An Interview with Matthew Slotkin
Interviews with Classical Guitarists
Matthew Slotkin is a New York City based performer and teacher. He teaches at Mansfield University, and uses his teaching gig as a base for his other creative activities. I had the chance to catch Matt in concert with one of his very interesting chamber music ensembles, Duo Montagnard, a guitar and saxophone duo. It’s […]
Read MoreClassical Guitar at the White House Tonight (11/4/09)
Guitar Related Links
Guitarist Sharon Isbin, violinist Joshua Bell, and other musicians will perform live at the White House tonight at 7:15pm (eastern standard time). The best part? You can watch it! Just go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/live at 7pm EST tonight. Here’s the story about what’s going on tonight; it includes some videos of rehearsal. I won’t be able […]
Read MoreFour Ways to Prepare for a Performance
Guitar Performance Tips
Whether we go on stage to play a full hour program or for just one piece, performing is an intense (and mildly terrifying) experience. This article is about dealing with the time immediately before a performance. I assume you’ve already selected repertoire and learned it. 1.) Practice Performance Practicing is different from practicing performance. Practicing […]
Read MoreInside a Smallman Guitar
Guitar Related Links
Luthier Dave Schramm put a camera inside a Greg Smallman guitar. Very cool.
Read MoreMonday Motivation: O’Dette Edition
Monday Motivation
“Virtuosos believe in making things as easy as possible.” –Philip Hii Today we feature lutenist Paul O’Dette performing A Fancy by John Dowland. This recording is from O’Dette’s recording of Dowlands Complete Lute Works.
Read MoreA Review of Practice Techiniques
Best of the Classical Guitar Blog
A practice technique is a method for practicing short sections. Some of the most difficult passages in pieces we play require us to practice them in all sort of ways. Aside from the usual, “go really slow,” here’s a few other ways to work on that difficult section. Slow/Fast Alternation is just what you would […]
Read MoreYour Practice Guidebook
Best of the Classical Guitar Blog, Classical Guitar Practice Tips
Since the Classical Guitar Blog started, I’ve written a lot on practicing. With good reason: musicians spend a lot of time practicing. And everyone is looking for the secret. The real secret is that learning an instrument it’s not about the time between lessons with a great teacher. There’s only so much a teacher can […]
Read MoreManuel Barrueco on Practicing
Classical Guitar Practice Tips, Interviews with Classical Guitarists
In the latest edition of his Podcast, Mr. Barrueco answers a lot of questions about his practicing. He goes over essential technical exercises, using a mirror, memorization (really great stuff here), essential studies, and using a metronome. The number one tip, I think: finding the hard parts, copying them, and putting them all in a […]
Read MoreOpen Thread: do you write on your sheet music?
Ask the Readers
I just got a new order of sheet music yesterday. In an effort to keep my originals a bit nicer, I made copies and stuck them in a binder. I’ll have the originals and a “working copy.” Do you write on your nice (from the publishing house) sheet music? Or do you make copies and […]
Read MoreGuest Post at Jason Shadrick’s Blog
Updates & Activities
I wrote a guest post for Jason Shadrick recently, and it just went up today. Jason is the director of marketing and artist relations for the National Guitar Workshop. Check it out: Basic Arpeggios for Classical Guitar
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