ewercgsFessseeegeeuvussessecvecesesveusvveevaovwoewvuwosruanven e

Beginning Right-Hand
Training

Terms and Symbols

Circled numbers, DO@OQ@DOO.indicate strings.

Inamusical score, theright-hand thumb and fingers areidentified bythe first letter
ofthe Spanish terms pulgar, indice, medio, amular, and chico. (To avoid confusion, these
letters will be underlined when they appearwithin text: p, i, ma, cor, LM, A.C).

Figure 17A: Right hand.

The left-hand fingers are identified by Arabic numbers. The thumbrequires no

special identification.

Thumb

Figure 178: Left hand,

 30.

‘Thethumb and fingers each have three joints. The same namesare used for the
joints of both the right and left hands. CAUTION:Be sure to accurately distinguish
between a joint and a segment. A jointis the point at whichthe thumbor fingerbends —
a segmentis eitherthe section between two joints, or (in the case of the tip segment)the
section beyondthetip joint.

Knuckle

Middle —r4
Tip —>
Pomiddle
P-tip

Figure 18

‘These directional terms are used for right-handand wrist positioning,

Figure 19
‘|
E~

a1

) The midway position of joints the approximate midpointbetween the comfort-

| able limits of flexion and extension.
}
) The midrange movementof ajointis approximately themiddle two-quarters of the
) range betweenthe comfortable limits of flexion andextension.

}
}
}
Limit of
Extension

)
;
Limit of
) Extension
;
wide
Position
Limit of

| Umit of alsa
Miorange Flexion Movement
Movement

Figure 204: Positioning and range ofmovementatthe knucklejot. Figure 208: Positioningand range ofmovementatthe midejoint

Arch:The result of flexion at your wrist joint.

Figure 21
:
Alignment: Thealignmentof your wrist with your hand andforearm.

Figure 22

Deviation: The sideways curvature of your wrist to either the rightorleft.

Figure 28 Figure 20C

Tilt: The orientation of your hand and fingers to the strings, resulting from the
counterclockwise rotation of your forearm.

Figure 23
 33

Right-HandPositioning

I's difficult to overemphasize the importance of right-handpositioning. It di-

rectly affects your developmentof coordination. An improper right-handposition will
impede your progress as you begin learning thumb andfinger movements,
Right-handpositioning involvestwoPrinciplesof Efficient Muscle Function:

‘Since the Op Joints naturally position themsclves along with the middlejoints, they require no special
consideration atthistime
34.

Proceedas follows:

Q Withyourbodyand the guitar properly positioned,align the

side ofthe jknuckle with the side of yourwristand forearm. Noticethat
this aligns themknucklewiththe center of your wrist and forearm, and
the a knuckle with its side of your wrist and forearm.
Ci Until you've acquired a feeling ofthis alignment, check it
frequently with a mirror. Anotherhelpful checkis to place a pencil or
ruler so that it lies flat against the side of your| knuckle,wrist, and
forearm.

Now youneedto determine themidwaypositionof your wristand knuckle joints:

O Hold yourright hand awayfrom the guitar. Relax your finger
Joints as muchas possible.
Alternately flex and extend your wrist to its comfortable
limits. Notice that, whenyour wristisfully flexed, yourfingers become
almostcompletely extended (see Figure 24A); and, when your wristis
tully extended, your fingers become almost completely flexed (see
Figure 248).

Figure 240 Figure248

O Arch and hold your wristin its midwayposition, so that your

finger joints also assumetheir comfortable midwayposition (see
Figure 24¢).
 i 35,

,
:
:
,
)
:
: Figure 24C
>
:
> O With your wrist and fingersin their midway positions, place
playingposition (as you determined
> your forearm andhandin normal12~20.) Asa pointof reference, notice
2 through the procedures on pp.now approximat
2 that the back of your handis ely level with the plane
> ofthe strings.
:
2 D Tiltyour hand to theleft so that the tip and middle segments
2 of gare approximatelyverticalto the plane of the soundboard.
a
2
2
PFsaSPSL AISI ES

Figure 25

The tip and middle segments of m will betilted to the left, and
those of j even more to the left. Again, a mirror is helpfuluntil you've
acquired a feeling of the propertitt.
 ee ee Sa oe eo ae ke
36.

Maintaining the proper position of your wrist andfinger joints will be a demand-
ingchallenge when you begin theactual movementand trainingofp. You haven't gained
sufficient coordination yet, and the resulting tension will tend to pull your wrist and
{fingerjoints into awkward positions. Thus, review the aims andprocedures of position-
ing frequently, and make them habits during your daily study and practice. Strive to
refine your position, achieving maximum advantage for your right-hand muscles.

Rest-Stroke and Free-Stroke

Theact of sounding a stringis called a “stroke.” There are two basic strokes used
in guitarplaying: ‘

Free-stroke: (Spanish: tirando) Immediately after sounding a string,the finger or

p swingsfreely above the adjacent string.
Rest-stroke:(Spanish: apoyando) Immediately after soundinga string, the fingeror
comes to rest against the adjacentstring.
Right-hand movementinvolves twoPrinciples of Efficient Muscle Function:

The Prepared-Stroke

In the early stages of righthand training, misdirected students often try to sound
strings by movingp ortheir fingers in a continuous motion.Accurately moving p or the
 7
e723 335 9% a See od a e

fingers in a continuous motion, however, requires an advanced level of skill, Students

whotry to begin with a continuous motiontend to miss strings and produce a poortone.
Thus, they begin to build habits of insecurity,

Before you can confidently sound a string with a

smooth and continuous motion, you must first acquire
habits of accuracy and security. The prepared-strokeis the
mostefficient way to acquire these habits.

In theprepared-stroke, you pause toplace the tip and nail against the string as precisely
4s possible. As a right-handtraining technique, the prepared-strokeoffers thefollowing
advantages:

Because of these advantages, through mostofyourright-hand training you'll use

the prepared-stroke whenbeginning new movementforms.
>
a
2
> Training P: The Prepared Free-Stroke
3
> Starting your right-hand training with p has two advantages:
Se
5 1) P affords ready access to the notes of the G-major triad: the open(2),@), and @
3 strings. By adding only a few notes with your left hand, you can produceremarkably
3 appealing melodic and harmonic combinations.
%
3
>
,
38.

free-stroke
2)Thep free-sttokeis initially easier tounderstand and execute thaneither the immed iate
or reststroke with the fingers, Thus, beginning with p provides the most
overall feeling of security for your right hand.

Before beginning, you should acquire a feeling of the basic movements used to
sound string with p. Withoutthe guitar, carryout the following exercise:

C2 Establish thebasic right-hand wrist position for playing the

guitar (see pp. 33 - 36).
O Begin with p in Its position ofrest, with thetip Joint slightly
flexed andthe tip segment resting lightly against the tip joint of |
O Extend from the p-wrist joint to the comfortable limit of
extension. Don’t allow thetip joint to turn backward.

Cl Flex the p-tip and p-wristJoints togetherto bring the tip firm
ly back to its beginning position,slightly flexed against |. Emphasize
movementfrom the p-wrlst joint. Ideally, there should be no move-
mentat the p-middle joint. Movementat the p-tip joint should be quite
limited. Keep your handand wrist steady.
0 CAUTION: Avoid circular motion of p. Circular motion
is extremely complex and tends to cause counterproductive ten-
sion. Extend and flex as directly as possible — this Ia theleast
complex motion.
SO ee ee ee

Sounding the Strings

Youraims are as follows:

Proceedas follows:

Q With yourright wrist andfinger joints in thelr midrange

Positions, place the tips of | and m on (4) to stabilize your hand. Place
the left tip and nail edgeof p firmly against @).

Q Start the stroke byslightly flexing the p-tip joint; without

hesitation sound the string by firmly flexing the p-wrist joint so
that, when departing the nail, the string is deflected inward. I
should feel as thoughthe tip and nail of p are digging into the
string. Follow through freely with p, bringing the tip segmentto
rest against j. (Jf you must begintraining with a nail of inadequate
length, use only as muchof the tip of p as necessaryto produce a
full sound.) -

O Extend p from its wrist joint. At the end of extension,a slight

Inward motion ofp is needed to contact thestring. Don't exaggerate
this extension andinward movementinto a complex circular motion
— keep extensionas direct as possible.
 CQ When re-sounding a vibrating string, be careful notto
contact the string with the nail before contacting it with thetip.
When both nail and tip are placed simultaneously, thetip dampens
the objectionable noise which would result from contacting the
vibratingstring with thenail alone.
( Avoid the tendencyto extend thep-tip joint beforeflexing it.
Carefully flex or extend the joints together — never flex one while
extending the other.

O Ifthe p-middie joint tends to collapse,as it sometimes does

it you're “double-jointed,” keepthis Joint slightly flexed to brace it
against the force of thestroke.
O Hold your hand and armsteady, and frequently check thetit
of your hand and the alignment and arch of your wrist. Until you
can feel these important aspects of positioning without watching,
you must establish them bysight.
O Work slowly and carefully! Until this movement form be-
comesa secure habit, emphasize firm placement and accurate move-
mentrather than speed.

g
When youcansound@)with acceptable accuracy andfreedom, practicesoundin
steady.
@. Then practice alternating between @) and @,alwaysholding your hand
for
Then practice @). Finally, practice the three strings in direct succession, one stroke
each string.
Once you can accurately perform the prepared free-stroke, you're ready to
concentrate on the particular phase of this movementwhich requires special attent ion:
the extension. Secure andfluent extensionin preparation for the next stroke is the most
challenging area of thumb and finger training. You can develop secure and fluent
extension by practicing the prepared free-stroke in the following manner:
 a

O Begin by counting In twosat a slow tempo. A metronome

setting of 52(M.M, J = 52) Is about right.

(Onthe count of one, soundthe string,bringing p to rest

against j. On the count of two,extendprecisely and place thetip and
nall against thestring, Sound the string again on the count of one.
Practice without a break in counting. Hold p against] forthe full count
ofone,andagainstthestringforthe full count oftwo. Thiswill help you
emphasize a more rapid and precise extension. When the movement
feels secure, gradually Increase the tempo.

The prepared-stroke gives you a secure beginning in the training of p. With it,
you'll form important habits ofstring contact and movement. Properly practiced, the
prepared-stroke gives you a basis for a powerful, full-bodied tone andan overall sense
of right-handsecurity.

The Continuity-Stroke

The prepared-stroke, while essential for developingaccuracy and security, has a

relatively limited (though important) application in music. Since,in theprepared-stroke,
a aa a a

you must pause to placethe tip and nail againstthestring, you unavoidably dampen the
string, Althoughthis is useful in staccato playing, the demand for a smooth legato far
exceeds that for staccato. Consequently, as soonas you feelsecure with the prepared-
stroke, you're ready to begin the continuity-stroke. In the continuify-stroke, your aim
is to accuratelyplace the tip andnail of p firmly againstthe string without a pause. The
continuity-stroke is required notonly forlegato playing, butis also essential for your
eventual developmentof speed.
Since we'll frequently refer to both the prepared and continuity-strokes, these
concise definitions will be helpful:
 AAN PP PPP O HPP PP APPAPEpAP AANA PPA PPP PPP PP Ppp yp
42.

Practice the continuity-stroke in the following manner:

OAs previously described, execute the p frae-stroke at a slow

tempo (M.M. J =52). However, rather than pausingto place yourtip
andnail, perform the stroke in a deliberate and continuous motion.
Continueto emphasize direct extension andfollow-through.
(2 BE CAUTIOUS!Studentsoften tend to emphasize rapid
movementat the expenseof firm placement and tone. This is a
serious error which become: \creasinglydifficult to correctlater.

Bear in mind that, althoughthe continuity-strokeis executed withouta pause,it

doesn’t imply anylack offirm placementof the tip and nail against thestring. If this
movementfeels insecure, practice the prepared-stroke again, Thenalternately practice
both — first the prepared-stroke, then ‘he continuity-stroke.

Summary
You needtime andpatience to develop secure habits of movement. There are no
shortcuts, even for the most gifted students.Be certain you understand theprinciples
involved, Begin with clear aims, and try to determine howtheprinciples can best be
applied to your aims. Find happiness in the marvelous process of learningthis beautiful
instrument.If youstudy andpractice diligently, you canlearn to play well.
You'll find musical examples for developing the p free-stroke in Part Two, pp.
14-20.
AeaOea aeeee ee ee ee ee eee

Beginning Left-Hand
Training

Before You Begin

Althoughyourleft and right handsperform distinctly different movements when

playing the guitar, both function accordingto the samemuscularprinciples. Minimizing
tension is as importantto your left hand as it is to your right. Since you've previously
focused onright-hand training, you maytend tofavoryourrighthand whenpositioning
the guitar. Uncorrected,this can cause counterproductive tension in yourleft hand.
To eliminate this possibility, you should again carryoutthe right- andleft-hand
position checks (pp. 14— 15). Be alert to the following commonerrors:

vesteretPHLETUANY
feEiihalbbay
Ista -sti6nto: you

Each of these errors can cause counterproductive left-hand tension. Experiment

with both position checks until youfind the position of maximum advantage for
both hands.
 sy aes ee: cue cusaecnes Set xanrcae ds a
“4.

Left-Hand Positioning
Inpreparation forleft-hand positioning, carefullystudythefollowingillustration:

Figure 25

Notice thatthe elbow hangs comfortably downward, and the wrist is slightly
arched.Thefingerjoints are in their powerful midrange positions.
Your aims ofleft-hand positioningare as follows:
 ES

Proceed as follows:

Q Based on your experiments with the left- and right-hand

position checks, carefully piace the guitar head at a height which
allows your left forearm to functionwithin its midrangeof rotation.
1 Compare yourposition to the followingillustrations. With
yourleft handIn playing position,your fourth-finger knuckle should
be farthest from the side of the fingerboard, and your first-finger
knuckle should be closest. Notice thateachfingertip falls just behind
ts respectivefret.
CORRECTLEFT-HANDPOSITION INCORRECT LEFT-HAND POSITION
XC R

Figure27A: Themost advantageous lf-handposition. Thefingers cam Figure 27B: Apoorkt-handposition. Thefingers mustperformatense
extendlengthwisealong the fingerboardwith a minimum of tension. lateral spread to reach their respectiveres

Left-Hand Movement
Before beginning, you need to consider the care ofyour left-hand nails. Keep them
short enough sothatthey don’t touch the fingerboard when you depress a string. Also,
topresentaneatappearanceduringperformance, keep yournailscarefully shaped,clean,
and the cuticles gently pushedback.
 a PRKRREAKRADHAPTLAPRAAHAHDADPAPARANPNAPPCPrAnREPALPARPRERAL2 pp
You'll beginleft-hand movement with one ‘ofthe simplest movement formsin
guitar playing: forming A (1a) on @) atthe secondfret with 2."

Proceed as follows:

O Carefully place the tip of 2 on © just behind the 2nd fret

{Figure 26). Depress the string firmly througha balance ofpressure
between yourthumband finger — not by pulling with yourarm.
2 Alternately sound A (La) and (So) slowly and evenly.

1 For maximum leverage and balance, place the tip jointof

yourthumb against the back of the guitar neck at a point opposite
your first two fingers. CAUTION:Apply the minimum pressure
ten-
neededto produce clear tone. Caretully avold unnecessary
sion in yourleft hand andforearm.
Q Avoid drawing your fingers back (hyper-
extending) atthe knuckles, as shown in Figure 28.
With yourfingers correctly positioned in their
midrange, movement for depressing the strings
‘occurs mainly at the knuckles.
Q Whenyour fingers aren't contacting the
strings, keep the joints well within midrange so
thatyourfingertips remain comfortably suspended
over the strings.

igure 26: incorrect position ofthe kicle joints.

byboth
al notes will often be identifiedPart
ntial tof your training, musicplana
‘Since solfege will become anesse andex tion of solfeg esylla blesin Twn,
letter nameand solfegesyllable. You'll find anintr roduction
208,
 a7

Cultivate a sensitivity to counterproductive tension. Experiment by slightly

altering the sideways position of yourelbow, the rotationofyour forearm, and the arch
of your wrist. Practicefreelyalteringthese positionsto determinethe positionofgreatest
strength and ease for your left-hand fingers.
va
Movement by Touch:
Applying AlriDirected Movement (ADM)

Atfirst you'll need to watch the fingerboard as you executeleft-hand movements

— this is the quickest and easiebt way ic ensure the accurateplacement ofyour fingers.
Toread music proficjently, however, you must Jearn to accurately place yourfingers by
touch rather than sight. You should begin this process’ as soon as you've gained
confidencelin executing left-hand movements by sight.

In doing this, you're beginningto Apply ADMto left-hand movement. When

appliedto the left hand, ADM is the process of knowing where to move yourfingers on
the fingerboard before actually moving thein.
Proceed as follows, beginning with A (La) on @) atthe 2ndfret with 2:

O Countstowly andevenly in twos. While watching the finger=

board, alternately sound the dpenG (So) and A (La)as before. As you
repeat these movements, look away from the fingerboard. Try to
maintain the repeated accurate placement of your finger.
G Besensitive to error. If, as you're looking away from the
fingerboard,you feel yourfinger startingto creep awayfrom the fret,
stop and reestablish thefret location by sight.
QQ Maintain the natural alignment of your wrist and finger
joints, and keep yourforearm, wrist, and finger joints within thelr
midrangepositions. As you gain security, look awayfrom the tinger-
boardfor increasingly longer intervals. Continue this procedure until
you can accurately and confidently place yourfinger by touch.
O Practice until you can clearly visualize left-hand movements
away {rom theguitar — seeing them in your mind’s eye as though
you're actually executing them on the fingerboard.
 rPppp PPP PPPPp.
When you can confidently playA (La), repeat this procedure,alternating between
the open B (Ti) and C (Do) on@)at theIst fret with 1. Thenalternate betweenC (Do) and
1D (Re)at the 3rd fret with 3 (or 4).
‘You'll find musical examples for practicing left-hand movementin Part Two, pp.
22-35,
 Training the
Right-Hand Fingers

The followingillustrations show the movements for rest-stroke and free-stroke

with the fingers:
REST-STROKE FREE-STROKE

Figure 294 Figure 298

In training yourright-hand fingers, you should concentrate on discoveringthe

mosteffective hand positions and finger movements." This will enable youto develop the
coordination essentialfor accuracy and a desirable tone.

Training theInactive Fingers

In righthand movementforms, an inactive finger is any finger which isn’t

involved in the process ofeither soundingorpreparing to sound a string. Depending on
how it's trained, aninactive finger can either assistor severely impedethe movement of
an adjacentactive finger. Thus, during anyright-hand movementform,inactive fingers
should always be considered:

‘Before beginning, make sure your nails are adequately shaped for right-hand finger training, (See “Nail
‘Contours and Suggested Shapings.” pp. 24~27.)
50

Whether a finger is active or inactive depends on the movement form you're

executing,Thus, each new right-hand movement form introducedin this book witl be
accompanied by information on movementofinactivefingers.

The Prepared Rest-Stroke

In training p, you began with the free-stroke. In the early stages of finger
movementtraining, however, the rest-stroke will give you a stronger feeling of right-
hand stability, Thus, you'll begin with the rest-stroke,
Youraims for rest-stroke positioning and movementareas follows:

to describe
"Used with reference to strings,the terms higher and lower always referto pitch. For example, CAUTIO
@) isthe lower adjacent string,
thestrings adjacent to(@),Dis thehigher adjacent string,andtioning NS:
Dornot confuse these terms with thedirectional terms forposi yourright hand (seFigure 1, p. 30.
OeeT a AR = ge SS RO ERS a Oe ne ae Re RTI Aeron ae aaa en ee RIES NE gy

5t

‘Proceedasfollows:

0 With your bodyandtheguitar in proper position, place your

wrist, hand, and fingerjoints in the position described on pp. 34-35.
Without changingthe midway position of thefinger joints and
wrist, position your handover the strings. Place the left tip of | (very
close to the nail) firmly against (@)(if yournails aren't yet of adequate
fength, use only as muchof the fingertip as needed to produce full
sound.)
O Keep the middle (andtip) joints of m, a, and ¢ slightly flexed.
To stabilize yaur hand,place thetip ofp against either @)or(@). Your
wrist, hand, and fingers should now be in the position shown In
Figure 30:

Figure 30

Q While holding your hand steady, sound @)with | by flexing

both the knuckle and middle joints. Keepthe tip joint as firm as
necessary to produce good tone. Your finger should come to rest
firmly against @). As inactive fingers, m-a-¢ should be kept
flexeda little past midway and slightly moving with |.
82

© With your hand properly aligned with your fore arm, the
the string
slanted left edge of the nail will contact and cross
diagonally.

‘Figure 31 {Viewed from above.)

troke. Limit ex-

O Extendi back to () and prepare anothers
that middle
tension to the amount needed to reachthe string. (Noticeension of the
joint extension must be briefly delayed until a slight extng.)
knuckle allows your fingertip to clear the vibrating stri

ial attention, You

‘Asin training p, secure and fluent extension of i requires spec
wing a sufficient pause to
need to cultivate smooth and well-defined movements, allo
prepare cach stroke.
— sound the string
Practice the prepared rest-stroke by counting evenly in twost of two, Make sure
coun
con the count ofone; extend and prepare another stroke on the-bodied tone,
full
you move with the firmness needed to obiain a clear and
ely to your tone. it's
While slowly repeating the prepared rest-stroke,listen clos
g:
harsh, the cause may be one or any combination ofthe followin
 Ifyournail tendstocatchonthestring, oryour finger tends to slipacrossand sound
the adjacentstring, begin the stroke with the middle jointslightly more extended.
Whenyou gain reasonable control with i, begin training m on ()

O Since Is @ longer finger, you must position your hand

slightly higher to achieve optimum midway position of m’s middie
Joint. |, a, and ¢ should remainslightly flexed and move with each
stroke of m. Never allow a and ¢ to become rigidly extended
when flexing m.

iin the mannerpreviously described, practice the prepared

test-stroke with a. Keep ¢ slightly more flexed and moving with a. A
and ¢ should always move together.

Also practice sounding @) and @); first with i, then with m, and thenwith a. To
maintain the midway position ofthe finger joints, you'll need to reposition your hand
over the strings; move only at the elbowjoint —do not reach with thefingers or change the
position of yourwrist.

The Continuity Rest-Stroke

When the prepared rest-stroke feels secure, you should begin practicing the
SiSSDSD LS

continuity rest-stroke. Continue to carry oul the samefirm tip andnail placement. As
always, don’t rush this procedure — if your tone or accuracy deteriorates when you
attemptthe continuity-stroke, you need more practice with the prepared-stroke.
You'll find musical examples for developing therest-stroke with yourfingers in
Part Two, pp. 36 ~ 40.
54.

Alternation of a Finger Rest-Stroke and P Free-Stroke

You'll find this stageoftechnical developmenttobeparticularly rewarding. Now

you can beginplaying solo pieces consisting of a melody and a bass.
Alternation of a finger and p means you no longer have the steadying support of
pona lower string while playing a finger rest-stroke, nor the support of a finger on a
higher string while playing a p freestroke. This lack of support may cause a noticeable
increase in tension throughout your right arm and shoulder. Students often attempt to
minimize this tension by trying consciouslyto relax their arm and shoulder muscles. The
reason forthis tension, however, isa lack ofcoordination —you haven't yet acquired the
essential habits for alternating the fingers and p. Thus, your most productive procedure
is to concentrate on adequatelytraining p andthe fingers. With thoughtful practice, your
initial feelings of excess tension and insecurity will soon be replaced with relaxation
andstability.
Proceedasfollows:

1 Withoutresting p on a string, practice the prepared rest-

stroke, first with |, then m, and then a. Keep ina relaxed, slightly
flexed position and resting against }. Move only your fingers;
keep your hand steady.

O Now begin slowly alternating iand p, with sounding @)and

p sounding ©). Use prepared-strokes for both j and p. As j sounds
its string, extend and place p; as p soundsits string, extend and
place i.

QQ In the same manner, practice sounding (1) with m and @)

with p; then @ with i and ©) with p. Check often to ensure that a and
are flexed and moving with m. Never allow ¢ to assume a rigidly
extended position pasta, asisits tendency. A and; '¢ should always
function as a unit, flexing or extending together.

Whenyou can confidently produce a satisfactory tone with prepared-strokes,

practice the same combinations ofstrings and fingers with continuity-strokes.
Although the musical examples on pp. 44-50 of Part Two don’t require continu.
ous alternation ofp and a finger, when alternation is required, besure to extend pasyour
finger sounds its string and extend yourfinger as p soundsits string.
 Beginning Free-Stroke
with Your Fingers
Before You Begin

Unlike rest-stroke, duringfree-stroke yourfinger doesn’t come to rest against the

lower adjacent string, Rather, il follows throughfreely above the lower adjacent string,
S

‘Thus, in the earlystages of finger training, the free-stroke will feel less secure than the
rest-stroke. Bul with the securityyou've acquired through therest-stroke, you'll find that
the free-stroke will also become a secure and powerful stroke.
Before you actually begin soundingstrings with this stroke, you should acquirea
general idea of the free-stroke movement away from the guitar. Using the nails of and
1m you'll find thatit’s quite similar to a sctatching motion. Proceed as follows:
“8D SPIPPPS DS SS

0 Assume the now-familiar midway position of your right

wrist and knuckle joints. Place the middle Joints well on the flexion
side of midrange andplace thetips of j and m against the backof
yourleft hand.

Figure 32: Netce thatthe middlejointsare more flexed than the knuckles
 QQ Moving i and m together in the same direction, gently
scratch the backof your left hand.| and m should touchthe back of
yourleft hand only during flexion. | should lightly brush against p.
CQ Notice that much more movement occurs at the middle
joints thanat the knuckles.Thetip joints automatically extend and
flex alongwith the middle joints.
Q Maintain your wrist in the properly arched and aligned
position duringfinger movement.

Reviewthis exercise frequently as you begin developingthe free-stroke.

Free-Stroke Considerations

‘The following are important considerations as you begin sounding strings with
the free-stroke:

testa
Hi entrees
Ifyou attemptfree-stroke with themiddlejointinsufficiently flexed, the only way
to clear the adjacent lower string is to extendthe knuckle and simultaneously flex the
middle joint — this contradicts the Uniform Direction of Joint MovementPrinciple and
thus reduces the power of the stroke (see Figures 33A and 338).
 57.

CORRECT FREE-STROKEPOSITION INCORRECT FREE-STROKEPOSITION

58.

I-M Free-Stroket

Beginby sounding @) and @) simultaneously with i~m asfollows:

Q Position your hand andfinger Joints as though almingto

sound (1)with j rest-stroke. Place p against)to steady your hand.
While maintaining yourhandposition,flex the middle joints
of m and { into prepared-stroke positions against (2) and () respec-
tively. Keep a and ¢ somewhatmoreflexed than m and i.

od Flex firmly at the middleand knuckle joints to sound 2) and

@. Flex more from the middle joints thanfrom the knuckles, and keep
the joints of both fingers quitefirm, Follow throughto the comfort-
able limit of i-1 flexion. For now, exaggerate thefollow-through of a
and ¢, with ¢ perhapscurling to touch your palm — this
establish the habit of flexing ¢ along with a.
2 Extend your fingers asdirectly as possible to preparethe
next stroke. Avoid a complex circular motion.

Listen to your tone.Ifit’s either harsh or weak, the cause maybe any combination
ofthose previously given for rest-stroke(pp. 52 - 53). Whenyou've gained reasonable
control and security in sounding @) and @), practice sounding (2) and @) simultan-
cously with i-m. To maintainthe samefinger joint positions, lower your hand the
distance of onestring. Remember to moveonly atthe elbow (see p. 53).
Althoughit’s essential that you begin withthe prepared-stroke, bearin mind that
your eventual goal is to develop the continuity-stroke.
You'll find musical examples for beginningthe free-stroke with your
fingersin Part Two, pp. 51

“Ahyphen betweenrighthand symbols indicates that those fingers are moved simultaneously in thesame
direction.
aia flaNl aia a

59

Tip Joint Considerations

At the instant your finger soundsa string, you may find thatthe resistance of the
string tends to pushthetip joint into a hyperextended position Youshould learn to avoid
this, Akoays maintain enoughfirmness in thetipjoint toavoid its beingdisplaced by the resistance
of the string.
Maintaining sufficient firmness in thetip joint offers the following advantages:

fFeipgihetn
Fereres et EELL

Thereare certain situations in which guitarists allow thetip joint to hyperextend

whensoundinga string. Butthis is an advanced technique, andits applicationis limited.
‘As a basic technique, don’t allow the tip joint to hyperextend.

LM andP Alternation

Alternation of your fingers with p requires an advanced level of coordination.

Neither p northefingers can provide stability for your hand byresting or comingto rest
against a string. Before beginning i-m and p alternation, makesure you can securely
perform the following movements: -
+ Em free-stroke,with p lightly resting against thesideof i

+ P free-stroke with yourfingers flexed enoughto avold touch-

ing the strings

“Figperexionded cansThal hep SETEntisextended pastspoloalignment withthemide Segre

 60

Yourright hand should remain relatively steady -- you can minimize right-
hand movement by emphasizing movementat the middle joints of i-m. Whenyou can
execute these movements wilh reasonable accuracy and fluency, proceed with alterna-
tion of i-m and p.
Your aims for developingi-m and p alternationareas follows:

wl(Mead

Snail
Ulaossssen i

Using prepared-strokes, proceed asfollows

O Caretully position ion @) and m on @). P should rest lightly

against |.

Q Sound@-@ while preparing p on); then sound)while

preparing i-m on@)-@).

| ‘As you practice this movement form, remember the following:

om

oh nny
EELS EEG

Bear in mind that your eventual goal is the smooth legato ofthe continuity-stroke,
While the prepared-stroke is essential in the beginning, as you gain security with the
movement, you should gradually lessenthe pause neededto place your tip andnail
firmly against thestring,
You'll find musical examples for developing i-m and alternation in Part
Two, p. 54 and pp. 64 - 65.

LM-A Free-Stroke
Themosteffective way tobegin trainingais with the free-stroke. Anaturally
tends to move with m, 50i- -ais simply a matter of adding a to youralreadysecure i-
movement.
Th any movementform involving a, always position a for maximum leverage. In
free-stroke, the middlejoint ofashouldbe flexedin its powerful midrange position when
contacts the string:

Toallowa to assume its optimumposition, m and i must operate in theflexion side

of their midranges.
 4
62

Sincethe note sounded byais usually the melody,this note should predominate.
If youlistencarefully, however, you'll notice the sounds produced by i and m tend to
overpower the sound produced bya. You cancorrect this tendencybypracticing with
prepared-strokes and emphasizingthe firm placementand follow-through of a. :
:
Practice the i-m-a exercises in Part Two, p. 69 as follows: :

i Steadyyour right hand by placing p on lower string(@)

or ©).

G Emphasize a more pronouncedfollow-through with athan

with the otherfingers. € should be slightly flexed and moving witha.

Since a isn’t as naturally coordinated as either i or m, it responds more slowly to +

practice. Togain fluencyw a, you'll need considerable practice with the prepared-
stroke, giving special attention to a. Avoid the tendency to keep the knuckles too flexed ~
— emphasize flexion and follow-through at the middle joints. ‘
As yougainsecurity, begin practicin without supporting your hand with
p. P should remainin its inactive position, with its tip lightly resting againsti :

--M-A and P Alternation .

This movementform is very similar to p and im alternation. Thus, you should ~

practice it in a similar manner. Alwaystry to keep the proper balance of sound between
the fingers — train a to move firmly enough for its sound to predominate.
You'll find musical examples for this movementform in Part Two,p. 70.
ee