Group 3
Video of the TWI Check-In with Borbála!
Have you noticed that most of the time we talk about technique or musical expression separately? We practice technical elements such as arpeggio, fast scales, left hand independence, tremolo, or even legato playing, etc. separately, but never together with the musical elements. Enjoy this two-week intensive to be able to play the basic musical ideas easily such as changes of dynamics and tempo, articulation, accentuation, as well as to improve your musical creativity.
- Course Period: December 5th - 19th
- Sign-Up: November 30th
- Zoom Check-In: Dec 11th, 9am PT
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE FIRST WEEK:Exercises_Expression (1)
Please share a video of yourself playing the first three exercises and at least two variations of the fourth exercise.
1-3. Exercises:
- Take a tempo in which you can play without unnecessary tension and make the musical expressions (accelerando, crescendo) gradually.
Exercice 1: https://youtu.be/lf3aQznZyKQ
Exercice 2: https://youtu.be/PeGYFbXkjuY
Exercise 3: https://youtu.be/gCycBsDb7Xw
4. Exercise:
- If it’s too difficult for you to learn to play in one week, you can perform only the upper voice.
- Make attention, that fingering should be different depends on the desired musical character.
- Try to show the musical elements exaggeratedly, even if it seems to be too much.
- Try to imagine the character before you play the exercise.
Exercise 4: https://youtu.be/FTHMi7xghjg
ASSIGMENT FOR THE SECOND WEEK:
Please choose a short section (at least a phrase) of your current repertoire or one of the following
pieces:
- Fernando Sor: Six Divertissements Op. 2. No. 1.
- Matteo Carcassi: 25 Etudes Op. 60. No. 9.
- Leo Brouwer: Estudios Sencillos No. 5.
and demonstrate it at least in two different variations of musical ideas, musical characters.
You can/should change the fingerings depends on your imagined musical character.
You can use the Cheat Sheet of Observation of musical ideas to control your way of playing.
Cheat_sheet_Observation_of_musical_expression (1) Sor_Six_divertissements_Op_2 Brouwer_Estudios_sencillos_no_5 Carcassi_25_Etudes_Op_60
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Hello Borbala and everyone, my main difficulty is translating the musicality and expression that I have in my mind to the guitar. Most of the times I really think that I am doing it but when I listen to myself it is not there, and it doesn’t progress from a mere intention. So I think I have the musicality in me, much of it intuitive. Currently I am practicing a lot of technique and some music theory, which will help I hope… the variations in volumen and colour are still a challenge. I will open now the videos and the exercises. I am looking so much forward to this course and to progress along the other members of this group. Thank you!
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Emma Hello Emma this use to be the main problem for all of us
, so you are not alone 
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Couple of thoughts:
- Try to imagine (before the play in your mind) always the characters of the music what you play. In the same piece can come up more different characters, moods, feelings, but you have to formulate them clearly, to be able to express them well.
- You should always play each musical tool three times more what you think would be enough. We always have to overdo the musical ideas, like theatre actors, to get the effect which we want to achieve. Experiment with different extremities, you will enjoy it a lot.
- After listen to your recording back, if you can formulate what didn't come through, that is already a half win, then you can work on it. You can use my cheet sheet of observation to get ideas what you should observe.
- You can practice on small simle pieces, like in this kurse the 4. exercise, to learn to express basic moods, characters, because in this case you are not busy with technique, you can concentrate on musicality and it will improve your musical creativity too.
I'm looking forward to hear your 4. exercise recording.
Good luck and enjoy!
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Hello Borbala, Emma and other participants in this group. Thank you , Borbala, your exercises are so useful, but also very compact. challenging to perform in their compactness. I am working on them since yesterday and it’s is really fun, I hope to record and post in a few days. For me gradual increasing dynamics is hard compared to contrasting. I notice I am often stepping up dynamics by measure instead of by note (like digital versus analogue). Maybe should play it even slower.
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joosje very well explained! That happens to me too, the difficulty of stepping up the volume by notes
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Emma joosje
Don't concentrate on the single notes, just focus on the continuity of the crescendo.
Try not to measure note by note with a ruler, just try to be even.
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Hello Borbala, Joosje and everyone. I seem to have the same problem as Joosje and as you say Joosje, I think we need to take this really slowly to start off with to make sure that we are playing exactly as written and not just to think we are playing it as it is written. I will be missing for a couple of days but will post a video later in the week. I think that these exercises will be really useful on a daily basis instead of just concentrating on technique alone.
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joosje Derek Hello Joosje, and Derek. Thanks for the comments. The tempo which I gave you was just an advice. You should take a slower tempo if you can not handle this one. Second possibility to double the crescendo, I mean to make a crescendo during sixteen notes and same for the decrescendo. If it's still difficult you can make a different version, like you put the discant to only one string and you repeat this tone the whole time. (for example play only G for the whole exercise) Then you can concentrate more on the graduality of the crescendo.
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Hello Borbala Seres thank you so much for the videos and the advice. I want to share a bit with you,and joosje and Derek my progress. This is hard! Mainly to learn the musical expression bits as well as the notes. Normally I learn the score, then I play without a consistent plan of where exactly start the crescendo, until when (although this I do more or less) , where to do the accents, etc…I just let my intuition go and sometimes it works and sometimes it is only in my head. Also my vibratos are not very good… I am practicing but I am not ready for a video, I should practice more but in the last month I am like in a valley of shadows with my practice , can’t stop procrastinating it seems. This course is so far amazing thank you and a light in this valley. Good to know I am not practicing alone
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Hola Emma tú no estas sola
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We all have valleys sometimes. To be able to reach the top of the mountain I would recommend to you to focus more on the music. It will help you. Try to play with the different musical possibilities to reach basic emotions, try to overdo everything and listen to yourself back. Then you will get the idea which effect the use of the different musical tools have. To play music intuitive is good, but after couple of trials you should always formulate the final version and practice them into the piece step by step. It works exactly as with the technique.
If you send me a video with your vibrato problems I will try to help you.
Let me know if you need some help! -
Dear Emma as Borbala said, we all have these moments. A teacher I once had described the effect that you are sometimes making faster progress and it is like climbing a hill: when your on top, you feel great, but then, you can’t go on climbing any further at that moment. You are like on a plain. Try to imagine that you enjoy that plain, with its green meadows and flowers. You’re definitely not alone .
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joosje thank you, yes! I need to enjoy the plains!
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Borbala Seres thank you! I will send you videos now!
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I finally managed to record some of my practicing. In this first post the basic technical exercises 1-3. I’m still trying to make more contrast between the f p pp.
the 4th exercise will come in a separate reply
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joosje Hi Joosje, thanks for the videos.
Exc. 1.: First part was great, second part sometimes your m finger plucked too loud which disturbed the graduality, but mostly it was good too. Third part please try to take a slower tempo at the beginning that you have more space to accelerate. Also try to take a more quiet volume these will help you to play these exc. esaier. Fourth part was great, just try to relax your pinkie at Fortissimo. Your wrist seems a bit too low to me. I think you could reach more relaxed RH with a bit higher wrist.
Exc. 2.: So this was the perfect execution of the exercise thank you!
Exc. 3.: Right hand alternated and p staccatos were really very nice. LH staccato: Try not to push the strings too much, it has to be very light for the left hand, too much pushing increase the string noise.
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Here are my attempts at the Mertz piece in the three moods. In the first one (video 1) I was interrupted by a funny sound (near the end of the repeat). It was my brother calling for my help…. I realize my vibrato is a bit to fast, need more control.
Borbara, maybe you can show us a good vibrato exercise?
I had some trouble with the staccato version, maybe a bit too fast tempo for now. I tried accentuating first beat, but it didn’t feel too relaxed.
That’s it for now, wishing you all a very good weekend!
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joosje I really good job! And a nice 7 string guitar. Who built it?
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Ingo thanks! It’s a normal guitar (Rene Baarslag) - the extra bass string was attached later by another luthier.
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joosje All the three charcters were excellent. Only christmas carol could have a slower, more peaceful tempo. Try to imagine the children chor to sing in front of your house with candles etc.
The staccato was really a bit too heavy when you wanted to play crescendo. Try not to tense extra your RH while doing that.
Your vibrato I found quite ok. Of course it could be a bit slower for this music.
Generell: Your left arm, elbow was too high when you play in the first position. Try to use the gravity there as well to allow your arm to hang from the fretboard, it will become much more relaxed and comfortable.
I will try to send you a vibrato exercise tomorrow. -
joosje very good!!!! Loved the character, the dance especially very rhythmical. It is quite incredible how the same notes can transmit so many different feelings! I can feel the 3 different moods through your music and you never loose the beat! Your sound I like so much. Wonderful to see and hear you again!!! Bravo, great playing
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joosje Emma Barney Hi Joosje, Emma, Barney, here I send you the video about the vibrato.
Let me know, if you still would have questions. -
Borbala Seres thank you so much! It’s very clear and complete. I’m practicing the different types of vibrato, so I can apply them more consciously.
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Thank you!!! Now, to practice the vibratos!
Borbala Seres
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Emma dear Emma! Please don't forget, that vibrato is just one tool from the many, to be able to express yourself musically easier! Don't get crazy about it! Ok!?
Don't forget the buttom line!
Music, music, 
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Borbala Seres Very helpful explanation about vibrato, thanks!!
Are you familiar with how Andres Segovia does his famous vibrato? (or is this one of the great mysteries in classical guitar, that we will never replicate, haha).
Segovia was one of my guitar heroes and "the master" of musical expression, in my opinion. I think you are right about the priorities -- there are many top level guitarists out there who are technical wizards, but forget about musical expression, and miss the "why" are we doing this...
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joosje That was beautifully played. Love it.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
