Group 3
Improve your Left-Hand-Fitness with Slurs!
The Fitness of the left hand is responsible for how comfortable you feel on the guitar. Regular slur practice will improve your stability and agility and opens your hand for more fingering possibilities! Two Weeks, Fingers 1234, a gazillion different possibilites! Let me show you my workout tips for the left hand and let us improve together!
Fellow Participants in Group 3:
Nick
TM
Peter
Tony Gunia
Jim
peter hancock
Nick Trani
Martha Kreipke
Peter
Debbie
Oscar Leonardo Molina Sierra
Steven Liu
Nathan
Some tonebase productions to get you started
Martin Zimny - Left Hand Workout with Villa-Lobos Etude #3
Martin Zimny - Getting Slurs Right from the beginning
Artyom Dervoed - Slurs from Nothing
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 Slurs.
- At the same time, start practicing the first bars of Etude #3 by Villa-Lobos. If you are new to the piece, start with my livestream on this piece!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Friday, June 24th at 6 pm CET (9 am PT)
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I included a copy of the etude# 3. I have a deformity of my 2nd finger joint (distal interphalangeal joint left hand) tip joint see diagram. This makes it almost impossible to hammer the high E string from an open E to a F# , I do not have this problem at other places its only when I have to hold the C on the 2nd string with my index finger, Any suggestions??
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peter hancock Hi Peter! In that case, I would simply omit the c on the second string! It's the least important note of the whole chord as it's doubling the root of C major! I would still try to hammer with the second finger as it's easier for the following notes, but if that proves to be an issue you can hammer with the 1st finger from E-F# as well! Let me know if that is helpful!
Btw.: Omitting notes is perfectly fine, for some pieces written by non-guitarists it's even necessary as pieces tend to get unplayable!
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Martin Thanks sop much I was thinking of doing that but needed second opinion again thanks
it makes sense
Peter
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peter hancock I've been doing that and it makes a difference. Other than that this seems to be isolated only to that fingering. I have been trying to play the Vl etude#3. I can play the 1st measure not bad and its downhill from there. the 7th and 9th measure are playable like the first. Measure 6 is ok. But when I try to video them the pigeons fly wildly(my fingers). I will, keep trying. Please do not party the night before you watch my video your head ache will intensify. We need you at Tonebase.
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How is everybody doing? Have you already noticed any change in your left hand? Could you apply your slurs already to some pieces? Slurs Group 3
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Martin Yes, i´ve used in a Tuna´s competition for a Solo of a song called "Cedro". That's was amaizing because i´ve aplicated the slurs with the impovisation scales of Matthew Greiff.
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Martin, Sorry I haven't been recording all the work but, I have been playing the Four dances from Tarrega, Lagrima, Adelita, Sueno and Pavana. In addition to that I have bee doing The Gavottes from Bach 995. I have to switch the recordings from private on Youtube! Thanks, Etude 3 is coming slowly.
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Peter Adelita has that great slur passage beginning the second have. It's a lovely piece.
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Hi Martin. Due to a left wrist injury I have not been in attendance and actively participating at this time. Will bookmark the sessions and revisit them once it's healed hopefully in a few weeks. Thanks.
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Tony Gunia get well soon, man !
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My left hand feels a lot stronger. My slurs are less terrible. I’ve worked through 16 measures of etude #3. I was doing all the exercises but the piece is pretty demanding so I cut back on the volume of slur work.
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Nick I'm feeling the fatigue as well!
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Nick Good decision to rest and avoid injury. It takes more than two weeks to make the types of changes that Martin has suggested.
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Hello slur buddies! My slurs are feeling stronger overall but this little piece by Barrios is taxing with all the shifts and barres. Still very much a work in progress as a few slurs here and there are just ghost notes. Usually before a shift so that will require some slow spot practice. Estudio del ligado is a study and you all know how much I love studies...haha not! - but working on it for the sake of this intensive :) My house is under renovation so all the nice microphones are tucked safely away from all the dust. This was recorded on my iPhone with the MV88 microphone.
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Debbie nice! I want to give that one a go
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Nick Thanks Nick! Even though I diss studies sometimes this one is definitely worth the effort! You should look up Gohar Vidanyan playing it on YouTube. She plays it ten times faster, lol
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Debbie Very well done. Your work on this challenge has inspired me. Thank you.
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Debbie Nice!
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Debbie Martin Hi Martin! You asked to see this one. Do you have any suggestions for specific things to address other than what I mentioned that I know needs work? Thanks!
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I have recently started working on Bach Cello Suite 4, Bouree I and II. Almost every measure has slurs. That is why I signed up for this challenge - I quickly learned that slurs are a weakness for me. Little did I know that I would be reworking my entire left hand technique in these two weeks!
Here is a short extract - section A of Bouree I. I am still early in learning it but I feel good about how the slurs are improving.
This has been a very helpful intensive effort. I would welcome work in the future on scales.
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peter hancock I know I need some more work. Not enough time to get in . I really like this piece for the slurs and in time will master it. But for now this it. thank-you Peter
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peter hancock You should feel good that you stuck with this challenge to the "end". Like you, I feel that I am off to a good "beginning".
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Martha Kreipke Thanks your encouragement is welcomed
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Are you guys still working the Villa Lobos? I'm having trouble getting my speed up. I can get most parts up to 8th note = 160 but meaure 4-5 start to fall apart rapidly. I don't know how I'm going to get this thing to 1/4 note = 120. How fast is this thing supposed to go?
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
