The Total Classical Guitarist2

Contents

About the Author ........................................................ 4

Introduction .................................................................. 5

Chapter 1: Getting Started ........................................ 6Purchasing a Guitar .............................................. 6The Importance of a Good Teacher ................ 6Parts of the Guitar ............................................... 7Identifying the Fingers .......................................... 7Tuning ...................................................................... 8

Chapter 2: Practice Strategies ................................. 10A Note for Crossover Players ......................... 10The Classical Aesthetic ...................................... 10Making the Most of Your Practice Time ........ 11

Chapter 3: Reading Music .........................................12The Staff .................................................................12Reading Pitches ....................................................13Accidentals and Enharmonic Equivalents .......13The Logic of the Fingerboard ...........................14Keys and Key Signatures ....................................15Rhythm ...................................................................16

Chapter 4: Sitting and Right-Hand Position ..........18Sitting Position ......................................................18Basic Right-Hand Position .................................19Contact Point and Fingernails ...........................20Free Stroke ...........................................................21Rest Stroke ...........................................................21Playing with the Thumb ......................................22Alternating Fingers on a Single String .............23Crossing Strings ...................................................24Alternating and Crossing ...................................24Arpeggios ...............................................................25

Chapter 5: The Left Hand .........................................27Basic Position ........................................................27Efficient Use of Hands ........................................28Chromatic Scales .................................................29

Chapter 6: Integrating Reading Skillswith Right- and Left-Hand Technique .................31

Ode to Joy .............................................................31Ode to Joy (Beethoven) ................................32

Song of the Toreador .........................................33Song of the Toreador (Bizet) ........................33

Asturias (Leyenda) ...............................................34Asturias (Leyenda)(Albéniz) ..........................34

Etude in C .............................................................35Etude in C (Sor) .............................................35

Etude in C Minor .................................................36Etude in C Minor (Sor) ..................................37

Etude in A Minor .................................................38Etude in A Minor (Aguado) ..........................39

Technical Supplements .......................................40

Chapter 7: Playing More Than OneNote at a Time .........................................................41

Multiple Fingers Working Together ................41Thumb and Fingers Working Together..........41Greensleeves ........................................................44

Greensleeves (Traditional) ...........................44Maestoso ...............................................................45

Maestoso (Giuliani) .......................................45Etude in C .............................................................46

Etude in C (Sor) .............................................47Technical Supplements .......................................48

Chapter 8: Left-Hand Mobility .................................49Shifting Up and Down the Neck ......................49Shifting Within a Position ..................................51Carulli Arpeggio Studies ....................................52

Prelude in A .....................................................53Prelude in A Minor ..........................................54Prelude in G .....................................................55Prelude in E .....................................................56

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The Total Classical Guitarist 3

A compact disc is available with this book. Using the disc will help make learning more enjoyable and the information more meaningful. Listening to the CD will help you correctly interpret the rhythms and feel of each example. The symbol to the left appears next to each piece or example that is performed on the CD. Example numbers are above the symbol. The track number below each symbol corresponds directly to the piece or example you want to hear. Track 1 will help you tune to this CD.

Track 1

0

Chapter 6: Integrating Reading Skillswith Right- and Left-Hand Technique .................31

Ode to Joy .............................................................31Ode to Joy (Beethoven) ................................32

Song of the Toreador .........................................33Song of the Toreador (Bizet) ........................33

Asturias (Leyenda) ...............................................34Asturias (Leyenda)(Albéniz) ..........................34

Etude in C .............................................................35Etude in C (Sor) .............................................35

Etude in C Minor .................................................36Etude in C Minor (Sor) ..................................37

Etude in A Minor .................................................38Etude in A Minor (Aguado) ..........................39

Technical Supplements .......................................40

Chapter 7: Playing More Than OneNote at a Time .........................................................41

Multiple Fingers Working Together ................41Thumb and Fingers Working Together..........41Greensleeves ........................................................44

Greensleeves (Traditional) ...........................44Maestoso ...............................................................45

Maestoso (Giuliani) .......................................45Etude in C .............................................................46

Etude in C (Sor) .............................................47Technical Supplements .......................................48

Chapter 8: Left-Hand Mobility .................................49Shifting Up and Down the Neck ......................49Shifting Within a Position ..................................51Carulli Arpeggio Studies ....................................52

Prelude in A .....................................................53Prelude in A Minor ..........................................54Prelude in G .....................................................55Prelude in E .....................................................56

Chapter 9: Putting It All Together ..........................58Sicilienne ................................................................58

Sicilienne (Carulli) ..........................................59Larghetto Espressivo...........................................60

Larghetto Espressivo (Carulli) ......................60Moderato ...............................................................62

Moderato (Carulli) ........................................62Vals ..........................................................................64

Vals (Ferrer) ...................................................64Prelude ...................................................................66

Prelude (Molino) ............................................66Andante Agitato ...................................................68

Andante Agitato (Carulli) ..............................68Romanza ................................................................70

Romanza (Anonymous) ...............................70Technical Supplements .......................................72

Chapter 10: Slurs ........................................................74Ascending Slurs ....................................................74Descending Slurs..................................................75Two Short Pieces ................................................76

Allegro (Aguado) ............................................76Rondo (Küffner) .............................................77

Divertimento ........................................................78Divertimento (Cano) .....................................78

Chapter 11: Ornaments ............................................80Grace Notes .........................................................80Trill ..........................................................................80Mordent .................................................................80Valtz ........................................................................81

Valtz (Aguado) ...............................................81Ländler ...................................................................82

Ländler (Mertz) ..............................................82Andante..................................................................84

Andante (Aguado) .........................................85Allegretto ..............................................................86

Allegretto (Ferrer) .........................................86Etude.......................................................................88

Etude (Cano) ..................................................88Aria .........................................................................90

Aria (Brescianello) ........................................90Technical Supplements .......................................91

Chapter 12: Special “Tricks” and Techniques ......92Pizzicato .................................................................92Bartók Pizzicato ...................................................92Golpe ......................................................................93Harmonics .............................................................93La Chasse ..............................................................96

La Chasse (Coste) .........................................96Tremolo .................................................................98Etude.................................................................... 100

Etude (Carcassi) ......................................... 100Technical Supplements .................................... 102

Chapter 13: Musical Considerations ................... 103Dynamics ............................................................ 103Tonal Colors...................................................... 105Rubato ................................................................. 106Articulations ...................................................... 106Vibrato ................................................................ 107Using Your New Musical Tools .................... 107Barcarolle ........................................................... 108

Barcarolle (Coste) ...................................... 108La Paloma ........................................................... 110

La Paloma (Yradier) ................................... 110Divertissement in C ......................................... 112

Divertissement in C (Giuliani) ................... 112Divertissement in F .......................................... 114

Divertissement in F (Giuliani) .................... 114Nocturne ............................................................ 116

Nocturne (Mertz)........................................ 116Two Pieces by Tárrega .................................... 118

Lágrima ......................................................... 118Adelita ........................................................... 119

Vals ....................................................................... 120Vals (Tárrega) ............................................. 120

Malagueña ........................................................... 123Malagueña (Tárrega) ................................. 123

Continuing Your Growthas a Classical Guitarist .................................. 128

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The Total Classical Guitarist 21

Free StrokeThe basic and most common stroke in classical playing is the free stroke. Keeping the hand still and letting the finger do all the work, follow these steps:

1. Position your right arm so that the large knuckle joints (see photo at far right for the locations of all the finger joints) are more or less over the top of the strings you’re plucking.

2. Pluck the string with the finger and follow through toward the palm of the hand.

3. Empty the tension from your finger and allow it to return to its starting point without touching any other strings.

If your knuckle joints are too far behind the strings, you’ll either have a very limited follow-through (which affects your speed and tone production) or you’ll constantly bump into the string adjacent to the one you intend to pluck. So, be sure to keep your wrist straight and your knuckle joints positioned correctly.

Try the following exercise. Use free strokes alternating between the i and m fingers. Use the rests to prepare the next finger on the string at its correct contact point.

Rest StrokeAnother type of stroke is the rest stroke. As above, keep your hand still and let the finger do all the work while following these steps:

1. Position the right arm so that the knuckle joints are a couple of strings behind whatever string you are plucking.

2. Pluck the string with the finger, following through and coming to rest on the next lower string with the fingertip.

3. Empty the tension from your finger and allow it to return to its starting point.

4. Be sure to keep the hand still and let the finger do all the work.

Rest strokes tend to be a bit louder and fuller sounding than free strokes. However, they have their limitations, as they prohibit the ringing of neighboring strings. In any case, it is important to learn both types of strokes and not to rely too heavily on one or the other.

Try the free-stroke example above, this time using rest strokes.

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Note: When working with the right hand, make sure your fingers and thumb do all the work. The right hand should never bounce as you pluck the string. Playing with a moving hand is like playing darts while running at the board. You’ll be a lot less accurate in finding the right strings with a bouncy hand!

Free stroke preparation.

Free stroke execution.

Rest stroke preparation.

Rest stroke execution.

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The Total Classical Guitarist62

Track 19

ModeratoFollowing is a more playful piece by Carulli.

Practice Notes1. You will find only a few small shifts of position but

many opportunities for creative use of dynamics. Though we haven’t yet discussed dynamics in detail, use your imagination as you come up with the musical plan for this piece. Then, you can revisit this composition (and others like it) after you’ve explored dynamics and colors later in the book (Chapter 13). Note that there is a dynamic marking in this piece that we haven’t yet seen:

F = mezzo forte = moderately loud

2. “Moderato” contains a few musical indications that we haven’t seen yet. For instance, beat 2 of the second measure has an accent mark ( ) on both voices. This instructs you to emphasize these notes, or play them louder than the surrounding notes. And when you see a dot above or below a note, as in measure 12, it indicates that the notes are to be played staccato (short, detached; see page 106 for more details).

ModeratoFerdinando Carulli

3. You will also see some musical indications in Italian. These phrases help communicate the composer’s intentions for interpreting the piece, and they should be given careful consideration.

• poco rit. = slow down a little. (Poco means “little”; rit. is short for ritardando and means “slow down.”)

• a tempo = return to the original tempo, or speed.

• e sempre legato = continuously legato, or connected. (Sempre means “always.”)

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Total Classical Guitarist.indb 62 11/2/12 11:44 AM

The Total Classical Guitarist116

Track 39 Nocturne

Johann Kaspar Mertz

NocturneThe simple melody of “Nocturne” by Mertz is beautifully supported by the triplet accompaniment, and both voices will need musical attention to make this piece soar.

Practice Notes1. No right-hand fingerings are given here, as you

should find what works best for your hand in this piece, but be mindful to include natural arpeggio fingerings whenever possible.

2. The melody is in the top voice until the last three lines, at which point you should shift the melodic attention to the bass.

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Total Classical Guitarist.indb 116 11/2/12 11:45 AM