Group 1

Barney Hello Barney, thanks for the videos.

Exc. 1: The accelerando/ritartando I found very nice, I would recommend you to start the beginning from a slower tempo (like your end-tempo) to be able to build up a bigger accelerando.
For the part 1, 2, 4 please take a slower tempo, that could help you to focus more on the graduality and in 4 it can help to prepare for the immadiate volume change. Please imagine each part (you can separate them with a break), before you start to play, what you want to hear.

Exc. 2: P is very good for the discants I would say try to work with my pre exercise first to get the idea of the necessary force for each finger. m and a were almost good just pay attention  that the p doesn't oversing them. Your p finger was always too loud for this exercise.

Exc. 3: It was really very nice, it seems to me that you use to play articulations in the pieces .

Borbala Seres Thank you very much for watching and your recommendations, Borbala!   I understand and will approach the exercises and techniques accordingly.

On Exc. 2, which to me is the most challenging of the group to play well,  to accent an inner string of the full chord, I apply more force on that string by pressing more down the soundboard, trying to keep the other strings not as loud. (not an easy task, haha...). Do you position your hand/fingers a certain way and use a different method to achieve this?

I definitely see the "p" finger too loud.  Looks like I'm using my nail and too much force.  Should I try to use a "feather" touch with flesh only on "p"?

Barney There is no different method for this. I would recommend you to watch my video again to get the idea of the pre-exercise and the easier version of this exercise (You shoud play first only one bass and one discant)
Just stay with nail plucking for the p.
The feeling of the non accented voices should be as you would stroke gently someones cheek .

Borbala Seres Got it!  Thanks!  Will watch again.  It's hard to see in your video how your finger applies pressure to the string in the free stroke playing the note.

Barney you pluck the same way for exc 2, I don't understand mnow exactly what you mean by free stroke here. Free stroke or rest stroke we discussed about exc 4, no!? 

Sorry, I don't know. 

But for exc 2. for sure you wouldn't see any difference, I pluck exactly the same way as always. Just the feeling of the force which I talked you about (for the not loud voices should be as stroking sy. Very gentle. ) 

Barney 
 

That's very good that after watching your recording back you could realize some issues, what you would like to work on more. That is how observation works.

Amorous: You could take much slower tempo to get this character. Try to be more flexible with the tempo changes here, more rubato. Always try to overdo your musical ideas, that they can be clear audible for the listener as well.

Court dance: You were right with the staccatos, they coud be even more short and accented on the beat one. 

Christmas carol: It was really nice. You could still work a bit on the legato for this version.

Generell: Try to imagine the characters before you play, belive me the music will become much more alive.

If you repeat the period, be careful, because you add an extra quarter to the metrum each time.

Borbala Seres I really appreciate your careful observations and detailed suggestions.  I will try to incorporate them into my thinking and playing.  Thanks Borbala!!

Borbala Seres Please also confirm in Exc. 4, you  want only "free strokes"?  and Why?

(I like to use "Rest strokes" often in my playing, especially in lyrical parts...)

Would it be possible for you to demonstrate here (or in week 2's video) HOW you achieve your wonderful tone using free strokes.  They probably sound as good as your rest strokes.  Thanks!!

Barney In Exc. 4 of course you can play apoyando. I play also many times. 

Demontrating video I will try to make one here, but not today. Sorry .

Borbala Seres I understand, thanks!!

Barney Hi Barney, here is the video about free stroke tone production. Let me know if you still have some questions.
 

Borbala Seres Hi Borbala,   this was the perfect answer!! 

The explanation was exactly what I was looking for.  I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.  Thank you so much!!!

I guess the only follow-up question to this is:  are you able to approach the string from top and push into the guitar when doing the accentuation of one string in a 4-note chord to bring out the single note?

Barney Hi Barney! I would defenately would say yes, it's possible, but if it helps you, you can also put your fingers onto the strings and try to pluck them from there. In this case you will not have complete legato, but maybe it can help you to regular the different forces which you need. Try to experiment with it.

Borbala Seres Thanks Borbala!  I will experiment with that.

Steve Price Thanks for the videos!

Exc. 1.: First part was really very nice. You could experiment also with a bigger range of dinamic. Second part mostly you stayed in piano and didn't make an audible clear crescendo back. Third part it was very nice gradually your accelerando was a bit faster then your ritartando, but it's still very good. Immediate volume change was also good.  

Exc. 2.: That is really difficult exercise, so don't feel bad if you can not do it in such a short term. You can still try to work on it for your future. You could start with only two notes together p and one dicant. That is anyway mor common in pieces. Pay attention on your pinkie, because you started to tense it during this exercise. You could use a mirror. 

Exc. 3.: LH staccato was nice. RH alternated please use only free stroke here with apoyando it doesn't work well. P staccato was great.