Remedial basics
While I have "played" classical guitar for 40 years, it's basically been the same half dozen songs and I've done it just well enough to impress people who don't know very much. I recently acquired two guitars, one made by Gustavo Arias from Paraguay and another from Teodoro Perez in Madrid. This has changed everything. My main goals are to play "Recuerdos" and "Cocobolo" (a Darragh O'neill composition). And, to accomplish that I have to have a much better foundation than I have now. I played music in rock and show bands for a pretty nice living from 1978-1987....and I still get American dollars to play live, but I have a lot of time to make up for the years I wasn't taking this style seriously. I am practising some of the right-hand, left-hand exercises and warm-ups. After that, I'm doing the Sor Studies (Segovia 20), Ponce (I-VI) Preludes and the one recital-type piece Tarrega "Caprice Arabe". I get approx. a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours a day to practise, because I still have to pretend to be a big grown-up business man during the day. I will share my travails and victories and look forward to seeing how y'all move forward, as well.
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Bill Stephens welcome to the diaries! No worries most of great players out there also play a lot of the same stuff to impress us all :P I don't know about Cocobolo, I'll look forward to discover this music.
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks for the encouraging words. back at 'cha.
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Bill Stephens what a nice piece... I hope to hear that from you soon!
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I'm thinking that you are playing yourself down Bill - looking forward to hearing your updates
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its a journey for sure.. glad you found some inspiration to change/learn. keep stacking little victories in your playing, they add up quickly if you are focused. best of luck.
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Bill Stephens We share a common goal with "Recuerdos!" Looking forward to hear more from you
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Martin Thanks. I have no idea when I will be ready, but I'm working the tremolo up to five minutes without tiring and slowing down. Next, come speed. I know now why we never use a metronome when practising rock n roll, that thing drives me bananas, but it also reveals my weakness. Hopefully, that will make me stronger. Tonebase is terrific.
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Bill Stephens I am absolutely bereft at learning of Sabrina Vlaskalic's death. She had such personality on the lesson and I wanted to learn more about her, only to discover she'd been killed riding her bicycle.
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Bill Stephens Yes, it was devastating news for the guitar community, we've lost an exceptional performer and educator!
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I truly appreciate the kind words. I'm not accustomed to sharing stuff, but y'all make me want to and also, now I'm actually interested and want to give encouragement to each one of you. Because, I really mean it.
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Today, I've been practising the A-M-I Exercises (very slowly, of course) that T Zhang posted and some other warm-ups and exercises from the crew at TBase. This evening, I expect to spend some quality time working on things I started years ago and never followed through on, but am now keen to do correctly: Carcassi, Sor, Anonymous, etc., all to move me toward the goals I stated above. Play on, everybody.
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Today I worked on some stretching exercises. I been doing them for a week or so and can tell a little difference, but I'm still having a challenge landing the position on measure 28 of Romanza. You know, pinky on frets 9 (c#), i on 5 (e) and a on 6 (c#). I practise Carcassi Op. 60 No. 7 to increase my endurance for the ultimate goal of Recuerdos. I'm working through Sor Book Two Lesson 13 from the lessons library for left hand calisthenics.
It still startles me when I suddenly nail a phrase that has eluded me previously, but it's happening more often these days. Play on, everybody.
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Bill Stephens I usually get stuck on a certain passage, then decide to sleep over it and suddenly it becomes managable! We always need to trust the process, when we do something with love and dedication, good things will happen
Thank you for your update!
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Today I worked on some arpeggio exercises and the left hand Leyenda passage from Tonebase Lesson 9. I started the second half of the Sor Book Two Lesson 13. The second half is a whole different exercise compared to the first half. Tomorrow I will start again on Recuerdos, using the cursed metronome and reacquainting myself with the proper fingerings. I'm so very glad I stumbled into the Tonebase community.
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The last few days I have been warming up with some of the suggested right hand/left hand exercises and then going into pitched battle with Sor Op.31, No.13 (second half is confounding), "Romanza" for right-hand strength and control, plus quick jumps/stretches and Carcassi Op. 60 No. 7 for more a-m-i practise and dynamics.
I'm pleased that I can do things better than I could a few days ago.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
