Thank you for the tutorial, how long will it take me to start getting good at picado, I just don't know what to expect, I practice a lot on the metronome and I am getting faster, but seems like the progress is too slow
Thanks for your comment Noah. It varies from person to person. Don't expect things to improve quickly, even if you are among the most talented. A lot of improvement comes from _the way_ you practice. Try very short bursts of scales fast, try practicing slowly too, gradually increase your speed, keeping control until you start to lose it... There are other techniques that I hope to cover to help you with scales, this is just the beginning, the hand position. In any case, you should be thinking in terms of years rather than weeks to reach your potential. How about other youtubers? What are your experiences?
@@davidjaggs appreciate the reply sir! I practice a lot on the metronome, I might even stay for 2-3 hours training my picado technique, alternating between different exercises, I got really fast but it's a different story when I combine it with the lefthand, My left hand isn't weak for sure I cam do very complex chord shapes but it slows me down, I have the problem of lifting fingers way too much away from the fretboard and it's frustrating, tried different youtubers exercises for this but I think I'm not improving as much. Any recommendations?
Something that might help you is the knowledge of how motorical automatisms are learned in the right way. I am talking about bad habits and repairing them. Every movement can be devided into 3 aspects : orientation, execution and evaluation. The thing is that you must slow down enough to have the ability to focus on one movement at the time. When you work in that way, motorical analytical etc... and you are able to keep that focus and slowly increase speed you will notice that you are (more) in control. Thinking and playing are a mindfull couple. Later on you must have the ability to let go every detailed controlling and make groups of it. It is not the studying of art, but the art of studying what makes a great player from this perspective. Read things about metacognition. Maybe this helps.
I have started playing classical guitar again after having played for two years when was a a kid. I was experimenting with right hand position and facing some of the problems you mentioned. Your explanation of the hand mechanics with the issues and the way to avoid them is incredibly clear and I can’t wait to practice your teaching
Thank you so much! This was most helpful! I had never understood why I was seemingly unable to play very fast. All through my conservatory and grad school, I struggled as a guitar performance major. I now see that it had a lot to do with my hand position. As it was taught to me back then... excessive deviation (bending of the wrist) was always to be avoided. So, here I was, always attempting to avoid a deviated wrist while simultaneously attempting to play fast. Then, when it came to speed, I just couldn't do it. Well, now I know why! I have recently taken up guitar study again after a hiatus of many years... and... am playing with a much better (and faster) technique now than ever! Man... I sure wish I knew how to fix my technical problems when I was a student back then! Today, I practice very slowly with a metronome. I typically work up my speed while doing the spider crawl. I typically incorporate bursts to develop speed. I'm already able to get up to a speed of 106 BPM (sixteenth notes) after only a couple months. Thank you so much for this very helpful video. I so appreciate everything you taught me!
Thanks for the free lesson! I've always found it a challenge to play rest stokes ( picado} at speed and amazed at the technique of flamenco guitarists.. Paco de Lucia was incredible and I believe uses the same right hand positioning as you have described. After many hours of practice using this technique I "ve found it a great help.I sometimes wonder why classical guitar teachers insist in the traditional right hand method.
Hi David - I recently started classical lessons (after 50 years of mostly intuitive playing), and I found your talk here on hand positioning very helpful, as I'm still getting to used to where my hand is most comfortable for different musical phrasings and tempos. I notice other players changing hand positioning as well on faster segments - and also that when I try it on faster pieces like Carcassi Etude No. 1, it's easier to smoothly walk up and down the strings and it's less effort. The leveling-out of i & m in relation to the strings - as you describe - makes so much sense as a reason for why that's the case. In the cool footage you show of Barrueco - when he changes his position for faster passages he still appears to maintain a mostly-straight wrist by keeping his right elbow closer to the center of the guitar rather than on the more usual corner. An illuminating talk which will help me! Thank you and best regards from Michigan!
Thanks for your comment. Remember that your hand position won't change so much for free strokes, and I'd recommend that Carcassi study to be played free strokes. Hope this helps. 👍
The way I approach scales practice is in addition to rest stroke and free stroke, I also use staccato which allows ima to feel the strings first then dampen and slightly push down on the string after every note, the action of pressing down on the strings before letting it go, is similar to the notion of shooting a bow and arrow letting the string slide off the finger tips with the sting’s potential energy. With consistency one can develop the sensation on the finger tips to execute the free stoke with sound that can closely matching the rest stroke.
Nice video, in classical guitar technique it's rare to talk about scales. Manuel Barrueco is an amazing guitarist. His Villa-Lobos Etudes, Albeniz, Granados is a masterpiece for me. I've seen a video of him uploaded by a student in his masterclass, telling the student to practice scales, include it on her practice routine. The scales in Etude 7 helps me a lot. Every classical guitarist should practice scales, they should not ignore it. Btw i bought your The Entertainer arrangement it's awesome.
Thanks for the videos , the tip about moving the guitar stand is so simple yet a great idea. I have never had a teacher and sometimes I really battle. Regards from South Africa. Roy Sarkin
I'm not sure how to express how much I appreciate this video. I will try... First of all, this strikes me as deep knowledge shared by an extremely studied, and skilled, person. Amazing. It seems like a special gift for you to share this. I love the passion that you project. Thanks for the reference to Manuel Barrueco - I have only listened to one prelude (so far) and it is stunning. There is a distinct clarity in his playing. I'm looking forward to many hours of enjoying Manuel. Great work, great video; this is inspiring. Looking forward to checking out all your other videos! Thanks
Eye opening stuff! It tells me that no rule is stone carved. Many other factors need to be considered for the optimal performance. Thanks for the rare footage.
Ivan Rijos is also an amazing improviser... there’s a video of him improvising off of a member of the crowd (at an International Guitar Festival) humming a tune made up on the spot
Players with the fastest scales often have i and m fingers that are nearly equal in length. See Marco Tamayo and Angel Romero. (There is a good photograph of Angel's hand in Pepe Romero's method book.) Also, interestingly, see Artur Rubenstein (the famous pianist) interviewed by Dick Cavett. During the interview, Rubenstein says he was gifted with a short middle finger, making it nearly equal in length to his index and ring fingers, and holds up his hands to show, declaring that this equalness of length gave him a technical advantage.
Thank you for sharing this, I'm going to try it. It makes very good sense. (Incidentally, I was a piano student at Peabody in the '70's when Manuel Barrueco was also studying there. Unfortunately I was nowhere near as talented. Everyone at the time knew he was something special.)
@@davidjaggs Yes. It's a small school, something like 500 students, and everyone has to take classes like music history, theory and sight-singing. And especially talented students get known. Also, hard to believe but in the '70's guitar programs at conservatories were still something of a novelty. I believe Barrueco's teacher Aaron Shearer was the first guitarist to be a member of the Peabody faculty. It was especially cool to be a classical guitarist in those days.
Unfortunately teachers can misadvise us with poor, generalized, advice regarding mechanics. It's always good to evaluate what works best for our own anatomies. Great video, thanks!
Fantastic lesson and so reminds me of when I first heard that recording too. Still can’t play nearly as fast as Manuel but have certainly encountered the issues you discusses. Can’t wait to practice some scales again with your insights in mind.
Tried it, generally I'm getting the approach and having fun switching between the two techniques (playing violin partita #3 by bach). I've noticed that the shape of my m nail is now a bit too catchy on the strings (in a gentle too much meat on the ramp of the nail way). It's tricky getting the pressure from one finger to another consistent especially with my weak i finger. I also found at one point that when I return to standard position to play a three string repeated editorship that the rhythm in my hands was quite off (like jazz swing), I'm going to have to learn the rhythmic change required too I think.
I met Manuel in the late 90s and saw him play a handful of times and give masterclasses in San Francisco. My late friend and teacher Philip Rosheger knew Manuel very well. Way too much to go into here, but hopefully I can contact you via email.
Very insightful and a new look at the wrist position. I say "new" because I believe there was quite a controversy between playing with a cocked wrist as a default position, the one Tárrega, his disciples and Segovia advocated and the straight wrist position. Complicating this issue is the shape of the nails. Cocking the wrist sets the finger-to-string-attack at about 90 degrees. This, I believe, will shorten the time the fingernail will hold onto the string, i.e., shortening the release time and resulting in a more metallic and sharper sound. Shaping the right hand fingernails so there is an increasing ramp from the sides of the fingers closest to the chest when in playing position, will increase the hold time and promote a fuller, less metallic, sound. I've been taught that this method of shaping the fingernails is a good antidote for the tinny sound resulting from hooked fingernails. I've read that some players shape their right hand fingernails in the opposite direction than that described above and that this is done to promote faster scale work. I wonder, with that nail shape, if playing with a cocked wrist will produce too strong a metallic sound even in rapid scale playing. Lastly, what is the effect of this cocked wrist position if one plays (dare I say?) with no nails? Some professional players, like Rob McKillop, actually produce a tone that will stand up in the concert hall without the use of nails.
Thanks for your feedback. I'm not sure about the no nail question.. I've never seen it in action. As for the tinny sound there are 3 factors to consider. In a concert hall or large room this may not be as pronounced as one might think. The guitar used is important. I tried Manuels. . It's really warm and can "take" this technique as is my own guitar. I would imagine some guitars might not be so forgiving. The final factor I touched on in the video.. once you have established this technique you can try just angling the wrist a little to warm up the sound. Hope this helps!
Hi there. Fascinating. Thank you. What you are saying suggests that the best solution might always be to employ the kinked-wrist position, rather than juggle backwards and forwards? Can you explain the advantages of ever using the straight arm and wrist position please? I was always taught to keep the hand angled down, possibly wrongly ... ugh
The straight arm and wrist is better for free strokes.. with the kinked wrist you won't be able to play decent arpeggios. I can't visualise your hand position! Just watch some Barrueco videos. He has perfect right hand position.
Hi, I'm just starting tremolo and was wondering if this hand position setting the i finger to be more naturally in line with and at the same height as m is also valid? I've been subscribed for some time and your sagreras book videos are an incredible resource thank you
This is excellent, thank you! Looks like the thumb stays on E and slides slightly inward as i and m get to the basses. The three fingers slowly drawing together.
It' may be interesting to dig out old Sabicas footage and watch his fast descending apoyando or picardo passages. You'll note a large difference between i and m in respect to the distance they travel within their arcs of movement. From simply my recall, his middle finger is comparatively immobile compared to the index. It had me rather puzzled when I noticed it in the past. I might again watch some of the clips and analyse it with respect to wrist to see if that' might have been due to his maintaining a straighter wristed presentation. It certainly didn't affect his velocity or evenness of attack. I also recall reading, or hearing somewhere, that years ago Len Williams advised his still young son to tilt, maybe rotate or lower, his hand/wrist when throwing off fast scales, advising him to follow Segovia's example in this regard. I wouldn't think Barrueco invented the concept, not that you claimed nor implied that.
Thank you so much for this tips. It’s really helpful since I have been wondering how to get the right-hand fingers to have a smooth movement in playing fast scale since they all have different lengths 😂. In playing fast scale such as in Capricho Årabe, do you always use “i m a” right hand fingers or just “i m”? Thank you again and again for this video!
Hi David. Thanks for making that lesson. I thought it was really helpful and interesting. I wanted to ask your advice/opinion. In 1983 I purchased the latest recordings in Julian Bream's Music of Spain series. On it were the Three Spanish Pieces by Rodrigo. Soon after that, I purchased the score and set about learning the Fandango. That went fine and several weeks later I was in a dilemma that I've never, to this day, resolved and it's this; I want to play the three pieces as a set but I can't play the two fast scale passages in the Zapateado fast enough to make the Zapateado as a whole a realistic performance speed. I couldn't see any point in learning the Passacaglia unless there was an up tempo finale to follow it. So I've always had to content myself with the Fandango and forget about the other movements. That was, until recently. I spotted videos popping up on youtube of classical guitarists using RH fingers a, m and i for fast scales. I went back to work on the Zapateado scales trying to employ this technique. Unfortunately to no avail. I just couldn't lose a triplet feel in the three RH fingers and gave up. I also tried slurring the whole scale ( except for the first note on each string after a change of string). I couldn't get my slur technique up to a high enough speed though - and volume was also an issue. But, in the past fortnight I've gone back to it again, this time using RH thumb and middle finger. I find that I can play faster using pm than I can with im. It's faster now than before but I'm struggling to get it above ( dotted crotchet = ) 96 bpm. As a reference, on his recording, Julian Bream played it at c108 bpm. I saw Bream play this at a concert at Dudley Town hall in ( I think ) 1987 and, I was a long way from the front, he looked to be alternating his thumb with another finger and I remember thinking at the time that it sounded cleaner than his recording and almost as fast. Anyway, sorry for the long-winded message. Thanks for any advice you can offer on this and please keep the excellent videos coming. All the best, Chris.
Hi there. Thanks for your message. This was just one aspect of scale playing. There are many others which will help you. Playing short bursts of 5 and 9 notes at speed, practice dotted rhythms, make sure i and m are in contrary motion like walking legs, practice staccato, isolate shifts, concentrate on relaxing, small movements of the fingers, practice hands separately. Etc etc etc! I hope this gives you something to think about. Maybe I'll do the lessons one day!
@@davidjaggs Thanks very much for the advice. I'll give those things you suggested a try. I don't feel confident that I'm going to achieve the required speed alternating i and m fingers though - I've tried so many tactics over the years. Hence my experimentation with ima and pm - I decided that something radical was needed. I've only seen four guitarists play those scales at the appropriate speed ( marcin dylla and drew henderson come to mind ) and they all appear to use a combination of slurs with ima fingers. Do you have any thoughts on the use of the ima fingers for fast scale passages ?
Hi, thanks for reading my comments which were a bit harsh on the composer.. so I deleted them.. I gave prelude 5 a listen and heard bits from other numbers I have heard and it was a bit predictable ... never heard it before but I could tell where the tune was going next. It has an intriguing attractive atmospheric sound but I must be honest and say that in my humble opinion it is mainly a display of musical knowledge and dexterity
@@davidjaggs Oh, will do,, just a thought for you. you know how they say Albeniz Dance 5 sounds like a train... try playing th chords to Tull's locomotive breath on the classical guitar... sounds 10x more like a train to me.
@@davidjaggs Hi, I listened to prelude in Dm twice. Amazing playing.. so many courses and so close together.. phew. I thought it sounded quite like Bach with a more Dowland lilt. I used to listen to lute and early music quite a bit. Much as I am not that keen on Breams playing as it is so clean and well defined have you ever watched him play Serenata Espanola... he seems to sqeeze everything he can out of the tune and his technique... I find it difficult to find a more enjoyable number on the guitar.
Both of you seem to play below the sound hole; is that deliberate? My teacher wants my thumb at the top of the sound hole (nearer the nut) and my fingers playing across it.
If you play in a large hall or church the sound the other side of the sound hole will carry more. Also, there is nowhere left to go if you want to "tasto" up the sound, The strings are a little more taut with more resistance where I play, this can make faster passages easier. This is not to say that your teacher is wrong. There are many ways of playing, this is just the way I prefer. I hope this answers your question.
@@davidjaggs Yes! Excellent playing, I never learned that one, was a little too fast for me. But I love that piece. That would be a great piece to adapt to classical guitar.
Great lesson, I really learned a lot, thank you very much ! I'm not coming from a classical background at all so I've got a little question that I guess is obvious for classical players : When you're playing scales like this, your right hand only alternates between index and middle fingers, right ? Is the annular finger used at all ? Thanks again for this excellent tutorial and sorry for any English mistake I might have made, I'm French ahah
Thanks for your question. Many people include the a finger in their scale playing. Some alternate between a and i, others use the a finger to cross the strings. Some use p and i, as did Fernando Sor, the Hill/Wiltchinsky Duo come to mind. Index and middle is kind of the traditional way of playing rapid scales, I think once you are used to one way it's pretty difficult to change to another. Have a listen to some of your favourite classical and flamenco players and see if you can figure out what they use. My favourite was and is Barrueco, he's definitely an i m man! Good luck with your playing!
@@davidjaggs Thank you very much for you answer, I'll try to figure out how my favorite classical players use and I'll also listen to more Barrueco for sure !
Oh ok, that sort of problem can be fixed in post but it tends grey out the color when lowering the "highlights". Can you bounce the light off the ceiling from a fair distance away so that it spreads over you? (Would have to watch for a very shaded noise in that case but color and spread of white light would be more consistent over the shot).
Did I see this correctly, you change by the postionchange the side, where the string moves over the fingertip. From the right side to the left side of the fingertip?
@@davidjaggs The question was, is it a side effect of your position change, which relax the index finger, where the string moves over the fingertip. I was told thirty years ago to use a right hand position, where the fingers are mainly relaxed. One important indication for this hand position, the index finger is bowed and the string move over the left side of the finger tips of i, m, a. But this as an standardpostion I do not have the problem of a weak tone, trying to imitate your advice, because the string moves in a used way over the finger the tip. On the left side. But trying your standard postion, the string moves over the right side of the finger tip. In my guitar training was this called a bad thing, because the fingers can not be relaxed. Mainly the i-finger.
Hi again. I guess a lot depends on the nail shape. I have a slight ramp on my nail and the string begins touching flesh and string. I think the important thing is to play with the fingers relaxed. Everyone's hands are different. I hope this helps you!
As others mentioned this technic is very much flamenco style (but although glamenco guitarrist borrow classical technique). Actually as far as i know Manuel plans a tour or at least some concerts with Manuel Cañizares
It was probably in the mid 90s. I am a guitarist, but not a pure classical guitarist. My shock was entirely positive. I had listened to Segovia, Bream, and Williams, et. al, but the sounds on that Barrueco album seemed impossible. (Sometimes it sounded like 2 runs were being played simultaneously.)I still love the expressiveness of Segovia, but that's another discussion. I love that album, in any case. Invocation and Dance, Tres Piezas. Unbelievable.
Thank you for the tutorial, how long will it take me to start getting good at picado, I just don't know what to expect, I practice a lot on the metronome and I am getting faster, but seems like the progress is too slow
Thanks for your comment Noah. It varies from person to person. Don't expect things to improve quickly, even if you are among the most talented. A lot of improvement comes from _the way_ you practice. Try very short bursts of scales fast, try practicing slowly too, gradually increase your speed, keeping control until you start to lose it... There are other techniques that I hope to cover to help you with scales, this is just the beginning, the hand position. In any case, you should be thinking in terms of years rather than weeks to reach your potential. How about other youtubers? What are your experiences?
@@davidjaggs appreciate the reply sir! I practice a lot on the metronome, I might even stay for 2-3 hours training my picado technique, alternating between different exercises, I got really fast but it's a different story when I combine it with the lefthand, My left hand isn't weak for sure I cam do very complex chord shapes but it slows me down, I have the problem of lifting fingers way too much away from the fretboard and it's frustrating, tried different youtubers exercises for this but I think I'm not improving as much. Any recommendations?
Try this little chromatic exercise anywhere on the fretboard... 1.2.3.4.4.3.2.1.1.4.3.4.2.4.3.4. Repeat. Keep all LH fingers close to fretboard.
@@davidjaggs Thanks, will definitely try it!
Something that might help you is the knowledge of how motorical automatisms are learned in the right way. I am talking about bad habits and repairing them. Every movement can be devided into 3 aspects : orientation, execution and evaluation. The thing is that you must slow down enough to have the ability to focus on one movement at the time. When you work in that way, motorical analytical etc... and you are able to keep that focus and slowly increase speed you will notice that you are (more) in control. Thinking and playing are a mindfull couple. Later on you must have the ability to let go every detailed controlling and make groups of it. It is not the studying of art, but the art of studying what makes a great player from this perspective. Read things about metacognition. Maybe this helps.
I have started playing classical guitar again after having played for two years when was a a kid. I was experimenting with right hand position and facing some of the problems you mentioned. Your explanation of the hand mechanics with the issues and the way to avoid them is incredibly clear and I can’t wait to practice your teaching
Thanks for watching Lorenzo.
Thank you for such a well planned lesson. The close up camera is really helpful, and you have explained the hand position really well.
Thanks Dennis. Hope it helps your scale playing!
Very delighted to find a tutorial from you!
There are many free ones on RUclips and more on classicalguitar.online
Thank you so much! This was most helpful! I had never understood why I was seemingly unable to play very fast. All through my conservatory and grad school, I struggled as a guitar performance major. I now see that it had a lot to do with my hand position. As it was taught to me back then... excessive deviation (bending of the wrist) was always to be avoided. So, here I was, always attempting to avoid a deviated wrist while simultaneously attempting to play fast. Then, when it came to speed, I just couldn't do it. Well, now I know why! I have recently taken up guitar study again after a hiatus of many years... and... am playing with a much better (and faster) technique now than ever! Man... I sure wish I knew how to fix my technical problems when I was a student back then! Today, I practice very slowly with a metronome. I typically work up my speed while doing the spider crawl. I typically incorporate bursts to develop speed. I'm already able to get up to a speed of 106 BPM (sixteenth notes) after only a couple months. Thank you so much for this very helpful video. I so appreciate everything you taught me!
It's a pleasure. Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks for the free lesson! I've always found it a challenge to play rest stokes ( picado} at speed and amazed at the technique of flamenco guitarists.. Paco de Lucia was incredible and I believe uses the same right hand positioning as you have described. After many hours of practice using this technique I "ve found it a great help.I sometimes wonder why classical guitar teachers insist in the traditional right hand method.
Thanks.. Glad you got something from this!
Very useful to have a permanent video lesson to return to over and over again.
Thanks Geoff. Hope your playing is progressing.
Brilliant - Wish I had known this 50 years ago! Or if I could have figured it out for myself!!
It’s always better late than never. Keep it up!!
Thank you for the tip. I'll work on it, gradually.
that Barrueco album was one of the most important for me. Part of the reason he is my favorite guitarist
Same for me!
Hi David - I recently started classical lessons (after 50 years of mostly intuitive playing), and I found your talk here on hand positioning very helpful, as I'm still getting to used to where my hand is most comfortable for different musical phrasings and tempos. I notice other players changing hand positioning as well on faster segments - and also that when I try it on faster pieces like Carcassi Etude No. 1, it's easier to smoothly walk up and down the strings and it's less effort. The leveling-out of i & m in relation to the strings - as you describe - makes so much sense as a reason for why that's the case.
In the cool footage you show of Barrueco - when he changes his position for faster passages he still appears to maintain a mostly-straight wrist by keeping his right elbow closer to the center of the guitar rather than on the more usual corner.
An illuminating talk which will help me! Thank you and best regards from Michigan!
Thanks for your comment. Remember that your hand position won't change so much for free strokes, and I'd recommend that Carcassi study to be played free strokes. Hope this helps. 👍
The way I approach scales practice is in addition to rest stroke and free stroke, I also use staccato which allows ima to feel the strings first then dampen and slightly push down on the string after every note, the action of pressing down on the strings before letting it go, is similar to the notion of shooting a bow and arrow letting the string slide off the finger tips with the sting’s potential energy. With consistency one can develop the sensation on the finger tips to execute the free stoke with sound that can closely matching the rest stroke.
Sounds like you are a tonesmith! Playing the top E string with repeated rapid free strokes is hard!
Nice video, in classical guitar technique it's rare to talk about scales. Manuel Barrueco is an amazing guitarist. His Villa-Lobos Etudes, Albeniz, Granados is a masterpiece for me. I've seen a video of him uploaded by a student in his masterclass, telling the student to practice scales, include it on her practice routine. The scales in Etude 7 helps me a lot. Every classical guitarist should practice scales, they should not ignore it. Btw i bought your The Entertainer arrangement it's awesome.
Thanks for your support.. keep watching!
Excellent as ever Dave.
Thanks! Hope you're well.
Horses for courses,makes absolute sense.Most educational and enjoyable with history.
Really enjoyed the clear explanation of the scale technique you first saw and later learned first hand from Manuel Barrueco.
Yes, amazing to get that chance of studying with him. Thanks for watching.
Thank you...explained and demonstrated so well...wonderfully presented.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the videos , the tip about moving the guitar stand is so simple yet a great idea. I have never
had a teacher and sometimes I really battle. Regards from South Africa. Roy Sarkin
Thanks Roy.. hope some of the others help you too!
I'm not sure how to express how much I appreciate this video. I will try...
First of all, this strikes me as deep knowledge shared by an extremely studied, and skilled, person. Amazing. It seems like a special gift for you to share this.
I love the passion that you project.
Thanks for the reference to Manuel Barrueco - I have only listened to one prelude (so far) and it is stunning. There is a distinct clarity in his playing. I'm looking forward to many hours of enjoying Manuel.
Great work, great video; this is inspiring. Looking forward to checking out all your other videos!
Thanks
Thanks 😊👍. Check out my how to practice video, a lot of this came from Manuel.
Eye opening stuff! It tells me that no rule is stone carved. Many other factors need to be considered for the optimal performance. Thanks for the rare footage.
Hope you enjoyed watching 👍
Ivan Rijos is also an amazing improviser... there’s a video of him improvising off of a member of the crowd (at an International Guitar Festival) humming a tune made up on the spot
A talented man!
On fast scale you are correct about wrist posicion. Paco de Lucía similar
Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable ideas...
Amazing video indeed...
Thanks Edwin.
Exerlente !!! Very importa informações thanks happy New year
Thanks for watching, happy new year to you too!
Many thanks, this was really of great help!
👍 More to come!
I’m a novice ( to classical ) and that scratchy sound sucks thanks for this
Players with the fastest scales often have i and m fingers that are nearly equal in length. See Marco Tamayo and Angel Romero. (There is a good photograph of Angel's hand in Pepe Romero's method book.)
Also, interestingly, see Artur Rubenstein (the famous pianist) interviewed by Dick Cavett. During the interview, Rubenstein says he was gifted with a short middle finger, making it nearly equal in length to his index and ring fingers, and holds up his hands to show, declaring that this equalness of length gave him a technical advantage.
Interesting. .. unfortunately for me my m finger is much longer! Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for sharing this, I'm going to try it. It makes very good sense.
(Incidentally, I was a piano student at Peabody in the '70's when Manuel Barrueco was also studying there. Unfortunately I was nowhere near as talented. Everyone at the time knew he was something special.)
Oh that's really interesting. .. he was known across all departments?
@@davidjaggs Yes. It's a small school, something like 500 students, and everyone has to take classes like music history, theory and sight-singing. And especially talented students get known. Also, hard to believe but in the '70's guitar programs at conservatories were still something of a novelty. I believe Barrueco's teacher Aaron Shearer was the first guitarist to be a member of the Peabody faculty. It was especially cool to be a classical guitarist in those days.
I auditioned in 1988 and got a scholarship to study with Manuel. Sadly I couldn't raise the funds needed for living expenses. Not a happy time!!
Great lesson on playing scales! Appreciate your effort very much!
Thanks Richard
Unfortunately teachers can misadvise us with poor, generalized, advice regarding mechanics. It's always good to evaluate what works best for our own anatomies.
Great video, thanks!
Thanks for watching Jimmy. They meant well I'm sure!
Fantastic lesson and so reminds me of when I first heard that recording too. Still can’t play nearly as fast as Manuel but have certainly encountered the issues you discusses. Can’t wait to practice some scales again with your insights in mind.
Great!
What a great tutorial, I'm going to try this tomorrow morning with Barrios la Catedral (on the 3Mv bridge section)
Hope it goes well!
Tried it, generally I'm getting the approach and having fun switching between the two techniques (playing violin partita #3 by bach). I've noticed that the shape of my m nail is now a bit too catchy on the strings (in a gentle too much meat on the ramp of the nail way). It's tricky getting the pressure from one finger to another consistent especially with my weak i finger.
I also found at one point that when I return to standard position to play a three string repeated editorship that the rhythm in my hands was quite off (like jazz swing), I'm going to have to learn the rhythmic change required too I think.
I met Manuel in the late 90s and saw him play a handful of times and give masterclasses in San Francisco. My late friend and teacher Philip Rosheger knew Manuel very well. Way too much to go into here, but hopefully I can contact you via email.
Yes, of course, my name, all one word, lower case 2 at Gmail dot com (avoiding spam here)
Great tutorial and interesting story. Thanks 👍
Very helpful. Thank you for these tutorials.
You're welcome Rick.
Very insightful and a new look at the wrist position. I say "new" because I believe there was quite a controversy between playing with a cocked wrist as a default position, the one Tárrega, his disciples and Segovia advocated and the straight wrist position. Complicating this issue is the shape of the nails. Cocking the wrist sets the finger-to-string-attack at about 90 degrees. This, I believe, will shorten the time the fingernail will hold onto the string, i.e., shortening the release time and resulting in a more metallic and sharper sound. Shaping the right hand fingernails so there is an increasing ramp from the sides of the fingers closest to the chest when in playing position, will increase the hold time and promote a fuller, less metallic, sound. I've been taught that this method of shaping the fingernails is a good antidote for the tinny sound resulting from hooked fingernails.
I've read that some players shape their right hand fingernails in the opposite direction than that described above and that this is done to promote faster scale work. I wonder, with that nail shape, if playing with a cocked wrist will produce too strong a metallic sound even in rapid scale playing.
Lastly, what is the effect of this cocked wrist position if one plays (dare I say?) with no nails? Some professional players, like Rob McKillop, actually produce a tone that will stand up in the concert hall without the use of nails.
Thanks for your feedback. I'm not sure about the no nail question.. I've never seen it in action. As for the tinny sound there are 3 factors to consider. In a concert hall or large room this may not be as pronounced as one might think. The guitar used is important. I tried Manuels. . It's really warm and can "take" this technique as is my own guitar. I would imagine some guitars might not be so forgiving. The final factor I touched on in the video.. once you have established this technique you can try just angling the wrist a little to warm up the sound. Hope this helps!
Hi there. Fascinating. Thank you. What you are saying suggests that the best solution might always be to employ the kinked-wrist position, rather than juggle backwards and forwards? Can you explain the advantages of ever using the straight arm and wrist position please? I was always taught to keep the hand angled down, possibly wrongly ... ugh
The straight arm and wrist is better for free strokes.. with the kinked wrist you won't be able to play decent arpeggios. I can't visualise your hand position! Just watch some Barrueco videos. He has perfect right hand position.
Thank you David
really makes sense. thank you
Keep watching!
I am working to play scales with m-a as fast as I play with i-m without breaking down into a gallop rhythm. I would love to watch a video on that!
As I seem to have less time these days I haven't worked on ma scales for a while. It's difficult but I believe it helps. Don't dot the rhythm though.
Very helpful! Thank you
Thanks for watching Bob.
Hi, I'm just starting tremolo and was wondering if this hand position setting the i finger to be more naturally in line with and at the same height as m is also valid?
I've been subscribed for some time and your sagreras book videos are an incredible resource thank you
Absolutely correct! Top of the class!
This is excellent, thank you! Looks like the thumb stays on E and slides slightly inward as i and m get to the basses. The three fingers slowly drawing together.
Master class by a Master. Thanks :)
It' may be interesting to dig out old Sabicas footage and watch his fast descending apoyando or picardo passages. You'll note a large difference between i and m in respect to the distance they travel within their arcs of movement. From simply my recall, his middle finger is comparatively immobile compared to the index. It had me rather puzzled when I noticed it in the past. I might again watch some of the clips and analyse it with respect to wrist to see if that' might have been due to his maintaining a straighter wristed presentation. It certainly didn't affect his velocity or evenness of attack.
I also recall reading, or hearing somewhere, that years ago Len Williams advised his still young son to tilt, maybe rotate or lower, his hand/wrist when throwing off fast scales, advising him to follow Segovia's example in this regard. I wouldn't think Barrueco invented the concept, not that you claimed nor implied that.
It's logical when you think about it.. flamenco players seem to do it to some extent.
Thank you so much for this tips. It’s really helpful since I have been wondering how to get the right-hand fingers to have a smooth movement in playing fast scale since they all have different lengths 😂. In playing fast scale such as in Capricho Årabe, do you always use “i m a” right hand fingers or just “i m”? Thank you again and again for this video!
Most would use im but recently players have tried ami and ai. im takes out the guess work I feel
Thanks for sharing this such valuable knowledge!
👍👍
Hey! The way you tilt your hand to play scales. We bassists do that! 🙌
Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks Ron. I wish it was better though!
Great video full of useful and practical information. Thank you very much for this.
Thanks Denian. . More to come.
Very interesting approach and I really enjoy your playing. What piece are you playing in the opening?
Carcassi study no.20....something. I'll look it up when I'm home. Thanks for watching 👍
@@davidjaggs Thanks! Looks like Op. 60 #25. (Haven't gotten to that one yet.)
Try online, imslp
All free!
Hi David. Thanks for making that lesson. I thought it was really helpful and interesting. I wanted to ask your advice/opinion. In 1983 I purchased the latest recordings in Julian Bream's Music of Spain series. On it were the Three Spanish Pieces by Rodrigo. Soon after that, I purchased the score and set about learning the Fandango. That went fine and several weeks later I was in a dilemma that I've never, to this day, resolved and it's this; I want to play the three pieces as a set but I can't play the two fast scale passages in the Zapateado fast enough to make the Zapateado as a whole a realistic performance speed. I couldn't see any point in learning the Passacaglia unless there was an up tempo finale to follow it. So I've always had to content myself with the Fandango and forget about the other movements. That was, until recently. I spotted videos popping up on youtube of classical guitarists using RH fingers a, m and i for fast scales. I went back to work on the Zapateado scales trying to employ this technique. Unfortunately to no avail. I just couldn't lose a triplet feel in the three RH fingers and gave up. I also tried slurring the whole scale ( except for the first note on each string after a change of string). I couldn't get my slur technique up to a high enough speed though - and volume was also an issue. But, in the past fortnight I've gone back to it again, this time using RH thumb and middle finger. I find that I can play faster using pm than I can with im. It's faster now than before but I'm struggling to get it above ( dotted crotchet = ) 96 bpm. As a reference, on his recording, Julian Bream played it at c108 bpm. I saw Bream play this at a concert at Dudley Town hall in ( I think ) 1987 and, I was a long way from the front, he looked to be alternating his thumb with another finger and I remember thinking at the time that it sounded cleaner than his recording and almost as fast. Anyway, sorry for the long-winded message. Thanks for any advice you can offer on this and please keep the excellent videos coming. All the best, Chris.
Hi there. Thanks for your message. This was just one aspect of scale playing. There are many others which will help you. Playing short bursts of 5 and 9 notes at speed, practice dotted rhythms, make sure i and m are in contrary motion like walking legs, practice staccato, isolate shifts, concentrate on relaxing, small movements of the fingers, practice hands separately. Etc etc etc! I hope this gives you something to think about. Maybe I'll do the lessons one day!
@@davidjaggs Thanks very much for the advice. I'll give those things you suggested a try. I don't feel confident that I'm going to achieve the required speed alternating i and m fingers though - I've tried so many tactics over the years. Hence my experimentation with ima and pm - I decided that something radical was needed. I've only seen four guitarists play those scales at the appropriate speed ( marcin dylla and drew henderson come to mind ) and they all appear to use a combination of slurs with ima fingers. Do you have any thoughts on the use of the ima fingers for fast scale passages ?
It's never worked for me personally. .
Pure gold! Thank you so much
Glad you like it!
Brilliant video
Thanks for watching Ruben.
uah! 💥🎸💥 🐻👍 grazie Maestro! 🎵🎶🚀🎶🎵
Hope it helps you 👍😊
A' Very Good Job on Istructional ( vdc ) Guitar. .. Nice One ... ☺😊😀/👍👌👏
Thanks for watching Luigi.
Hi, thanks for reading my comments which were a bit harsh on the composer.. so I deleted them.. I gave prelude 5 a listen and heard bits from other numbers I have heard and it was a bit predictable ... never heard it before but I could tell where the tune was going next. It has an intriguing attractive atmospheric sound but I must be honest and say that in my humble opinion it is mainly a display of musical knowledge and dexterity
No one compares to Bach! Try listening to Weiss though.. (played by David Miller).. amazing music.
@@davidjaggs Oh, will do,, just a thought for you. you know how they say Albeniz Dance 5 sounds like a train... try playing th chords to Tull's locomotive breath on the classical guitar... sounds 10x more like a train to me.
😅
@@davidjaggs Hi, I listened to prelude in Dm twice. Amazing playing.. so many courses and so close together.. phew. I thought it sounded quite like Bach with a more Dowland lilt. I used to listen to lute and early music quite a bit. Much as I am not that keen on Breams playing as it is so clean and well defined have you ever watched him play Serenata Espanola... he seems to sqeeze everything he can out of the tune and his technique... I find it difficult to find a more enjoyable number on the guitar.
I copied Julian Bream's technique from watching him play Sor's Variations on a Theme of Mozart from ¡Guitarra! in the 80s: very impressive.
Thank you
You're welcome Giuseppe.
Both of you seem to play below the sound hole; is that deliberate? My teacher wants my thumb at the top of the sound hole (nearer the nut) and my fingers playing across it.
If you play in a large hall or church the sound the other side of the sound hole will carry more. Also, there is nowhere left to go if you want to "tasto" up the sound, The strings are a little more taut with more resistance where I play, this can make faster passages easier. This is not to say that your teacher is wrong. There are many ways of playing, this is just the way I prefer. I hope this answers your question.
@@davidjaggs Thank you for replying; very kind and helpful.
I wonder if Mr Bream has a similar hand position for fast scales?
Not totally different, although he was pretty unorthodox in many ways! Thanks for watching and commenting!
I used to be fairly fast back in my younger years, I played Mood for a Day constantly, but nothing as far as Manuel
Ah yes, Steve Howe! Did you know I recorded the Clap by him? It's here on RUclips!
@@davidjaggs Yes! Excellent playing, I never learned that one, was a little too fast for me. But I love that piece.
That would be a great piece to adapt to classical guitar.
Great lesson, I really learned a lot, thank you very much ! I'm not coming from a classical background at all so I've got a little question that I guess is obvious for classical players : When you're playing scales like this, your right hand only alternates between index and middle fingers, right ? Is the annular finger used at all ?
Thanks again for this excellent tutorial and sorry for any English mistake I might have made, I'm French ahah
Thanks for your question. Many people include the a finger in their scale playing. Some alternate between a and i, others use the a finger to cross the strings. Some use p and i, as did Fernando Sor, the Hill/Wiltchinsky Duo come to mind. Index and middle is kind of the traditional way of playing rapid scales, I think once you are used to one way it's pretty difficult to change to another. Have a listen to some of your favourite classical and flamenco players and see if you can figure out what they use. My favourite was and is Barrueco, he's definitely an i m man! Good luck with your playing!
@@davidjaggs Thank you very much for you answer, I'll try to figure out how my favorite classical players use and I'll also listen to more Barrueco for sure !
Really good
Thank you.
I noticed Paco De Lucia did that with his hand years ago .
Yes, even more noticeable with flamenco players.
I think the highlights on your camera were blown out, what were you filming with?
Hi Brian. I had a new photographic umbrella. I think it was too close!
Oh ok, that sort of problem can be fixed in post but it tends grey out the color when lowering the "highlights".
Can you bounce the light off the ceiling from a fair distance away so that it spreads over you? (Would have to watch for a very shaded noise in that case but color and spread of white light would be more consistent over the shot).
I can't find these two albums on Itunes, am I missing something ?
Try 300 years of guitar masterpieces
He reissued his first four albums on one collection.
Did I see this correctly, you change by the postionchange the side, where the string moves over the fingertip. From the right side to the left side of the fingertip?
Hi. You take the i finger in its relaxed state to the string by a slight tilt or rotation of the wrist.
@@davidjaggs The question was, is it a side effect of your position change, which relax the index finger, where the string moves over the fingertip.
I was told thirty years ago to use a right hand position, where the fingers are mainly relaxed. One important indication for this hand position, the index finger is bowed and the string move over the left side of the finger tips of i, m, a. But this as an standardpostion I do not have the problem of a weak tone, trying to imitate your advice, because the string moves in a used way over the finger the tip. On the left side.
But trying your standard postion, the string moves over the right side of the finger tip. In my guitar training was this called a bad thing, because the fingers can not be relaxed. Mainly the i-finger.
Hi again. I guess a lot depends on the nail shape. I have a slight ramp on my nail and the string begins touching flesh and string. I think the important thing is to play with the fingers relaxed. Everyone's hands are different. I hope this helps you!
Consider that people like Manuel Barruecos, Paco de Lucia and Iván Rijos scale speed will be similar to an Oympic 100m runner sub 10's times.
Do you know where Ivan is these days? Does he still play?
@@davidjaggs He is teaching at Escuela Libre de Música San Juan PR. Also at Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.
@@davidjaggs check Rene Izquierdo and Iván Rijos in you tube
As others mentioned this technic is very much flamenco style (but although glamenco guitarrist borrow classical technique). Actually as far as i know Manuel plans a tour or at least some concerts with Manuel Cañizares
Hope I can attend one of those! Unlikely though as UK seems to be forgotten land of the classical guitar. .so different to the 70s and 80s!
I was shocked when I first heard Barrueco's album of Rodrigo, Ponce, and Turina.
Shocked in a good or bad way?!
It was probably in the mid 90s. I am a guitarist, but not a pure classical guitarist. My shock was entirely positive. I had listened to Segovia, Bream, and Williams, et. al, but the sounds on that Barrueco album seemed impossible. (Sometimes it sounded like 2 runs were being played simultaneously.)I still love the expressiveness of Segovia, but that's another discussion. I love that album, in any case. Invocation and Dance, Tres Piezas. Unbelievable.
Correction! The album I was thinking of was Manuel Barrueco plays De Falla, Ponce, and Rodrigo. It does seem to me to be a stunning achievement.
All Manuels albums are.. apparently there is a new one out next month.. still going strong!
When you wear a d’addario shirt your life pretty much is classical guitar 🎸
It's a big part of it yes, and I hope you meant shirt!!!!
@@davidjaggs lol I didn’t even notice that I made a typo I too am I Classical guitarist. Best wishes
Why the obsession with speed ?
The more technique you have the more you can do with the music. If you can't play scales at 4@160 BPM you'll never play the Aranjuez.
What you are describing comes from the flamenco technique.
6.15 not like that.. but like that.. RIP Tommy Cooper
What flavour are these crisps? Plane.
@@davidjaggs sorry , musicians can be a bit touchy it is true
Do you think that during a video I should be able to HEAR you?.....
Yes
you look a bit like jeremy renner
I'll take that.. but at the moment I feel more like Jeremy Corbyn.
@@davidjaggs 😂 you made me laugh and for that I thank you Dave but no you don't look like Corbyn😄
Check Iván Rijos
I met Ivan in 1988.. never heard anything like it before or since!
Meet desiderio or matarazzo' the italian guitar masters were before spanish! Like giuliani legnani regondi carulli carcassi etc...
@@yishay6194 Funnily enough I just met someone who studies with them both.... very very good.
💓👍