Group 1
Improve your tremolo!
Tremolo is one of the defining techniques for classical guitar! Although not used very often in the repertoire, some of the most iconic pieces employ it to create a beautiful singing melody above an accompaniment pattern.
Fellow Participants in Group 1:
Eric Phillips
Blaise Laflamme
peter hancock
Nora Torres-Nagel
joosje
Emma
Rachel Holmes
Bill Young
Carlos Calderon
Brett Gilbert
Robert
Some tonebase productions to get you started
- 8 Steps To A Perfect Tremolo Course by Stephanie Jones
- Scott Tennant - On Tremolo
- Scott Tennant - Recuerdos de la Alhambra
- Thomas Viloteau - On Tremolo
- Artyom Dervoed - Tremolo
How to get the most out of this course
- Start by watching the introduction video and practice the exercises given in the video.
- Write a post with your experiences with tremolo.
- At the same time, start practicing the first eight bars of "Recuerdos de la Alhambra". If you are new to the piece, begin with a chord reduction as presented in Scott's workbook on Recuerdos.
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Friday, May 20th at 8 pm CET (11 am PT)
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Martin Hi Martin. I don't really understand what you are saying I should do.
- Am I playing the first 8 measures of Recuerdos at 70bpm (sixteenth notes)? If so, that's a big step up from what I'm doing now.
- Am I supposed to do it at that speed, relaxing after each finger stroke? That seems impossible.
- Am I supposed to do all finger combinations at that speed? I can do pami at that speed (without relaxing after each stroke), but none of the other combinations can I do at even 1/4th of that speed.
Sorry for all the questions!
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Eric Phillips I think your fingers are relaxing! As I understand it, once you learn the technique, at faster speed, the fingers relax too, micro relaxations, I am sure we are going to see the difference. Well played Recuerdos!
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Emma Thank you, Emma! Baby steps.
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Eric Phillips Hi Eric, that looks good to me! The point of the relaxation exercises is that you engage your fingers individually and don't keep unnecessary tension after the stroke, so when you start to speed up you're just shortening the pause between the individual strokes!
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Martin Thanks, Martin. Should I be doing the other five finger combinations? If so, I have to do them VERY slowly still.
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Eric Phillips It's like going to the gym, at first the movements on the machines feel very awkward, but as soon as you're used to the movement, it'll go easier and quicker! My hand feels extremely well-oiled when I ran through all the combinations!
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peter hancock I know this is imperfect. My purpose is to find out if my relaxation is on the right road as compared to earlier videos where there was no relaxation. your comments welcomed.
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peter hancock I see some significant improvement in this video over your previous one, Peter. This is hard work, isn't it?
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Eric Phillips Thanks-- Yes it is difficult to correct some things. Old dogs can learn to hunt.
Will kept going again thanks
Peter
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peter hancock I notice a few things... I think you play a bit too fast, I would personally play this two time slower than you do, wait twice more before each fingers. Also you play the thumb twice faster than the other fingers, ensure all fingers are played equally with the same amount of time. Another point, I think your hand is a bit too open, I would try to make contact with the guitar closer towards your elbow, you did a few time while playing to adjust yourself, and try to have your hand a bit more like if you were holding a ball. Hope that helps?
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Eric Phillips very hard work..... and it looks so easy!!!!
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peter hancock this is so very hard..my advice is to use a metronome really slow... use a 4/4 measure and hit each note at each tempo, at 50 or so. Then all of the 4 notes will be equal in duration, the pami, and then slowly you focus on the relaxation movement and you will improve even more. And you are right to make an effort to relax but ...to go to the relaxed position which is the position open, ready to attack. The closed position as Martin pointed out in one of the videos is not relaxed and you realised it when you play faster, the fingers are contracted... good luck! I think I understand the theory but then again, I recorded some videos today and were.... not so brilliant. But I am a believer in the process
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks I appreciate your comment and will implement them.
Peter
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Emma Thanks good advice. I am playing slower and do find better ability to concentrate more.
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I have been practising every day, and this time I made it quicker for the videos. Not very happy with the results. In the stacatto it is more difficult to relax the i finger. Maybe with the speed (it is quite slow but quicker than last time) I don't notice it so well . At least now it think I understand and will go back to slow tempo and keep practising
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Emma Yes, same for me. After practicing every day it is much easier now to do the relaxation for fingers when playing very slowly but any increase in speed and there is no time to think about relaxing and it seems like the fingers aren't doing it "automatically" - or perhaps there isn't time to fully relax at speed and that's ok? Would love to see a follow-up from Martin at some point playing it at high speed just to see what it looks like.
It looks like you are making good progress though.
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Emma Yes, it looks like good progress.
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Emma I have just seen your video Emma. In the speed of your staccatos it is difficult to see the relaxation, as also Brett said, it is the same for me. I can imagine anyway that the relaxation learned in low tempo somehow stays in the brain and has a positive effect even playing quicker....I hope !! your hand look very controlled and sure in the movement.
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Emma Hi Emma, that looks awesome! You're becoming very aware of the tension and relaxation in your hand. Now, it's just a matter of keeping the point of contact and slowly building up the tempo without tensing up!
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peter hancock the speed tends to go higher with ima ! try to do it slower Peter like with pami and maybe to relax the hand after 2-3 times to help your relaxation...maybe.... but slower always helps. You are doing a great job, this is very difficult . Do not give up...it is a matter of time....
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Nora Torres-Nagel Thanks--- I have been working on this I am beginning to see the reason for this relaxation. It is difficult to change bad habits.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
