Carlevaro - Technique
This discussion thread is dedicated to Carlevaro's technical aspect of his work.
How to Get Started
Maestro Carlevaro introduced his technical ideas to his students by using the technical Cuadernos accompanied by the School of Guitar book.
- School of Guitar: Exposition of Instrumental Theory
- Didactic Serie for Guitar, Cuaderno #1 - Diatonic Scales
- Didactic Serie for Guitar, Cuaderno #2 - Right Hand Technique
- Didactic Serie for Guitar, Cuaderno #3 - Left Hand Technique
- Didactic Serie for Guitar, Cuaderno #4 - Left Hand Technique (Conclusion)
186 replies
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Posting here a reply I got from Dale Needles (thank you!) , on the HVL challenge ,on the relation between toques and piano/forte, which I found useful.
" For each of Carlevaro's "toques" one can elicit a forte and piano dynamic. Additionally, each toque gives a different timbre or color to the sound. However, there are a few exceptions to this and it should not be interpreted too literally. For example, toque 5 which is used to bring out a metallic timbre, is almost always used when playing piano. "
Are there any recommendations on the relations between toques and playing more tasto vs ponticelli? -
As has been previously mentioned, Carlevaro dedicates Cuaderno No. 2 to right-hand exercises. He begins with a series of arpeggio exercises with the goal of developing independence and flexibility of the fingers. The first 84 formulas are arpeggio patterns that can be grouped into sets of 12. Carlevaro writes the following about practicing these arpeggio sets: "The first phase deals with the three fingers and thumb working together at the same dynamic level and has the aim of liberating them one from the other from a mechanical point of view. Nuances in timbre and variations in intensity are to be left for another stage...Once the first twelve exercises have been assimilated, it is advisable to associate each L.H. change of position with a different R.H. formula, but without causing delay or breaking the continuity." (School of Guitar) The following post includes Formulas 1-12, playing a different arpeggio pattern on each fret (moving up and down the neck). During this first phase, toque 1 (similar to a free stroke) is used for i,m,a.
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No posts for 2 years! so here goes...
I wanted to ask a question. I am new to Carlevaro's technique though I played El Campo many times years ago.
Having looked into his left hand writings I am finding a contrary information here at tonebase on the adoption of transversal positioning: in Martin's interview with Alfredo Escande from 2023 he clearly states that the arm must not raise to an almost horizontal position to present the hand for the transversal position, rather the wrist does the movement principally, with the arm raising a little (approx 15 degrees).
However in the Left Hand Technique course here by Gaelle Solal she has a picture in the pdf which is definitely not this- the left arm is almost horizontal!
What are people's thoughts on this ..very crucial..point?
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Hi Andy, having studied directly with Carlevaro for many years in the 1980s, I can say that Alfredo is the one to listen to. He is a friend of mine and was Maestro Carlevaro's assistant for many years. I do not believe that Gaelle was one of the Maestro's students although she most likely took a master class from him. In any case, if you are interested in the Maestro's technique, you should check out his book, School of Guitar. There is a link in the reference section of this forum. I can say that from my studies with him, he always emphasized using the arm when lifting your fingers off the fret board. Your fingers stay horizontal if your fingers are positioned directly over four horizontal frets but your arm and wrist are used if your fingers need to move more vertical to the strings. I hope this helps and feel free to reach out with more questions. who also studied with one of Carlevaro's major students will hopefuuly weigh in.
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Thank you Dale. That is good to hear. And wonderful to hear it from the horse's mouth as it were.
I have found Alfredo's Youtube channel now and it is full of very clear instruction..a great resource.
I SO wish I had come across Abel Carlevaro's left hand techniques years ago. The accepted 'four fingers perpendicular to the fretboard' is fine and all but really is not the whole story..even Scott Tenant in Pumping Nylon repeats it and ....that's all you get on the left hand (and many many other method books as well). I actually think that if that's all that is going to be said on the matter..it is actually wrong information and potentially damaging. You are better off with the left fingers coming in at an angle as indeed you see in all players when they are actually playing.
But of course it is better to have a full treatise on the left arm/hand as Carlevaro set out to do. The 'longitudinal/transverse/combination' approach is like: "HELLO YES!" where have you been all my life :)
And then the idea of the strength of the fingers coming from the arm and the idea that the LH thumb is 'semi-relaxed' (Alfredo) on the back of the neck, not squeezing to get pressure, ... it's really exciting for me to explore this.
It's a great shame the Cuardernos are no longer published. In the end I found them in pdf on Google Books but I would love a hard copy.
Thank you for the link to the Escuela. And thank you Dale for the offer to field some more questions, and maybe too. Especially as noted in the livestream with Alfredo on tonebase that he was adamant that the exercises are not enough, it's the principals behind them that are essential to their execution.
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So happy to hear of your interest in Carlevaro. Definitely check out the forum. There are some good discussions of the Maestro's technique as well as many examples of his compositions. I am currently traveling in Europe but when I get home to San Francisco at the end of April, I would love to connect so we can further our discussion on the Maestro's School of Guitar. Also, as a side note, I was Carlevaro's US agent from 1982 to 1989 arranging his US concert tours and master classes. Best, Dale
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Hi Andy, I just received the notifications about your question and Dale's reply; I didn't see them initially. I agree with Dale, and you can trust Alfredo Escande's comments—he knows what he's talking about. Regarding Gaelle Solal's course, I'm not familiar with it; I'd have to listen to it to understand why there's this image, which at first glance seems to contradict Carlevaro's teachings. It's worth noting that the exercise books are insufficient for understanding Carlevaro's teachings; they absolutely must be used in conjunction with the book on instrumental theory, *The School of Guitar*, and ideally with a knowledgeable guitarist. Unfortunately, these workbooks are often used out of context as simple finger exercises without understanding or putting into practice the complementary or underlying elements necessary for developing the concepts exposed. In fact, in this specific case, by incorporating the fundamental elements of guitar positioning taught by Carlevaro, it becomes difficult and unnecessary to use the arm in this position, in addition to limiting the use of the arm as a pivot and lever in conjunction with the wrist. As an example, here is an image from Carlevaro's *The School of Guitar*. Hope this helps!
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Andy, here I should have wrote...
you can trust Alfredo Escande's and Dale's comments—they know what they're talking about.
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