Make it Simple
Musical Interpretation and Musicianship
One of my favorite blog titles is “Life is Hard, Music is Easy.” Music is easy. But we make it complicated. Especially us guitarists — we look at fingerings on a page as if they’re the work of some higher being. Unchangeable. And we certainly aren’t allowed to change them. After all, Segovia/Koonce/Williard/(insert famous guitarist/arranger […]
Read MoreLinkage: 7/10/09
Guitar Related Links
I’m an avid weightlifter. As such, I read a lot of information online about training an nutrition. With an article popped up on Combat Psychology and Sports Performance I was intrigued. As I read it, I realized this article is about any sort of situation in which anxiety takes hold. While most examples are about […]
Read MoreLet’s Get Something Straight
Guitar Teaching
I end up teaching a lot of “remedial” students–students that come to me from other teachers. Most times these are electric or non-classical guitar students. The only thing they all have in common is a almost religious avoidance of using the fourth finger. As if teachers just accept that the left hand fourth finger is […]
Read MoreMirror, Mirror
Classical Guitar Practice Tips
Mirrors are a great, underused tool. While playing we often contort our bodies into strange positions – or worse: tension creeps into our limbs and causes awkward movements and posture. Most times the fix for this sort of problem is as simple as observing it. Because we can’t often focus on our entire bodies at […]
Read MoreMonday Motivation: Caballero Edition
Monday Motivation
“We should cultivate simplicity and directness rather than fussiness and complexity.” -Reginald Smith Brindle Today we feature some scary playing from Jorge Caballero. The piece is an arrangement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. I’m not convinced this piece is really that great as a guitar arrangement, but it’s certainly impressive playing.
Read MoreReview: Learn and Master Guitar
Updates & Activities
A few months ago, the folks at Learn and Master Guitar contacted me asking if I’d be willing to review their video lesson program. Because I’ve never checked out any DVD lesson courses, I was interested. I’m not being compensated for this post, nor is the link to the L & M Guitar website an […]
Read MoreClassical Guitar Fingernail Basics
Classical Guitar Fingernails
Classical guitarists, for the most part, use fingernails on their right hands. Think of this post as a basic introduction to fingernail concepts. After you’ve read it, check out these posts for more info: Classical Guitar and Fingernails – Some more in depth thoughts on fingernail length. Fingernail Open Thread – Check out comments for […]
Read MoreJuly with Giuliani: Op. 48, No. 1
Classical Guitar Tips
Brian Barone’s July with Giuliani kicks off today. I thought it’d be fun to take part, so here I am. Below is a video of my interpretation. This was recorded after working on the piece for about an hour. Musical Observations The mood of the piece should largely be determined by the first measures tempo […]
Read MoreMindless Technique
Classical Guitar Technique
I saw, in a forum post, a mildly disturbing phrase: “They are mindless exercises but they do the job.” If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m a thinker. I think a lot about music and practicing. Writing here has only reinforced my sometimes dangerous thinking habit. So, I have […]
Read MoreDon’t Forget the Obvious
Musical Interpretation and Musicianship
Details. Musical analysis. Note grouping. The list goes on – there are literally thousands of details in a single piece of music. But we can’t forget the obvious. What are the opening dynamic and tempo markings? What character do they suggest? When do the dynamics change? When does the texture of the music change? The […]
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