Arpège #5

Pierre Bensusan

ARPEGE #5 - PICKING - RESTING AND MUTING - ORGANISING RESONANCES

Level: intermediate-advanced

Symbols:

- letters indicate the right hand fingering:

p: pouce = thumbi: index fingerm: middle fingera: annulaire = ring fingerpt: petit = little finger

- there is no left hand fingering for this exercise.- little triangle: the indicated finger rests on that string, no tension nor strength, just a relaxed rest.- arrow: rest stroke, the indicated finger rolls on the string(s) with the flesh of the finger, until the next finger plays.

INDICATIONS:

The main idea of this exercise is to show that the fingers of our right hand (for right handed players) can have a dual function: they can be used to initiate sound but also to mute sound. In other words, the same finger can be used to pick a string and then to stop the resonance of that same string, in order to let the next string, plucked by another finger, ring by itself. This practice will help you to discern what are the essential notes in your playing, and to organise their mixing, the length of their resonance, and to stop the overlap of undesired resonances.

There are several ways or methods to act upon and discipline the sustains of notes. We have chosen for this exercise to have each finger to exert that dual function: pick and stop or pluck and rest. Have your left hand to mute all 6 strings at the 7th fret while your right hand will pluck each string as described in the exercise. This in order to create a more rhythmic and drier sound helping to hear better what you do. In a second movement, you will stop muting the strings with your left hand, and have each of them to resonate openly until you apply that resting/stoping technique as described.

Measure 1:The thumb rolls on the 3 first bass strings using a rest stroke technique until your index picks the G string, at that very same time, the thumb comes down and rests on that first bass string, privileging the resonance of the 2nd and 3rd bass string instead.

Measure 2:The thumb plays the first bass string, and while the index plays the second bass string, the thumb comes down and rests on that first bass string to stop its resonance and leaves the second bass ring by itself. No overlapping: index and thumb actions take place at the very same time. This will help you to develop the plucking of bass strings with other fingers than the thumb.

Measure 3:Same thing but here you also stop the resonance of the second bass to let the third bass ring by itself and stand out. When playing each second and third bass, you will mute the precedent string's resonance with the thumb.

Measures 4 & 5:Same thing but here, as for measure 1, the thumb rolls on the 3 first bass strings using a rest stroke technique while you simply change the moment of stopping/resting on that first bass. The idea is to show that you can chose WHEN to stop the ringing of any string. Here

we stop/rest on the first bass, but you could do it on the second or third bass and so forth.

Measure 6:Here we will stop the resonance of each string as soon as we will play the next consecutive string. While each finger is used to pick, thumb, index and middle fingers are used to stop resonances and rest.

Measures 7 and 8:All the fingers are used to pick and rest.

Pieces of advice:You are asking your fingers to do things that they didn't know they could do. Go slow, make sure you don't overlap picking and resting, and that these 2 moves are done simultaneously. Put the same strength in each of your plucking. When you rest, have your finger to come gently on the string without making noise or buzz, the only result you are looking for is to let the new string being heard while the precedent string stops resonating.

When you'll start getting the idea and comfort of these moves, when these will become natural, try to incorporate that technique, in real time, into the pieces you play and see what dramatic effect it has on the rendition of the music and its increased clarity. No more pollution, undesired resonances or unnecessary intervals, just what should be there, the right sonic information.

You, the interpreter, the maker of the music, should always be in control of the sounds you initiate and their life time.

ENJOY AND SEE YOU SOON AGAIN!

Pierre Bensusan

Arpège #5

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Pierre Bensusan

Etouffer les 6 cordes à la 7ème case (Mute all 6 strings at 7th fret)

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