WHY practise

Technique?
How to practise an Étude
By Gerald Garcia

GERALDGARCIA.COM
Anatomy 

of an Étude
Using Etude No.5 from

Gerald Garcia’s Etudes Esquisses as an
example
Gerald’s Online Class

©Gerald Garcia 2020


 You have just received a new piece from your
teacher, or a new part for the ensemble.

There are bits in it which are tricky to play and it’s

BORING practising on open strings or doing slurs and
stretches over and over again.

You mention this to your teacher who gives you an etude,

or a study to play - and that’s probably boring as well.

We all want to improve our technique but we don't like

doing repetitive exercises and there doesn’t seem to be a
way to improve technique magically without some form of
repetition.

Repetition creates a reflex, so you don't have to think

about that technique every time you need it.
So what can you do?

It's sometimes easier just to do mindless repetition and

not think about what we are doing while watching TV :-)

BUT Intent is important if you want to avoid practising

the wrong thing.

Teachers and composers write etudes to deal with this

very problem. Repetition of a technical problem is put in a
musical context and hopefully makes repetition easier.
Learn to look at the reason behind why an etude was
created
This can involve analysing the role of both hands.
A benefit of this approach is that it is a way of getting
inside the composer’s mind. Doing this can give you a
greater working knowledge of the guitar,

Once you have understood the reason behind writing a

study, you don’t need to slavishly follow other people's
fingerings or solutions (but only after you have done your
best to discover the reasons a particular étude was
created).

This class is about how I solved the problem of boring

exercises by writing a study for a very particular technical
problem I had.

First, I had to identify the problem -

why couldn’t I smoothly alternately p with block chords

using i and m ?
Why write a study?
The meaning of the word "etude".

Etude means literally "Study" - it can mean:

1 : a piece of music for the practice of a point of
technique
2 : a composition built on a technical motive but played
for its artistic value
3 : to devote oneself to a subject

I shall use the words "Etude" and "Study"

interchangeably, as "Etude" is the French for" Study"

We want to or need to improve our technique when we

hear (or see, but preferably hear) something we want the
guitar to do.
That's why we "study" a technique.

My particular technical problem was alternating p with

block chords using i and m of the RH - a very common
technique used in most 19th century music and much
guitar repertoire.

This is how I came to create my own exercises - so that I

could practise a point of technique.
Distinguish the following two reasons for practising
technique

i) There might be a particular technical problem which

comes up in a piece, or
ii) we need to perfect a general technique which is useful
in all pieces

We need to listen carefully and look at existing repertoire

and not be afraid to "play around" with the possibilities of
using other fingerings.

This takes experience and an inside knowledge of the

guitar.

Playing around in the way I am going to show you will

hopefully encourage you to find this inside knowledge and
make the process fun!

We "play" guitar, not "work" guitar

Too often the studies presented in printed music are just

too difficult, mainly because they present too many
different problems, rather than concentrating on one
particular problem.

For instance, in Aguado's Etude - this is a study for

alternating p with block chords using i and m.

However, there are also position shifts, barres and difficult
LH stretches.

While you are struggling with those problems in the LH,

the original purpose of the Etude is easily lost.
 Leo Brouwer calls these pieces "finger breakers", which is
why he wrote his Estudios Sencillos - pieces in a
contemporary style which grow out of simple and specific
technical demands. His first etude is an example of a
simplified approach to the same technical problem. The
difference is that the left hand is not so difficult that it
distracts from the main purpose of the etude.
Aguado:

Brouwer extract:

If you would like to study these RH techniques further, look

at “Stanley YATES Classical Guitar Technique from
Foundation to Mastery—Part 1 Foundation (CGSE-0040-1,
2016”

Anatomy of a study
Anatomy means the way something is constructed - it
also means to take that thing apart in order to discover its
secrets.

(Look at my Etude 5)
How is this Etude constructed?

As I mentioned, my technical problem was alternating p

with block chords using i and m of the RH - I found
particularly that allowing the i and m to relax before playing
with the p was my particular problem.

The difficulty was relaxing after the stroke and before

bring p into play without damping the strings.
This comes under the heading of "general technique" - I
found that pieces with this technique presented me with
difficulties above a certain speed.

So I set about repeating block chords using i and m until

I discovered what was causing tension in my hand.

In my case, it was caused by not accurately preparing the

fingers before playing. It worked fine when planting the
fingers before playing, but this did not produce a legato
sound. I needed to prepare the fingers very close to the
strings rather than touching them.
Then the plucking was one action, following through the
strings after relaxing. The p then does a similar relax and
preparation. Everything is possible at a slower speed!
 So I needed to reset the correct preparation and
relaxation many times, because I had learned it incorrectly
in the past.

I started doing exercises for this particular problem on

open strings -

(Look at exercises A B C )

- pretty boring, right?

Even if they are boring, they can still produce a result

A boring exercise is always an opportunity to create

something new.

You can see that these exercises contain the main

building blocks of the etude and were created from
analysing the technical problem.

Repeating these exercises correctly helped me improve.

This was my way of dealing with a particular problem.

You can use a similar way of thinking for dealing with

technical problems which you may have.

How to make RH exercises more
interesting - three ideas :
i) Use a chord sequence -
You can start by changing the note on just one string.
This can be a way of making up a melody .

Expand this to using chords up and down the fingerboard

eg use the interval of a fifth.
My piece uses a chord shape which is shifted up and
down the fingerboard.
(See Exercise D)
Unconventional shapes are OK and help you explore
the fingerboard and the wonderful sounds a guitar can
make.
*(Try out chord sequence or a scale passage on one string -
inner strings are more interesting than the first string)

ii) Experiment with RH patterns - break them up into

groups of 3 or more notes.
For instance, instead of going for the whole of the
sequence p [i+m].
try [i+m], [i+m];
then p [i+m], p [i+m];
then p [i+m] [i+m];
then p [i+m], p p [i+m] [i+m];
and so on…

You don't always need to start on the first note, but you
need to make sure you can do just a few notes very well
and without tension.
That's how I discovered p [i+m] was the problem.
So I made it more difficult
by doing repeating p and [i+m] Why is that more difficult?
Because you can hear if resting too long on the strings
before playing damps the notes. You want to play as legato
as possible, so slow down until it is possible.
I then concentrated on that alternation between p and
[i+m] . I also added p and [m+a]
and this is how my Etude No.5 was developed

Try this with a LH melody or chord sequence - keep the RH

always on the same strings and always using a fixed pattern
when changing the LH.

iii) Alternate slow and fast speeds (2x speed) or add extra
alternation of thumb and fingers - I explore this throughout
the etude.
I didn't double the speed of a phrase anywhere in this
etude, but you might want to try this yourself.

Speed alternation and relaxation are your friends

Continue experimenting with LH fingering and shapes.

Keep them simple and see if you can make a pattern go

up and down the fingerboard after mastering the RH
patterns.

Always keep your ear open for a melody which grows out
of your exercise.

(Use the same shape in different positions)

(Look at exercise D ) -
 A simple LH chord sequence can make RH arpeggios
much more interesting, and suggest a melody.

That is how Etude No.5, like so many of the Etudes

Esquisses was born!


Now for more detail of its construction-

Elements of melody

i) contrast - make up a melody on the bass while doing

block chords on string 1 and 2, or strings 2 and 3 using
[i+m] as well as [m+a] and [i+m+a]

If you make up an interesting melody in the bass see if
you can repeat it elsewhere, or on a different string.

(Try different intervals on the same string, then move on to

using different strings - perfect 4th, 5th, 3rd octave)

ii) variation and different rhythms -

Use dotted rhythms or syncopations to explore the
melodic possibilities.
See Exercise F
Use a different technique, but not too many - eg in the
middle of the etude I use a campanella effect and at the end
I add some LH hammer-ons

Create a simple melody using intervals while sticking to a

RH pattern.

(you can think of musical intervals in terms of LH shapes

and strings - an interval between two notes is the space
between frets on the same string, or different strings)
Bringing it all together

Both the melody and LH chord shapes working with a

constant RH pattern can produce an interesting piece of
music.

Finishing the piece - I use a different sound - slurs in the

LH.

Add an interesting rhythm here and there to surprise the

listener. The piece is in 13/8 (!) but there are sections in 4/4.

Don't always do the obvious thing!

See Exercise E
(Try using a different RH pattern, still based on the initial
exercise)
Summing up
In the course of becoming a guitarist we need to do more
than just follow studies from the past although these can
still be important if we see why they were written.

We have new challenges which, if we are serious about

improving, need us to look deeply and honestly at our own
technique.

We can do this by playing with possibilities presented by

a particular technical problem.

By doing this we also gain a knowledge of the inner

workings of the guitar.

Reasons for writing our own exercises.

By "writing" I also mean making something up and being

able to repeat it, not necessarily getting it down on paper.

i) Perhaps we need to work out a difficult fingering in a

particular piece we are studying.
The way you find a solution around a fingering problem
and create an exercise around it, is an example of a
particular technical solution, which might only apply to that
piece.
 ii) Perhaps we need to practise some general point of
technique like RH arpeggios or LH slurs.
This will benefit your technique for a large number of
pieces. This is an example of a general technical solution
which can be helpful in many pieces.

iii) Perhaps we have a sound in our heads which we want

to make on the guitar - a sound which nobody has
discovered yet (this will become more important as you
progress)
We can even invent our own technique which then may
eventually become part of mainstream playing (eg double
string trills, or using LH thumb or RH pinky).
This is an example of an extended technical solution,
which may be pioneering a new technique.

iv) Perhaps we want to play like someone who's playing

we admire. This needs careful observation and even more
careful listening to find out what it is that makes the player
special. This covers a large number of techniques.

This desire to improve technique leads us to create

exercises which we need to practise in a very detailed and
precise way.

However practising like this can lead to mindless

repetition and get boring very quickly.

We need to avoid this.

 In order to keep up our interest:

i) if we are practising RH patterns_,

We can use different and shifting LH shapes (not
necessarily conventional chords)
We can use different rhythms and alternating slow and
fast speed.
We can experiment and play around with intervals using
LH fingers on different strings.

Ideas for further study-

ii) if we are practising LH technique

We can use different rhythms (eg with LH slurs) and RH
patterns (eg repeating notes on a single string) to vary the
exercise.

iii) if we are practising scales


We can break them up into smaller segments and go back
and forth ascending and descending using just 2 notes,
then 3, then 4,5,6 etc. Use different rhythms and speed
alternation as well.

iv) If we are practising tone colour and dynamic

control, we can vary our angle of RH playing and pressure
in both hands.

These last 3 topics (LH, scales, tone and dynamics) will

be the subject of further classes using Etudes which I wrote
to deal with them.
Be creative in your technical work and you will soon
build up a repertoire of ideas and gestures (bits and
pieces), many of which can be strung together to make
a whole piece.

Your very own etude!

Keep focused on one main technical idea (RH or LH)

and use variation in rhythm and chord shifts for
variety.

Keep exploring different strings and fingerboard

positions.

Discover melodies and harmonise them.


Write it down!

Notating your pieces can solidify and bring what you

are trying to do into clearer focus and enable you to
repeat what you made up.

Use whatever notation that makes sense to you - you

can always refine it later.

This is to help you remember what you did and also to

communicate that to someone else who might benefit
from your insight.

That is how my Etude Esquisse Number 5 was created!

This was my way of dealing with a particular problem -
you can use a similar way of thinking for dealing with
your own technical problems, which will be different
from mine.

Analyse why you can't play a particular passage, then

make up an exercise to repeat the technique required.
Break down the technique into smaller sections.

Then vary the notes so the repetition is more

interesting.

"Esquisses" means "Sketches" - not complete pieces, but

bits and pieces which could be made into whole
compositions at a later date.

GOOD LUCK!

Enjoy practising the guitar and be creative and inventive.

I hope this short session gives you some ideas on how to

turn technical workouts into short pieces of music which
you can then put together to construct an etude!

Remember to have fun!


 Gerald Garcia’s music has been played
and recorded by David Russell, Craig
Ogden, Xue Fei Yang, the LA Guitar
Quartet, the Tantalus Quartet, the
Amadeus Duo, the Eden-Stell Duo and
John Williams.

His ‘25 Etudes Esquisses’ for guitar solo
have been recorded for NAXOS by John
Holmquist and have become firm
favourites in the aspiring guitarist’s
repertoire. His music and arrangements have been published
worldwide by Mel Bay, Holley Music, ABG publications,
Guitarissimo and Cramer. He has written many pieces for
guitar ensemble, six guitar concertos and several orchestral
and chamber works.
Gerald’s teaching experience has included educational
workshops with Kent Opera, English National Opera and the
Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields.
He has conducted amateur guitar groups in Sweden,
Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Brunei, Taiwan, China,
Singapore, Hong Kong and Hassocks, as well as being Musical
Director of NYGE for more than 12 years.

He is a regular visiting teacher at Chengdu Conservatory, the
Iserlohn International Guitar Festival, the Changsha
International Festival and the West Dean Festival.
He is a producer of many CDs for piano as well as guitar.
As a guitarist, he has recorded more than 14 CDs for Naxos
and Meridian which have sold over 50,000 copies world-wide.

He plays with Simon Mayor’s Mandolinquents, in an an
occasional Irish Group with author Tom Paulin, and in a duo
with Alison Bendy.

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