin Conservatory of Music ‘The product of a lifetime of self-critical, analytical, and insightful artistry and teaching, Yates’ magnum opus is the most thoroughly comprehensive guitar technique manual I've ever seen. One finds here many of the guiding principles found in the masterful teachings of Patrick O’Brien, as well as concepts of body usage one learns in the study of the Alexander Technique. The presentation is logical, and easy to follow. ‘This work contains something of value for even the most advanced students and teachers of the instrument, and a great deal more.” Dr. Douglas James Chair Guitar Department Appalachian State University "The great guitarists make it look easy. The question is how did they achieve such a high level? Finally, the answer is found in Classical Guitar Technique from Foundation to Virtuosity. Unlock the path to developing, a graceful and musically expressive playing technique.’ Bill Piburn Editor Fingerstyle Guitar Journal “This monumental work by Stanley Yates is both a lucid summation of guitar methodologies and an innovative advancement of instrumental theory. Read it and learn.” Mark Delpriora Chair Guitar Department Manhattan School of Music Instructor Undergraduate Studies ‘The Julliard SchoolPart 2 Mastery and VirtuosityCONTENTS Introduction to Part 2.. ‘The Right Hand Introduction 7 1 Refinement of Sound 31 Free Stroke Sound., : 7 Objective Qualities of Sound - Developing FreeStroke Volume » Developing. Melodic Free-Stroke Sound » Increasing Joint Activation During the Stroke - Rest Stroke / Free Stroke Combination Stroke « Abridged Rest Stroke - Hyperextension of the Tip Joint - Hand Position and Arm Movement - Conclusion - Practice Routine 32 Dynamics. ‘The Default Dynamic Level—mezzo forte «piano and forte - Accentuation - Gradual Change - Practice Routine and Contextualization 33 Tone-Color Contrasts Plucking Points Along the String - Angle of Attack » Repertoire Practice Routine 29 34 Melodic Tone Versus Accompaniment Tone ‘Three-Layer Texture—Further Modification of the Hand-Position 35 Voicing Block Chords Contextualization 36 The Thumt ‘A Further Word About Thumbnail Shape » Rest Stroke With the Thumb » Rest Stroke Thumb With Free-Stroke Fingers - Thumb Sweeps 37 Hand Position—Timbre, Volume, or Velocity? ‘A Word About the Larger Joints - Summary of Adjustments to the Right Hand Position and Their Funetions 38 Damping. : Damping with the Thumb - Damping with the Fingers» Silencing all Six Strings Dealing With Sympathetic Vibration - Practice Routine and Contextualization 52 39 Rasgueado, ‘Single-Finger Strumming - Adding the Thumb » Adding ami and cami - Rasgueado With Golpe and Tambora Historical Strummed Ornaments - Continuous (Flamenco) and camii Rasgueado eamii - Practice Routine and Contextualization 40 Artificial Harmonics .. ContentsContents 2 Advanced Arpeggio Technique 41 Independence Patterns. 61 ‘am Independence Patterns - Practice Routine and Contextualization 42 Further Useful Arpeggio Patterns. Simultaneous Thumb-Finger Pattems * Fingers Only Patterns with Independent ‘Thumb Parts - 19th-Century Alberti-Style Patterns - Practice Routine and Contextualization 43 Further Arpeggio Practice Methods. Isolating - Melodic Arpeggiation » Thumb Mobility «Shifting Between String, Sots String Sharing - Rotation « Disjunct String, Assignments - Further Contextualization Exploring the Internal Rhythm - Practice Routine 44 Virtuosity... 70 Volume Fingerings: Velocty Fingerings - Unusual (but usehl) String Assignments Right-Hand Glissando Patterns - The Right-Hand Little Finger (c) 45 Advanced Repertoire Excerpts... 274, Villa-Lobos - Tarrega-Alard » Aguado» Regondi » Mertz» Llobet - Pujol Repertoire Suggestions 3 Tremolo 46 Re yement.. Rhythm - Metronome Practice - Practice Routine 47 Further Development... Developing the Thumb - Moving the Fingers Between the Strings - Practice Routine 48 Agogic and Dynamic Inflexion.. Rubato and Phrasing - Adding a Performance Context Further Observations 84 49 Advanced Tremolos (Virtuosity) Five-Note Flamenco Tremolo Three-Note Continuous Tremolo » Four- and Eight- Note Continuous Tremolo - Double (Interlocking, Tremolo) - Tremolando - Single- Finger (dedillo) and Thumb-Only Tremolo - ‘Brush’ Tremolo ‘Non-Guitaristic Tremolo « Contextualization 50 Historical Survey and Repertoire. +89 Dowland - Vida » Doisy - Mertz - Regondi = Arcas - Tirrega » Tervi» Foden » Rak Recommended Repertoire 4 Cross-String Ornaments 51 Right-Hand Glissando 52 Fully-Fingered Ornaments. ContextualizationContents 100 53 Longer Ornaments Long Tills- Theee String Ornaments-Sides and Trlls with Turned Endings Cross -Siring /Slurred Combinations 54 Historical Survey and Repertoire... ‘The Late Baroque and Galant Periods The Early Romantic Period » Andrei Sychra' (Ornaments for the Russian Seven String Guitar 102 5 Advanced Alternation (Scale) Technique 55 Rest-Stroke Alternation and String Crossing, Hand Position and Finger Curvature - Stroke Preparation and Legato - Correcting, Awkward String Crossings - Practice Routine and Contextualization 105 110 56 Developing Rest-Stroke Alternation Speed 57 Free Stroke / Rest Stroke Mixture ..... Practice Routine 2 58 Maximizing Velocity .. Maximizing Raw Altemation Speed : Modifying the Hand Position 59 String Crossing at Speed ae 14 Practice Routine and Contextualization 60 Correcting Awkward String Crossings at Speed .. 118 String Crossing Correction Formulas at Speed » Scale Practice Methods - Practice Routine and Contextualization 61 Velocity Fingerings (Virtuosity) 123 Assessing Personal Physiology « Practice Routine 126 ia pi—pm, pim_pmi, ami - The Role ofthe Laft Hand - Practice Regimen and ContextualizationContents The Left Hand Introduction. 1 Independence and Coordination 63 Further Control of the Fourth Finger. Practice Routine 139 64 Further Melodic Independence and Coordination Exercises, ne A ‘Weak-Finger Patterns - Practice Routine - Continued Development and Long-Term Maintenance 65 Independence Between the Hands. Practice Routine 66 The Left Hand in Fast Scales. Left-Hand Finger Action » Coordination Between the Hands - Tracking Individual LLeft-Hand Fingers - Further Practice Methods - Dealing With Slurs 67 More Fixed-Position Scale Practice.. Deriving Scale-Types Practice Routine 68 Further Intervallic Independence and Coordination Exercises Practice Routine ises 69 Chromatic-Octaves Exes Practice Routine 2 Advanced Slur Technique 70 Further Slur Technique Developing the Weaker (Less Independent) Fingers - Further Compound Slurs (Ornaments Extended Trills and Mordents Turns) Practice Routine 71 Gymnastic Slur Exercises. 164 Fixed-Finger Exercises - Other Four-Finger Exercises - Practice Routine 72 Miscellaneous Slur Techniques. Descending Siurs with Adjacent-Sounding Strings - Echo Slurs - Delayed Slurs Expressive Slurring (versus Technical Slurring)- Unique Slurred Textures - Practicing Sluts in Pieces - Contextualization and Maintenance (Repertoire) 3 Advanced Shifting 73 Further Position Shifting (Legato and Reliability) 172 Longer Shifts - More About Guide Fingers The Role of the Arm - Compound Shifts Left-Hand Anticipation - Legato Shifting - Sliding Versus Leaping 74 Chromatic Single-String Scales 180 Practice Routine 10Contents 75 Shifting Between Difficult Chord Forms... Shifting in Arpeggio Textures - Shifting to Difficult Chords - Practicing Very Shifts Minimizing Left-Hand Tension in Difficult Passages 181 76 Shifting Along the Lower-Strings (Eliminating Extraneous Noise), 186 4. Other 77 Glissand 188 Glissé- Slide Arrastre - Legato Arrastre 78 Left-Hand Harmonics Positions and Intervals - Scordatura- Multiphonics« Notation - Contextualization 191 79 Left-Hand Reach (Extension). Extended Chord Forms - Extended-Position Scale Fingerings » Playing Above the ‘Twelfth Fret 198 80 Vibrato : 201 Standard Vibrato Technique (Arm Vibrato) - Vertical (Finger) Vibrato - Intonation - Musical Application Stylistic Matters - Avoiding Habitual Vibrato - Practice Routine and Contextualization 81 LeftHand Damping Practice Routine 207 Appendices 1 Special Effects... Pizzicato Percussion - String Whistle- Tapping - Multiphonics 2 Right-Hand Fingering Guidelines 218, Two Right-Hand Systems - The Two Agile Fingers p and i- The Independent Finger Pair im Alteration and String-Crossing - Damping ~The Left Hand - Conclusion 3 Left-Hand Fingering Guidelines a one BOA, Stylistic Matters 4 Technical Approach to Learning New Repertoire. 224 Determining Practice Segments « Determining Optimal Fingerings - Working On A Short Practice Segment - Speeding-Up and Developing Longer Segments - Unfamiliar Movement Forms 5 Iconic Method Books and Study Sets. Carulli- Sychra Sor Giuliani - Aguado - Legnani - Carcassi - Regondi - Tarrega Roch - Sagreras - Pujol - Villa-Lobos - Carlevaro * Dodgson-Quine - Brouwer Gilardino 6 Practice Grids. 232 aIntroduction to Part 2 Ine lessons in Part 2 of Classical Guitar Technique—Mastery and Virtuosity— continue to develop and refine the technical elements explored in Part 1, realizing them in fully-developed form in such areas as refinement of sound, tremolo, cross- string ornaments, velocity fingerings, and rapid scales, Advanced technique—if it’s to be reliable and musically useful—is predicated on the idea that the basic movement forms it employs have been optimally internalized. It's therefore important that the various topics in Part 1 have been thoroughly studied and assimilated before tacking the lessons in this second part. Responding more directly to practical goals (applied technique), this second part of Classical Guitar Technique includes numerous repertoire excerpts, survey sections dealing with historical aspects of a technique under discussion, and lists of repertoire that relies heavily on a particular technique. ‘The historical surveys are not intended to be merely of academic interest; rather, they connect finger technique to musical style, sound, and interpretation. As in Part 1, the lessons are organized in overall right and left-hand streams, and in a carefully organized sequence; the lessons within each stream should be studied in the order presented. Material from the two streams should again be studied simultaneously (and each stream will again move at its own pace). ‘As various techniques are assimilated they can (and should) of course be incorporated into the warm-up routine as desired. Contextualization and maintenance, however, should remain focused mainly on intermediate-level (comfortable) material, in the interest of control. The repertoire you adopt for your performances will provide plenty of further opportunity to exercise your technique to the full. Again, Practice Grids for the lessons that require them are provided as an appendix. Also included in the Appendices are a Special Effects overview and short essays dealing, with right and left-hand fingering guidelines and other technical considerations for learning new repertoire, and an overview of iconic method books and study sets. ‘The topics covered in Part 2 are as follows: Introduction (2) Organization of the Right and Left Hand Sections Warm-Up Routines Appendices 13Introduction (2) a seegeege ae 51 52 RIGHT-HAND LESSONS 1 Refinement of Sound Free Stroke Dynamics Tone-Color Contrasts Melodic Tone versus Accompaniment Tone Voicing Block Chords ‘The Thumb Hand Position—Timbre, Volume, or Velocity? Damping Rasgueado Artificial Harmonies 2 Advanced Arpeggio Technique Independence Patterns Further Useful Patterns Further Practice Methods Virtuosity Advanced Repertoire Excerpts, 3 Advanced Tremolo Techni Refinement Further Development ‘Agogicand Dynamic Inflexion ‘Advanced Tremolos (virtuosity) Historical Survey and Repertoire 4.Cross-String Ornaments Right-Hand Glissando Fully-Fingered Ornaments Longer Ornaments Historical Survey and Repertoire 5 Advanced Alternation (Scale) Technique Rest-Stroke Alternation and String Crossing Developing Rest-Stroke Alteration Speed Free-Stroke / Rest-Stroke Mixture Maximizing Velocity String Crossing at Speed Correcting Awkward String Crossings at Speed Velocity Fingerings (Virtuosity) Application. SEIRARLS 2euay uaa LEFT-HAND LESSONS 1 Independence and Coordination Further Control of the Fourth Finger Further Melodie Coordination Exercises Independence Between the Hands ‘The Left-Hand in Fast Seales Further Fixed-Position Scale Practice Further Intervallic Coordination Exercises (Chromatic-Octave Exercises 2 Advanced Slur Technique Further Slur Technique Gymnastic Slur Exercises Miscellaneous Slur Techniques 3 Advanced Shifting Further Position Shifting (Legato and Reliability) Single-String Chromatic Scales Shifting Between Chord-Forms Shifting Along the Lower Strings (Eliminating Extraneous Noise) 4 Other Glissando Left-Hand Harmonies Left-Hand Reach (Extension) Vibrato Left-Hand Damping, “Appendices ‘Special Effects Right-Hand Fingering Guidelines Left-Hand Fingering Guidelines ‘Technical Approach to Learning New Repertoire Iconic Method Books and Study Sets Practice Grids Technical development, refinement, and maintenance are long-term goals, if not life- long ones; once the lessons in this second part of Classical Guitar Technique have been. assimilated it may well be time to revisit the entire process..The Right HandThe Right Hand—Introduction lhe right-hand stream of this second part of Classical Guitar Technique addresses the following areas: Refinement of Sound Advanced Arpeggio Technique Advanced Tremolo Technique Cross-String Omaments Advanced Alternation (Scale) Technique Refinement of Sound, explored in detail over the course of several lessons, deals with what is in many respects a subjective area of playing technique (though one nevertheless susceptible to a systematic approach); while individual physiology and aesthetic taste inevitably dictate that not every technical description will apply to each individual in an identical fashion, the concepts and practice methods themselves apply ‘equally well to everyone and should therefore be regarded as a foundation upon which modifications can be made. Similarly, the lessons dealing with Advanced Arpeggios, Tremolos, Cross-String Omaments, and Rapid Alternation (scale) technique, while systematic and, again, applicable to everyone, will ultimately require a personalized implementation as individual physiology approaches the practical limits of one’s physical potential. Nevertheless, as touched upon in the Introduction to Part 1 of this book, individual limitations often lead to work-arounds that result in even greater technical advantage. As with Part 1, take the time to explore and understand the text, exercises, and practice methods in each lesson before moving on the Practice Routines and Contextualization suggestions; take exercises out of the full technical practice sequence once they become comfortable. Practice Grids for the lessons that require them are again provided to help you keep track of your progress, as Appendix 6. RH Introduction WyLesson 31—Free-Stroke Sound objective qualities of musical sound—body and clarity - developing free-stroke volume - developing a melodic free-stroke sound—joint activation - rest stroke / free-stroke hybrids (combination stroke and abridged rest stroke) - incorporating arm movernent fully-developed free stroke can provide a wide range of timbre and dynamic, from soft and clear to loud and full. While dependant on the shape, con and use of the fingernails, access to the full range of the stroke also relies on subtle adjustments to the position and use of the fingers. This lesson will focus on these issues. ion, A ‘good sound’ consists of two essential qualities: body and clarity Body (volume, focus, and fullness) relies mainly on the amount of fundamental pitch in the sound. This results from setting the strings in vibration relatively perpendicular to the soundboard, which is counterintuitive (since we instinctively feel that the plucking action sets the strings into vibration parallel to the soundboard). ‘The basic plucking action contributes to the perpendicular component of vibration in the following ways (and we'll expand on these later in the lesson): 1. by pushing the string down toward the soundboard during the preparation and play phases of the stroke 2. by using an oblique angle of attack—the string is pushed down toward the soundboard as it slides along the fingernail (provided the fingernail is shaped appropriately) 3. by using a rest stroke—the string is displaced down toward the soundboard as the finger moves through the string Clarity of sound consists not only of the absence of extraneous noise during the stroke, it also requires the presence of higher overtones in addition to the fundamental (this significantly aids projection). The following factors contribute to clarity of soun 1. the fingernails are appropriately shaped and polished 2. the treble strings are in good condition (not scratched) 3. the fingers move through the strings quickly (which also enhances the volume and focus of the stroke) RH31 Free Stroke Objective Qualities of Sound 1920 P RH31 Free Stroke Developing Free-Stroke Volume wae cord Developing a Melodic Free- Stroke Sound 4, the fingers cross the strings at a single point rather than sliding along them (especially on the wound strings) 5. a straighter attack, using less fingernail and moving through the string at a single point, enhances the higher overtones, resulting in a brighter, dlearer sound ‘Again, as already mentioned, the precise combination of body and clarity is ultimately subject to personal taste. Still, it’s advantageous to have as broad a sound palette at our disposal as possible, Dynamic range is a further objective quality essential to a ‘good sound.’ While dynamics are explored in more detail in Lesson 32, we'll look now at developing the {forte end of the free-stroke spectrum. In addition to the amount of fundamental present in the sound (the downward displacement of the string), the overall volume of the stroke also depends on the amount of energy transferred into the string. Here are two methods of increasing this: 1. Increasing Activation of the Main Knuckle Joint—aim the fingertips further toward the back of the palm, closer to the wrist. 2. Moving Through the String More Quickly—the quicker the finger moves through the string, the greater the volume produced (initially, this can also be experienced in terms of the amount of resulting follow through). Explore these two techniques (both individually and in combination with one another) using the four right-hand finger-groups practiced earlier in Lessons 3 and 4 (Ex. 1): moa Melodic tone combines warmth and projection, in contrast to the more neutral tone used for accompaniments (the relationship between the two is explored in Lesson 34, Melodic Tone Versus Accompaniment Tone). © Asa preliminary method of developing a full melodic free-stroke, first practice super-slow finger movements with a regular free-stroke finger action, pushing, the string and feeling its tension before moving gradually through it. + Then modify this to combine a slow movement to the string with an immediate plucking action once the string is reached. ‘The goal is to incorporate the sensation of the slower version into the faster version (in both cases, be sure to release tension immediately following the stroke) (Ex. 2):propare/ push pluck/ SF retum Practice this with each individual finger and with im, ma and ami alternation. ‘A further method of enhancing the melodic quality and focus of a free stroke is to increase the action of the middle and tip joints as the finger moves through the string. + In the following exercise, an individual finger plucks two strings simultaneously, using a prepared rest stroke for the higher string and following through onto the lower string which is played free stroke (rest the thumb on string © for support) (Ex.3): p—_———— Resist using the arm to help the fingers move through the strings (for this exercise), making the transition from rest stroke to free stroke entirely by activating the middle and tip joints. ‘The initial rest stroke is initiated at the main knucklejoint (using a typical straighter rest-stroke finger curvature) and switches to the middle and tip joints as the finger passes through the lower string. + Next, pause on the lower string of the pair before executing the ensuing free stroke and, finally, alternate this with the lower-string free stroke alone: =] RS FS » (rep) ‘+ Practice all of this with each individual finger and with the alternation patterns im, ‘ma and ami (playing from a prepared position on the string): RH31 Free Stroke Increasing Joint Activation During the Stroke anRH31 Free Stroke Hybrid Combination Stroke Abridged RestStroke ‘Hyper-Extension of the Tip Joint Hand Position and Arm Movement ‘A further technique along the same lines is to begin the plucking action as a rest stroke and convert it into a free stroke on the same string. This significantly enhances melodic tone by combining the downward string displacement of the rest stroke with the additional joint activation of the free stroke as the finger moves through the string, + Prepare the finger in standard rest-stroke position and, as the finger pushes through the string, activate the middle and tip joints to convert the stroke into a free stroke (Bx.4). FS FS (es) (Rs) erep) (rep) This can be experienced as switching the stroke direction To assess the quality toward the base of the fingers rather than the back of the Jof a melodic free- palm; a little movement in the opposite direction at the stroke, altemate and main knuckle may be needed to be facilitate the |compare with a rest transition, stroke played with the same finger— The sound can be further increased by pushing the |they should sound string down a little as part of the preparation phase of | the same. the stroke. © Practice with each individual finger, as well as with the following alternation patterns (aiming to equalize the sound of the fingers): A further method of producing a full melodic tone (with the added benefit of avoiding damping the next lower string) is to use an abridged rest-stroke—playing from a standard rest-stroke finger position, the finger returns in front of the string immediately after plucking, before reaching the next string. While this stroke requires a degree of additional finger tension, it can nevertheless be a convenient method of enhancing melodic tone (as well as increasing general alternation speed). Again, practice with each. individual finger and with the alternation patterns im, ma and amim. Allowing the tip joint to collapse a little (hyperextend) during the preparation phase, before flexing during the stroke, can also contribute to the downward trajectory of the string (and is one method of executing a rest stroke from a free-stroke hand position—see Part 1, Lesson 13). This is somewhat dependent on individual physiology, however (also see the Stretching section in Part 1). ‘Small adjustments to the hand position can also influence the stroke. For example, a subtle clockwise rotation of the forearm creates a hand position that moves more fingernail through the string. Further adjustments to the hand position along these lines are explored in Lessons 34 and 37.It's also possible to incorporate a small arm movement into the plucking action, adding to (or even replacing) the finger movement itself. This can occur as: 1. a clockwise rotation of the forearm as the finger moves through the string (on an isolated note) 2, a backwards movement of the arm that slides the finger along the string, as it plucks + Keeping the finger relatively firm, add a subtle backwards forearm movement to each finger stroke: RH31 Free Stroke (Further contribution of the larger joints is explored in Lessons 37). It isn’t necessary to use all of these techniques to develop a strong, full free-stroke sound —individual players will find a combination of techniques that work for them depending on individual physiology and (each finger may even utilize its own set of techniques). Refinement of sound is an aspect of technique that develops over an extended period of time in response not only to experimentation but also to the development of the ear, increasing awareness of musical textures, and refinement of musical goals. Experiment on the open strings, allowing ease of execution and your ear to be the judges of what works for you. As you go through this process, whenever you produce a desirable sound and finger action, audiate it and assess the sensation in the fingers (eyes closed). Again, an effective way to assess the quality of a melodic free-stroke is to compare it toa full-sounding rest-stroke played by the same finger, the goal being to match the free-stroke sound to the rest-stroke sound. While essential, a full-sounding free stroke isn’t the sole quality of sound required for refined playing and, in subsequent lessons, we'll look at the broader range of sound required for expressive and musically-responsive playing. Practice Routine Work on Ex. 1-4 each day with the finger assignments mentioned for each (c. 8.00’). When assimilated, incorporate the melodic free-stroke into your daily warm-up routine and experiment with the pieces listed in Part 1, Lesson 13. In ConclusionRH31 Free Stroke NOTES: Tone quality is of course subject to the aesthetic preferences of individual players—some prefer a clear, somewhat bright sound while others prefer a darker one (and we can, of course, appreciate both). Nevertheless, we may still consider the objective parameters that constitute ‘good tone,’ qualities all players probably agree upon—body and clarity. Body Acoustic musical sounds consist of a low fundamental pitch along with a collection of higher harmonic overtones (partials). Refined tone production requires an appropriate balance between the two. (Direction of Vibration) Place the instrument on a table, pinch the sixth string between the index finger and thumb and experiment with releasing it from a direction along the soundboard. When the string truly vibrates parallel to the soundboard very little tone or volume results, no matter how ‘much the string is displaced (since the soundboard cannot vibrate very well in its fixed plane). When the string vibrates perpendicular to the soundboard (by releasing it from above the soundboard), on the other hand, even a small displacement results in a full, oud sound In actual playing, the direction of vibration is often diagonal to the soundboard, consisting of both perpendicular and parallel components, the various combinations of which contribute relatively more or less fundamental to the overall sound (along with varying degrees of overtones). If we displace the string upwards during the stroke, it will certainly vibrate with a strong perpendicular component. However, at anything more than a moderate dynamic level, it will also rebound against the fretboard when released (a ‘Bartok pizzicato’) Clarity We can also suppress higher overtones, by increasing the oblique angle of attack (moving ‘more fingernail through the string) and by moving somewhat along the string as the finger ‘moves through it, resulting in a relatively darker sound, Hyperextension of the Tip Joint We can fix higher joints while keeping lower ones relaxed, but not the other way around. ‘Therefore, to flex the tip joint we must also flex the other joints. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to activate the tipjoint from a hyper-extended (relaxed) state as the stroke progresses.RH 32 Dynamics Lesson 32 —Dynamics defining and projecting dynamics: subito change and gradual change hile the guitar isn’t an especially dynamic instrument, at least in comparison with most other instruments, it nevertheless does possess a dynamic range. ‘The fact that this range is relatively compressed is all the more reason for us to develop our dynamic control to its fullest potential (not least because two of our major repertoires— music from the early nineteenth century and much music of the contemporary period — rely on it). In this lesson, we'll explore techniques for defining and projecting a full range of dynamics on the guitar. We may regard mezzo-forte (mf) as the natural, fullsounding sonority of our The Default instrument. This isthe default dynamic level we adopt for normal playing and the level Fymngmic Level — from which we depart when we need to play more forcefully (forte) or more gently r (Piano). It equates to a naturally-projected speaking voice. mf ‘The essential technical implication for mezzo-forte is that while the tone is full and sonorous, it’s not so loud as to preclude the projection of a more uncompromising forte dynamic level nor the comfortable addition of subtle accentuation. Here are a few repertoire examples to illustrate the point: Mauro GIULIANI, Etude Op. 48 No. 15 Andantino Matteo CARCASSI, Op. 60 No. 25, Allegro ritmico ¢ mosso Se at = ys oo St pe Pin mosso af] 0H a Sf marcato 25RH32 Dynamics Piano and Forte With mezzo forte as the default dynamic level, we can move on to a definition of the character and quality of three broad dynamic levels—normal (mezzo forte), loud (forte) and soft (piano): 1. mezzo forte (mf)—the natural default full-sounding tone of the instrument {forte (f)—a more forceful, uncompromising sound (a series of accents) 3. piano (p)—a gentler, understated sound, though still having a controlled amount of tone quality and relative fullness (not merely nondescript) + Explore the sensations in the hand associated with playing at these levels, especially the speed at which the fingers move through the strings (as mentioned in the previous lesson) of f oe > + Explore the sensations associated with individual fingers and with the thumb, on. their respective strings (using both free stroke and rest stroke): uf f wf P + Explore im—mi and ma—am alternation, making sure that each change of dynamic ‘occurs immediately, on the first beat of each measure: mf Fi nf ie ‘The two outer dynamic levels (p and f) can be finessed to provide pianissimo (pp), mezzo -piano (mp) and fortissimo (ff). Think of pianissimo as a whisper, mezzo-piano as not quite mezzo-forte, and. fortissimo as the most uncompromising sound you can possibly make. ‘The contrast between basic dynamic levels can be enhanced by plucking at specific points along the strings: at the edge of the soundhole for mf + over the soundhole for p ‘= midway between the edge of the soundhole and the bridge for f Pianissimo is best played with a relatively straighter angle of attack, to. promote a pure, noise-free quality of sound 26RH 32 Dynamics Accentuation normally requires only that we inflect at the next highest dynamic level —_Accentuation (ince the strength of an accent is relative and depends on the prevailing block dynamic in which it occurs). Use the following exercise to explore this, experimenting with both free stroke and rest stroke (regular, abridged, or combined rest-stoke / free-stroke, as described in the previous lesson) for the accented notes, and with strict im—mi and ma—am alternation: nf f) f w) ) Gradual change between dynamic blocks— bright, clear sound that cenhanees harmonics, pmis- imo, ponticelo, and metallico Movement tothe Right (uring stroke) ‘© enhances the thumb stroke Wrist Arch ~ (se Forearm |Contact Points, above) a7RH38 Damping Damping with the Thumb 48 Lesson 38— Damping damping basses with the thumb - damping with the fingers (including staccato, marcato and détaché) silencing all six strings simultaneously - dealing with sympathetic vibration ‘The term ‘damping’ refers to silencing a string in order to observe a written rest, to prevent notes from clashing with a new harmony, or to add other silences to the music. Precise damping technique is a hallmark of refined playing. ‘Most damping occurs on the bass strings and is accomplished with the thumb. Bass parts often include written rests, bass strings sustain longer than treble strings, and inappropriately over-ringing basses can play havoc with the harmonic clarity of the music. For example, pieces in the common guitar keys of A, D and E (keys that contain a lot of open bass strings) are often rife with unwanted harmonic clashes resulting from ‘open bass strings being allowed to ring over into a new harmony: donee + Damping a bass note in response to a written rest is simply a matter of placing the thumb back on the string to silence it: (camp) P P ©) t ‘+ This kind of situation often arises when sustained notes are to continue sounding in the upper voices, requiring an independent action of the thumb: ® (camp) r i + And, we also often need to damp a string that we won't immediately play again, requiring a movement to another string following the damping action: (move) (damp) ‘We also frequently need to damp a bass string simply to avoid overlapping open strings even though no written rests are present. In these situations the thumb must moveRH38 Damping between the strings more quickly as it damps, prepares, and plucks. Three situations arise: 1. the thumb damps an adjacent higher- hea sounding string by simply following through (FT) onto that string as part of the stroke used to play the lower string: r ' ®) 2. the thumb damps a lower-sounding string by returning (R) to that string immediately after plucking the higher string: tf —F Camp) R 3. similarly, the thumb damps a non ey adjacent higher-sounding string by returning (R) to that string immediately after plucking: r Use the following exercises to explore thumb damping, working slowly and bearing the following in mind : + the thumb begins each exercise from a prepared position on the string (P) + adjacent higher-sounding strings are damped by following through (FT) + Iower-sounding strings and non-adjacent higher-sounding strings are damped by returning to them immediately after plucking (R) + the damping action is followed by a movement to the next string to be played » 2) 7 —- F R & ” ® ®@) + When comfortable with these exercises, explore thumb damping with simultaneous sustained upper-voice chords played by the fingers, aiming for a smoothly- connected legato throughout: a 2) 3) 4) 3 3 Rall aI 21 a T en 49RH38 Damping Damping with the 50 Fingers @ @ Damping treble strings with the fingers is simply a matter of placing a finger on a string to silence it. We usually have more options available to us than when we damp with the thumb—we may damp with the same finger that plucked the string or we may use a different one, depending on the next technical event. In general, we damp with the finger that will play that string next (as part of the preparation of the stroke). Situations do sometimes arise, however, in which a finger may need to damp a string while the other fingers pluck their strings. In these cases, it’s usually much easier to damp slightly after the other fingers have played: © r Fon Here are some exercises along these lines: @ () @ on) @ (m) 0 @ And the same incorporating thumb damping as well: @ (=) @ (™) 0 (=) @ o ‘A common situation in which a string is damped by a different finger to the one that played it arises with non-legato articulation—a note is deliberately cut short by placing the next finger on the string ahead of time: ry 0 ~~ ‘The timing of this kind of damping can take various forms, depending on the degree of articulation desired: marcato detaché staccatoRH38 Damping Here's a short passage to experiment with: Fernando SOR, Etude Op. 29 No. 17 Allegro moderato ‘The most effective way to silence all six strings is to simply rotate the forearm in a Silencing all Six clockwise direction to bring the left side of the hand onto the strings, retaining the Strings curvature of the fingers. It’s then very easy to return the fingers to a playing position on the strings by rotating the forearm back to its normal position. Similarly, a counter-clockwise movement of the forearm can be used to simultaneously Dealing with damp the three bass strings with the side of the thumb. This is often useful at the ends Sympathetic of phrases when sympathetically-vibrating basses can interfere with the harmony: Vibration Es ft P We can also wedge the thumb between a pair of bass strings during a solo melody _(The left hand is also. played by the fingers on the treble strings (also try this passage without damping): often used to damp over-ringing strings J.S. BACH, Fuga bao 1000 in situations such as, Pa these, explored in = Lesson 81. — ) ‘On the other hand, over-ringing can sometimes be desirable, adding to sonority and overall resonance (and some sympathetic over-ringing is audible to the player only, and doesn’t necessarily need to be silenced). Work through the examples and exercises in this lesson to familiarize yourself with the Practice right-hand damping techniques presented and apply them to the repertoire you're Routine and working on. You'll find it useful to mark-up your practice scores with damping Contextualization indications. For example: Francisco TARREGA, Adelita Lento va : i me tun poco cresc. 51RH39 Rasgueado Lesson 39—Rasgueado ip alternation » adding ami and cami - strummed ornaments—repiceo « continuous camii rasgueado L Part 1 (Lesson 14) we looked at single-finger strums and the cami rasgueado in the context of extensor-muscle exercises. While a full account of rasgueado technique, as used in flamenco music and South-American folk music, for example, is beyond our scope, in this lesson we'll nevertheless explore several aspects of the technique and its musical applications. Single-Finger Light single-finger strums played from a regular plucked right-hand position are often Strumming used for short strummed passages found in five-course guitar music, as in the following passage by Santiago de Murcia: Santiago de MURCIA (1722), Bourne Lightness is the essential quality for strumming in this repertoire. Adding the For more emphatic passages, in modem repertoire, an alternation between i and p can Thumb be more effective than alternation of a single finger. Both strokes can be accomplished almost entirely by a back and forth rotation of the forearm, rather than movement of the finger(s) and the thumb themselves (although finger movement can be added to the forearm movement to create additional degrees of accentuation). Try this out with the following exercise (be sure to accent both strong beats in each measure): ty hp ts tt v 1 P L ‘The following example demonstrates the usefulness of forearm rotation in passages that mix strummed and plucked articulation: Antonio JOSE, Sonate para guitarra IV. © 195) Eaizioni Berber, Vou He 4 vo ye Vo Ve t tits “eb Ff f t 52RH39 Rasgueado Here are further examples of emphatic ip rasgueado patterns. top sin Tobe ae ‘ » tpt pte sm tet te 4 vr — + | see aS eS — = = ra ‘ id ‘A more nuanced effect results from incorporating a fast rolled ami or cami strum within Adding ami and an overall i or ip rasgueado passage: cami fam) P @ Pele South-American folk guitarists employ a wide range of intricate strumming techniques in their music, many of which are sometimes emulated in the solo guitar repertoire. Here are a couple of examples: 53RH39 Rasgueado José Luis MERLIN, Suite del Recuerdo, VI. © 2000 Tuscany Publications fami) pom op om pm pom pomp fam) ete pet ety tater ¢ af José Luis MERLIN, Suite del Recuerdo, 1V. ©2000 Tuscany Publications m pom p lam) p mp m mp pa tity titi ™ it Rasgueado _Rasgueado can also be combined with percussive golpe effects (striking the soundboard) with Golpe as well as with the percussive sound that results from the strings striking the frets, a and Tambora feature of Argentine folk-guitar style sometimes generically referred to as tambora The term tambora is usually used to indicate percussive striking of the strings at the bridge of the guitar, however, see Appendix 1 This can be accomplished by striking the strings with the unde slapping the bass strings with the side of the thumb. le of a fist or by hot bp sm tin ‘This passage could also be played with cami downstrums and i upstrums: tit to sim sinRH39 Rasgueado Early seventeenth-century Italian guitarists also employed sophisticated strumming Historical (battuto or battente) techniques in their song and dance accompaniments. Guitarists of Strummed the following, generation described two ornamental rasgueado pattems that refer to this slightly earlier style and which they sometimes incorporated in their purely solo compositions: the trillo (a simple up and down alternation of the i finger, as shown earlier in this lesson) and the more elaborate repicco (patterns that involve intricate combinations of up and down-strums). Here are some examples of the repicco: Ornaments Francisco CORBETTA (1671), Caprice de Chaconne, mi te t - ‘The following is a modern take on the repicco, useful for fast triplet tremolando passages: (This pattern works well for the finale of John Duarte’s Variations on a Catalan Folksong.) To finish, we'll take a brief look at a challenging flamenco rasgueado: the continuous Continuous amii and camii patterns. (Flamenco) ami and cami In this type of powerful rasgueado, the fingers are held in the palm of the hand and forcibly flicked-out one after the other, in a constant stream of strums. Practice this kind of vigorous technique in moderation! Rasgueado 55RH39 Rasgueado Use the following sequence to develop the amii pattern (all down-strums except where indicated). All of the fingers return into the palm of the hand as the i finger makes its final (upwards) stroke: And use the following to further develop a continuous version of the pattern: (A similar process can be used to practice camii, if desired.) Practice Routine and Contextualization Explore the various strumming patterns presented in this lesson using the standard practice techniques, Sequential Addition, Slow-Fast, Soft-Loud and Rhythmic Variation, and apply them to a standard chord progression or a flamenco compés to contextualize them. For example: oo mt Me rth a Theta “3 ae repieco repo (golpe) repo 56RH39 Rasgueado Chaconne (Corbetta, 1671) c G F G Soleares Alegrias E7 A Ev A D A A s7RH40 Artificial Harmonics 8a arm Lesson 40—Artificial Harmonics single-line artificial harmonics - accompanied artificial harmonies palm harmonics - cascading (Lenny Breau) harmonics indeterminate harmonics (multiphonics nn this lesson we'll take a look at artificial harmonics—an evocative technique that crops up every now and again in the repertoire. (Natural—left-hand—harmonics are explored in Lesson 78.) ‘An early use of artificial harmonics was made by the Russian guitarist Semion Aksionov, who, in 1821, took the perhaps overly-cautious step of taking out a patent on. the technique. Artificial harmonics were also used by such guitarists as Francesco Molino, Mauro Giuliani and Francois de Fossa around the same time, but didn’t enter into wide use until much later, during the early twentieth century. Artificial harmonics are usually played by touching the string at its half-way point with the i finger and plucking with the a finger, maximizing, the distance between the two fingers to help obtain a clear sound. When played on the bass strings, artificial harmonics are often plucked with the thumb to avoid the scraping sound that can easily result from plucking a wound string with the a finger. It’s also possible to touch the string with the thumb and pluck with the i finger. Artificial harmonics are very easy to miss: be in the habit of preparing the i finger over its string ahead of time or, if possible, actually on the string ahead of time. Here's a short exercise along these lines (be sure to track and prepare the various positions required with the right-hand i finger): i-p iva And here’s an early repertoire example: Mauro GIULIANI, Rossiniane Op. 119 (c. 1822) wo, £7; £0 loco armonict = yd es : 58RH40 Artificial Harmonies A melody in artificial harmonics may also be supported by an accompanying bass and additional chord tones played simultaneously with p and m. Here’s a short exercise to help familiarize you with the various configurations of simultaneous harmonics and regular notes: be : Here's a well-known repertoire example: Enrique GRANADOS (arr. Miguel Llobet), Danza Espavala No. 5 EL canto con arm, octaeados Tl d dal nei P P It’s also possible to play the lower voice in artificial harmonics, touching the string with i and plucking with p: or * Astificial harmonics can also be used to generate intervals other than the octave. The octave plus a fifth (found 2/3 along the string from the fretted note) or the double-octave (3/4 along the string) as follows: Seeesees Ih 1h an 9th '®9eoOO Here's another example: sunde ke ii 4th ---, 12th roth gen Tat tat a $ ®@ 0 ® ©@ A harp-like effect can be obtained by touching the strings at the octave position with the side of the right-hand palm and strumming lightly with the i finger: 59RH40 Artificial Harmonics ul armani (120 fret) ; in 1 Isaac ALBENIZ (art. Yates), 26 Pieces: Catalusia Op. 47 No.2. (©1959 Mel Bay Publications (gam hrm F ai7h fe) Though rarely used by classical guitarists, a further harp-like effect results from the alternation of natural notes (plucked with a) and artificial harmonics (plucked with p) applied to a held chord, a technique attributed to jazz guitarist Lenny Breau: lefthand right-hand ete. [sounds] = ory s a wp oF or left-hand right-hand et [sounds] 2 OP i OP OP Oe To finish, here’s a passage from the music of Stepan Rak that employs very high indeterminate artificial harmonics across the six strings (resulting in multiphonics, on the bass strings at least): Stepan RAK, Guitar Music of Stepan Rak: The Czech Fairy Tales, © 1985 Idbri Music/ Mel Bay Publication. dart arm. ad ti, ttt tte! ce ieee nics ne Fo mn O@ ees ri Contextualization Julio Sagreras’ ‘Tiempo de Gavotta’ (Lessons for Guitar, Book 6, Lesson 7) is useful for practicing and maintaining artificial-harmonic technique.Lesson 41—(Arpeggios) Independence Patterns am independence patterns I Part 1 we looked at the basic Fingers Only and Thumb-Finger patterns, along with four basic practice methods for learning them. We also looked at the Compound ‘oke and the Circular Arpeggio. The following lessons explore further methods of refining the arpeggios already studied, along with more complex patterns, Simultaneous Thumb-Finger patterns, Velocity Fingerings, Volume Fingerings, Right-Hand Glissando Technique, and other advanced patterns found in the concert repertoire. We'll begin in this lesson with ma independence patterns. Like the circular arpeggio (pimami) already studied, the following patterns use more than a single instance of ma or am alternation and therefore require a compound stroke followed by an independent return of the next finger: Group 1—mam patterns RH4L Arpeggios am independence patterns + Use a compound stroke where indicated, followed by an independent return (the compound stroke should be used for the first instance of ma or am (the awkward pattern Group 1d, is an exception) + Here are a couple of preparatory exercises to explore before working on the patterns themselves (Ex. 1): aRH41 Arpeggios a) » The following patterns require constant alternation of m and a. Consisting entirely of opposed movements, they therefore aren’t susceptible to the compound-stroke technique. Though challenging, these patterns provide an opportunity to exercise the independence of the a and m fingers to their natural limits (which will also translate into increased facility between i and m). Group 3 — constant ma alternation a) m aimia pm imi ga iia Practice Routine and Contextualization Begin with Ex. 1 each day and practice each pattem using the methods presented in Part 1, Lesson 6 (Sequential Addition, Slow-Fast Alteration, Accentuation and Dynamics, Rhythmic Variation), over a few weeks as follows, Day1 |Day2 [Days |Daya [Days |Dayo Group [ab |o-d [aw |o-d |b) |o-a) Group2 [a—» [oa [w—» [o-a |w-» [o-w Group3_|a) o a a) ») a The chord progressions provided in Part 1 (Lessons 6 & 7) can be used for contextualization. A practice grid is provided in Appendix 6.RH42 Arpeggios Lesson 42—Further Useful Arpeggio Patterns simultaneous thumb-finger patterns - fingers-only patterns with independent thumb parts - 19th-century Alberti patterns 1 this lesson we'll look at three groups of arpeggio patterns that closely resemble the fingering configurations that occur in pieces. Group 1—Simultaneous Thumb-Finger Patterns Patterns in which the thumb plays simultaneously with a finger closely sit fingerings that occur as a matter of course in regular (non-arpeggio) passages: ulate + Group 2—Fingers-Only Patterns With Independent Thumb Parts ‘The combination of an independent thumb-part with the fingers-only patterns already studied can be used to develop further independence between the thumb and fingers and closely simulates playing situations in general: Here’s a model based on the imam pattern: 3) imam yy 9 <) ef fan ffiesh ca Fae at pr 6 (Further examples along these lines, by Dionisio Aguado, may be found in Lesson 45.) 63RH42 Arpeggios These patterns also offer the opportunity to practice simultaneous damping with the thumb: Several 19th-century guitarists incorporated thumb damping into their arpeggio figurations. For example: Anton DIABELLI, Sonata Op. 29, No. 2, The following well-known etude by Napoleon Coste is perhaps the most challenging example from the period: Napoleon COSTE, Etude Op.38, No. 23. Allegro Moderato In his well-known €.1925 recording of this etude, Spanish guitarist Miguel Llobet achieves a quite astonishing tempo, though he perhaps accomplished this through constant series of well-timed very fast compound bursts of im rather than by a series of ‘genuinely individual strokes. + Group 3—19th-Century Alberti-Style Patterns The following Alberti-style patterns are found often in the early nineteenth-century repertoire of such Italian guitarists as Mauro Giuliani and Ferdinando Carulli.RH42 Arpeggios ‘These patterns also provide a good opportunity to experiment with melodic and accompaniment tone: Practice Routine and Contextualization Work on the three groups together over the course of several weeks, again using the methods described in Part 1, Lesson 6. A Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6. Day1 _|Day2 |Day3 |Daya |Days |Day6 Group1 a») |o-d |o-p |e |o-a |e-p Group2 imam —iama_[miai__fiaia —[amim | aimi Group3_|a—» |o-a [a [o-a |a—» [oa Be sure to practice the thumb-damping figurations provided for the Group 2 patterns. Again, once comfortable use chord progressions such as the following (provided earlier in Lesson 7) to contextualize the patterns: 65RH43 Arpeggies Lesson 43—(Arpeggios) Further Practice Methods further development of the fundamental arpeggio forms - the internal rhythm of an arpeggio L addition to the four main practice methods we've been using throughout this book, this lesson we'll explore several further practice methods that can be used to refine any arpeggio pattern, These should be used with at least the following, patterns (which are so fundamental to right-hand technique that they should be practiced as part of the daily warm-up routine): pmiipma pam pima pamii pimami Isolating These techniques can also be applied on a case by case basis as part of a systematic refinement of patterns that may appear in repertoire being studied at any particular time, Explore the consistency and timing of individual fingers within a pattem by starting, with a single finger and gradually adding the others in the rhythmic position they ‘occupy in the complete arpeggio. This is especially useful for patterns that incorporate a compound stroke, the pima arpeggio for example: pom pim poma pima Melodic Arpeggiation ‘Thumb Mobility Each finger of the pattem may be explored in a similar fashion. Experiment with using a rest stroke or a hybrid stroke to play string © of an arpeggio with ‘melodic tone while playing the remaining strings with a neutral accompaniment tone. In actual pieces of music, the thumb may play on any of the bass strings during an arpeggio passage (as well as the string played by the i finger). It's therefore useful to practice varied string-assignments for the thumb. The following assignments, written out for a pim arpeggio, can be applied to any pattern. Repeat each beat three times, then twice, then play straight through as written:RH43 Arpeggios ‘A pattern can be shifted between the various string sets. Using the pim arpeggio as a model, play the following as a continuous exercise, again repeating each measure three times, then twice then, finally, playing straight through without repeats. Adjust the forearm contact-point to move between the various string sets: Shifting Between String Sets Two or more fingers may share a string. For example, using a pima arpeggio as a model, a string may be shared by the following fingers: String Sharing ‘A pattern may be rotated to create different starting fingers; this is useful for developing Rotation evenness of individual fingers. Using pima as a model, for example, generates: imap api apimRH43 Arpeggios Disjunct String Disjunct string-groupings may be assigned between various finger pairs, again using Assignments pima as an example: Further In addition to contextualizing a pattern by applying it to a chord progression, melodic Contextualization movement may be assigned to an individual finger involved in the arpeggio, as follows: Exploring the Playing an arpeggio pattern in the context of a chord progression creates an internal Internal Rhythm ——thythm—the grouping patterns formed by the motivic shape of the pattern, For ‘example, here's the right-hand pattern from Matteo Carcassi’s Etude Mélodique, Op. 60 No. 2, along with some possible groupings: ‘Note: grouping-accents should be barely perceptible, almost a suggestion 68RH4S Arpeggios Of the four groupings, Nos. 1 and 2 feel quite mechanical. No. 3, splitting-off the opening bass-note, is more interesting. Most satisfactory, at least to my ear, is No 4, which both splits-off the opening bass-note and emphasizes the beginning of the group of five repeated Es on the first string, While the internal rhythm of an arpeggio often simply falls in ith the meter, on other occasions the groupings can be more sophisticated —depending on the position of the highest and lowest notes and the presence of repeated notes and open strings. For example: z abt; r t f tC P - Here are the main things we hear in this patter: 1. the syncopated rhythm of the open-E on string © 2. the rhythm of the open-A on string © 3. the metrically strong and dissonant F on the third beat of the measure ‘These elements generate the following note-groupings: ‘There are, of course, many ways to interpret (and to hear) the intemal rhythm of a pattern such as this, and each player will decide what they find interesting about it. Emphasizing one finger or one string at a time over several passes of the pattern will help reveal the possibilities. Practice Routine Use the practice techniques described in this lesson with the seven fundamental arpeggio patterns provided at the beginning, along with any further patterns that may present themselves in the repertoire being learned at any particular point in time. 69RH44 Arpeggios Lesson 44—(Arpeggios) Virtuosity velocity fingerings - volume fingerings - unusual (but useful) string assignments - right-hand glissando - the right-hand little-inger (c) Ihis lesson explores fingerings designed to extend the limits of dynamic, articulation, and speed otherwise imposed by more standard fingerings. Volume When arpeggio textures occur in very loud and prolonged contexts, such as in chamber Fingerings music or a concerto, increased use of the thumb can be an effective method of projecting and sustaining a forte dynamic level: sim pmpmp f t Velocity Here are some useful fingerings that allow several standard patterns to be played at Fingerings much faster tempos than those attainable with the more usual fingerings—pimi becomes piam and pmim becomes pmia or pami (a modified tremolo): piam pmia pami ‘The following fingering allows for fast alternation of chords with an intervening single- note—a texture that crops up from time to time in the repertoire: 34 wl Here's an example: Ferdinando CARULLI, Op. 327, Allegro moderato af co Uru 70RH44 Arpeggios ‘The following pattern exemplifies an increased use of the thumb that allows for considerably faster tempos than would otherwise be possible with a standard one finger per string assignment: Ferdinando CARULLI, Op. 325. Here’s an historical example, taken from the unprecedented system of fingerings presented in the Russian Seven-String Guitar Method by Andrei Sychra (pub. 1840): ‘This method, along with the instructions contained in his deceptively titled Practical Rules Consisting of Four Exercises (St. Petersburg, 1817), contains an almost bewildering array of sophisticated right-hand arpeggio and cross-string ornamentation fingerings. (Also see Lesson 54 in the section dealing with Cross-String Omamentation). And here's an application to a well-known concert piece from the early twentieth- century (if not for sheer speed, then for improved control over sound, accentuation, and rhythm): Agustin BARRIOS, La Catedral IIL mpiapmi Here are a couple of unusual string assignments that nevertheless crop up fairly often in Unusual (but the repertoire. The first deals with a descending arpeggio that descends across all six useful) String strings. Be sure to use a backwards movement of the forearm to carry the fingers to the Assignments new string-set n72 RH44 Arpeggios ou (Further fingering possibilities for this pattern are explored in the next section). ‘At certain tempos—those that are not quite fast enough for a compound stroke to be useful but also not quite slow enough for all of the fingers to behave independently — rhythmic precision can be enhanced by substituting the agile i finger for the less independent a finger, especially in prolonged forte passages. For example: pimi pimimi Fn Soe = Right-Hand Glissando Patterns The following exercise, based on Térrega, uses a relentless alteration of awkward string crossings that over-practice the unusual string assignments described in this section: ‘The period of transition from the five-course baroque guitar to the five-single-string, classical guitar was marked by musical texture that relied heavily on arpeggiation. The many method books of this time abound in sophisticated fingering patterns, including, patterns that use right-hand glissando—a technique in which a right-hand finger drags across two or more strings as part of the pattern. Here are some examples of a presently neglected technique that modern players may wish to re-appropriate: Antoine LEMOINE (Paris, 1790) po imam i Charles DOISY (Paris, ¢.1800) pmi_ pmi_Charles DOISY (Paris, c.1800) poimi_ primi Several modern applications immediately present themselves, including passages such as the following (typical of Joaquin Rodrigo): (or with a full a-finger glissando): po im a Pp re fe J.8. Bach, Ciaconna bwo 1004 (and other rapid, loud circular-arpeggio patterns) pima Whether or not you will ultimately use the right-hand little finger (¢) in your playing, The Right-Hand it's a good idea to do at least some arpeggio practice that includes it, if only to further Little Finger (c) develop the independence of the adjacent a finger. ‘To play the following patterns beyond a slow-to-moderate tempo you will need to use compound strokes, as marked (incorporating the ¢ finger in addition to ma) Also see the resources mentioned in Lesson 3, by Charles Postlewaite ‘and Leonhard Beck (Mel Bay Publications). Boe E ey Beer tp) Prema re) See eeRH45 Arpeggios Lesson 45— (Arpeggios) Advanced Repertoire Excerpts repertoire excerpts with suggestions for practice: repertoire suggestions is concluding lesson takes a look at some of the trickier arpeggio patterns found the repertoire and provides additional suggestions for practicing them. T Heitor Villa. Inaddition to the shifting string-assignments used by p and i, the principal challenge in Lobos, Etude 1 this pattern is the rapid ama alternation, which cannot be played quickly enough with an independent use of the two fingers nor entirely with a compound stroke. Use a compound stroke between am, followed by an independent retum of a. compound stroke a Pipipmizmaimpmpé === == of - J Zo” — = propa (This etude also makes a good exercise practiced with strict pi alternation throughout.) Térrega-Alard, This iconic study, arranged by Térrega from Delphin Alard’s unaccompanied violin Estudio brillante L, benefits from varied placement of the compound stroke: Dionisio Aguado, arly nineteenth-century virtuoso and pedagogue Dionisio Aguado employed a Estudios (1843) number of challenging arpeggio patterns that incorporate simultaneous use of the thumb and fingers. These patterns should be thoroughly comfortable fingers-only, after 74which the thumb may be added, alternating between fingers-only and the complete thumb-fingers together versions: = RH45 Arpeggios SS r 2 Mid-nineteenth-century virtuoso Giulio Regondi used an eight-note violinistic returning-figure that presents several difficulties for rhythmically accurate performance on the guitar. While Regondi may simply have used an ascending pima followed with a descending amip or a simple pi glissando across the strings (both resulting in a rhythmically nuanced effect), a rhythmically precise solution for this pattern which brings the agile i finger over onto the first string is worth exploring: The concert works of another mid-nineteenth-century virtuoso, Johann Kaspar Mertz, often include extended arpeggio passages in which a melody is supported by a rapid and very soft alternation of pi (note Mertz’ use of an m finger glissando to play the two upper strings in the third example): a mipi b mipi o mip Giulio Regondi, Various Concert Works Johann Kaspar ‘Mertz, Various Concert works BRH45 Arpeggios ‘Miguel Llobet, Sor Variations and Repuesta Emilio Pujol, Estudio— El abejorro 76 Here's another figuration by Mertz worth practicing (the original fingering is unspecified) ‘Tarrega protégé Miguel Llobet employed the following variant of the circular arpeggio in several of his concert works: While originally intended to be played pimi, Emilio Pujol's well-known El abgjorro (‘The Bumble Bee’) provides a great opportunity to use the piam velocity fingering described in the previous lesson: Vivace (=©.184) imaArpeggiation alone has rarely provided sufficient interest to allow a composer to write anything more than an etude or a short section within an overall larger work using the technique. Still, there’s no doubting the importance of the technique to the guitarist’s ‘general right-hand development nor its effectiveness as a sectional texture of a larger work, especially in the nineteenth-century repertoire. Here's a selection of iconic works that use the technique, whether etudes, technical workouts, or larger works that incorporate it. J. 8. BACH, Prelude wo 999—a short piece based on a single pattern throughout (an ‘opposed pattern similar to the circular arpeggio). Ciaconna bwo 1004—contains two sections of non-specified arpeggiation susceptible to a wide range of patterns as determined by the performer Ferdinando CARULLI, Grande Etude from Méthode complete, Op. 27—a several-hundred- measure piece traversing almost every imaginable key and employing a good dozen arpeggio patterns. Napoleon COSTE, Etude Op. 38, No, 23—an extended, challenging, and attractive study dealing, with im repetition in conjunction with damped basses. Anton DIABELLI 7 Praludien, Op. 103—a set of extended figuration preludes. Carlo DOMENICONI, Koyunbaba & Sinbad—relatively rare examples from the contemporary concert repertoire of extended systematic arpeggiation (with evocative harmony). Mauro GIULIANI, 120 Arpeggio patterns from Studio per Guitar, Op. 1, Part 1-a comprehensive catalogue of arpeggio patterns concemed as much with abstract technical exercise as with providing examples of common patterns. Grand Ouverture Op. 61—a major concert work containing extended ‘reverse’ arpeggio sections together with extended dynamic effects. Six Preludes Op. 83-—examples of extended arpeggio patterns and adventurous, harmony (though probably attributable to the earlier French guitarist Antoine de Lhoyer), Miguel LLOBET, Respuesia-Imprompiu—based on Llobet’s characteristic shared-string circular arpeggio. Johann Kaspar MERTZ, Elegy—a concert work containing several sophisticated arpeggio, passages. An Malvina, La Gondolera & Fingals Hohle from Berdenklange Op 13 —attractive intermediate-evel works with extended passages of ‘melodic’ arpeggiation. Emilio PUJOL, Estudio “El abgjorro’—a short, exciting study well suited to experimentation with velocity fingerings. Franscisco TARREGA J Delphin Alard, Estudio brilante—a challenging. violinistic arpeggio pattern Heitor VILLA-LOBOS, Etudes 1, 7 & 11; Preludes 2, 4; Concerto—works containing typically innovative textures and impressionistic ‘guitar harmonies’ RH45, Arpeggios Repertoire SuggestionsRH46 Tremolo Rhtythm Lesson 46—(Tremolo) Refinement refinement of rhythm and dynamic ver the next several lessons we'll explore techniques for refining the tremolo thythmically and dynamically. We'll also take a look at advanced tremolos that occur in the concert repertoire, some of which are unique to their composers, along with a brief historical survey outlining the development of the technique, its musical function, and the historical fingerings employed. Having worked on the exercises in Lesson 12, you should now be able to cycle the tremolo pattern at speed. However, it’s unlikely that you're able to do this with precisely-controlled rhythm. While a fast galloping tremolo is quite easy to achieve, a slower rhythmically-controlled tremolo is much more effective. In this section we'll look at practice methods that help tighten the rhythm of the tremolo, ‘The standard tremolo fingering pattern is divided into equal parts by p and m: Focusing on these two notes is an invaluable aid to developing a rhythmically-accurate tremolo, ‘+ Work on the following exercise at a moderate rather than a fast tempo, focusing throughout on the accentuation and consistency of the m finger: PM Pam PM P Mi cass, ‘+ Use the following rhythmic groupings to explore the accuracy of the various finger pairs: i pete o 4 3 I + Apply the ami finger sequence to two-note and four-note accentuation schemes— exaggerate the accentuation indicated:(Be aware of the broader sequence of accented notes—aim and ami). + Once comfortable at a moderate tempo, alternate back and forth between a moderate tempo version and a faster one. ‘+ Apply the tremolo finger-sequence to a three-note accentuation scheme for further rhythmic control. Again, the indicated accentuation should be exaggerated: + Practice the following exercise at a range of tempos, guided by a metronome: RH46 Tremolo Metronome Practice erese. dim. Since a metronome marking of around 4 = 100 is about the slowest tempo that a compound stroke can be used (and it’s actually quite challenging at this relatively slow tempo), this is a good tempo to start out with + After playing the exercise, focusing on consistent rhythm and dynamic, increase the tempo by about 10 digits (on a digital metronome). Continue in this way until you reach your limit of control and then reduce the tempo until control is regained. ‘As you experiment with metronome practice, you'll discover that tremolo technique can. feel quite different at various speeds. Since pieces of music that employ tremolo aren't all intended to be played at exactly the same tempo, it’s important that you're able to perform a tremolo comfortably at a variety of tempos. Still, the practical range of tremolo performance tempos is relatively narrow, between approximately /= 144 to 176 for an instance of the four notes. Practice Routine Practice these exercises daily, periodically revisiting the exercise sequence provided in section 3 of Lesson 12, Bbe sure to practice on both strings ® and @. At tempos slower than J= 6.120, pami hardly works at all for tremolo and imi becomes a more effective fingering,RH47 Tremolo Developing the Thumb (ami Lesson 47—(Tremolo) Further Development developing the thumb - moving between string sets, T is lesson explores the role of the thumb and the movement of the fingers between the strings. Movement of the righthand thumb between the strings without interfering with the tremolo itself is a major component of the technique. It’s important that no matter on which string the thumb plays the hand maintains a position that allows the fingers to alternate on a single string in the most efficient way possible. As a result, the thumb ‘makes an increasingly larger angle with the hand as it moves to successively lower strings. The angle made by the thumb with each string, along with the contact point on the nail also changes, becoming shallower as the thumb moves to successively lower strings. + Rest the three fingers together on the first string, and without moving the hand, use the following string-crossing sequence to explore the movement of the thumb between the strings: 6 'p eS > r ‘+ Establish a tremolo on string © with p on string ® and follow the string sequence provided above, playing each thumb-note four times before changing strings. As you become comfortable with the movements, gradually reduce the number of repetitions of each thumb-note until you are eventually able to play the thumb- sequence in single notes, as written, + Repeat the exercise, taking the thumb onto the same string as the fingers: Moving the Fingers Between the Strings 80 It’s common in tremolo pieces for the melody to move between the first and second strings, and sometimes to the third string, Unlike string crossing with the thumb, when. changing strings with the fingers we need to carry them to the new string by adjusting the forearm contact-point with the upper bout of the guitar (the fingers retain their optimal curvature; the thumb changes the angle it makes with its string),RH47 Tremolo Here's a set of exercises that explore the movement: (wrep.9) (orep.a) @ @ oer) (prep.a) @ a (prepa) (rep.a) Practice Routine Practice these exercises daily, periodically revisit 3) and Lesson 46, once or twice a week. in Lesson 12 (section 8182 RH48 Tremolo Rubato and Phrasing Adding a Performance Context Lesson 48—(Tremolo) Agogic and Dynamic Inflexion agogic and dynamic inflection - performance context miscellaneous observations hile rhythmic accuracy is essential for effective tremolo technique, the ability to apply controlled rubato (accelerando and ritardando) is equally so. Without this, there’s no way to convincingly begin or end a musical phrase. Here are the principal ‘musical gestures needed for phrasing with tremolo: oe = - - 7 - . oR e's, (Before playing this exercise as written, establish the overall agogic shape of the gesture by playing with p only.) To create a complete musical shape, once comfortable these exercises should also be practiced crescendo during the accelerando passages and diminuendo during the ritardando passages. Full intemal jon of the tremolo technique requires a performance context that involves the left hand. Any chord progression from any arpeggio study can be used, of course, as well as any piece or passage from a piece that employs tremolo technique. Initially (and for maintenance), however, it’s a good idea to use music with quite straightforward left-hand movements, rather than the often challenging left-hand movements found in concert tremolo pieces. A list of repertoire that uses the technique, organized by difficulty level, can be found at the end of Lesson 50. In the meantime, here are a couple of chord progressions you could also use:RH48 Tremolo Further Observations A few further things to consider when performing tremolo pieces: + a slower, rhythmically-accurate tremolo with consistent tone is always more effective than a tremolo that's fast but not particularly consistent in timbre, dynamic, or rhythm ‘+ at less than moderate tempos pimi works better than pami (some well-known concert players even use pimi as their default tremolo fingering); piam can also work well at intermediate tempos, as can pima + the thumb ostinato is just as important as the melody, sometimes more so—it must be consistent and appropriately-shaped (practice it without the tremolo) + to avoid fatigue, temporarily switch to pimi at the end of phrases or sections, taking advantage of the natural rubato that occurs at those points + the pami tremolo fingering used today was developed only around 1850; because of the effect that a particular fingering has on the range of available tempos, tremolo textures in music written before this time are often most effective when played with their historical fingering, usually pimi, pmim or Pipi 83RH49 Tremolo Five-Note Flamenco Tremolo ‘Three-Note Continuous Tremolo Lesson 49—Advanced Tremolos (Virtuosity) five-note flamenco tremolo - three-note continuous tremolo - four and eight- note continuous tremolo - double (interlocking tremolo) - tremolando - thamb- only tremolo - brush tremolo: non-guitaristic tremolo ‘n addition to the standard four-note pami tremolo, several further patterns are used from time to time. Most can be practiced with the methods described in previous lessons, along with the suggestions provided here. A five-note tremolo pattern—piami—is used often in flamenco music. The extra note allows the sustained tremolo effect to be maintained at a wider range of tempos (lightly slower ones) than the standard four-note pattern alone: piami ‘+ Use the exercises provided in Lessons 12 (section 3) and 46, beginning with the following sequence: amip / amipi; then add further preparations and plucking actions until you're cycling through the pattern continuously. ‘The three-finger ami tremolo is a continuous tremolo that can be used with or without the thumb, When present, the thumb part can be quite rhythmically independent from the tremolo itself: + Begin with an instance of ami and add successive preparations and plucking, actions until several cycles of the pattern are established—see Lessons 12 (section 3) and 46. ‘+ Use the following exercise to incorporate independent thumb parts:RH49 Tremolo amia ami ote In four- and eight-note continuous tremolos, the thumb plays on the same string as the Four- and fingers. The thumb can also be taken from the first string to play a lower string, creating Note Continuous a lower voice-part: Tremolo pami pamip ‘+ Practice as described in Lesson 12 (section 3), beginning with an instance of ami and adding successive preparations and plucking actions until you have several repetitions of the pattern. + Use the exercise provided for the three-note tremolo above to develop the thumb on the lower strings. (Czech guitarist composer Stepan Rak also plays the four-note pattern with the fingers cami.) This effective tremolo pattern was developed by Czech guitarist-composer Stepan Rak. Double An effect of two interlocking tremolos is created by bringing p and m onto the second (Interlocking) string within an otherwise standard tremolo fingering: Tremolo pam ipami ‘Again, this pattern can be developed with the method described in Lesson 12 (section 3). Tremolando, on the guitar, refers to the repeated plucking of two or more strings ‘Tremolando simultaneously. This requires that the fingers adopt a rest-stoke position in order to play both strings simultaneously (ie, they are fairly straight at the middle joint). 85RH49 Tremolo (Another effective triplet tremolando fingering —which also works for three or more strings simultaneously —consists of a combined mi down-strum followed by individual i and m up- strums (as described earlier, in Lesson 39, Rasgueado). Here's an example from the music of Stepan Rak that combines plucked and rasgueado tremolando to create an eight-note figure: Stepan Rak, Balalaika (1989). © 2006 Fons Orphie. ca ami @ o thttis i (While the little-finger is used in this eight-note figure, a six-note figure that omits this finger isa viable alternative.) Single-Finger 1’ also possible to play a tremolo with an i-finger dedillo—a series of rapid repeated up (dedillo) and and down strokes (whether on a single string or an several strings simultaneously): ‘Thumb-Only Derk van der VEEN, The Contemporary Guitar: Hora (1996). © 201 Ml ay Poblicons Adagio di tzigane (senza misura e molto rubato) dedillo i) normal (p) Similarly, a tremolo on the bass strings can be played by the thumb alone (possibly accompanied by notes above played by the fingers). The following example is again taken from the music of Stepan Rak 86RH49 Tremolo Stepan RAK, Balalaika (1989). ©2006 Fttions rp. Lento rubato A ulgar tremolo *Y ic fi PP (An carly twenticth-century example of single-finger dedillo tremolo technique, by William Foden, is provided in the next lesson.) ‘An evocative effect in which the strings are rapidly brushed with the fleshy pad of the ‘Brush’ Tremolo index finger is occasionally called for. Here's an example: dD yd “2 "brush tremolo! (The effect is also heard in Luiz Bonfa's highly evocative arrangement of the Gross-Lawrence song, Tenderly.) And here's another example from the music of Stepan Rak, which also includes left- hand only articulation in the lower voice: Stepan RAK, Guitar Music of Stepan Rak: The Czech Fairy Tales (1988), © 1995 idbri Music/ Mel Bay Publications, tempo ad ib, cv O a2 2 e3i§ 8 tg sigs, oe 3 — t BERT trish remolindo Sie t= Spat ie tite mnfth J It’s often the case that when a non-guitarist composer writes a tremolo texture for the instrument it takes the form of a continuous generic figure (sometimes Non-Guitaristic interspersed chords), rather than the thumb-fingers tremolo traditional to the guitar. Tremolo ‘The challenge in these situations usually lies in preserving the notated figuration at the intended tempo. Here are few examples of typical of tremolo textures found in the ‘music of such composers as Malcolm Amold, Lennox Berkeley, and Benjamin Britten: 87RH49 Tremolo ‘A possible performance solution: for this passage is as follows: pami pami a Here are a couple of further fairly common textures, along with suggested fingerings (further examples may be found in the next lesson): a) pami pami ae Ff __ Feet ff Situations such as these must of course be treated on a case-by-case basis. Satisfactory solutions, however, almost always involve using the thumb as part of the tremolo figure, as well as to play any interspersed chords that may be present. Contextualization ‘The advanced tremolo techniques explored in this lesson are worth exploring for continued right-hand development, regardless of whether or not you will learn the often virtuosic repertoire that uses them. 88RH50 Tremolo Lesson 50—(Tremolo) Historical Survey and Repertoire historical survey of tremolos and fingerings - recommended repertoire Ithough the standard modern tremolo fingering came into use only as recently as the mid-nineteenth century, tremolo textures have long been a part of the playing technique of plucked instruments. Here’s a brief historical survey of the technique, along with the various fingerings that were used (which, in some cases, are worth considering for performances of historical repertoire today). ‘One of the earliest examples of a four-note tremolo texture is found in the finale to a renaissance lute fantasy attributed to John Dowland (c. 1600). This would have been fingered entirely with pi alternation: an = eter (ABA BB r of et Ce Three and four-note tremolo passages (fingered with pim, but not with a) were common in the late eighteenth century, the period of transition from the five-string guitar to the six-string guitar. Here are a couple of examples taken from concertos by B. Vidal (c.1792) and Charles Doisy (c.1802): BVIDAL p im c.DoSy pimi Textures such as these are rhythmic rather than melodic and were used quite often through the first-half of the nineteenth century. By mid-century, however, several developments occurred: the technique took on a mandolin-like melodic function and a three-finger pattern gradually emerged. 89RH50 Tremolo Johann Kaspar Mertz, using the technique to project a sustained melody rather than a rhythmic effect, wrote passages such as the following (the right-hand fingering, still does not include the a finger): Johann Kaspar MERTZ, Pianto dell amante (c. 1850) pmimpm im Although we don’t know for certain which fingering he actually used, Giulio Regondi often regarded as one of the first guitarists to use the full four-finger tremolo techni we use today. Here’s an excerpt from his overtly melodic Reverie-Nocturne, Op. 19 (1864): = Around the same time, the Spanish guitarist Julian Arcas (1832-1882) appears to have used a full four-finger tremolo in several pieces, though again the fingering intended was not included in the published score. Here's an excerpt from his fantasia, El Delirio (pub. c.1860): [pam ij fh Fi; a 9, AS the fingering was included in the published score (although the piece was published a little after the guitarist’s death): cresc. cen. do itn. é F tempoRHS5O Tremolo Whatever the case may be, from this point the four-finger tremolo patter became standard, and with it an andante-moderato tempo was imposed upon the music that ‘employed it. Francisco Tarrega was among the first guitarists to use the technique throughout an entire piece, rather than only for sections of a piece, and finally, in his Recuerdos de la Alhambra (c.1900), the three-finger tremolo fingering was provided in the original publication): Andante During the early decades of the twentieth century, the Italian guitarist Benvenuto Terzi employed a continuous three-note tremolo as well as a continuous three-note tremolando in several of his published pieces: Benvenuto TERZI, Melanconie Autunnali, Op. 4 (c, 1926). © 1995 Edizioni Béxben eee : L P = Benvenuto TERZI-PAGANINI, La Campanella Op. 39 (c.1926). © 1995 Edizioni Béxben Around the same time, American guitarist William Foden similarly employed a wide range of tremolos, including three, four, and eight-note continuous tremolos and a single-finger (plectrum style) tremolo: aRH50 Tremolo William FODEN, La Reve (1905) gap SEL 2 oe = ft — 7 Tremolo * Pay this part tro, cher ih the frst fig lone, or wih the frst and secon, same asthe precaling strains. More recently, as mentioned in the previous lesson, Czech guitarist-composer Stepan. Rak has developed a wide range of evocative ‘orchestral’ tremolo effects, including an eight-note tremolo pattern that gives the effect of two simultaneous interlocking tremolos: Stepan RAK, Guitar Music of Stepan Rak: Elegy (1987). © 199 Idbri Music / Met Bay Publications, 92RH 50 Tremolo Recommended Repertoire Here's a graded selection of repertoire that employs tremolo technique: Easy Anton DIABELLI Prelude Op. 103, No. 6 Antonio NAVA Study in A-mi (Yates Graded Repertoire vol. 2) Manuel PONCE 24 Preludes, No. 2 Jul ‘Third Book of Guitar Lessons, No. 4 Moderate Julian ARCAS—TARREGA —_—_La Traviata Fantasy ‘Agustin BARRIOS Cancion de la Hilandera Federico MORENO-TORROBA Melodia (from Characteristic Pieces) ‘Tremolo (from Suite Miniatura) Manuel PONCE Variations and Fugue on Folias de Espaiia (Var. 16) Emilio PUJOL Hommage a Tarrega Giulio REGONDI ‘Ime Air Varieé (Var. 3) Eduardo SAINZ DE LA MAZA —Camparias del Alba Regino SAINZ DELA MAZA __Sacrificio (from La Frontera de Dios) Francisco TARREGA Carnaval of Venice (Var. 11) Jota (excerpt) ‘Advanced Agustin BARRIOS Contemplacion Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios Un Sueiio en la Floresta Lennox BERKELEY Theme and Variations (Var. 3) Benjamin BRITTEN Nocturnal (Var. 7) Nikita KOSHKIN Merlin’s Dream Rain Johann Kaspar MERTZ Pianto dell‘amante Fantaisie Originale, Op. 65 Concertino Manuel PONCE Etude Giulio REGONDI Reverie-Nocturne, Op. 19 Francisco TARREGA Recuerdos de la Alhambra Suetio Tema y Estudio de Concierto de Thalberg Andante de la Sonata num. 9 de Beethoven Benevuto TERZI Melanconie Autunnali, Op. 4 Virtuosic Willian FODEN La Reve Stepan RAK Voces de Profundis Balalaika Elegy Song for David Czech Fairy Tales Sonata Mongoliana (and many other pieces!) Benevuto TERZI La Campanela, Op. 39 (Paganini) Derk van der VEEN Hora 93RHS1 Cross-String Ornaments 94 Lesson 51—Cross-String Ornaments right-hand glissando ornaments Ithough not entirely without historical precedent, the widespread adoption of cross-string ornamentation is a relatively recent phenomenon, at least in the form of fast short figures. ‘The distinction between traditional violin-style legato omaments slurred on a single string and the articulate, incisive ornaments of the harp-like cross-string variety is, of course, that the latter consists of a rapid alternation of plucked notes played across two or more strings. Over the next several lessons we'll look at the various types of cross-string ornaments, the right-hand fingerings used to play them, and practice techniques that can be used to develop and refine them. We'll conclude with a brief historical survey of the technique. The most straightforward cross-string ornament consists of a simple short-appoggiatura (or acciaccatura) played across the two strings with a single-finger glissando followed by a damping action of another finger to silence the higher (dissonant) string: immediately ‘amps string © ®@ (This can be assisted by a subtle backwards arm movement.) Mordents and short main-note trlls can be played by combining the glissando with an additional plucked note as follows: A [damp witha} (Again, this can be assisted by a subtle backwards movement of the arm; it’s also possible to play these figures with an ma compound stroke.) Upper-note trills can be played with a multiple-finger glissando; a free-finger again silences the dissonant open-string at the end of the figure):And we can combine any of these figures with a bass-note played by the thumb: fn + Use the following practi sequence to help incorporate the thumb: (cest-stroke) (ceststroke) * Here's a short musical passage to experiment with: 1) short appoggiatura or main-note till 2) mordent 3) short-appoggiatura, main-note or upper-note trill While glissando fingerings are expedient, especially at very fast tempos and can be played quite forcefully, a more nuanced effect results from plucking each note of the ornament individually, as we'll see in the next lesson. NOTES. Long trills (written-out in full in the musie) were quite common during the early nineteenth century and appeared fainly regularly in the music of such Italian guitarists as Mauro Giuliani and Ferdinando Carulli. The Guitar Method of Russian guitarist Adrei Sychra (1840), though not well known, includes all manner of sophisticated cross-string ornaments, both short and long (see lesson 54). While a discussion of the musical function and application of these ornaments is beyond our scope, something along these lines may be found in my J. S. Bach, Six Unaocompanied Cello Suites Arranged for the Guitar (Mel Bay Publications, 1998, pp. 164-74). RH51 Cross-String OrnamentsRHS2 Cross-String Ornaments Lesson 52—Fully-Fingered Ornaments fully-fingered ornaments - compound stroke inner voices F ully-fingered cross-string ornaments are used when an incisive, articulate effect is desired. While it’s possible to play a fully-fingered cross-string ornament with straightforward alternation patterns such as mi and ip (or ipmp), all three right-hand fingers are needed to play rapidly with incisive rhythm. While several fingerings are possible, I find the following to be the most effective: mordent mainnote trill upper-note till mia ami iam miam ie ee ‘Some players prefer to incorporate the thumb with fingerings such as miap, aimp or amip, though it can be a little more challenging to balance the sound of the thumb and fingers. The exercises provided here can of course be practiced with these fingerings if desired, Beyond evenness of timbre and dynamic, one of the advantages of fingers-only patterns. is that the thumb is free to play a further bass note or an inner voice at the end of the omament, if needed: (The inner-voice in this example could just as easily be played with i of course). The essential technical consideration with fingers-only pattems is that instances of am be played with a compound stroke (which can be aided by a subtle backwards movement of the arm to bring m onto the lower string). Here's a practice method to help incorporate the compound stroke into the cross-string pattern: + Establish the compound stroke across the two strings, as follows (be sure to observe the accentuation indicated):Prepare a and i on strings ® and ® respectively and add_i to the begi figure: 1g of the Alternate with the ma compound stroke, as follows: E = 7 o a When this becomes comfortable, you can abandon preparing the fingers on the strings ahead of time. Add a further instance of m at the beginning to complete the upper-note tril figure: Finally, place a (or i if preferred) back on string © to silence what would, in a ‘musical situation, be a dissonant clash between the strings: —e mniam @ It’s also possible to replace the compound pair with a single-finger glissando across the two strings, damping string © with i: mia- @ RH52 Cross-String Ornaments 97RHS52 Cross-String Ornaments ‘The thumb may be added to these exercises to provide a bass note beneath the first note of each figure (as well as at the end of a figure to play a further bass-note or an additional inner-voice on string @ or , as shown earlier; when an inner-voice falls on string @, i can also be used). Cross-string/slurred combinations used for more elaborate ornaments and for figures that can't be fingered entirely across the strings by the left hand are explored in the next lesson ‘The Expressive Aspect In actual musical situations, its often effective to hold-out the final note (the written note or main note) of an ornament a litle longer than written; to gauge this, first play the passage without the ormament. It’s also often effective to| slightly lengthen the (usually) dissonant first note of the ornament as well. Contextualization To integrate an ornament into a musical passage, after practicing the ornament itself add the note that follows it and then, one by one, the notes that comprise the beat that precedes it For example, to integrate an iam main-note trill in the following passage: Isaac ALBENIZ (arr. Yates), 26 Pieces: Tango, Op. 164, No. 2. ©1999 Mel Bay Publications uw a tempo \decse1_ 3 98RHS2 Cross-String Ornaments Here are some further examples to experiment with. J.S. BACH (arr. Yates), 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Sarabande, Cello Suite 3 ©1998 Met ddim ¢ molto ritard, BACH (art. Yates), 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Courunte, Cello Suite 1, ©1998 Mel Bay Pabhcation, 99RH53 Cross-String Ornaments Lesson 53—Longer Ornaments loge ire sing omaments rset ured combination Long Trills hile longer sequences of alternation between the two strings at moderate tempos can be accomplished with im or pi (or pipm), a three-finger pattern is required at fast tempos, as follows: (Note that the miam trill figure explored in the last lesson is used to conclude these patterns.) I i finger glissando may also be used: mpi-@ia® ~—— t+ SSS When practicing these figures, first establish miam, then add the note that precedes it, continuing in this way adding one note at a time until the complete figure is built up: ‘Three-String Ascending and descending slides can be played with a simple arpeggio over three Ornaments— strings (provided a left-hand fingering is available): Slides, Turns and Trills with Turned pie. ims mae eet itp Endings Turns can be performed in a similar way: mipim i_pim o 100RHS53 Cross-String Ornaments pimip imami imain Finally, trlls with turned endings (or beginnings) can be performed as follows: i p'miampim impmiawpim , @ It’s also possible to use right-hand cross-string technique in combination with left-hand Cross-String / slurs when a figure can’t be fingered entirely across the strings by the left hand, to Slurred alleviate an otherwise overly-complex right-hand fingering, or simply for speed: Combination Even in situations where a cross-string left-hand fingering is unavailable because of the lower supporting harmony, as is often the case in the ‘lute music’ of J. S. Bach, the incisiveness of cross-string articulation can still be retained: While figures such as these aren't historically correct interpretations, it’s virtually impossible for the listener to detect the deception when they're played quickly and accurately. Many possibilities exist along these lines. 101RH 54 Cross-String Ornaments The Late Baroque and Galant Periods Lesson 54—Historical Survey and Repertoire historical survey - long-trills from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries ‘Sychra’s ornaments for the nineteenth-century Russian guitar wr it’s sometimes felt that the use of cross-string ornaments in the performance of historical music is anachronistic, the following examples demonstrate that cross-string oraments were in fact used from time to time historically, alongside their more traditional slurred counterparts. ‘The following passage appears in Santiago de Murcia’s Resumen of 1714. Note that the octave-stringing employed by Murcia on the fifth-course provides the upper octave along with the lower note as written below: Santiago de MURCIA, Allomande mm. 11-12 (1732) The Early Romantic Period 102 tr In his Instructions for playing the wire-string ‘guittar’ of 1758, the Scottish guitarist Robert Bremner described the Shake as being: “performed by the Thumb and Fore-finger of the Right-Hand, sounding that note alternately with the open String above! An interesting annotation appears in the first edition of Simon Molitor’s Grand Sonata {for Guitar, Op. 7 (Vienna, ¢:1806): “tt would be desirable to entirely abandon the method of trlling on one string employed up to now, and instead of that to take up trilling on two strings, as on the harp. In this way the trill can not only be sustained for a long time, but also can be produced more clearly and powerfully’ Molitor also provided the following right-hand fingering options: ‘Simon MOLITOR, from Op. 7 (Vienna, c.1806) Fingers ofthe Ltt Hand” irgers of he Right Hand” om i oioP ia paRH S54 Cross-String Ornaments rovided a cross-string fingering option for long trills in Part 3 of his Studio per la Chitarra, Op. 1 (Vienna, 1812): Mauro GIULIANI, Trill Fingering from Op. 1 (p40) Ferdinando Carulli employed long cross-string trills fairly regularly, writing them out in full in his published scores (though he didn’t indicate the right-hand fingering to be used). Such trills appear at several points in his Andante et Rondeau de Mozart, Op. 167 (Paris, 1822), among many other examples (the left-hand fingering is provided in the original publication): Ferdinando CARULLI, Rondon from Op. 167 (Paris, 1822), m136, In his revised Methode (Op. 241) Carulli instructs us to use ‘two fingers of the right-hand,’ though without telling us which ones, While Carulli’s right-hand fingering would likely have been im, many players will find ia a faster alternative, Parisian guitarist D. Joly, in his Art of Playing the Guitar (1820), went a little further, proposing a ‘new species of trill fingering’ involving three fingers of the right hand (pmim): pmimpmimpmimpmim By far the most interesting historical examples of cross-string omamentation, however, Andrei Sychra’s are those found in the deceptively-titled Practical Rules in the Form of Four Exercises (St. Ornaments for the Petersburg, 1817) and the Method (St. Petersburg, 1840) by the Russian seven-string Russian Seven- guitarist Andrei Sychra. String Guitar Sychra, originally a harpist, appears to be the first guitarist to have used cross-string, fingerings for short, fast figures. The fingerings involved are sophisticated, ingenious, and utilize the thumb and all three fingers of the right-hand. Here are some examples (note that open strings of Sychra’s guitar, from lowest to highest, are tuned D-G-B-D-g-b-d): 103RH54 Cross-String Ornaments mit fo pmi imag m Met erm as, oeoeoeeee & _pinapatapat Fa 2 F 2 im pi__mpi_mpiimy 7 pimpi_mpi_m pi_mu ‘And. with these examples, we conclude our historical survey of cross-string ‘omamentation. NOTES Santiago de Murcia’s fully-notated cross-string trill appears in mm 11-12 of the Allemande found on pp. 263-4 of his 1714 Resumen. ‘The Robert Bremner example was pointed out to me by the Scottish guitarist Rob MacKillop. For more on this, see his Music for Guitar in DADGAD and Open G Tuning (The Hardie Press, 1999, distributed by Mel Bay Publications) . 104Lesson 55—Rest-Stroke Alternation and String Crossing rest-stroke alternation and practice sequence - free-stroke / rest-stroke mixture I [one already outlined in Part 1 the reasons that make finger alternation a necessary technique, over the next several lessons we'll explore the use of rest stroke and free-stroke / rest-stroke mixture in single-line playing, maximizing alternation speed, string crossings at speed, further methods of correcting awkward string crossings, and scales at speed (velocity fingerings). Review the relevant lessons in Part 1 (as indicated below) as you begin work on the material presented in the following lessons. Rest-Stroke Alternation and String-Crossing, While our exploration of shared-string alternation has so far relied mainly on free- stroke technique, rest-stroke technique also plays an invaluable role in single-line playing, both as an exclusive technique in itself (often used for melodic and loud, assertive passages) as well as in predominantly free-stroke passages (for accentuation and other dynamic effects). Review the material presented in Lesson 13 to prepare for the exercises in this lesson. ‘The exercises used in Part 1 for the development of free-stroke alternation (Lessons 9 and 11) can also be used to develop a fluent rest-stroke shared-string, alternation technique. To begin with, this involves the following: ‘+ adjusting the basic hand position and finger curvature to accommodate rest- stroke alternation on a single string + cultivating precise contact points and timing the preparation of the fingers to coincide precisely with the moment of plucking (for legato articulation) + exploring the arm movements needed for efficient string crossing, + dealing with awkward string crossings + developing alternation speed While the process is identical to that used for the free stroke, the following, additi issues require consideration: + descending string crossings may now be accomplished with either finger of the alternating pair by using strict alternation or by employing a single-finger glissando + it's no longer possible to significantly change the curvature of a finger to assist an isolated awkward string-crossing + the position of the right-hand thumb now extends to the soundboard as the fingers move onto the lower strings RHS55 Rest-Stroke Alternation 105RH55 Rest-Stroke ‘Aiseriation ‘A Further Position for the Thumb Ws also possible to position the thumb close to the plucking fingers (and not necessarily touching @ string or the soundboard) to provide a resting point that| limits their movements (as occurs when a finger comes to rest on the next lower string). ‘The rest-stroke development sequence follows that provided for the free stroke in Lesson 9. As you return to these exercises be sure to re-read the text associated with each, bearing in mind the following rest-stroke-specific considerations as well: 1 Hand Position and Finger Curvature (Lesson 9 Ex.1) + starting with the standard block-chord / arpeggio hand position, place i on string © to establish a rest-stroke position + experiment with the forearm contact point as you pivot on i to bring m onto the same string + further explore the forearm contact-point as you move the two fingers between various string sets Ex prep new prep new o position position 2Stroke Preparation and Legato (Lesson 9 Ex. 3) ‘+ explore the timing of the return of each finger to the string, Ex3 3 String-Crossing (Lesson 9 Ex. 4 & 5) + explore ‘comfortable’ versus ‘awkward’ string-crossings Ex comfortable: awkward: 106RHS55 Rest-Stroke Allternation In strict alternation the last finger to play the higher string in a descending string-crossing must of course move from the lower string as the next finger in the alternation sequence plays. ‘+ explore the preparation of the lead finger and the accompanying (subtle) arm movement Ex.5 4 Correcting Awkward String Crossings (Lesson 9 Ex. 7) + correct awkward string-crossings by incorporating the a finger for an isolated note on string © (again, the last finger to play the higher string in a descending, string crossing will need to move off the lower string to allow the next finger to play) Ex.7 imim@mi mim imi imi @mim miim@ mim @im @ im @ Dm i @) Dm i ‘+ in addition, practice the last two measures of this exercise with a single-finger rest-stroke glissando as an alternative means of correcting the string, crossing, (see Lesson 13), bearing in mind that a descending repeated rest-stroke with m will require a subtle backwards movement of the forearm: 5 Further Arm Movement (Lesson 9 Ex. 8 & 9) + explore string crossing between non-adjacent string sets and the positions of the right-hand arm and thumb required 107RHSS Rest-Stroke Allternation Ex8 m i m i (ete) Ex. 9 String-Crossing Sequence: eee “ @ i io) 3 @ et i i i i etc (=) om i (=) a i m i eee o te 108RHSS Rest-Stroke Allternation Practice Routine and Contextualization Use the Practice Routine provided in Lesson 9: + Ex.2, 4 & 6 cach day as a warm-up to Ex. 7 (for a week or two) + Bx.2, 4 & 6 cach day as a warm-up to Ex.8 A Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6. Once these exercises are comfortable, use the following scales to contextualize and ‘maintain the rest-stroke technique, using both: a) strict im—mi alternation b) the ‘corrected’ string-crossings provided oi om @ im @ Dim @ iim @) 109110 RH 56 & 57 Alternation Lesson 56—Developing Rest-Stroke Alternation Speed ‘se the technical development sequence and exercises exactly as presented in Lesson 11, practicing exclusively rest stroke. Be sure to include at least some ma— am alternation. See Appendix 6 for a Practice Grid. Lesson 57—Free-Stroke/Rest-Stroke Mixture hile single-line melodies, scales and other passagework may be played entirely free stroke or entirely rest stroke, a mixture of the two can be useful for enhancing the accentuation or the dynamic range of a passage by introducing a rest stroke, or a series of rest strokes, into an otherwise free-stroke passage (see Lesson 13). To further develop this technique, we can revisit Exercises 3 & 6 from Lesson 11, performing all of the accented notes rest stroke while the remaining notes are performed free stroke. Be sure to use a free-stroke hand position, temporarily straightening the rest-stroke finger a little for the accented note, rather than moving the entire hand to a rest-stroke position. Depending on individual physiology, it’s also possible to| execute a rest stroke from a free-stroke hand position by. allowing the tip joint to hyperextend (bend back on itself),RHS? Allternation J = 40-60 Also practice both of these exercises with ma—am, We can of course also use a rest-stroke glissando to correct a descending string-crossing in an otherwise free-stroke passage: As already mentioned, this technique is most comfortable when using i for the string crossing; m can also be used, however, though this requires a more significant arm- movement to bring the finger onto the next string in a ready to play position. And, as we have also mentioned, a crescendo can be enhanced by switching to rest stroke for the last string of a passage (exercises are provided for this in Lesson 58). Practice Routine Work on Exercises 3 and 6 each day over the course of a few weeks, eventually adding, some mixed rest-stroke/free-stroke alternation bursts to your warm-up routine.RH58 Alteration Maximizing Raw Alternation Speed 2 Lesson 58—Maximizing Velocity maximizing raw alternation speed - modifying the hand position R™ alternation speed can be developed by increasing string resistance. While this can be accomplished by practicing very close to the bridge at a forte dynamic, even more resistance results from plucking two or more strings simultaneously. This develops a stronger attack, which leads to increased facility and speed when moderated toa single string: f + to develop free-stroke alternation speed, use a relatively curved finger such that the first string of the pair is nevertheless played rest stroke while the second string is played free stroke + to develop rest-stroke alternation speed, use a straighter finger curvature and play both strings rest stroke. Here are further ways to use this exercise: + pluck more than two strings simultaneously for increased resistance ‘+ use ma alternation (which will translate into increased im speed) + exercise each finger individually with alternating down and up-strums (including a and ¢) + practice im and ma alternation, strumming rather than plucking, ‘+ prepare the m finger on string ® and the i finger on string @ (with the back of the nail); simultaneously strum with i and pluck with m, followed by the reverse; also do this from a position close to the strings (and with ma) All of these variations can be enhanced by alternating between Slow-Fast versions, as follows: Slow _ Fast 3x x 2x Ix Ix ix Ix ok Ix 3x ‘A further exercise, which addresses finger return, consists of ‘reverse plucking’ (flicking) with the upper surface of the fingernail from the ‘wrong’ side of the string, Prepare the upper surface of the fingernail on the string from beneath, apply preparatory pressure to the string, and pluck outwards as follows:RHS58 Alternation push-flick To be effective, this kind of exercise need to be practiced daily over a period of time, though always in moderation. + Also practice single-finger plucking as follows (with each individual finger): is + And with finger-pairs (im—mi and am—ma) as follows accel + And with single-finger dedillo (alternating up- and down-strokes)—a, m, i and p (onstring ©) Very fast single-string alternation—at speeds that approach ones limits—becomes Modifying the increasingly subject to personal physiology, especially the relative lengths of the fingers. Hand Position It therefore isn’t possible to ascribe an optimal hand position for maximum alternation speed that will work for everyone. Nevertheless, free-stroke alternation speed can be enhanced by a clockwise rotation of the forearm and reducing (or even eliminating) movement at one or other of the fingers joints (reducing the size and complexity of the finger movements—review Lesson 37). Rest-Stroke alternation, for many players, is faster than free- stroke alternation for this very reason; the movement is reduced almost entirely to action of the main finger joint (the follow-through is also significantly curtailed), When you discover which of these adjustments works best, incorporate the change in position into the earlier alternation-speed exercises as you reach the faster measures and your upper limit of speed (Lessons 11 & 56). {As already mentioned, increased alternation speed can also result from removing the thumb from its supporting role on the strings and instead allowing it to move toward the fingers, which rebound from it as part of the stroke (whether rest stroke or free stroke). 13RH59 Alternation Lesson 59—String-Crossings at Speed strict im—mi alternation string-crossings at speed - coordination with the left hand 1 this lesson we'll explore a series of exercises designed to develop string-crossing technique in rapid passages using strict im—mi alternation, beginning with idealized string crossings and working toward longer exercises that approximate the string- crossings found in actual scale passages. ‘The exerci fall into six groups, each of which should be practiced both free stroke and rest stroke. ‘The practice sequence is as follows: 1. prepare and pause on each new string before playing straight through 2. alternate between Slow-Fast / Soft-Loud versions (playing the fast versions at your fastest controllable tempo) For example: To practice this: Play this: (rp) rr) Ay _—— — 2 (rep) P ‘The six groups are as follows: Group 1 14,RH59 Allternation ae contd] 15,RH59 Allternation [Group 5 contd] te ye eat Each exercise should also be practiced crescendo, switching from free stroke to rest stoke (or a hybrid stroke) for: 1) the final string of a pattern 2) the final two-strings of a pattern For example: free stroke reststroke and freosroke restatroke Since the string crossings don’t necessarily coincide with the meter, it's also useful to practice the fast versions of each exercise with a metronome, accenting each beat to help control the rhythmic and metric accuracy of the exercise. 6RH59 Alternation Practice Routine and Contextualization ‘Once comfortable with the ideas presented in this lesson, work on one group each day ‘over a six-day practice cycle. Again, practice each group both entirely free stroke and entirely rest stroke, and as follows: ‘+ prepare and pause on each new string before playing straight through + alternate between Slow-Fast / Soft-Loud versions, playing the fast versions at your fastest controllable tempo + crescendo, switching from free stroke to rest stoke for: a) the final string of a pattern b) the final two-strings of a pattern (Use a metronome to monitor your metric accuracy and your speed.) This sequence will take several weeks, or longer (see Appendix 6 for a Practice Grid). To contextualize and maintain the technique (once comfortable) as well as to explore coordination between the two hands, add left-hand fingerings to each group as follows (these fingerings simulate diatonic scale fingerings): Notes per String | LeftHand LeftHand Fingering (ase) _| Fingering (dese) T 0 0 2 OL or 02 10.020 3 012 oF O13 210 oF 310 4 (0124 or 0134 4210 oF 4310 For example, the first two patterns in Group 6 will contain the following left-hand fingerings: (The scales provided in the next lesson can also be used to practice string-crossings using strict im—mi alternation.) NOTES Using a relatively firm finger, descending string-crossings can also be assisted by a subtle backwards movement of the forearm, 117RH6O Alternation String-Crossing Correction Formulas at Speed a) Lesson 60—Correcting Awkward String Crossings at Speed string-crossing correction formulas - practicing scales Te string-crossing correction formulas we looked at in Lesson 9 work perfectly well at slow to moderate (and even somewhat fast) tempos. Our options at high speed, however, are much more limited, for two principal reasons: 1. our general inability to make more than one rapid alternation of ma or am 2. the necessity of avoiding overly-complicated fingerings and the need to rely instead on relentless automatic alternation of the im—mi finger-pair While we should certainly be capable of alternating the im—mi finger pair automatically throughout a passage, beyond moderately fast speeds awkward string- crossings can reduce our ability to perform scales and other passagework reliably, especially as we approach our maximum speed. With this in mind, we'll take a look at a small group of systematic string-crossing correction formulas that incorporate the thumb and the a finger to enhance the reliability and speed of an otherwise im-fingered passage + if an isolated single-note appears on the lowest string of a passage, use p; if an isolated single-note appears on the highest string of a passage, use a—both of these provide increased options for the next string crossing and guarantee that the following two string-crossings will be comfortable: ‘To help assimilate right-hand fingerings, as an. initial practice method, say each, finger name out loud as you slowly play through the passage. ‘+ ifan awkward string crossing occurs mid-scale, a single instance of the a finger can alleviate the problem; ideally any instance of ma or am should occur across two strings (though this isn’t always possible): » o m@ iim m @m i mai us (When descending, a right-hand i finger glissando is a further option, as described in previous lessons.)RH6O Alternation Practice Methods After deciding upon a right-hand fingering for a particular scale, practice as follows (using an open-position C-Major scale an example): Major 1) open strings only: a) preparing and pausing on each new string b) playing straight through (orp) (rep) (erep) = 2) hands together, one string at a time: a) pau hands b) pausing on the first note of each new string 1g on the last note of each string with the next string prepared—by both 5. a > — 3) as in 2) but in two-string groups a 1 m » a 4) playing straight through: 9RH60 Alternation 5) with accentuation: a) accenting the first note of each new string b)in ds o)in3s mo » >, 9 6) with the following rhythmic motives: a) » 9 a 7) straight through (again): Also refer to the left-hand scale-practice techniques provided in Lesson 66. Practice Routine and Contextualization Practice the correction formulas each day, entirely free stroke and entirely rest stroke (except those that include p) and in the same way as the exercises presented in the last lesson: Again, to help 1. preparing and pausing on each new string; then playing straight through internalize a right- and Bingseing: 2. alternating between Slow-Fast / Fast-Loud versions, playing the fast versions at repeat the finger Pe a a your fastest controllable tempo yourself as you slowly play through Once comfortable, integrate the formulas into the following scales (right-hand glissando thescale, can also be used to correct awkward descending string crossings, as indicated) and follow the practice method outlined above (see Appendix 6 for a Practice Grid): 120(Major @ i @ @m ©) i oi @ i © = m Gm @) i @i i i a @m @ = =e AER @ i @ i @i (i @m ai @i a RH 60 Alternation 121RH61 Alternation G-Major @i @ i @i @m @m = aed @m @m ‘Once comfortable, cycle through these scales, one per day, as part of your daily warm- up routine, 122,RH61 Alternation Lesson 61—Velocity Fingerings (Virtuosity) fingering systems for unusually fast scales - assessing personal physiology ‘aving thoroughly practiced im alternation, string crossing, and the various ‘correcting string-crossing formulas, we'll now explore further systematic right- hand fingerings that can be used to play unusually fast scales and other similar passagework. These are as follows: 1) ai Ga) alternation 2) pi (pm) alternation (see Notes) 3) pim (pmi) alternation (see Notes) 4) ami alternation (Bingerings that include the thumb aren’t feasible for rest-stroke playing.) Due to individual physiology, players will likely find that not all of these fingering Assessing systems work equally well for them. As a preliminary exercise, each player should Personal therefore explore the utility of each fingering system in terms of ease, tone, dynamic, and velocity. The following exercise sequence can be used to assess the potential of each system, Physiology ‘+ Explore the first exercise with each fingering system and with the two accentuation/ grouping schemes indicated; guided by a metronome, start at a comfortable tempo, (as indicated) and repeat the exercises at increasingly faster tempos to discover your fastest controllable alternation speed for each of the following finger combinations: ai ia pis pm_—pim —pmi_— ami » r deers ie Sip Sip PIF Sip + Practice each combination both free stroke and rest stroke (except for the fingerings that involve p, which should be practiced free-stroke only) and be sure to observe the accentuation and dynamics indicated, alternating p-f eight-notes with -p sixteenth-notes. + Explore string-crossing as follows: 123,RH61 Alternation a) for ai—ia and pi—pm: Seee rasa sassesss =e == b) for pim—pmi and ami: ‘+ Experiment with the following more comprehensive string-crossing sequence: a) for ai—ia and pi—pm: te te b) for pim—pmi and ami: + Explore the two-finger patterns with metrical groupings in 3s and the three-finger patterns with metrical groupings in 4s: ia ami @ @ aRH61 Alternation And with string crossings: Practice Routine Work on these exercises for a week or two to help you decide which velocity fingerings are likely to work best, in terms not only of speed but also reliability, sound-quality, and dynamics. We'll look at the practical application of these systems in more detail in the next lesson. NOTES Some players prefer pm to pi (and pmi to pim), Individual physiology (the relative lengths of individual fingers, the degree of independence between the various fingers, and the natural balance and relative dispositions of the thumb and fingers) determines the velocity-fingering system that works best for each individual player. RSRH 62 Alternation 2) pi-pm Lesson 62—(Velocity Fingerings) Application application of the various fingering systems - role of the left hand, aving explored the basic utility of each velocity fingering system, in this lesson ‘we'll explore issues relating, to the practicalities of using, these systems in fast scale passages. Whatever fingering system you ultimately decide to use, bear in mind that overly-complicated fingerings are self-defeating; rely instead on a small set of comfortable formulas that you can automate and apply systematically. ia alternation is an alternative to im alternation that some players find more comfortable for very fast passages, free stroke or rest stroke; as non-adjacent fingers, i and a may simply offer greater natural independence than the traditional i and m pair. Issues relating to string crossing are no different than those that apply to im alternation, with the exception that the m finger may now be called upon to correct an awkward one (a role previously assigned to the a finger). If you wish to fully incorporate ia alternation into your technique, explore the earlier exercises dealing with im alternation in Lessons 55-60. pi (ome players prefer pm) is often used for fast free-stroke alternation, especially on the lower strings. On the treble strings, however, it can be challenging to produce an acceptable tone quality and dynamic level. Still, there are many passages that benefit from the technique. pi alternation was the default alternation fingering used by renaissance lute players for fast division playing, as in the following example (which includes a few instances of m): John DOWLAND, Fantasie DP 73 126 Pi (=) pi (mp (m) pi (m_pi (pi The technique was still advocated during the early nineteenth century by Fernando Sor. Although not dealing with scales per se, here's an excerpt from a Sor study written specifically with this fingering in mind:RH62 Alternation Fernando SOR, Op. 31, No, 19, pipi pipi J RES » fa 7 pipiP i alternation is also useful for projecting the strong-weak / long-short swing feel in fingerstyle jazz. single-line playing (together with pim triplets While it’s possible to alternate pi (and pm) relentlessly (regardless of string crossings) this is often problematic, as in b) below: 2 pi Dp i Awkward string crossings such as these can however be accommodated by incorporating an instance of the m finger, as in the following example (and the earlier Dowland example): Albert DLUGORAJ, Finale (Thesarus Harmonicus, 1603) / (ma) i = (ny i a. - a) ty i $ i f P oon? r (pi) Pp im SS ee eee abe 1 pe pim alternation (some players prefer pmi) is probably the fastest of all free-stroke 3) pim—pmi alternation fingerings. The thumb, however, must be carefully controlled to match its dynamic level with the i and m fingers and to avoid accenting notes in the wrong places (for example, using the three-finger pattern to play notes grouped musically in twos or 127RH62 Allternation fours). Again, it can be challenging to obtain an acceptable overall tone quality and dynamic, especially on the treble strings. ‘One way of using this system involves switching between instances of pim and pi, depending on the number of notes required on each string, as follows (note that p leads each string crossing): Notes per String 2 pi 3 pim 4 pipi or pami 5 pim + pi (or vice versa) 6 pimpim (if pmiis preferred to pim, reverse i and m) Here are some examples: ‘When a passage begins with an isolated note on the initial string of the scale, i leads the first string crossing when ascending (m if using pmi):, g ao ee A further common way to employ pim alternation is by arranging the left-hand fingering such that each string contains three notes, matching the three-finger right- hand pattern: (This often involves left-hand extension—see Lesson 79) 128RH 62 Alternation Unlike alternation patterns that incorporate the thumb, ami alternation offers a more 4) ami equal distribution of weight from finger to finger, can used both free stroke and rest stroke, and therefore offers enhanced options for timbre and dynamics. Still, ike pim alternation, care must be taken with accentuation in the common situation that the three -finger pattern is applied to metrical groupings in twos or fours. yout concern for the Also like pim alternation, if the fingering is applied relentlessly number of notes that fall on each string, this can again be impossibly cumbersome at speed: a aw @ 4 a (a) ‘One method of simplifying things is to arrange the left-hand fingering to provide three notes-per-string (as we just explored with pim alternation): 129RH 62 Alternation @ ® It’s also possible to modify the right-hand finger assignments to accommodate varying, numbers of notes on each string (taking care to avoid more than one alternation of am at a time) Notes per String 2 am, mi orai (depending, on siring-crosings) 3 ami or iam 4 aimi or ami 5 ri followed by ami (or vice versa) 6 ami-ami Here are a few examples (many other situations arise, of course, and these can be dealt with on a case by case basis). Unless indicated otherwise, each three-note group is fingered ami: When an ascending scale begins with an isolated note on the initial string, play this with ior p (free-stroke only): eee Geter! i The situation can be more complicated when a descending scale begins with an isolated note on the initial string, depending on the number of notes on the next string. While ‘we can always begin with a, it's essential to be aware of the overall position of the hand and the additional arm movement that may be necessary: ami already positioned for string @ (@extends) arm movement arm movement 130It’s also possible, of course, to incorporate a single-finger glissando to accomplish a descending string crossing (or the occasional left-hand slur) to preempt an awkward crossing: = ‘As we've already seen, right-hand fingering choices are related to the left-hand fingering chosen for a passage; fast scale-playing may be regarded as a marriage between the various fingering systems of the two hands (see Lesson 65). For example, the judicious placement of left-hand slurs can significantly simplify what might otherwise become a burdensome right-hand fingering. Beginning a fast scale with a pair of slurred notes, for example, can greatly simplify things for the righthand, allowing it to ease-in to the scale passage. The following well-known passages, with the original articulation markings, are good examples: Fernando SOR, Variations on a Theme of Moca Op. A further aspect of left-hand fingering as it relates to very fast scales lies in the use of ‘open strings within an otherwise in-position left-hand scale: campanela texture (open- position passagework also falls into this category). The use of open strings along with carefully-arranged string crossings and the occasional left-hand slur allows the right hand the opportunity to employ both single-string alternation and arpeggio fingering simultaneously: Pos. IV am tam ip RH62 Alternation The Role of the LeftHand 131RH62 Alternation Santiago de MURCIA, Gaitas Miki VSOTSRY, Phen and Varios (120 na yeas rit a Ftp f There are, of course, many possibilities along these lines. Practice Routine and Contextualization Use the contextualization exercises presented earlier in Lesson 59 & 60 to further explore and internalize the velocity fingering systems that work well for you (a Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6). ‘We'll conclude this lesson with a selection of scale-passages taken from the standard concert repertoire with which you can further experiment with the various fingering systems we've looked at. + Forstrict pim or ami alternati J.S. BACH, Fuga bow 1001 pim + For pieces such as Heitor Villa-Lobos Etude 7 and Joaquin Rodrigo Zapateado (using, 132RH62 Alternation + Further ami or pim alternation: Mauro GIULIANI, Sonata erica Op 150 pos Vem 5 wma TT PRTT 5 wes Iternation: + For pi, pami or ai Luigi LEGNANI, Fantaisie brillante Op 19 ‘There are, of course, many other passages that one could explore, though it makes sense to excerpt them from iconic works (especially concertos) that are likely to be performed at some point in the future. Integrating Scales in Pieces When isolating (spot-practicing) a scale taken from a piece of ‘music, be sure to include a few notes either side of the scale itself to guarantee a seamless integration of the scale into the pioce. NOTES. ‘The Role of the LeftHand ‘See Lesson 72 for more ideas on the use of left-hand slurs in fast passagework. Additional issues relating to the left hand in fast scale playing are explored in Lesson 66. 133The Left HandLH Introduction The Left Hand—Introduction he left-hand lessons in this second part of Classical Guitar Technique address the following areas: Independence and Coordination Fast Scales and Other Passagework Advanced Slur Technique Advanced Shifting Technique Other (glissando, reach, vibrato, harmonics, and damping) ‘The lessons dealing with Independence and Coordination focus on increased control of the fourth finger and the weak-finger pairs with the goal of developing reliability and legato connection in melodic (single line), chordal, and contrapuntal textures, in addition to optimal use of the left hand in fast scales and other passagework. The section dealing with slurs similarly focuses on coordination and independence of the less-independent fingers, as well as developing an optimized practical slurring technique for ornamentation and other musical textures. ‘The lessons dealing with position shifting explore long shifts, compound shifts, and shifting between difficult chord formations with a view to both legato and reliability. ‘The remaining lessons address vibrato, glissando, harmonics, extension (reach), and damping 137LH63 Finger 4 Lesson 63—Further Control of the Fourth Finger economical movement of the fourth finger in single-line playing, Ihe importance of economical left-hand finger movement, left-hand preparation, and control over fly-away fingers has already been discussed in Part 1. This lesson further explores the ability of the fourth finger to remain in close proximity to the strings during melodic playing and scale playing (for those who may need additional work on this). ‘The first exercise consists of a series of short melodic figures, each of which ends with the fourth finger fretting the string (Ex. 1): gas a4 a4 42424 43136 4321236 + alternate between Slow-Fast (eighth-sixteenth) versions of each figure and be sure to relax to sustaining pressure on the final note of each (lower fingers remain in light contact with the string, whenever possible: J] J | 7 + once comfortable, omit the final note and instead end each figure with the fourth finger positioned close to the string though not actually touching it (Ex. 2): 4 over end cose 4 over and cow 4 over and coe tothe sti tothe string tothe string 414 pee etd LLL 434 aii In the next exercise, the fourth finger remains on its string while the other fingers play; use a very slow tempo (« = 40), lifting and preparing fingers as indicated and focusing ona light touch (Ex. 3): leaveringers prepare fingers 1,23 down ‘ver the next sting 7 a \ sim. <1 ‘ aie Pos. V > 1239LH 63 Finger 4 In the following exercise, the fourth finger is placed on the next string immediately after playing its note, as the third finger plays. Again, practice at a very slow tempo (Ex. 4): Pos.V prepare finger 4 os J=40 _pothesting Finally, using the following standard major-scale fingering, play a series of single-string, gestures, as follows (Ex. 5): * ascending —the fourth finger stays down as long as possible + descending—at the end of each burst the fourth finger is touching (though not pressing) the next string » prepare finger four fone string Practice Routine Work on these exercises each day over the course of a week or two, as needed, Further exercises for developing the fourth finger can be found in Lesson 70, Further Slur Technique. 140‘LH 64 Independence (1) Lesson 64—Further Melodic Independence and Coordination Exercises ‘weak-finger coordination exercises - continued development and long-term. maintenance his lesson continues our goal of developing economical finger movement, fine control of tension levels, and optimally coordinated legato movement in single-line playing, now extended to more challenging combinations involving the less independent finger groups. ‘The following patterns focus on the weaker, less independent fingers: Weak-Finger Patterns 3note | 4-note patterns | patterns 234 | 2343 243 | 2434 324/324 342 |aaza 423, | 4232 432, [4323 ‘These combinations can be practiced with the comprehensive practice methods provided in Part 1 (Lesson 20): 1) Left-Hand Only (Leaving Fingers Down—Switching Out) 2) Left-Hand Only (With / Without the Left-Hand Thumb) 3) Ghosting, Buzzing and Normal 4) Rotating the Pattern with Accentuation 5) Cycling with Dynamics 6) With a Broad Range of Tempos 7) Slow-Fast Alternation 8) Rhythmic Variation 9) Sequential Addition at Speed Practice Routine Work on four finger-combinations each day using the practice methods listed above. This takes approximately 3 minutes per pattern. Become completely comfortable with Group 1 before working on Group 2: 41LH 64 Independence (1) Group 1 Group? Days1&4 [234/243 [Daysi&4 | 2343/2434 Days2&5 [924/342 |Days2&5 | 3242/3424 Days3&6 [423/432 |Days3&6 | 4282/4323 Once these groups are under control, we can selectively combine the three-note patterns to create a small group of comprehensive six-note patterns, which can be practiced one pattern each day in the same way: 234-243 324-342 423432 A practice grid is provided in Appendix 6. Continued For continued development and long-term maintenance of the left-hand in single-line Development and playing, you may wish to cycle through the entire set of three and four-finger Long-Term combinations as part of your daily warm-up routine, one or two patterns per day. Maintenance ‘The complete set of three and four-finger combinations is as follows: finger patterns 4-finger patterns 123 124 132 134 142 143 | 1234 1243 1324 1342 1423 1432 213.214 231 234 241 243 | 2134 2143-2314 2341 2412 2431, 1312314321 324341 342 | 312431423214 3241 34123421, 412.413 421 423 431 432 | 4123 4132.4213 4231 4312.4321, Instead of the comprehensive practice methods already described, however, simply play a pattern across the strings in gradually ascending and descending over a few positions (the way that Térrega presented his purely technical left-hand exercises). This takes only a minute or two. For example, using the finger-sequence 2143 (Ex. 1): Pos. 1 Pos. 1 Pos. lil ayetote + A further variant for the four-finger patterns, which has the added advantage of taking even less time, divides a figure between adjacent strings, two notes per string, Ex.2): 142Pos. 2143 LH 64 Independence (1) os. II -2 oak a + Three-note patterns can be accommodated by alternating a single finger and a finger pair on consecutive strings: te Pos. Ill ‘As your speed increases for any particular finger combination, you may wish to experiment with right-hand velocity fingerings such as pi, pm or pami (for two and four-note groups) and ami or pim (for three-note groups) (see Lessons 61 & 62). NOTES. Practice Routine We can also combine the four-note patterns to create eight-note groupings and it's possible, of course, to combine any of the three-note patterns with one another and any of the four- note patterns with one another. While this can result in some interesting exercises (and is certainly comprehensive!), few of these combinations are essential. On the other hand, ‘unusual finger combinations can make interesting warm-ups. While the finger combinations already practiced in Part 1 make up by far the majority of ‘combinations found in actual music (certainly in tonal music), many other three and four- finger combinations of course exist. While relatively few of these combinations are essential, it’s not a bad idea to at least play through them, noting any that may appear particularly uncomfortable. These problematic combinations can then be explored independently using the methods already described (taking one or two patlerns each day to cycle). Appendix 6 contains a check lis. — 5 tee sk Right-Hand Velocity Fingerings 143,‘LH 65 Hand Independence 144 Lesson 65—Independence Between the Hands further disparate groupings between the hands 'n Part 1 we explored applying, three-finger right-hand patterns against left-hand finger groupings in twos (Lesson 21). In this lesson we'll explore this a little further, applying three-right-hand-fingers to a couple of chromatic four-note left-hand groupings. In addition to developing general independence between the two hands, these exercises also serve the practical goal of preparing for three-finger right-hand scale technique (explored in Lessons 61 and 62) Use the following left-hand-fingerings: a) ») wr 2 3 4 & 4 3 2 4 And the following right-hand patterns: ami ima pim_—_pmi Say the right-hand finger names out loud as you slowly play through each pattern, over several passes, as follows: 1. oneach note 2. on the first note of each right-hand pattern 3. on the first note of each left-hand group You'll need to cycle through each left-hand pattern three times, as follows: ‘Once comfortable, use the following schemes to speed up and internalize the technique, repeating each four times:RH Practice Routine Work on two right-hand patterns each day over a two-day cycle (c. 5.00), as follows: Day Day 2 pim—pmi A Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6. LH65 Hand Independence 145LH66 Scales Lesson 66—The Left Hand in Fast Scales left-hand finger action - coordination between the hands - tracking individual fingers dealing with slurs hile the right hand is usually the main focus of attention when developing fast scales, the role of the left is no less important. The main issues concerning, the ation) of the movements of the is of course in addition to fingering choices). In this lesson we'll explore the efficiency and accuracy of left-hand finger movement required for fast scale playing, for coordination between the hands, and for dealing with slurs in fast passages. Lefi-Hand Finger Asa general rule, in scale playing and in melodic playing, left-hand fingers release as ‘Action __ the next finger plays and prepare over their strings one note ahead of time, as follows: 1.24 prepare 1.29 prepare 43:2 prepare 8 prepares 4 4 4 1 ‘8 ® @ @® t + t t stays Says 1 prepares 1 prepares ‘To encourage the light touch essential to fast playing, explore the scale as follows: 1) left-hand only, raising each finger from the string as quickly as possible (as if to create a staccato), at three rhythmic levels: a) quarters b) eighths ) sixteenths 2) deci0or . » » sa & legato) coe eena A a_é f se Ga fae fe hs esas Bas an pana aap etc ete at (the overall tempo for the exercise is based on the speed at which the sixteenths can be played, around « = 100) 2) along with the right hand (the fast version will actually be legato). 146LH 66 Scales Use the scale above to explore the coordination and tension levels of the two hands: Coordination Between the 1) pluck mf with the right hand but use only enough pressure in the left-hand Hands fingers to produce: a) muted notes (minimal pressure) ’b) buzzed notes (not quite enough pressure to obtain a clear note) 2) play ata pp level with clearly-fretted notes and register the lightness in the left hand; follow this with a f version in which the left hand retains the sensation and tension levels associated with the pp version + Track the movement of each individual left-hand finger as it moves from string to ‘Tracking string through the scale; then play the scale pausing on each instance of that finger, Individual Left- as follows: Hand Fingers a) pause on the note before each instance, checking the position and attitude of the finger about to play (the quality of preparation) b) pause on each instance of the finger itself, checking the tension level in the finger For example (tracking finger 4 through a single-octave major-scale): Pos. V m 4 o_o eo 6 6 Repeat each scale fragment, alternating between slow and fast versions, focusing exclusively on the quality of preparation, and appropriateness of tension level present in the particular finger. ‘+ Track the movements of an individual left-hand finger then play the passage with a right-hand accent on each instance of that finger, at three rhythmic levels—quarters, eighths, and sixteenths—using the sixteenths to establish the overall tempo for the exercise J= ¢. 100-120: a) Jec004 a) so > ® © P] y y u (Place your attention throughout on the sensations in the specific finger being, tracked.) + Repeat the process for each individual finger. 147LH 66 Scales Further Practice Methods Pos. + Temporarily remove the left-hand string crossings, and play the finger sequence on. a single string before reintroducing them; this not only puts our attention on the specific left-hand finger combinations required, it also allows us to experience the scale at our fastest possible speed: a) Asc (Q anaes “O— o9—— _ 0—@ © Once the left-hand fingering is comfortable alternate between Slow-Fast versions, using right-hand velocity fingerings matched to the number of notes on each string of the final scale. For the ascending scale above, this would be pi—pim—pim or mi—ami—ami; for the descending scale it would be pim—pim—pi mi F ami —ami— Longer scales can be can be practiced as two sub-scales based on the string- sets ©—© and @—, then recombined to create the complete scale. + A further practice method consists of starting at the end of the scale and working backwards to the beginning: a DD by dese Dealing With Slurs 148 We often encounter rapid passages that incorporate left-hand slurs. While providing, relief for the right hand, slurred passages present an extra challenge for the left hand in terms of rhythmic accuracy and evenness of dynamic. Slurred passages can be practiced as follows: 1) explore the right hand rhythm using open strings 2) practice left-hand only to explore the evenness of the slurs 3) repeat each slur immediately (hands together)For example: ®@ © : ‘ : 3 ei 4 Dihony a om i om iom bok om i a eS eee 2)thonly 3) sus = SSS = ‘Then alternate between Slow-Fast versions of the scale. NOTES: Left-Hand Finger Action While leaving fingers down along a string during a scale fragment certainly results in less ‘movements, this also retains unnecessary tension (it hinders the ability of the muscles to relax between movements), reduces coordination, and preempts the ability of the fingers to anticipate their next action. The fingers should therefore release their pressure when the next finger in the scale plays, though they can stay in contact with the string if not immediately needed to prepare a string change. Coordination Between the Hands Fast-scale playing (like legato playing) requires optimal coordination of the finger actions of the two hands, without the temporary increase of the tension level of a finger in one hand being allowed to influence the fingers of the other hand (when the right hand plays loudly or when the left hand changes strings or positions, for example). Tracking Individual Left-Hand Fingers As speed increases beyond a moderate tempo it becomes increasingly difficult to monitor the actions of individual left-hand fingers (and right-hand ones, for that matter). The practice techniques provided in this section allow us to access and refine the behavior of individual fingers within a scale passage at speed. This is especially useful for the less independent fingers. Dealing With Slurs See Lesson 62 for the use of slurs and campanela fingering in the context of right-hand velocity fingerings. Additional scale-practice strategies are explored in Lessons 25, 60 and 67. LH 66 Scales 149LH67 Scales Lesson 67—More Fixed-Position Scale Practice further relentless (automatic) alternation practice (independence between the hands) + matching fingerings between the hands deriving scale-types from ‘default’ major-scale fingerings L this lesson we'll apply a few more right-hand finger combinations to the four fixed- position (moveable) scales studied in Lesson 25; again, as straightforward play- throughs at a moderate tempo. Practice as follows: 1) entirely rest stroke as well as entirely free stroke 2) with the following right-hand fingerings: pm ima 3) saying out loud (over two passes of each exercise): ‘+ the finger that leads each string crossing (for ‘+ each finger; when faster, on each instance of i (for ima) (pause on the highest note before descen: 1g again) The four scales: 1) Pos, 1V (A-mmajor) ) Pos. IV (D-major) vv F een: ® ©) Pos. V (134-124) 5 = = vode* 4) Pos. V (1234) 150LH67 Scales As a second practice method, apply right-hand velocity fingerings to each scale, ‘matching the right-hand pattern to the number of notes played on a particular string, as follows: notes per string 1 ep |p i 2 pi [pm 3 pim | pmi 4 pipi_|pmpm or pami Be sure to use both forms of each scale (ascending-descending / descending-ascending) and practice as follows: 1) in single-string bursts, pausing on the note before a string change 2) pausing on the note after the string change 3) straight through, pausing on the highest (or lowest) note before changing, direction (For 1) and 2), say the right-hand finger names out loud.) (Fast scales from the perspective of the right hand are explored in detail in Lessons 58-62.) ‘One useful aspect of fixed-position scale practice is the process of deriving various scale Deriving -types from a ‘default’ major-scale fingering; this is helpful for a musical understanding _Scale-Types of scale tones and for improvisation, The process develops an increased understanding of the various scale steps, which can then be inflected to produced virtually any desired scale. ‘The first step is to develop an infallible sense of the triadic scale tones: root, third and fifth. From these pillars, all of the remaining scale steps are found as neighboring tones: a 1 a a a a 1 3 5 seale step | position Jone higher than 1—one lower than 3 Jone higher than 1—one lower than 5 Jone higher than 5 Jone lower than I 151LH67 Scales We can then inflect the various scale steps to generate distinct scale qualities, each related to the major scale and its fingering. For example, an ascending melodic-minor scale requires the third scale degree be lowered by one fret, a miixolydian scale requires a lowered-seventh; a lydian scale requires a raised-fourth. All require a change to just a single note. Along with a lowered third, infection of the sixth and seventh scale degrees in their various combinations produces the four minor-scales, as follows: seale type __| inflection natural lowered 6—lowered 7 dorian raised 6—lowered 7 harmonic lowered 6—raised 7 melodie ase | raised 6—raised 7 ‘Take the G-major scale above, along with the following major-scale fingerings, and use them as the basis for deriving further scale qualities, adjusting the left-hand fingering as needed (either with a sliding-shift or a temporary extension—see Lessons 74 & 79): a ’ a a a a A 1 5 5 ? 3 5 1 Ibe> » [orden tg te 3 oe 7 © Practice Routine Over a four-day cycle, take one of the four scales already studied in Part 1 each day and practice it with the right-hand finger combinations pi, pm and ima at a moderate tempo and with the three velocity fingerings pim, pmi and ami (c. 5’). A Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6. Over a six-day cycle, take one of the two major-scale fingerings each day and derive ‘other scale qualities from it, taking a different key each day (c. 50): day [i [2 [a [s [5 |o key [a |e [a [p [pp [ep NOTES Deriving Scale Types As already touched upon in Part 1, the practical value of fixed- position (moveable) scales is limited; scales in actual pieces of music rarely work well with these fingerings and the technical benefit they provide can be accomplished by working on. just one oF two patterns, 152Lesson 68—Further Intervallic Independence and Coordination Exercises 1n Part 1 we explored intervallic and contrapuntal coordination exercises for each finger pair. In this lesson we'll extend this to alternating finger-pairs (there are only three combinations). These exercises promote the independence and coordination required for homophonic music and for fully-contrapuntal music, not only in terms of the timing of finger movements (for legato) but also in the ability to prepare fingers over their strings while other fingers are playing (for accuracy and reliability). ‘The following exercises explore alternating, finger-pairs in chordal and contrapuntal forms. The goal in both is for perfect legato (B Tyee tie i gf ee 1, on LH68 Independence (2) As you work on these exercises bear the following in mind: 1) the tempo is very slow (¢=72) 2) the left-hand finger(s) prepare over their string(s) as the previous note(s) is played 3). the thumb remains light throughout 4) the goal is perfect legato Once comfortable, track each finger individually through an exercise, using a separate run-through for each finger. “These exercises should be extended to increasingly wider string-sets (as far as is manageable), both for the chordal and the contrapuntal forms. Here’s an example for the chordal form (Ex. 2: Finger-extension exercises and warm-ups are beneficial for general left hand finger independence, coordination, and accuracy (see Lesson 79). 153LH 68 Independence (2) 2d 3 aoe aoe b et b 4 b ty ————————— ® by ® Lif possible} (Be sure to release the thumb ahead of the change to each new string set.) Here's the fingering sequence for the contrapuntal form (Ex. 3): ti ded oe a 6 vdid 2 2 Boas yd—d td fd dd —~o ° f hte Ps To derive the full benefit from the contrapuntal form, isolate the individual strings (melodic lines) and then, over two passes, place your full attention on the sound of each individual line, playing one f, the other p: Ghat ai SSS cca The final exercise explores alternating finger-pairs played as interval-scales across the six strings (slowly, 2 = 60) (Ex. 4):LH68 Independence (2) @ ® © © © oO ® ® + And over increasingly wider string-sets: 1 2 2 a sim 3 a sim + Again, the fingers prepare over their strings ahead of time (or as close to their new strings as possible) and the thumb releases ahead of the change to each new string-set. The goal is for perfect legato. Practice Routine Work on one two-finger combinations each day as follows (see Appendix 6 for a Practice Grid): Daysi&4 |Days2&5 [Days3&6 24 13-24 423 Ex, 1 — make four passes to track each finger individually Ex. 2 — practice across ever-widening string sets (as far as is possible) Ex. 3 — make two passes to track each voice-part individually, playing one fand the other p Ex, 4 — make multiple passes to accommodate each string assignment 155LH 69 Chromatic Octaves Lesson 69—Chromatic-Octaves Exercises Ihe iconic Chromatic-Octaves exercise provides a comprehensive _finger- independence workout that's especially useful (and challenging) since it employs not only the equal use of each left-hand finger but also the wide fret-spacing of the lower positions. The basic exercise probably originated with Francisco Térrega (and was certainly disseminated by the various streams of his students). 2 sot There are many ways to work on this exercise. Here's a suggested practice sequence: 1) establish control over short segments, in both chordal and contrapuntal forms 2) _use Rhythmic Variation and Slow-Fast alternation to speed-up the fragments 3) _use Stop-Go practice to develop the complete exercise at tempo 1) Use the following string groups (defined by the lower octave): 2 3 2 ost a a # ¢ 4 1 a : oa 25% oo 3 1 2 @® gore 6—__. + practice each group in both chordal and contrapuntal form, ascending as well as descending, and aiming for perfect legato: d=s0 dan ‘ es rier I ite p Use a very slow tempo, as indicated, preparing fingers over their strings ahead of time and taking care to minimize tension in the fingers and the thumb. 156LH69 Chromatic Octaves 2) Speed-up the groups with the following practice methods: b) 9 4) # b) Slow-Fast Alternation: J=80 # # # # # # Practice ascending and descending versions of each group in both chordal and contrapuntal form. 3) Once comfortable, practice the full ascending-descending exercise as follows: a) super slowly, two counts per note in the chordal form and one count per note in the contrapuntal form: b) with the Rhythmic Variations provided earlier: a) deso ») 9 4) ata moderate tempo pausing on the first note of each new string group: a) 2-80 157LH69 Chromatic Octaves aT ar TF RR F d) two string-groups at a time: ») peor ep re PF 7 mgd — — pd dtd pd yd = Tt oaLH69 Chromatic Octaves fea ete == Pee ete F rrp eee s COIL Te ree o Practice Routine Incorporate slow play-throughs of both forms (chordal and contrapuntal) into your daily warm-up routine, revisiting the full practice sequence from time to time (the full routine takes ¢. 10’). 159LH70 Slurs Lesson 70—Further Slur Technique the less-independent fingers - extended trills, mordents, and gruppetios L Part 1 we explored ascending and descending slurs and short compound slurs. Over the next several lessons we'll explore slur exercises that develop the weaker fingers, compound slurs required for extended trills and other omaments; gymnastic slur exercises designed to increase left-hand finger independence and control; and miscellaneous slurring techniques that crop-up from time to time in the repertoire. Developing the Weaker (Less Independent) Fingers 4 ‘The following slur pattern is useful for developing control in fingers 3 and 4: * practice this as a series of two-note slurs followed by a continuous slur, as follows (finger 1 can remain on the string throughout, to help stabilize the hand): The following pattern is helpful for developing control in the fourth finger: + practice this initially as.a series of two-note and four-note slurs followed by the single long slur: 160LH70 Slurs And in two further ways: 1) begin with all four left-hand fingers on the string, then lift fingers as necessary: (place 4321) ain) in, any \a 2) begin with fingers 3 and 4 on the string, and from that point place the fingers. individually: (place 2) (pce ) (place 43) ‘These patterns should also be practiced with the methods described earlier in Lesson 27 (Slow-Fast Alternation, Dynamics, Rhythmic Variation, refer to the Practice Routine at the end of this lesson). Further Compound Slurs The rem: ing slurs explored in this lesson fall into two categories: 1) _strong-finger combinations used to play omaments in pieces 2) weak-finger combinations used to develop general left-hand technique and ‘used in pieces only when stronger fingers are unavailable. Long trills and mordents consi finger combinations are: of a series of slurred finger-pairs played quickly. The Extended Trills and Mordents 1212-1313 -2323—2424— 3434 along with their reverse: 2121-3131 —3232—4242—4343 An effective way to internalize these longer patterns is to begin with a two-note slur and systematically add further notes to create longer groups: 161LH70 Slurs Gruppettos (Turns) 162 Another type of fingering used for fast ornaments (attributed to Leo Brouwer) ‘consists of an alternation between two fingers for the upper note (both fingers play at the same fret) Oe ee ee yaad sizaaaza ‘This fingering requires less tension than a regular slur—not only is the slur shared between two fingers, the higher finger pulls the lower finger onto the string. as it executes its pull-off ‘A further group of compound slurs are used for playing gruppettos (turns): 12421343 — 12322343, And their reverse: 4212-4313 —3212—4323 For initial practice, begin with the first two notes of the pattern and gradually add further notes until the figure is complete: Again, be sure to also use the practice methods mentioned earlier.LH70 Slurs Practice Routine Once these exercises become comfortable, use the methods provided in Part 1 (Lesson 27)—Slow-Fast Alternation, Dynamics and Rhythmic Variation—with the following two-day practice cycle for a few weeks (c. 10 minutes per day). A Practice Grid is provided in Appendix 6. 4132 and 4342-4140 each day, followed by: Days 1,3 &5 Days?, 4 & 6 tills &mordents [121223233434 1313-2424 31314242 212132324343, gruppettos 1242-1343 1232-2343 3212—4323 4212-4313 ‘Again, take patterns out of the technical cycle once they become comfortable and maintain them as simple play-throughs while you continue to work on the more challenging combinations. Here's the full routine written out for 1212: 1) Slow-Fast 2) Dynamics left-hand only right hand pp / left hand f both hands f crescendo-diminuendo 3) Rhythmic Variation 163LH71 Slurs Lesson 71—Gymnastic Slur Exercises fixed finger exercises - other four-finger exercises hile not the kind of thing encountered in actual playing situations, the following exercises are nevertheless valuable for optimizing finger independence and control. Fixed-Finger In the following exercises, one pair of fingers remains in place while the other pair Exercises execute ascending and descending slurs. Keep the opening finger-pair fixed on their strings throughout and play very slowly, holding each note for its fullest possible duration, ensuring that each descending slur is clearly audible, and stri minimum of tension in the thumb and fingers (Ex. 1). for a 2 a SS fixed! ‘After the initial two notes, which are plucked with the right hand, everything is, executed left-hand-only. Use Slow-Fast Alteration and Rhythmic Variation to practice these exercises (refer to. the Practice Routine end of the previous lesson), playing the exercise four times for each rhythm, «The following exercises fix one finger while the remaining fingers execute a series of ascending and descending slurs on string © and on string © (touch each slurring finger or group of fingers to the string to establish an optimal hand position before executing the slur) (Ex. 2): 164LH71 slurs Note that the slurs fall into the following groups: 2) each finger-pair 3) the three free-fingers as a returning figure Practice at a slow tempo, repeating each measure as needed to establish a comfortable version of the movement and making sure that the left-hand thumb remains light. Also explore the three remaining single-fixed-finger patterns: a) » a ¥ 4 v jon ° 13 ose ote fixed ° oT od Sif 3 fixed fixed # + The following slurred finger-independence exercise is based on the 1234 finger Other Four-Finger sequence, left-hand-only following the initial two notes. Again take a very slow Exercises tempo, aiming for lightness throughout (Ex. 3): idee) V + Here are three Tarrega-style descending slur exercises that combine descending slurs with position changes across and along the fingerboard (based on the finger sequences 2143, 3142 and 4132) (Ex. 4): pos. Ill... 21 pos. It. =84 Sin 2 "a 14 3 165LH71 Slurs Practice in three ways, as follows: 1) _ ina single ascending-descending play-through in a single posi a) placing the two fingers on each new string together b) placing fingers individually as they're needed 2) ina single ascending-descending play-through in a single position, placing the \gers in pairs, with the following Rhythmic Variations: 0 » Q “ 3) as written, up to position VII and back; placing fingers in pairs And, to finish, the Chromatic Octave Exercise explored in Lesson 69 may be performed left-hand only (again, very slowly) to provide a comprehensive lower-position slurring exercise. When ascending, sound the open strings with a finger 1 (or 2) pull-off; when descending, sound the first note of each new string with a fourth-finger hammer-on (Bx.5): 166Practice Routine Practice the fixed-finger exercises (Ex. 1 & 2) (a 2-day cycle) and Tarrega-style exercises (Ex. 4) (a 3-day cycle) together, as follows: Dayt Day? Day3 [Daya [Days [Dayo Bet [i2m—2143 | 1324—3142 [larday 1) [asday2) [lasday i) |(as day 2) Be [12343124 [2134-4123 [lasday) [asday2) [lasday i) [(as day 29 Ex [2143 31 fais2—[iasday 1) [lasday2) [(asday 3) In addition, incorporate slow play-throughs of Ex. 3 (the 1234 four-finger exercise) and. Ex. 5 (the Chromatic Octaves exercise) into the daily routine (after Exs. 2 & 4 respectively). ‘The entire routine takes around 12 minutes (a Practice Gri Finally, add play throughs of Ex. 3 & maintenance. provided in Appendix 6). . 5 to the daily warm-up routine for LH71 Slurs 167LH72 Slurs Descending Slurs with Adjacent Sounding Strings Echo-Slurs 168 Lesson 72—Miscellaneous Slur Techniques descending slurs adjacent open strings - echo slurs - delayed. slurs unique slurred textures - practicing slurs in pieces n this concluding lesson on slurs, we'll explore several less usual, but useful, slurring techniques along with a survey of interesting slurred textures from the repertoire. When a descending slur needs to be played with a simultaneously-sounding higher adjacent string, it's usually possible to avoid inadvertently damping the higher string, by executing the slur from somewhat beneath its string, lifting the slurring finger over the adjacent string by moving from main knuckle as well as from the middle knuckle (in effect replacing the usual ‘rest-stroke’ action of the left-hand slurring finger with a ‘free- stroke’): ‘The term echo-slur refers to left-hand only execution of a descending slur from an open string to a fretted note on the next lowest string (used quite often for note grouping by such ninetcenth-century guitarists as Ferdinando Carulli): ay Along the same lines, an entire scale can be executed left-hand only, following the initial plucked note: w ay ayLH72 Slurs ‘A delayed-slur occurs when a note plucked on another string intervenes between the Delayed Slurs slurred notes. ‘+ This can be used to clarify note-grouping: J.S. BACH (arr. Yates), 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Suite 3, Prelude, (© 1998 Me! Bay Publications Bil ben marcato i! canto ‘+ Orto create an idiomatic legato texture: Isaac ALBENIZ (arr. Yates), 26 Pieces: Orientale. © 1999 Mel Bay Publications 3) mw 3 169LH72 Slurs Expressive Slurring (versus Technical Slurring) Unique Slurred Textures For technical development, slurs should generally be played with each note even in tone and dynamic, though with a slight lean on the first note of the slur (as mentioned in Part 1). Musically expressive slurs, on the other hand, should in addition be played with the second note, and any subsequent notes, somewhat softer than the first: Experiment with the speed of the finger movement to develop control over the dynamic of the slurred note(s). Here are a couple of examples: To conclude, here are examples of unique extended slur textures found in the concert repertoire. ‘+ Relentless slurring forms the basis of Villa-Lobos Etude 10, though some players re- articulate the final note of each figure: 170LH72 Slurs Andrei SYCHRA, Variations on ‘In The Valley’ too . r Lr ! Anclrei SYCHRA, Variations on ‘My Dove, Why Ave You So Su?" pimami re ‘Stepan RAK, Guitar Music of Stepan Rak: Elegy. © 195 db Musie/ Ma! Ray Pblictions May BP 3 mp > ao 5 sm J # ar @ > Contextualization and Maintenance (Repertoire) Among numerous pieces that use systematic slurring textures, the following are recommended for maintaining an optimized slurring technique: Leo BROUWER, Estudios sencillos (Nos. 16-20) ‘Angelo GILARDINO, Studi di virtuosity et di transcendeza (No. 16, Sacrificio) Mauro GIULIANI, Esercizio Op. 48, (Nos. 4 & 11) Etudes Op. 100 (No. 19) Luigi LEGNANI, Scherzo ‘to be executed with a single finger of the left hand’ Op. 10 Miguel LLOBET, Variations on a Theme by Fernando Sor (Vins. 7 & 8) Julio SAGRERAS, Movimiento perpetuo (Lessons, Book 5 No 30) Francisco TARREGA, Carnaval of Venice (Vis. 2, 7 & 10) Heitor VILLA-LOBOS, Douze Etudes (Nos. 3, 9 & 10) a7LH73 Shifting Longer Shifts More About Guide 172, Fingers Lesson 73—Further Position-Shifting (Legato and Reliability) longer shifts (guide fingers; the role ofthe arm) - compound shifts (anticipation; role of the arm) - legato shifting - sliding versus leaping, L Part 1 we explored the role of the left arm and thumb in shifting across and along the strings. Over the course of the next several lessons, we'll look at longer and more difficult shifts and the broader issues of legato and reliability. We'll also look at shifting, between chord-forms, along with the role of the arm and, finally, techniques of reducing, the extraneous noise that can result from shifts that involve the lower-strings. ‘The shifts we've explored so far extend as far as a single fret higher or lower than the four-fret span of the left hand. When shifting beyond this, however, we can no longer easily gauge the distance of the shift in terms of the hand itself and we rely instead on. targeting the shift visually. Still, to help engage our internalized ‘muscle memory’ (our automated shifting technique), and to more fully gauge and internalize the associated sensations, it’s useful to practice shifts eyes-closed as well Even in the case of the longest shifts it’s rarely necessary to use anything more than a moderate, natural speed of arm movement (therefore avoiding any unnecessary increase in tension and the imprecise positioning of the fingers that can result). It's usually much more effective to simply focus on the length of the note that precedes the shift than to use an overly fast movement: Explore these shifts as follows: 1) by targeting the new position visually before shifting 2) with the eyes closed (to help internalize the shift) In both cases, be sure to release the thumb before shifting and to make the shift with a moderate, natural speed of arm movement. Guide fingers are especially helpful during longer shifts when a weak (less independent) finger plays the first note in the new position—the lower, stronger guide-finger provides a stabilizing reference point for positioning the less-independent finger 1 vil 1 i 4 £ o oLH73 Shifting Is particularly important during longer shifts, however, that the contact of the guide finger with the string be extremely light. Otherwise, the friction that might otherwise be introduced can lead to a less than optimal attitude of the fingers once the new position is reached (or even to an unintended glissando). We've already mentioned in Part 1 that the fingers are carried to their new position by a The Role of the movement of the arm and normally do not need to reach, extend, or contract during a Arm shift, at least in single-line playing (though see Lesson 76 on eliminating string squeaks) A problem can arise, however, when the focus is placed on the fingers rather than on the arm (and the thumb)—a degree of inadvertent forearm rotation can occur during, the shift, leading to a compromised placement of the thumb and fingers once the new position is reached. Taking the following shift as an example, monitor the position of the thumb before and after the shift: Pos. 1 Pos. V get bas a y ‘The relationship between the thumb and the first finger should remain the same for both positions. In addition, no readjustment should be needed for the fourth finger to play in the new position. On the other hand, any forearm rotation or other change of hand disposition that is required for the new position should indeed occur during the shift. For example: @ 42 [rotated] [parallel] Furthermore, the arm often anticipates a new position by beginning to adjust its degree of rotation ahead of time (to whatever extent is reasonable). Ifa repositioning of the elbow is required for the new position, closer to or further away from the body, this can also be anticipated by a subtle movement in the direction of the new position. (Many single-string position changes, however, require a rotation of the upper arm with minimal movement of the elbow.) We can explore this with an exercise studied earlier in Lesson 16 (also see the Notes for this lesson): 173,LH73 Shifting Left-Hand Anticipation Compound-Shifts Anything more than moving a finger to a new position along the same string may be considered a compound shift. The simplest compound-shift consists of moving to a new position along the fingerboard and placing a finger on a different string in the new position. More complex compound-shifts can involve simultaneous movement along, and across the strings together with the simultaneous placement of several fingers in the new position. While the fingers are still carried to the new position by an arm movement, a degree of preparatory finger movement is often necessary as well, as we'll see in the next section. An essential consideration when making left-hand position changes (any change of left- hand disposition) is that, whenever possible, free fingers anticipate the shift by preparing over their strings ahead of time, regardless of the position along the fingerboard they will ultimately fret the strings: tore.2) ‘A General Rule of Left-Hand Technique anticipate the next chord or position by placing free fingers over (or ‘lose to) their upcoming strings; always think at least one step ahead. Here are some examples: Matteo CARCASSI, Etude Op. 60, No. 3 174 ey (eee neves in | _t sin, an ore 3), (In addition to preparing free fingers over their strings, anticipate the shift by ‘making the preparatory inward arm movement indicated.) Beyond preparing free fingers over (or close to) their strings, any further adjustments that may need to be made to finger curvature, finger-separation or forearm-rotation, again occur during the shift (or even just before it, as above), with the goal that once the new position is reached the fingers may simply be placed on their strings. For example:RH73 Shifting prep. 1.23 Isaac ALBENIZ (arr. Yates), 26 Pieces: Mallorca Op. 202, © 199 Met Bay Publications an ‘mn ais =D, Left-hand anticipation often involves a degree of forward thinking, especially in scale passages and other passagework. In the following typical example, a chordal presentation of the hand can be used to anticipate upcoming events in a single-line passage: % than pesto 2. ® 0 Peon In situations where jumping a finger from one string to another to play consecutive notes is unavoidable, as can sometimes be the case, care must be taken to avoid cutting- short the first note of the shift, as mentioned earlier. I's usually enough to be aware of the finger jump, to listen carefully to the length of the first note involved, and to be aware that a faster than normal finger movement is needed. When we're unaware of these kinds of things, the subconscious confusion created by jumping the finger can easily result not only in choppiness but also in missed notes: ue 2 | | Po 175LH73 Shifting A common situation along these lines arises when consecutive chords are barred. For example, how many strings should be barred in the second measure of the following example? Fernando SOR, Etude Op. 35, No. 22 1 2 i te] Legato Shifting Fine legato is one of the most important qualities of refined playing, but also one of the most challenging. Although obvious, it’s nevertheless worth stating that the key to legato shifting lies simply in holding the note before the shift for its full duration. When we genuinely do this, any ensuing break in sound that might result from the shift, occurs at the beginning of the following note, where it’s less easily perceived by the listener. Any shortening of the note before the shift, on the other hand, is easily perceived as a degree of staccato or simply as choppiness. Even in the case of difficult shifts, where a break in sound simply cannot be avoided, it’s still possible to give full length to the two notes that comprise the shift by adding a small amount of time between them to accommodate the break in sound (a ‘phrasing lift’) J. K. MERTZ, Elegie Largo Iwas — a tompo} = =e or OP OB ae Use the following examples to explore the duration of the notes that comprise the shift and the placement of any silence that may occur between them (employing nothing, more than a moderate speed of arm movement): Matteo CARCASSI, Etude Op. 60 No. 3 ve Ww Fernando SOR, Etude Op. 35, No. 22 Fawr, — amps) wv 1 spot 176LH73 Shifting Ferdinando CARULLI, La girafea Paris Op. 306 Allegretto : a va) Et »° d 1.0)) o-Ps LF 7 roo rs ? As these examples illustrate, it’s important to place shifts at musically-appropriate points whenever possible, ideally at the end of a phrase or at the end of a note group. It’s also worth mentioning that the note before the shift should be played at an appropriate dynamic level (especially since a left-hand shift can lead to an inadvertent accent in the right hand) and perhaps even softer than usual to help mask the shift, when musically acceptable. Slower pieces, in particular, require careful attention in this regard. ‘Though not always stylistically appropriate, a further way to mask an unavoidable gap that might otherwise result from a difficult shift is to add a short glissando of just one or two frets to the beginning of the shift: José Luis MERLIN, Suite del Recuerdo, 1, © 2000 Tuscany Publications, ‘Tempo rubato fpoo ae Isaac ALBENIZ (arr. Yates), 26 Pieces: Mallorca Op. 202. ©1999 Mel Ray Publications Vi, rg a] Jt td) “. —_—_~ FR Tpeco asl (this kind of technically-expedient effect can, of course, easily become an habitual playing mannerism and should therefore be used with discretion and only when musically and stylistically appropriate.) 17Sliding Vers When playing melodies and scales that travel along the fingerboard it's tempting to Leaping connect the beginning, and ending positions with a single leaping shift along a string. Much easier and much more reliable, however, is to make a series of short sliding shifis—a sequence of relatively easy events is almost always preferable to a single difficult one. Sliding-shifts of a fret or two (taking care not to make unwanted glissandi) are almost always easier, smoother, and more reliable than leaping-shifts, especially with the weaker fingers: "leaping shift’ ‘sliding shifts! it \tiding shits : Vi Vv i fpenes u SS SS Vaz -2 -2 = * 'sliding shifts! nou ‘The fingering possibilities provided by these kinds of shifts are virtually limitless. 178NOTES ‘The Role of the Arm The following arm movements are possible, depending on the kind and extent of shift: Shifting Along a String: 1) movement towards or away from the body at the shoulder 2) movement towards or away from the body at the elbow 3) acombination of these. Altering Forearm Rotation: the arm anticipates the position change by rotating at the ‘elbow; additional movement at the shoulder may be required for extremes of rotation (2 leyper parallel position, for example), ‘Shifting Across the Strings: the forearm opens or closes at the elbow. [The Role of Arm Weight] Whenever the arm is held away (forwards, backwards, or sideways) from its position of equilibrium directly beneath the shoulder, a potential exists fo it to return to this pesition under gravity (through weight). The arm can be held in position entirely by the upper-arm muscles or, with a reduction in the contribution of these muscles and! appropriately firm fingers, by the resistance of the fingerboard (in which ease, arm weight contributes to fretting the strings). Assuming smooth arm movements (rather than quick, jerky ones), the transition between some left-hand positions can be aided by a brief relaxation of the upper- ‘arm muscles and the resulting contribution of arm weight (in situations in which the arm will return under gravity to a position in the direction of the shift. This is a sophisticated topic, but one worth careful consideration. Legato Shifting John Williams’ recordings amount to a masterclass in using subtle glissar otherwise non-legato shifts. LH73 Shifting 179LH74 Shifting Lesson 74—Chromatic Single-String Scales T his lesson explores position shifts in the context of single-string chromatic scales. While the standard left-hand chromatic-scale fingering involves repetitions of the 1234 (or 4321) finger group, it can also be useful to incorporate two- and three-finger groups, especially when the metric groupings would otherwise be at odds with the finger groupings. Note that each finger grouping results in unique shifting intervals: 1234 / 4321 = Augmented Triad 4 Stes 3 fo 8 3 12/21 = Whole-Tone Scale EEE Eee miseatl pel | gh ts gel gt ioe 1-2 3 a2 te = te te “o 3 2 2 + Explore the shifts and their associated arm movements as outlined above before playing the chromatic scale itself (you may also wish to apply matching righthand velocity fingerings to the scale): 32 2apay 142 3,42 ben 1,23 pami ome pi pi pim Practice Routine Periodically include a single-string chromatic scale in your daily warm-up routine. 180LH75 Shifting Lesson 75 — Shifting Between Chord-Forms sequential finger-placement « shifting to difficult chords + practicing very difficult shifts - minimizing left-hand tension, lesson we'll look at techniques and practice methods for shifting smoothly and reliably between multiple-string dispositions (chords and intervals). In addition to the technique of anticipating shifts by placing free fingers over or close to their upcoming strings, it’s also important to add fingers in the new position as they're needed rather than unnecessarily placing multiple fingers simultaneously. Again, though pethaps counter-intuitive, a series of easy reliable movements is almost always preferable to a single difficult one. Arpeggio textures provide a perfect illustration of the principle; here's a simple Left-Hand example: Shifting In tay Arpeggio Textures i 3 2 Even a relatively straightforward chord-change such as this one will be less reliable if attempted as a block chord-change on the downbeat of the second measure, where all movements must occur from one eighth-note to the next. The Carcassi passage provided in Lesson 73 is an even better example; here it's very difficult to make the first chord change en bloc without choppiness and the likelihood of missed notes: Matteo CARCASSI, Etude Op. 60, No. 3 (elton maces in) [tn Om ‘om. 3) 2 re, ‘The sequential placement of left-hand fingers in arpeggio textures, as well as in other textures, can be framed as a general rule of left-hand technique, with each chord-change approached as follows: (On the last note of the first chord: 1) the thumb releases (if the next chord requires a new position for the thumb) 2)_ free fingers prepare over their upcoming strings (at least if needed immediately) 3)_ the arm anticipates the shift (if possible/needed) 181LH75 Shifting On the first note of the new chord (even if it’s an open string): 1) fingers common to both chords remain in place 2) guide fingers (fingers that move to a different fret on the same string) move to their new fret 3) all other fingers used for the first chord are lifted 4) the next finger to be placed prepares Following this, fingers prepare over their strings and are placed as needed to complete the chord. ‘As a practice method, play up to each new element of the chord change, adding successive movements until the complete change is accomplished, for example: to practice this: proceed as follows: 3210 A 3210 5 e1e ep 2) omp3) Fe Pr mpd Use the following chord progression to further explore the left hand in arpeggio textures, making sure to establish the optimum degree of arm rotation required for each chord by first exploring the chords in block form; p = prepare; arm = preparatory arm- movement: 182M. CARCASSI, Etude Op. 60, No. 2 (aay (am (at 3 Bae o (am) fata (ad) 1 (aay fam 43 " fm oo | catia ov (aut) a “2a (aut fat (ad) v 3.24 1 . (at cat (ayn atbatd on a mi ~ fr: — re z = f ‘This technique isn’t restricted to arpeggio textures of course and, for the sake of legato and reliability, we should place fingers sequentially whenever possible. [Finger pairs can sometimes be placed simultaneously, when reliable. When practicing a shift to a difficult chord shape, and even to not so difficult ones, first. Shifting to establish an optimal hand position for the chord (thumb position and degree of Difficult Chords rotation) to assess any differences in thumb and arm position before shifting from the previous chord or position. For example: To practice this, begin with this: u i 183LH75 Shifting Then practice the shift as follows: 1) pause before the shift, rationalize and track what each finger, the arm, and the thumb need to do 2) release, move, and prepare the new position over the strings (guide fingers can. stay in light contact with their respective strings of course) 3) place the remaining fingers on their strings 4) for the sake of practice not only use a slow tempo but make slow movements as well 5) track the movements of the thumb, the arm and each finger individually over several passes 6) (it can also be helpful to track the movements of finger-pairs When comfortable, play the shift repeatedly at a slow tempo, periodically throwing, ‘one in at tempo. Practicing Very Sometimes a position shift is so technically dense—involves many simultaneous Difficult Shifis technical events—that it can’t be effectively practiced in its complete form. In these situations, begin with a simplified version of the shift and gradually reintroduce the various elements involved one by one to build up the complete movement. To optimize the following chord change, for example: Isaac ALBENIZ (arr, Yates), 26 Pieces: Mallorca Op, 202.© 1998 Mel Bay Publications vi a vt + First, explore the movements involved as a series of abstract events without rhythm ‘strict tempo: '* Next, practice the finger movements with the main difficulty (in this case, the initial long shift) omitted: oo 3 03" ® 184.‘+ Then add successively longer shifts until the final position is reached: wo, wit vit by + Finally, add the remaining movements, and alternate between slow and at-tempo versions. (The shift could also be practiced in reverse, starting with the final movement and working back toward the first.) In rare situations, a series of shifts can be so inelegant that the only reasonable solution—a solution of last resort—is to create an artificial musical gesture that introduces additional time between events (a ‘phrasing lift’) Isaac ALBENIZ (arr. Yates), 26 Pieces: Sevilla, © 1999 Mel Bay Publications, quis) = fatenpo ayo) a ‘Minimizing Left-Hand Tension in Difficult Passages ‘An. effective method of minimizing left-hand tension in ‘challenging passages is to practice pp to cultivate a generally light feeling for the passage and to retain this sensation in the left hand as the overall dynamic is increased to mf and f. LH3-75 185Lesson 76—Shifting Along the Lower-Strings (Eliminating Extraneous Noise) attenuating string-squeaks hifts involving the lower strings run the risk of producing an undesirable string- ‘whistle as a finger moves along the string windings. While guitarists themselves can sometimes be quite oblivious to this, it’s usually very apparent (and distracting) to non-guitarist listeners. While the obvious method of eliminating a string-squeak is to avoid sliding a finger along a wound string, musical textures sometimes preclude this, as the following passage by Miguel Llobet: Miguel LLOBET, El testament d’ Amelia (1900) The guitar music is of most nationalistic-period guitar composers, from Tarrega through Barrios to Villa-Lobos, is course filled with many such examples. Here are some methods of attenuating the undesirable sound: ‘slightly straighten the finger and use the softer part of the fingertip to fret the string (on the side of the fingertip or beneath the fingertip ‘+ retain fretting pressure during the shift (a light, glancing contact produces the most noise) ‘+ keep calluses of the fingertips soft (by using a pumice stone, moisturizer, or by simply soaking the fingers in water before playing) Particularly tricky examples of string-squeaking occur when extended sequences of| parallel chords involve multiple common fingers on the bass strings (such as in Villa- Lobos Prelude 2 or Etude 1, or the Carnavalito from José Luis Merlin's Suite del Recuerdo). In these situations, keep string ® fretted for legato but briefly raise the| fingers from strings © and/or © during each shift to avoid excessive squeaking. 186It can also be necessary to stretch or contract the normal four-fret position to simultaneously retain legato and avoid sliding along a wound string: Benjamin BRITTEN, Nocturnal Op. 70. 1964 Faber Music Ltd. Used by kind permission. I Musingly (met lonprco Husingly @ i ® or © z ® 4 a PP very freely Annette KRUISBRINK, Rega Suite, 1. ©2038 Les Productions '0z, Used by kind permission, L Molto tranquillo e espressivo ® rubato bi 4 al 1 When releasing a stretch that involves the wound strings, it's usually necessary to briefly preserve the finger positions and tension levels when releasing from the strings. Otherwise, the fingers will contract back to their normal positions during the release and move along the strings, resulting in a string squeak. For example: NOTES When played on the original instruments with gut strings, the undesirable effect would hhave been considerably less conspicuous (and who can guess how old were the strings on the guitar the busy composer Villa-Lobos used to write his guitar music!) 187LH77 Glissando Lesson 77—Glissando glissando-types (glissé, slide, arrastre, legato arrastr) interpreting, ‘Tirrega’s glissandos e’ve already mentioned glissando in connection with masking non-legato shifts. In this lesson, we'll explore the technique in its more usual form, as an expressive device. Central to a wide range of repertoire, the technique appeared during the early nineteenth century and developed into a pervasive stylistic device during the Romantic and Nationalistic periods in the music of such guitarists as Arcas, Térrega, Barrios and Villa-Lobos. ‘The effect is vocal (and violinistic) and supports an expressive legato melodic performance style. A number of glissando-types were used. In his Improved Method (London, 1896), Ernest Shand described three types of glissando: 1)__ the Glissé (ascending or descending), a quick glissando in which only the first note is plucked: Effect 2). the Slide, a slower glissando in which both notes are plucked: Effect 0 ste) 3) a second variety of Slide in which the opening and closing notes fall on different strings and are played by different fingers: @ Fifect Oost ue Pee ste) 188LH77 Glissando Tarrega student Pascual Roch describes the following glissando types in his Método ‘Moderno Vol. 3 (New York, 1922): 1) the Arrastre (ascending or descending), a quick glissando with both notes plucked: Ec SS “@ ® 2) the Legato Arrasire (ascending or descending), a slow glissando in which the second note is sounded by a left-hand slur): 3) the Legato Arrastre on two strings (ascending or descending), in which the opening and closing notes fall on different strings and are played by different fingers: SS 6 Die ® When playing from the original editions of Francisco Tarrega’s music, we're able to istinguish between two main glissando types: 1) regular left-hand-only glissandos and re-struck glissandos (indicated by a small termination not Francisco TARREGA, Capricho Arabe oe ae © {an example of Roch’s Arasstre, no. 1 above 77 2) glissandos in which the termination note is sounded by the left-hand only: Francisco TARREGA, Capricho Arate, & ITT 189190 LH77 Glissando Francisco TARREGA, Maria In general, glissandos are executed in the same way as a regular shift by releasing the thumb and using a moderate speed of arm movement to carry the fingers to the new position. Resist the temptation to move from the opening note early—a full-length fenuto on the initial note is almost always required for an effective execution of the effect While the majority of glissandos are found in ascending figures, the sixth variation from Tarrega’s well-known Carnival of Venice forms an ideal practice piece for exploring and ‘maintaining optimized descending shifting and glissando techni Francisco TARREGA, Carnival of Venice, Var. 6 Antonio Manjon‘s Estudios Artisticos Op 25 No 2, ‘Estudio para el portamento’ (¢.1910) is another interesting piece along these lines. NOTES Modern performers and editors sometimes choose to ignore the glissandos notated throughout the scores of Romantic and Nationalistic composers, in my view a misjudgment that results in the loss of a unique stylistic aspect of the music. Pascual Roch also describes the programmatic aspects of these Tarrega-style ornaments as an to imitation of ‘sobbing or crying,” Roch’s second type of legato arraste is typical of bowed string glissandi and was also used. by Heitor Villa-Lobos (in Prelude No. 1 and Etude No. 11, for example).Lesson 78—Left-Hand Harmonics technique + positions and intervals ~ violin-style harmonics multiphonics - notation Ihe leftthand technique for playing natural harmonics is quite straightforward, requiring only that the fingers are placed precisely and lightly at the correct position along the string and lifted immediately after the right hand plucks the string (to avoid damping the sound). For the right hand, and especially for higher harmonic pitches, it’s helpful to pluck with a somewhat straighter angle of attack than usual—the resulting brighter sound enhances the clarity of the harmonic (a brighter sound, by definition, excites the higher overtones). For the same reason, it’s also useful to pluck somewhat closer to the bridge than usual, especially when playing loudly (in the normal playing position a forceful attack tends to stifle the higher overtones). The following chart shows the intervals produced at various positions along the string (note that higher-sounding harmonics are not found directly over the frets): fret ‘resulting pitch 2 octave 7 octave a fifth 5 two octaves 4[<2mm) ‘two octaves +a major third 3 edmm] two octaves +a fifth 3/- ga = oe © o A multiphonic is a technique in which a single-line instrument (or a singer) produces Multiphonics several notes simultaneously, usually resulting in unusual harmonic overtones. On the guitar, this can result from playing left-hand harmonics at non-nodal points along the string, such as directly over fret 6. An interesting historical passage occurs in Fernando Sor’s Fanataisie Villageoise, Op. 52 (€. 1832), which repeatedly asks for harmonics at fret 6 (in a passage evoking church bells): Fernando SOR, Fantaisie villagevise, Op. 52, i 4 Whether or not Sor intended the multiphonic effect that results from playing, precisely at fret 6 or the pure flattened-seventh partials that are found a few millimeters behind the fret is uncertain, Nikita Koshkin’s Piece With Clocks makes extended use of multiphonic ‘natural’ harmonics found at non-nodal points along the strings. 193194 LH78 Harmonics Notation While the technique required to play natural harmonics is straightforward, the notation used to indicate them often isn’t, No standardized method of indicating natural harmonics on the guitar exists, and confusing and ambiguous situations are often encountered in the repertoire. For example, a composer or editor may or may not indicate the actual sounding pitch the harmonic produces indicate the string and/or the position at which the harmonic is to played + use a special note-head shape to distinguish a harmonic from a normal note + provide a descriptive word or symbol (such as harm. arm, 804, 0, etc.) Several guitar composers (Sor, Tarrega, and Villa-Lobos, for example) notated natural harmonics by providing position and/or string information only, at the expense of nolating the actual pitches produced. ‘This quite confusing form of notation can be seen in the following example: 78.06 Fernando SOR, Op. 36, No. 2. harm, Fe en Written: Sounds What, in the original notation, appears to be an arpeggiated G-major chord actually sounds asa D-major chord! Here's an example from the music of Villa-Lobos (Prelude 4), who customarily notated harmonics with a circled string letter and the pitch of the fret at which the harmonic is found (rather than at sounding pitch). The notated and sounding pitches are as follows: ® & SP eovo Again, the notated pitch doesn’t necessarily represent the actual pitch produced Although there are numerous historical systems of notating natural harmonics, today most composers and editors prefer to indicate them at sounding pitch, sometimes leaving it to the player to determine the required strings and positions. Here’s an example that leaves little to chance, providing the positions, strings, and sounding pitches:LH78 Harmonics my 4 Contextualization We'll conclude this lesson with a selection of exercises and passages that can be used to develop fluency in playing natural harmonics (the notation has been standardized to enhance readability when necessary). + The first exercise is taken from the Methode Op. 27 by Ferdinando Carulli and uses the following harmonics (written an octave below sounding pitch): xil vi xn vinyy xu YY @ © © § 08 © 6 @o Ferdinando CARULLI Harmonics Exercise (I) from Op. 27, Allegretto XI cee seeeeny VIEXI eeg V eteeeecceceeeey yg VI s--e-----4 XM VI xi MOUNT oq) Vises a cccnrcen VU -------ey XLVI Xt. + The next exercise, also by Carulli, uses the following natural harmonics (again, written an octave below sounding pitch): v voy mM Vv v u 195LH78 Harmonics Ferdinando CARULLI Harmonics Exercise 2) from Op. 27 Andante v. IV MUIVIDY IV VMIV HIV V..----------4IV WIV IV VII. Vv. Wve vo.v mwitv wiiwy wyiwm vow vinivv i + The following examples by Fernando Sor incorporate to single-note harmonics. iads and triads in addition Fernando SOR Excerpts from Op. 40 (Variations on a Scottish Ait) 196LH78 Harmonics Femando SOR Etude Op, 29 No. 24 Lento eR oT 658 2 os + To conclude, here are a couple of scales that incorporate various ‘violin-style’ harmonies: yh 5th 7 sh sik mh 7h Sit a ° ya ya ° ya ° o 2) aH sth 7 ath sth 7 ua ° va ya o us s — = te o = © @ o }On a historical note, the earliest example of harmonics on the guitar appears to be a [short passage found toward the end of a handwritten fugue by Frangois Campion in ¢. 1741. In an annotation, Campion advises the player to ‘gently press the fingers of the left hand on the appropriate strings near the rose...” ty J gin tm bm grin men aenin ty ite oe 197LH79 Reach Lesson 79—Left-Hand Reach (Extension) lateral finger separation - typical extended chord forms—role of the arm and thumb ~ contracted positions - extended-position scale fingerings - playing above the twelfth fret A” left-hand finger disposition that spans more than four frets may be regarded as ‘an extended position requiring a more than usual degree of lateral separation between one or more pairs of fingers. In this lesson we'll look at methods of dealing, with these positions While extension between fingers 1 and 2 (and to a lesser extent 3 and 4) is usually quite easy, the same cannot usually be said for extension between fingers 2 and 3. Use the following exercise to explore and help develop the lateral separation between the less independent finger pairs: ae be —__ Se 916 — 3 i Initially, ghost the notes before adding the pressure necessary to actually fret them. The thumb maintains its customary light contact with the guitar neck and assumes whatever position behind the fingers it needs to. ‘This exercise can be practiced in successively lower positions on the fingerboard as flexibility between finger pairs develops (though, for many players, it may not be possible to move very far down the neck). Like the physical stretching done during warming-up, stretching exercises on the instrument contribute to general left-hand flexibility, which translates into increased finger independence (and therefore coordination), precision, and speed. Extended Chord Here are some fairly typical stretches (if any of these prove too difficult, move the chord Forms __intoa higher position along the fingerboard to reduce the stretch): woes 42 so z As you play through these extended shapes, notice how each is helped by a forward arm movement from the shoulder along with a downward movement of the thumb 198LH79 Reach (creating an increased arch of the wrist), all of which allow finger 4 to adopt a straighter (or even entirely straight) curvature, and therefore increasing its reach. With chords such as these it's often very difficult or even impossible to place the fingers simultaneously. Some degree of sequential finger placement can help, however, often by placing the stronger fingers (1, 2 and 3) first and then adding the fourth finger (ie., using the stronger fingers to assist the weaker ones). A similar situation can occur with compressed left-hand positions. Placement of the following common major-chord shape is made much easier by placing fingers 1 and 2 first (a little back from the fret) and then adding fingers 3 and 4 (or even by placing 1 and 4 first): With practice, this kind of sequential finger placement can occur so quickly as to become almost a simultaneous action. In general, relax into a stretch rather than trying too hard to achieve the position— excessive tension reduces the ability to stretch and is therefore doubly ‘counterproductive. ‘Again, as a practice method for tricky stretches, initially ghost the notes before adding the pressure necessary to actually fret them, allowing the thumb to assume the position itneeds. When releasing a stretch we often need to briefly preserve the finger positions and tension levels when releasing from the strings, at least when the wound strings are involved, Otherwise, the fingers will contract into] ‘their normal positions during the release and move along the strings, resulting in a string squeak (as described in Lesson 76). A common melodic left-hand extension occurs when fingering a pair of whole-steps ina __Extended-Position single position: Scale Fingerings (Or when fingering a scale three-notes-per-string to accommodate relentless righthand three-finger velocity fingerings: 199LH79 Reach Pos. ti 2 z Ae 3 fete ie z pate te é Se =SS— w 2S @ ® ® To accommodate these extended double-whole-step spans we can choose from two possible left-hand finger combinations: 124 or 134. For many players, 12 is an easier two -fret span than 34, although a two-fret span with 34 can be enhanced by a small movement of the arm toward the side of the body—each individual will decide which option suits them best. Playing Above the From time to time we're required to play on the first string in a position significantly Twelfth Fret above the twelfth fret. To accommodate these extended positions, move the arm forward from the shoulder, lowering the thumb on the neck a little and increasing the arch of the wrist. It isn’t necessary to bring the thumb entirely out from behind the fingerboard, nor to significantly lower the left shoulder. In this position, finger 4 usually requires a considerable increase in the arch of the wrist in order to reach the frets. This can be alleviated by straightening and substituting finger 3 along with a significantly rotated hand position—taking advantage of the ‘compressed fret-spacing in the higher positions, this also requires less wrist-arch and is generally more stable, and therefore more accurate: Mauro GIULIANI Sonata Eroica Op 150 In situations where a finger can’t reach its position directly behind the fet, it's necessary to temporarily press alittle harder to produce a clear noteLesson 80—Vibrato function of vibrato - standard vibrato technique (arm vibrato) and controllable parameters - intonation - finger vibrato ~ musical application and stylistic matters avoiding habitual vibrato ibrato is as essential to guitarists as it is to bowed string players and singers. The guitarist’s vibrato, however, functions not so much as an integral part of the overall sound of the instrument but as a technique applied more selectively, to certain notes and textures. Although often used to enhance a particularly expressive note, the main function of the guitarist’s vibrato is to prolong the intensity and sustain of relatively long notes which, on the guitar, otherwise quickly lose their physical and psychological energy soon after being sounded. While seductive, practical, and indispensible, the technique is also susceptible to habituated mannerism, in which its effectiveness is easily lost (the effect is misplaced, uncontrolled, or even inaudible). Vibrato consists of a controlled fluctuation of pitch accomplished with a small side to side movement of the forearm from the elbow, pushing and pulling the string alternately flat and sharp. ‘There are four controllable parameters: 1) the amount of inflexion 2) the speed of inflexion 3) the initiation point (when to begin and end inflecting the note) 4) the consistency (and variability) of inflection Beginning with a long uninflected note, introduce a subtle inflection of the pitch, moving at a slow rate of speed (one inflection per beat), and experimenting with each left-hand finger in turn: da12 ; i 4 s > b + Thearm movement should be smooth and continuous rather than on-off (jerky); the thumb retains its customary light contact with the guitar neck. + When comfortable, increase the degree of pitch inflection while retaining the slow rate of speed, again experimenting with each finger. You will notice that the increased inflection requires an increase in finger pressure. + Again at a slow rate of speed and experimenting with each finger in turn, aim for maximum pitch inflection. This will require even more finger pressure and a significant increase in the degree of forearm movement (perhaps removing the thumb from the guitar neck altogether). This can be enhanced by fretting the string with more than one finger simultaneously. LH80 Vibrato Standard Vibrato Technique (Arm Vibrato) 201LH 80 Vibrato Next, we'll explore the rate of inflection. Return to the previous exercise and systematically increase the rate of inflection from one per beat, to two, three and, finally, four inflections per beat: Vertical (Finger) Vibrato Combining each of the broad degrees of pitch inflection (narrow, moderate, wide) with the various broad speeds of inflection produces a vocabulary of vibrato types: 110 || aA moderate wide (We'll look at the musical application of vibrato later in this lesson.) In musical situations it’s often effective to introduce vibrato gradually, after the note has begun to sound, and with an accelerando and increase in inflection followed by a reduction in intensity (when a note falls under a fermata for example). It's therefore worth practicing vibrato technique in this way as well ‘As you explore the use of vibrato in various positions along the fingerboard, you will discover that in the higher positions (past the tenth fret or so) vibrato can very easily become over-inflected. That is to say, an effective vibrato may accomplished in the higher positions with relatively minimal finger-pressure and arm movement but can easily be overdone. As we move into the lower positions, however, increasingly larger arm-movements and higher degrees of finger pressure are needed to significantly inflect the notes found there. In fact, in the lower positions it’s sometimes necessary to abandon horizontal arm -vibrato and instead use a vertical finger-vibrato (which we'll explore next). Vertical finger-vibrato, as the term suggests, is accomplished by a repeated downwards movement of a single finger, rather than by a side to side movement of the forearm. A small rotational movement of the forearm can also be used, without significant independent movement of the fretting finger itself.LH 80 Vibrato ‘The resulting pitch is inflected upwards only, which can again be attenuated when used on Tong notes by pushing the string toward the fret before adding the vibrato. This type of vibrato is useful not only for providing significant inflection in the lower positions but also for adding vibrato to a selected note in a chord to bring out a melody or to highlight an inner voice part (regardless of the position along the fingerboard). Here’s an example: In addition to the overall intonation of a vibrated note (which equates to the higher Intonation pitch inflection—see the Notes for this lesson), we can also consider the limiting case of vibrato in which the intonation of a note is finessed by a single-held inflection. The following intervals, for example, can be easily and inadvertently pressed sharp by the left-hand: Even when the finger pressure is light, the upper string can remain sharp and will therefore benefit from being pushed flat by the fretting finger (sometimes it can be more convenient to pull the lower string sharp) ‘There are many situation, especially in slow passages, that can benefit from lefthand inflection of intonation. Here are a couple of examples: major-3ed/10th perfect Sth usually sharp usually sharp _ octave often sharp. 42 veer ro As already mentioned, the principal function of vibrato on the guitar is to maintain the Musical intensity of long notes. This is something that can be done more or less routinely in Application — many styles of music; the question being only of degree and intensity—in general, the Siylistic Matters more overtly melodic and expressive the music, the more pronounced the degree and speed of inflection. 203LH80 Vibrato The use of vibrato in early music, however, is controversial (and also somewhat subject to prevailing fashions in early music circles). Not much was written about vibrato in the treatise of the time and early-music culture today tends to avoid the technique. Some carly writers who did mention the technique condemned its overuse (suggesting, therefore, that it must have been fairly common!). Other writers, including the influential violinist Geminiani, wrote in favor of a routine use of the technique. Baroque-period guitar tablatures occasionally indicate vibrato as an omament, performed vigorously as a substitute for a trill or a mordent. Still, here’s an example taken from a tablature by Santiago de Murcia (1732) in which the technique is indicated for every fretted note of a complete section: Santiago de MUCIA, Folas ltalianas (1732) a ® ® @ ®O® ® ® 9 ®@® Beyond exceptional examples such as this, however, the use of vibrato in early m pethaps best reserved for the subtle enhancement of long notes and the occasional expressive gesture. A similar case can be made for the music of early nineteenth-century guitarists such as Sor, Giuliani, Carulli, and Aguado. While undoubtedly employed by early century guitarists—the technique is mentioned in the method books of, for example, Doisy (c.1800), Joly (c.1820) and Aguado (1843)—vibrato appears not to have been used pervasively nor systematically during this period (and isn’t mentioned in the majority of method books of the time). Aguado, nevertheless, doesn’t give the impression that there's anything novel or exceptional about the technique, citing its function as the prolongation of long notes. Guitarists of the period occasionally indicated vibrato in their scores when they particularly required it, as in the following example: Joseph ANELLL The Prayer in Mosé in Egito' (1842) Maestoso vib, vibrato We might reasonably assume a more liberal and expressive use of the technique by the guitarists of the later Romantic period and, especially, by the influential Francisco Tarrega, whose overtly melodic, high-positioned, violinisitic, glissandi-filled music 204LH80 Vibrato seems made for it. Térrega’s student Emilio Pujol, in his Escuela Razonada (‘Based on the Principles of Francesco Tarrega’) (1952), however, says little more about it than Aguado did over a hundred years earlier, adding only the following: Present literature does not indicate it, leaving it up to the free interpretation of the performer. In general, those notes belonging to lyrical melodies will receive vibrato whenever possible, above all if expressive sentiments or sensitivity and emotion are embraced. Pujol provides the following example: Emilio PUJOL, Escuela razonaio, vol3. © 1991 Falitions Oop. Generic, continuous vibrato, as used by other instrumentalists as well as by guitarists, actually appears to be a product of early twentieth-century performance practice, and is perhaps best reserved for music written during that period. ‘The modem repertoire provides many opportunities to apply vibrato and the technique is often specifically requested in the score (though the vast majority of vibrato is still left to the discretion of the performer): Goffredo PETRASSI, Nun (1971). © 1971 Suvini Zerbon pont, ero, lento ma Mlessibile 7 a molto vib. = bebo P tif sis. nto ‘Stepan RAK, Voces de Profundis (1985). © 1986 Musical New Services, Lento misterioso e misurato pulgar m (cith nail) pulgar (without nal) ‘mano sin, Ls SE Ste PP vibrtento maf lascarvibrare vib, o sim Ultimately, the application of vibrato—its placement, frequency and intensity—is a personal issue and, in the case of high-level performers, often a highly identifiable feature of their personal style and sound. Inexperienced players often make an habitual use of vibrato, usually without realizing Avoiding Habitual they're doing so, almost always without consideration for its effect or function, and Vibrato frequently with little or even no audible effect! 205LH80 Vibrato Practice Routine and Contextualization Migual Llobet, £1 testament d! Amelia In consistently- vibrated passages, avoid inadvertently leaving a note un- inflected, especially ‘along one— otherwise the| ‘sound can become| suddenly flat and lifeless. 206 ‘To explore this aspect of your playing take a few short passages from your current repertoire and consciously focus on playing with absolutely no vibrato. Following t consciously add vibrato where you actually would like it to occur (to prolong long notes and to emphasize particularly expressive notes). Practice the exercises provided earlier in this lesson for a few minutes each day until the technique becomes comfortable. Then apply vibrato to single-line melodies (extracting melodic lines from your solo repertoire, for example), distinguishing between the prolongation of long notes and the emphasis vue @ v tena Teng feel Teng Examine pieces from your repertoire for appropriate placement and intensity of vibrato, based on their melodies. NOTES _ Intonation While we may guess that successive pushing and pulling of the string results in aan averaged-out pitch that equates to the pitch of the written note, in reality we actually perceive the pitch of a vibrated note as the higher pitch present in the vibrato itself (bowed- string players vibrate from a slightly flat position to mitigate this effect), While this may not be problematic on relatively short notes, on long notes the effect of sharpness is quite audible. In some situations, the subtle sharpening of a particularly expressive note can be effective (especially if it's a major-third or a leading-tone that will resolve upwards by a half-step). In other situations, the pitch will simply sound out of tune (especially if it forms an octave or a perfect-fifth with another note). In these situations, we ccan push the string a little toward the fret to attenuate the overall intonation as we begin the vibrato. It’s also the case that when the first inflection of a note is sharp (ie, the string is pulled toward the nut) the overall vibrato will appear sharper than if the first inflection had been flat. Stylistic Matters Aguado discusses vibrato briefly in Lesson 44, paragraphs 185-191 of his, Nuevo Metodo (Madrid, 1843). Térrega student Pascual Roch, in his exhaustive three-volume A Modern Method—School of Tarrega (New York, 1917), doesn’t even mention vibrato technique while fellow Tarrega student Emilio Pujol briefly discusses vibrato in volume 3 (Lesson 113, paragraph 321) of his Escuela Razonada de la Guitarra (Buenos Aires, 1954; English edition by Editions Orphee edited Matanya Ophee, Columbus, 1991). Pujol also provides a couple of short excerpts from music by Sor, though these, in all respects, are clearly anachronistic.Lesson 81—Lefit-Hand Damping situations that require left-hand damping - damping with a free finger - simultaneous damping with a fretting finger AMX we saw in Part 1, damping (silencing) strings is usually accomplished with the right hand, especially with the thumb. There are occasions, however, when the right hand is so busy that we turn to the left hand to provide that function instead. Left-hand damping occurs as a matter of course when a finger prevent consecutive notes from overlapping during a string crossing: from a string to + + 5 ° 2 3 o Although the cut-off achieved by raising a left-hand finger isn’t quite as clean or incisive as a cut-off resulting from a right-hand damping action, in passages such as the above this is masked by the attack of the next note. Here are examples of situations in which a free left-hand finger damps an open string: a In the first example, the open fourth-string is damped by resting the first finger on it as, part of the chord change that follows. In the second example, a passage played entirely with the thumb, the first finger damps the open sixth-string as the second finger frets, the B on the next string. And in the third example the initial six-string chord (played by the thumb) is damped with the fourth finger. LH81 Damping 207208 LH81 Damping In addition to using a free finger to silence an open string, it’s also possible to fret a note in such a way that an adjacent open string (or fretted note for that matter) is silenced at the same time. In descending lines we often place a left-hand finger in such a way that it simultaneously damps an open string as it frets the next lower string: 4 4 + z In the following example the first finger frets in such a way that it simultaneously silences the preceding adjacent open string (whether above o below): Ferdinando CARULLI, Serenade Op. 96 No.1, 1 It’s also often convenient to damp sympathetically vibrating basses that may be sounding at the end of a phrase with a free left-hand finger rather than with the right hand. Practice Routine 1. Explore these techniques as part of your regular repertoire practice. 2. Take an intermediate nineteenth-century study ot variation set in D or A major (one with plenty of open strings) and explore it for left-hand damping opportunities.AppendicesAppendix 1—Special Effects pizzicato - percussion string whistle tapping ~ multiphonics ‘ere’s a survey of special effects that occur from time to time in the repertoire. hese range from relatively common effects such as pizzicato to less common ones that are sometimes unique to their composers but worth investigating nevertheless, Pizzicato is a common guitar technique that’s been in use since the early nineteenth century. While Fernando Sor described the technique in his Methade (1828) with the instruction to place the left-hand fingers directly on the fret wire just firmly enough to create a clear note, the more usual method of creating the effect is to damp the strings by placing the side of the right-hand palm on the bridge. With a little experimentation, a position can be found in which the strings ring with just the right amount of sustain to produce a short identifiable pitch resembling violin pizzicato (anything less, however, can easily result in a pitchless thud): Francisco TARREGA, Maria In his Escuela Razonada (1933, pub. 1971), Tarrega protégé Emilio Pujol describes several types of pizzicato, including the pizzicato abierto (in which pizzicato trebles sound above open uninflected basses) and the unusual pizzicato estridente. In this latter variety, the side of the right-hand palm is placed close to the strings a few inches from the bridge, with the result that they vibrate against the palm when plucked. Pujol mentions that nineteenth-century Spanish guitarists described this ‘grotesque’ effect as resembling an ophicleide (a tuba-like brass instrument) or a bassoon, and also that it could at a pinch imitate a muted trumpet. Pujol employs a full range of pizzicato techniques, including the ‘pizzicato estridente’ in his well-known ‘Guajira’ (No. 3 from his Trois Morceaux Espagnols), describing the use of the technique in this piece as emulating the coarse metal plectrum used by popular Cuban guitarists of the time. ‘The effect can be clearly heard on Ida Presti’s 1950 recording of the piece (included on ‘The Art of Ida Pres) Another description of the ‘estridente’ technique appears in vol. 2 of Pascual Roch’s ‘A Modern Method for the Guitar (1922), under the quite descriptive heading, ‘To Imitate the Cracked Voice of an Old Man or Woman.’ Roch provides the following example (to be played entirely with the thumb): Special Effects Pizzicato auSpecial Effects CHUECA (arr, TARREGA), Los Paraguas ~ Mazurka MC. da MC. 6a Ca MC. 6a pas gag PB Be Feeee r F gt In addition to damping with the side of the palm, it's also possible to damp the first string with the little finger, leaving the remaining fingers free to play, as in the following example (p and m play the tremolo while c damps; the left hand plays solo): Bryan JOHANSON, Variations on Finnish Folksong (Yates, The Contemporary Guitar). © 2000 Mel Bay Publications ‘Tempo ad libitum. At slower tempos, long notes can be articulated pizzicato and then released to allow them to continue ringing: pizz (retensy) Y “Yroease) SY (eteas) Cal (Leo Brower employs the technique in his 1977 Tarantos.) Percussion The earliest notated percussive effect for the guitar appears in a 1732 tablature for the five-course guitar written by Santiago de Murcia; the word ‘golpe’ instructs. the performer to tap on the soundboard (or perhaps on the strings themselves): Santiago de MURCIA, Cumbées (€.1732 + + ttoe tok tf 4 tod solve pe soln solpe ‘This isolated example, however, is precisely that and we do not find further ones until well into the nineteenth century: an effect indicated by the term “Tambour’ appears in the Methode of Matteo Carcassi (c. 1836): 212Special Effects Matteo CARCASSI, Vals 'Espagnole(c, 1836) Vibe, Tambour Tambour a rrorpit fF roof es “I Carcassi instructs us to ‘hit all of the strings with the right-hand thumb close to the bridge’ The technique appears again in Julian Arcas’ 1860 publication of his Jota Aragonesa (a piece later adopted and expanded by Francisco Térrega and, later still, by Agustin Barrios): Julian ARCAS, Jota Aragonesa (¢. 1860) Imitacion al tambor 2 While Arcas provided no instructions for performing the technique, Pascual Roch, speaking of the same section of this piece in his Modern Method and referring, to it as the ‘Bass Drum Effect’ advises us that: “the thumb falls on the strings swiftly and close to the bridge...the surface of the thumbnail should strike the melody-string so as to bring out the melody above the sound of the other strings.’ A further percussive effect is introduced in Tarrega’s version of the piece: the snare drum: Francisco TARREGA, Jota sobre motivos populaires (c, 1909) oa ed ddy det gd dd Pascal Roch again provides information about this section of the piece, instructing us that the ‘Side-Drum Effect is: 213Special Effects ‘produced by crossing the fifth and sixth strings so that the former lies over the latter. The finger which stops them has to press hard enough to prevent the fifth string, from rising or slipping. The strings are crossed at the ninth fre.” ting “Tahal, a name Roch also mentions that the effect is often indicated with aT, applied in the province of Valancia (in which Térrega was born).” (Despite Roch’s advice, the technique is actually more secure when the sixth string is pulled. over the fifth.) More contemporary examples of the snare-drum effect may be found in Malcolm ‘Amold’s Fantasy for Guitar and in Nikita Koshkin’s The Prince's Toys, which extends the technique over a variety of string-sets and positions as well as in a continuous version which supports a melody above, along the following lines: © snare-drum etfect The crossed strings can also be plucked individually to produce a bell-ike effect (as in such pieces as Francis Kleynjan’s A I’Aube du Dernier Jour and Thierry Rougier’s Four Sesaons, for example). ‘Tamura is often found in contemporary guitar music, usually performed by striking the strings at the bridge with the thumb, and with the melody found on varying strings (Roch’s advice to use the thumbnail to bring out the melody is just as pertinent here as it was earlier): tambora 2 > ‘Tambora can also occur in combination with golpe (tapping the soundboard), as in the following example: Annette KRUISBRINK, Rage Suite, [1.02000 Productions Oz, golre tamb, With experimentation, a wide range of percussive ‘drum-types’ can be found at various points on the guitar soundboard. The percussion maps provided in such pieces as Paulo Bellinati’s Jongo (1993) and Alexander Vinitsky’s Lonely Voice (1995) provide good ‘examples of the possibilities. 214.Special Effects ‘A further type of tambora, often used in South American folk music, involves hitting, the strings against the frets with the side of the thumb or with a closed fist: José Luis MERLIN, Suite del Recuerdo, VI. © 2000 Tuscany Publications PP pobat pobin pete te tie tT This percussive technique also features prominently in the final movement of Alberto Ginastera’s Sonata for Guitar, Op. 47 (also see Lesson 39). While sensitive guitarists usually do everything within their power to avoid it, a String Whistle deliberate pronounced string whistle is sometimes called for. This can be a violent nail- scrape along @ wound string, as in such contemporary pieces as Leo Brouwer's aleatoric Laespiral eternal or the first movement of Alberto Ginastera’s Sonata for Guitar, Op. 47; r, in the case of Nikita Koshkin’s “The Doll With Blinking Eyes’ from his Prince's Toys suite, a gentler effect produced by the fleshy pad of the thumb: Though musical scores often ask for a ‘nail scrape’ to be executed with the thumb and perhaps with the fingers (or both simultaneously), | much prefer to use the little-finger nail to avoid damaging the others!) ‘The term ‘tapping’ refers to sounding notes by hammering them on the fingerboard Tapping using both hands. An unexpected, early example of righthand tapping is found in Francisco Térrega’s arrangement of Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No.2: Frédéric CHOPIN (arr. TARREGA, c. 1907), Nocturne Op. 9 No.2 ‘mano izq, ——_______ a mano der. i m ‘More systematic use of the technique, exploring both hands simultaneously, is found in such contemporary works as Leo Brouwer's Paisaje Cubano con camparias (1988), using, a technique along the following lines: 25Special Effects Other textures include: Chromatic Seale P - o— f F ried finger Evan Hirschelman’s Homage to Michael Hedges is a farther example of an extended contemporary piece which deals extensively with the technique. Hirschelman’s Acoustic Artistry: Tapping, Slapping, and Percussion Techniques for Classical & Fingerstyle Guitar (Hal Leonard Publications) provides a comprehensive exploration ‘of a wide range of such techniques. “Multiphonics’ In addition to the left-hand harmonic multiphonics we briefly looked at in Lesson 78, a further use of the term refers to notes found between the fretted note and the nut. Pethaps the most famous example appears at the conclusion of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Etude No. 2 (1928 version), where both the regular fretted note and its counterpart (plucked by the first finger of the left hand behind the fretting finger) sound simultaneously. The resulting pitches are as follows: up 4 ait & = = In finger 1 plucks A ‘A more extended passage is found in the finale of Nikita Koshkin’s The Porcelain Tower, where the normally-vibrating portion of the string is damped by the right hand at the bridge to prevent the fretted pitches themselves from sounding. Here’s a table of the approximate pitches this technique generates on the first string, (some are closer to quarter-tones): 216Special Effects {retting positions: @ by resulting pitches Repertoire Special effects are of course most prevalent in contemporary repertoire, with some pieces presenting detailed a exploration of the guitar’s sonic possibilities. Here are a few examples: Luciano BERIO Sequenza XI Leo BROUWER Laespiral cierna Alvaro COMPANY Las seis euerdas Alberto GINASTERA Sonata Op. 47 Nikita KOSHKIN Piece With Clocks ‘The Prince's Toys ‘The Porcelain Tower Annette KRUISBRINK — 60+ Stephen FUNK PEARSON Pongue (with ping-pong balls) Stepan RAK Voce de Profundis (with tea-spoon) 217RH Fingering Guidelines Two Right-Hand Si stems The Two Agile Fingers—p and i The Independent Finger-Pair—im 218 Appendix 2—Right-Hand Fingering Guidelines Ihe primary goal in choosing fingerings for either hand is to discover the most comfortable and, therefore, the most reliable fingering that allows us to realize our musical goals for a particular passage. Fingering choice, therefore, involves not only accurate mechanical performance (ease and reliability) but also a response to dynamic, accent, rhythm, and timbre (aesthetic qualities) Two fundamental fingering systems exist for the right hand: 1. one finger per string (for block chords and arpeggios) 2. single-string alternation (for melodies, scales, and other passagework) Both systems are relatively straightforward, in and of themselves, at least regarding which finger should play on which string. However, we very often have to use a combination of the two, which is where the complexity lies. + Use one finger per string,as the default system, from which departures can be made when needed—this is the fundamental, anatomically-sound position, a home base from which the fingers venture from and return to. + Having said this, become comfortable with string-set position changes, especially moving the i and m fingers onto strings © and ® and the thumb onto string ®. ‘The thumb and index finger are very agile and independent digits. The middle finger is less so, and the ring finger is very much less so. Allow the agile fingers to move between the strings. For example: use the i finger for an isolated rest-stroke (or free stroke) on a higher string (this doesn’t require a change in hand position) + increase the use of the thumb, especially on string ® + the thumb is capable of recovering from its stroke quite rapidly —there’s no need to routinely default to im alternation on the lower strings + Rely on the independent finger-pair im for most things, incorporating an intervening instance of a or p to correct problematic string crossings. + Also find a way to regularly incorporate the a finger—it can easily become desensitized with lack of use during a passage and will lack touch when eventually called upon to play. Develop a full melodic free-stroke sound with the a finger and use it frequently for this.+ Take advantage of the relative strengths of the fingers. While fast alternation usually works best starting on the i finger (for facility), placing the stronger m finger on the beat in moderate-speed passages provides a natural metric emphasis, (This can become a quite involved issue when applied to internal note-grouping, within a beat.) + Avoid i free stroke for particularly loud isolated notes or accents (m and a work better for this, or use an i rest stroke). + Freely employ rest stroke for slow-moving or isolated melodic notes and accents, but don’t avoid using the a finger for a full-sounding free-stroke melodic tone. Don't hesitate to repeat a finger for melodic consistency along a string, if the melody moves slowly enough. We can generally repeat a finger on the same string at the second highest rhythmic level of a passage without compromising control. This can also aid rhythmic and dynamic control in mixed-rhythm passagework: + Its also practical to repeat a finger for a descending string-crossing, since the finger moving toward the lower string as part of its stroke. Repeated-finger descending rest-stroke string-crossings are also very helpful, using a light rest-stroke in predominantly free-stoke textures. On the other hand, avoid repeating a finger for an ascending string crossing - this is rarely reliable. + Preparation and anticipation (in both hands) are the keys to accurate playing— prepare each new string crossing on the string, unless that string should continue to sound. Incorporate the three-finger string-crossing formulas provided earlier (Lessons 9 and 60). * Avoid more than one instance of ma alternation at a time, unless the passage is slow enough for these fingers to make independent strokes (even then, the more independent im pair are preferable). Compare the following: + Avoid repeating the a finger on the first string, unless the notes move slowly ‘enough—this adds tension and comprises tone quality; ifa finger must be repeated tuse one that’s moving towards the next lower string. For example: RH Fingering Guidelines Alternation and String-Crossing 219220 RH Fingering Guidelines Damping The Left Hand f+ Whenever possible rely on the right-hand fingers and thumb to take care of damping— this is much more controllable than using the left hand. Right-hand fingering choice is of course also related to left-hand fingering and especially to slurring technique. (We'll explore these considerations in Appendix 3.) In Conclusion ‘Theoretical’ fingerings often look good on paper but don’t necessarily work well in practice—don’t choose a fingering without making sure it is comfortable, reliable, and musically effective. Alternate between Slow-Fast versions of short practice segments early in your practice of new pieces to determine what is and what isnt likely to work at speed. Trust your fingers to discover solutions, but analyze why and write them down on your practice score, OF course, as the title to this section suggests, these are guidelines, not rules. Experimentation and assessment provide us with options, from which we may make formed choices. Other fingering systems, including velocity and volume fingerings have of course already been discussed.LH Fingering Guidelines Appendix 3—Left-Hand Fingering Guidelines he principal factors relating to left-hand fingering choice are smooth legato connection and reliability (ease), though other factors come into play, especially stylistic ones, Here are some things to bear in mind when choosing left-hand fingerings. + Default toa rotated hand position unless a parallel position is specifically required. + Place left-hand fingers sequentially, as needed (especially in arpeggio textures, but also elsewhere). ‘+ Anticipate and prepare left-hand movements whenever possible. + Fret the strings ahead of time whenever possible (especially at the beginning of a phrase), ‘= Set the hand po tion for as many upcoming events as possible: lean poston ~ © ‘ Paod + Avoid using a weaker finger when a stronger one is available (especially in the lower position): Mauro GIULIANI, Variations Op. 45, 2 ata cf P wr + When shifting to a weak finger, place a stronger one along with it (especially if this, will anticipate a further fretting action): add 1 7LH Fingering Guidelines ‘aiding shifts + Take advantage of cross-fingerings, especially to aid legato: + Single-finger guide fingers are often preferable to multiple ones for long, shifts (to reduce friction): : sey Tic (add 23) + Simplify long shifts by inserting a transitional one: instond of + Substitute several short sliding-shifts in place of a single leaping.shift, especially in scales passages: vit 222 x y We sts - fn & ——- =F a 3 arr 2 T : * Explore non-traditional bares:LH Fingering Guidelines Project the stylistic differences between pieces by using appropriate left-hand fingering _Siylistic Matters systems. In the music of Romantic and Nationalistic-period composers (Tarrega, Barrios, Villa-Lobos, for example) use plenty of along a string ‘melodic’ fingerings with glissandi, and avoid open strings for melodic notes. In baroque music, use plenty of over-ringing in-position chordal fingerings along with campanela. Likewise, rely on in position chordal fingerings for classical-period music (Sor, Giuliani, Carulli etc.) 1) "baroque classical! 1) 'nationalistie— yper-expressice! ® ee o 4 223Learning New Repertoire Determining Practice Segments 224 Determining Optimal Fingerings Appendix 4—Technical Approach to Learning A New Piece hile musical expression is the most important aspect of learning a new piece, the discussion here must necessarily be restricted to technical aspects only. Assuming that the difficulty level of the piece is appropriate, not distant from our internalized technique, the overall process takes place over four broad phases: 1. an initial exploration of the musical and technical elements of the piece 2. segmentation of the piece into its constituent sections, phrases, sub-phrases and practice segments; abstract practice of these segments, mostly at a slow tempo 3. speeding-up and combining short practice segments to create larger passages at tempo with full expression 4. developing continuity in a simulated performance mode ‘The first step to learning a new piece is to divide it up into manageable sections, as follows: + identify and label the main musical sections (for the sake of practice, these can be regarded as separate ‘pieces’ and do not need to be practiced together) + identify and label the constituent phrases that make up each section + identify the constituent sub-phrases that can be used as practice segments (i, that are short enough to be played immediately from memory and that can be tried out close to tempo) + identify the most difficult segments—these should be worked on first since they will require the most work ‘The process then consists of working on short practice segments, combining them into larger phrases and, eventually, into larger musical sections at tempo and with full musical expression. Don't rely on the first fingering you find that appears to work. Instead, explore all reasonable possibilities and make an informed choice. The goal is always to discover the easiest, most reliable fingering that meets the musical goals of a passage, no matter how easy a passage may appear. ‘To determine whether or not a fingering choice will actually work at full tempo, it’s important to choose practice segments that are short enough to test at speed, even though most of our initial work will be at slower tempos. For the right-hand, default to im alternation and determine where the a finger (and possibly the thumb) need to be added; keep the a finger in circulation. For the left-hand, rely on stronger fingers (especially for tricky passages) and minimize ‘technical density’ by distributing finger actions evenly over the course of a passage.Learning New Repertoire Taking a Practice Segment that’s short enough to play from memory, explore the Working On A following: Short Practice- Segment + fingerings for both hands—play the segment hands separately, exploring each individual finger as well as the left-hand thumb over several passes (this can be quite revealing); check the effectiveness of the chosen fingering by alternating between slow and fast versions of the segment hands together, adjusting the fingering if needed; identify relaxation points for both hands + optimize the left-hand position (degree of rotation), finger preparation and anticipation, and tension levels by ghosting and buzzing notes; play the passage alternately pp and f (with the goal of duplicating the pp left-hand tension-level in the f version); repeat slurs several times, f for the left hand—pp for the right ‘+ use a variety of tempos, including ‘over-practicing’ at faster than the intended performance tempo ‘+ add expression (dynamics, accentuation, rubato) as soon as possible Each of these steps should be visualized mentally as well as performed physically. Playing at tempo, break-up a short Practice Segment according to its left-hand actions _Speeding-Up and (normally position changes) and use Stop-Go practice to build the complete segment, as Developing follows Longer Segments 1, pausing before each action (position-change) 2. playing to and pausing on the next action 3. playing straight-through For example: 225226 Learning New Repertoire Once the short Practice Segments become comfortable, gradually combine them to create larger segments using Stop-Go practice (following the steps just described), as, follows: 1. combine the first two segments 2. combine the next two segments 3. combine these into a four-segment chunk 4, move on to the next four segments, and so on. ‘These larger segments should also be played in alternating Slow-Fast and Soft-Loud versions, as well as with full expression. Once the smaller segments have been reliably assimilated into larger sections, and only at that point, the final phase involves playing in a simulated performance setting, Thi means playing with full expression, at tempo, and with complete continuity, regardless of any slips. Recording these play-throughs will provide a valuable tool for assessing, and further refining the piece. Unfamiliar Movement Forms Every now and again we come across a right-hand finger combination or a left- hand finger disposition that is quite unfamiliar. In such cases, develop an exercise routine to internalize the movement form using the four standard practice methods we've used throughout this book.Iconic Method Books and Study Sets Appendix 5—Iconic Method Books and Study Sets ‘Carulli -Sychra Sor - Giuliani - Aguado Legnani - Carcass - Regondl - Térraga Roch » Sagreras + Pujol « Villa-Lobos - Carlevaro » Dodgsor-Quine - Brouwer Gilardino ‘he didactic repertoire of the guitar is expansive (the nineteenth-century alone produced even more method books for the guitar than it did for the piano). Nevertheless, the number of truly useful study sets and other didactic works is relatively small; these are the iconic artistic-didactic works that every serious guitarist should know and make use of. Here’s an overview of the most important examples, arranged chronologically by composer. Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841) The most prolific guitarist-composer of his time (probably of any time), Carulli produced an almost overwhelming amount of didactic material, not least of which are his no less than thirteen method books. These consist of his principal guitar method (Op 27) and its revised version (Op 241), three supplements (Opp. 61, 71 and 192), a book of “Musical Improvisations’ (54 Preludes, Op. 265), L’anti Method (Op. 272), a method for the 10-string décacorde (Op. 293), a harmony treatise dealing with guitar accompaniment, three method books dealing with solfege for singers and guitarists Opp. 195a, 195b and 316), and a method book purely for singers. The most useful advanced studies are to be found at the end of Parts 2 and 3 of the Complete Method Op 27 (the “Rondo to Exercise all of the Positions’ and the ‘Grand Etude or Arpeggio Module for All of the Keys and Positions) and the Second Supplement to the Method Op 71 (cons of arpeggio modules, interval studies, and a concluding ‘Grand Caprice’). Supplement to the Method Op 192 places its emphasis on musical matters and includes an ‘Octaves Exercise’ in full sonata form. The four-part collection of 48 Preludes and 24 ‘pieces,’ L'utile et Vagréable Op 114, is a further source of useful right-hand technical material. Unfortunately, modern editions exist for very few of Carulli’s works. Andrei Sychra (1773-1850) While intended for the Russian seven-string guitar and it’s unique open tuning, the guitar method (1840) attributed to Sychra (it was actually written by his students) along, with the instructions found in his Practical Rules Consisting of Four Exercises (1817) present an almost bewildering array of sophisticated arpeggiation and cross-string ‘ornament fingerings. These are therefore worth studying by any guitarist, regardless of the tuning and stringing of their instrument. 227Iconic Method Books and Study Sets 228 Fernando Sor (1778-1839) ‘A perfect marriage of didacticism and refined musical sensibility, Sor’s various study sets and other collections of short pieces represent the pinnacle of early nineteenth- century pedagogical material for the guitar. The two-volume set of 24 Etudes (published. as Op. 6 and Op. 29) are the most important and reach the furthest. Nevertheless, the easier sets, which consist of the 24 Lessons Op 31, the 24 Exercises Op. 35, the 24 Short Progressive Pieces Op 44, and even the 24 progressive lessons that comprise the Introduction to the Study of the Guitar Op 60, contain a wealth of musical-didactic material. Since Sor published most of his music without fingerings, it’s necessary to derive them from the fingering system described in his Guitar Method (an English translation is available from Editions Ophée). The surprising lack of notated expression markings in Sor’s music is a further aspect that requires careful reconstruction (and which, unfortunately, has often led to bland performances of his highly-refined music). The collected studies of Sor are available in a single volume (though with the addition of editorial fingerings) from Editions Chanterelle, edited by Richard Savino and Matanya Ophee. Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) One of the most accomplished guitarists of his time, as both virtuoso performer and composer, Giuliani’s didactic works represent a further indispensible source of artistic didactic early-nineteenth-century material for the instrument. In four parts, his Study of the Guitar Op 1 begins with the iconic 120 arpeggio exercises (which, while far from being the first such set for the guitar, are perhaps the first to include clearly abstract patterns aimed at pure right-hand technique). This is followed by a comprehensive set of 16 left-hand interval exercises, a set of exercises dealing with articulation, slurs and omaments, and a concluding set of 12 Lessons. Since much of this material includes detailed fingering for both hands, it’s possible to reconstruct the fingering system Giuliani likely used himself. Giuliani's more advanced studies are found in the 24 Exercises for the Guitar Op. 48 and, to a lesser extent, in the 18 Progressive Lessons for the Guitar Op 51 and the Cadences, Caprices, Rondos and Preludes published as Easy and Agreeable instructive Etudes for the Guitar Op 100. An urtext edition of Giuliani's collected didactic works, edited by David Grimes, is available as ‘The Complete Giuliani Studies from Mel Bay Publications. Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849) The various editions of Aguado’s School of the Guitar, published during his lifetime, provide an in-depth account of guitar technique and performance practice of the time. While not necessarily of the highest artistic-musical interest, the music in these methods contains a good deal of useful technical material, especially for the right-hand. The collected studies are available in a modern edition as the Complete Studies from the Guitar ‘Method of 1843, edited by Karl Scheit, published by Universal Edition, An English translation of Aguado’s New Guitar Method of 1843, edited by Brian Jeffrey, is available from Tecla Editions.Luigi Legnani (1790-1877) While Legnani’s method book isn’t particularly enlightening, his set of 36 Caprices for All of the Major and Minor Keys Op 20 explores the technical and textural foundation of his virtuosic guitar style, notated with considerable detail of expression markings and cast in an overtly operatic style. Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853) While his overall musical output may not be particularly ambitious, Carcassi truly surpassed himself with the publication of the supplement to his guitar method —the 25 ‘Melodic and Progressive Etudes Op 60. In addition to the attractiveness of the music in this collection, the principal importance of the set lies in the detail of notated expression. Logical and systematic, these markings provide an invaluable guide to the expressive melodic-harmonic bel canto style of the time, Giulio Regondi (1823-1872) Regondi’s sole ‘didactic’ work, the Ten Etudes, are of limited didactic use since they require an already fully-developed technique in order to play them. Nevertheless, this set of etudes remains indispensible due to the unique fingering systems it employs and the sublime musical qualities it expresses. Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) Often referred to as the “father of the modern guitar’ Tarrega represents the culmination of the Garcia-Aguado-Damas-Arcas line of Spanish guitarists, as well as the beginning of the Llobet-Segovia-Carlevaro modem school of playing. While Térrega didn’t leave a guitar method, his technical approach to the guitar is more than adequately expressed in the comprehensive treatises of his protégés Pascual Roch and Emilio Pujol. Tarrega’s didactic approach appears to have relied on a comprehensive abstract training of the fingers, with the goal of equalizing them before taking on musical material. Many of his exercise-types are still used today, probably without us realizing where they originated. Térrega's originally-composed studies are readily available in a variety of modern editions and an edition of the Complete Technical Studies, edited by Karl Scheit, is available from Universal Edition. Still, to gain a full understanding of Tarrega’s technical-musical system we need to tum to Roch and Pujol. Pascual Roch (1860-1921) Roch’s three-volume A Modern Method for the Guitar— School of Trrega (1922) provides what is probably the purest exposition not only of Térrega’s approach to guitar technique but also of his expressive-stylistic approach to playing music. In addition to umerous technical exercises, Roch’s comments regarding the various arrangements by ‘Tarrega, found in volume 2, are particularly interesting. Long out of print, Roch’s method book is available today in digitized form. Iconic Method Books and Study Sets 229Iconic Method Books ‘and Study Sets 230 Julio Sagreras (1879-1942) In six books and a concluding supplement, Sagreras’ innocuously titled Lessons for the Guitar consists of an expertly graduated series of literally hundreds of studies that, almost imperceptibly, take the student from absolute beginner to advanced player. Written in a charming melodic, rhythmic, somewhat nostalgic South-American musical style, these studies are especially useful for integrating rest-stroke melodic technique within an overall free-stroke approach. While focusing predominantly on the right- hand, there are also plenty of studies dealing with various categories of left-hand slur technique, mobility, and passagework. The concluding supplement, Superior Technique of the Guitar (‘In Accordance with the Modem School of ‘Térrega’), pethaps a little disappointingly, amounts to little more than a scale manual and a concluding set of exercises by Térrega. The complete set of lessons, along with the supplement, is available in English translation from Mel Bay Publications. Emilio Pujol (1886-1980) Pujol’s four-volume Escuela razonada de la guitarra (‘Rational School for the Guitar— Based on the Technical Principles of Térrega’) (1954) is probably the most comprehensive treatise dealing with guitar technique ever published. While, like Roch, Pujol supplies copious examples of the Térrega approach to playing technique, he goes much further than his predecessor with the adoption of an advanced musical-harmonic language, expressed over the course of the 70 originally-composed extended studies found in volumes 2, 3 and 4. Almost all of the studies contained in volumes 3 and 4 require a highly-developed technique and are at least as challenging as the concert repertoire for which one presumes they were intended to prepare. Volumes 1-3 are available in English translation from Editions Orphée. Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) Villa-Lobos’ 12 Etudes, written in 1928, represent a milestone in both the didactic and the artistic literature of the instrument. For the first time (since the seventeenth-century, at least), we have a use of the instrument that is truly idiomatic, rather than a derivation from other instrumental idioms, While clearly derived from the standard nineteenth- century guitar technique Villa-Lobos would have been familiar with as a young guitarist and teacher, his expansion of this technical idiom in the Etudes is almost unimaginably distant from it. These are, of course, far more than ‘studies’ they're artistic musical statements as well. As with Regondi, these pieces require an established. advanced playing technique and we play them as much for their musical content as for their ingenious use of the instrument. ‘Abel Carlevaro (1916-2001) A continuation of the line Llobet—Segovia—Villa-Lobos, Carlevaro’s didactic works contribute a further analytic layer to the development of guitar technique. Represented primarily by the four Cuademos (notebooks) that comprise his Serie Didactica and the technical treatise, Escuela de la Guitarra, Carlevaro's rationalization of guitar techniquecannot be fully understood without the supervision of an expert practitioner of his school of playing (especially regarding the right hand). Nevertheless, there is much to be gained from an intelligent approach to his materials. Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013 —Hector Quine (1926-2015) In three books, the 32 studies written by British composer Stephen Dodgson (in collaboration with guitarist Hector Quine) are perhaps not as well known as they might be. I include them here because these are expertly-composed pieces that place intermediate technical issues within the context of a highly-developed musical language and its accompanying unfamiliar technical actions and musical shapes. Leo Brouwer (b. 1939) Following on from Villa-Lobos, Brouwer represents a second twentieth-century technical and musical renaissance of the guitar. Rooted within a confluence of contemporary, Cuban, and baroque stylistic aesthetics, his 20 Estudios Sencillos present a concise exposition of the main technical-textural areas of the instrument expressed through a rhythmic-harmonic language deriving from two compositional periods. The later studies in particular provide access to the technical-idiomatic style we have come to associate with our most significant living guitar composer—sturred ostinato, over- ringing ‘harp’ texture, cross-string ornaments, and minimalistic texture. Angelo Gilardino (b. 1941) Gilardino’s five-volume set of 60 extended Studies in Virtuosity and Transcendence presents unfamiliar technical actions within a serious, yet evocative musical language. Inspired by the atmosphere of an iconic composer, poet, or painter, each piece inhabits a unique sound world in which unfamiliar musical textures, fingering dispositions, and other technical actions are relentlessly explored. Employing a similar style, Gilardino’s, 20 Fasy Studies for Guitar provides a progressive set of studies that prepare the player for his earlier, more advanced, set. While many other useful didactic works could be mentioned here, this survey has focused on the iconic works that I feel have contributed the most to our current understanding of the guitar and its possibili Bear in mind that no matter what your technical level, you can Iearn as ‘much from the relatively easier sets as from the more advanced ones. 231RH Practice Grids Appendix 6—Practice Grids Lesson 41 Ex. 1 followed by Groups 1-3 each day (distributed over two-and three-day cycles. day [day2 [day3 [day4 [days rea lee see eee leek ee Group |ai—b) |o-d) |a)—v) |o-a) Jaw Group2 |a)—b) |o—d |a)—b) |o—a Ja—b) Group3_|a) » lo fa |b Done Lesson 42 Fx. 1 followed by Groups 1-3 each day (distributed over two, three and six-day cycles. fday1 [day2 [day3 [day4 [day5 |day6 Group a)» |o—-a od Je) Group2 imam |iama Groups _|a)—») |o-«@ |w—» [oa |a—v) lo—a Done Lesson 55 Ex 2,4, 6 & 7 each day. Then Ex 2, 4,6& 8. each day jeach day Bx. 24,687 Fx 24,688 Done Done 232RH Practice Grids Lesson 59 Groups 1-6 over a six-day cycle. day1[day2 [day3 —[day4 —[day5 [day Group 1 |Group2 |Group3 [Group 4 [Groups |Group6 Done Lesson 60 ‘One scale each day over a six-day cycle [day1[day2 [day3 [days [days day 6 lc ami [D iG G (pos. ttt) |G (pos. tl) Done Lesson 62 (based on Lesson 59) Groups 1-6 over a six-day cycle. fday1 day? [day3 _|daya [days Group |Group2 |Group3 |Group4 |Group5 contd] 233RH Practice Grids Lesson 62 (based on Lesson 60) (One scale each day over a six-day cycle. il ae ae asses [Le 234 day5 G (pos. I) day 6 G (pos. II)Lesson 64 Group 1 over a3-day cycle. Then Group 2 over a three-day cycle. Then Group 3.6’ Group 1| days 1& 4 |days2.&5 [days3&6 [Group 2] days 1&4 [days2&5 [days3 &6 234243 |sza—sa2 | 423492 2343-2434 | 32423428 | 42324323 Group 3 [days 1& 4 [days 2 &5 |days3 6 234—243 |s2a—s42 | 423432 Done 3 and 4-Finger Checklist 1 Make a note of patterns that are uncomfortable and create a practice routine for them. 3 213 312 2 128 28 Ey 13 132 Bi Ea az 134 234 Ey 133 1a 2a a1 431 143 243 3 82 1234 2134 3124 4123 1243 2143 3142 4132 1324 2314 sata 4213 1342 2341 3281 4231 1428 ata sa12 4312 1482 2431 321 321 235LH Practice Grids Band 4-Finger Checklist I Use this checklist to keep track of things if you decide to cycle through the three and four-finger patterns as part of your warm-ups. 3 213 128 ia 12 231 38 234 a2 en a3 2a 312 a2 314 a3, a2 a 2a 2 oan 31 312 332 1234 2134 1233 2143 1324 i Bi 1342 | 2341 1423 ani 1032 2431 3128 3123 sua 132 sau 213 saa 1 sai a1 sat oa 236Lesson 65 ‘Two right-hand patterns each day over a two-day cycle. ¢ 5.00" day1 day? ami—ima | pim—pmi Lesson 67 Scale Practice: one scale each day over a four-day cycle, day 1 [day 2 [day3 [day 4 a |p |[o |e Done ‘Scale Derivations: one scale each day overa six-day cycle, day1 day? [day3 [day 4 [day5 [day 6 cfc [a |p |p |e Done LH Practice Grids 237LH Practice Grids 238 Lesson 68 ‘One combination each day over a three-day cycle. [dayt[day2 [days [days [day5 [day ws [isan faze [rz—sa_|13—28 |ra—2s Done Lesson 70 Overa two-day eycle day day? days |daya [days [day a132/as20-a00 [> 5 -* a a wills & | 1x212—2523—9434 | 1913—2428—2121 | (es day 1) | (as day 2) | (as dey 1) [as day 2) mordents | 31314242 22924343, erupettos [2921543 12522343 | (as day 1) | (as day 2) |(as day 1) | (as day 2) 3212-4323 4212-4313, Done Lesson 71 Over a two-day cycle. day day day3 [days [days [daye Bel |12s4—2143 13243142 BoD fARe ates 79824302 | cs day 1) | (as day 2 | as day 1) | fas day 2) Bed [2s sia 4132 [as day 1)| (as day 2) |(as day 3) each day fey sees = = = = 5 DoneEditions Critically-Acclaimed Editions by Stanley Yates In the Stanley Yates Series from Mel Bay Publications Isaac ALBENIZ J.S.BACH Stepan RAK Emest SHAND VARIOUS VARIOUS VARIOUS Derk van der VEEN Stanley YATES Stanley YATES Stanley YATES With Chanterelle Verlag B. VIDAL Charles DOISY Giovanni B. VIOTTL 26 Pieces Arranged for the Guitar Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites Arranged for the Guitar 23 Guitar Solos from Victorian England ‘The Guitar Music of Stepan Rak (vol. 1) ‘The Contemporary Guitar: An Anthology of New Music by Guitarist Composers Graded Repertoire for Guitar (vol. 1) Graded Repertoire for Guitar (vol. 2) Blues and Ballads En mode—22 Easy Character Pieces for Guitar Etudes mecaniques— 12 Easy-Intermediate Studies for Guitar New Modern Guitar Method (vol. 1) Grand Concerto for Guitar and Strings Grand Concerto for Guitar and Strings Concerto (No. 18) for Guitar and Strings. Arr. Charles Doisy With Classical Guitar Study Editions Stanley YATES Antonio VIVALDI Ferdinando CARULLI Classical Guitar Technique from Foundation to Virtuosity Part 1 (Foundation) Complete Cello Sonatas Arranged for Guitar Guitaromanie (vol. 1): Arrangements for Two Guitars of Music by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Rossini Please visit the following websites for more information about Stanley Yates, for downloadable articles, to download blank Practice Grids for this book, and. for periodic announcements and additional materials relating to this book: www.StanleyYates.com www.ClassicalGuitarStudy.com [1 welcome readers to contact me by email at infowStanleyYates.com with ‘observations or other comments they may have. 239CLASSICAL GUITAR TECHNIQUE FROM FOUNDATION TO VIRTUOSITY — Part 2 Mastery and Virtuosity Intended for intermediate and advanced players alike, Classical Guitar Technique from Foundation to Virtuosity offers a step by step guide to optimizing the basic foundation of playing technique and to developing technique to the highest levels of advanced playing in a day to day sequence of short, clearly explained practice sessions. In 81 progressive lessons, CGT provides a comprehensive and precisely-structured approach to the full development of playing technique in a time-efficient way. Part 2 develops the advanced techniques required for mastery and virtuosity Stanley Yates Stanley Yates has established an international career as performer, teacher, and scholar. His performances have taken him throughout North America and Europe, as well as to Asia, Australia, and South America. His performances and numerous best-selling editions have been the subject of widespread critical-acclaim while his articles dealing with various aspects of the classical guitar have been published in ten languages. ‘The subject of interviews and extended reviews in numerous international magazines and journals, he is also featured in Instrumental Influences: Reflections on the Classical Guitar from the instrument's Most Influential Performers and Pedagogues and the standard reference work The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800. He has been an artistic advisory board member of the Guitar Foundation of America, an editorial board member of the European Guitar Teachers Association, guitar forum editor for the American String Teachers Association, and is Professor of Music at Austin Peay State University, home of Tennessee’s Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. www.StanleyYates.com ClassicalGuitarStudy.com is an initiative aimed at providing resources for classical guitar students, teachers, and performers of all levels. In addition to the Classical Guitar Study Editions imprint, Classical Guitar Study aims to develop online pedagogical resources on an ongoing basis. 90000 > e Classical Guitar Study Editions guitar study yyw, ClassicalGuitarStudy.com