Good Vibrations
Classical Guitar Technique
I wanted to elaborate a bit on the Ida Presti Technique stuff I posted before. The big thing about guitar is that we want to make a good sound. Every classical guitarist in the world wants to sound good and have a nice, full tone. Part of what Artzt talks about is the idea that […]
Read MoreBuying Your First (or second) Guitar
Classical Guitars (Buying, Care, Maintenence)
Buying your first guitar is tricky business. First off, you can’t play anything yet! so you can’t really “try it out.” Second, you’re not really sure what a good guitar is supposed to feel like. As a teacher, I’ve seen some terrible instruments. This is not good. A guitar should help, not hinder your growth […]
Read MoreAlice Artzt on Ida Presti’s RH Technique
Classical Guitar Videos
Found an interesting set of videos from Alice Artzt explaining the technique and thought process behind Ida Presti’s right hand technique. To start here’s a video of Presti: Artzt explains:
Read MoreMonday Motivation: 2/16/09
Monday Motivation
“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind there are few.” -Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki Today we feature performer Nemanja Ostojic, a really brilliant young guitarist currently studying at Indiana University. Ostojic is recent first prize winner at the Southwest Guitar Festival. Check out this article to learn more about him.
Read MoreForms of the Minor Scale
Music Theory
Ever major scale has a relative minor scale. The root of the relative minor scale is a minor third lower than the major. Another way to look at it is that the root of the minor scale is the sixth scale degree of the major scale. For C major, that means the relative minor’s root […]
Read MoreInterview with the LAGQ
Classical Guitar Tips
Found this interview today from the Rochester City Newspaper. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet will be performing a new piece for guitar quartet and Orchestra written by Sergio Assad with the Rochester Philharmonic. There are three performances, the first being tonight. Check out ticket information here.
Read MoreThinking Critically- Practice Strategies
Classical Guitar Practice Tips
Being able to break down techniques or phrases into smaller, easier blocks is essential to really mastering something. To that end, you have to be able to approach the whole process very rationally. It’s pretty much disaster to work on more than one thing at a time. I’m going to use an example from a […]
Read MoreInterpretation: a Definition
Musical Interpretation and Musicianship
Music is extremely emotional; I don’t think any pro musicians would do it if they didn’t feel touched by it. Emotion in music can be extremely important in interpretation; what do you feel the piece is about? What imagery do you get? etc. These are things that are not always universal from person to person. […]
Read MoreAnother Guest Post at Jemsite
Updates & Activities
I wrote a guest post for Jemsite that went up today. Check it out! What the Classical Seating Position Can Do For You
Read MoreOdair Assad Concert Report
Classical Guitar Concert Reviews
I just got back from a solo guitar concert given by Odair Assad. I’ve seen the Assad brothers in concert before, and they are both monster players and musicians. But Odair as a solo artist is phenomenal. He began the concert with Choro de Suadade by Barrios, then onto a few Waltzes by Lauro, Villa-Lobos […]
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