Mastering Tricky Passages with Martin
Welcome everyone - Martin is back to help you! Do you have questions about your playing, fingering, challenging passages, or musical hurdles you’re trying to overcome? Whether it’s a simple query or a complex issue, every question matters, and every solution makes a difference! Join us live today for real-time advice and solutions from Martin Zimny—your guide to mastering music, one finger at a time!
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As Nijwm has noted - " ...there are so many."
This is a specific technical issue I have in the BWV 996 Courante, mm 19. I have included the Isbin / Koonce version (they are the same for this measure) and my 'solution' (LH fingering only). The technical issue is the several leaps, especially position vii to ii.
The fragment starts at the last half of m. 18 thru 19.
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Jack Stewart To get access to the download link you have to start the course, then it's there.
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I suppose you're going to address the specific issues posed by the members. I have a general question that might be applicable to many guitarists, or at least to myself- how much of being able to be consistent, or being able to play through a piece consistently a result of proper practice versus technical development. Personally, I feel like I've reached a level where I should be able to play through a few pieces very consistently and make them 'concert ready' (although I'd never dare to play in public). However, there are always glitches in technical aspects where I have to muddle through a piece, while missing notes or certain musical and harmonic aspects I should be paying attention to.
Perhaps it's slow practice, hyper-awareness of physical movements of the hands, fingers and the body, theoretical and historical knowledge, analysis of the piece and many other things. I would like to hear your thoughts.
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I would also like to add the general issue of determining RH fingering in general. I will (can) establish specific passages for RH fingering, but in general I always seem to 'wing i't w/ my RH. It always seems like 'pulling teeth' to force myself to focus on the right fingering, and then it is another issue altogether to force myself to abide by the 'pulled teeth' I just made.
I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew.
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Jack Stewart Uff, tell me about pulling teeth, I just came back from the dentist!
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Tomorrow’s Song, a composition for piano by Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds, is gaining popularity in the guitar community. A video from Guitar Salon International (GSI), which is where I first heard the piece, features James Meade performing it.
I found the music very absorbing and subsequently found audio recordings by Uros Baric and Matthew Cochran. I follow the Cochran arrangement.
The tricky section is from Bar 15 to 20, and again in Bars 29 to 40.
Bar 15 needs a B whole note in the bass. In Bar 17, a low G whole note is needed in the bass while the melody line reaches a high D.
After some preliminary looks at these bars, it seemed that tuning 5 = G and 6 = C would make the music fall more easily under the fingers. In a brief Instagram chat with Matthew Cochrane he said he uses Drop D.
Below, there is a clean score of these bars as well as my pencilled-in fingering.
There is also a video of my current best version of these bars.
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Hi Martin, yes great idea !!
I have a question concerning the rhythm in this section of La Paloma (by Iradier arranged by Tarrega) , in this section are you supposed to play the two notes at the same time ? (does the 3-division at the top matches the 4-division in the bass?)
And would you play the whole bass line only with thumb or use the index on the g string ?
Merci beaucoup :)
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Hadrien Lovely voicing here. I must explore this whole piece. The motifs you have indicated have definite echoes of the second part of No. 112 in the Giuliani Studies for Right Hand, except inverted.
Joseph Palmer walks you through all of the 120 studies here:
No. 112 starts at 1:58:37. I've just taken a refresher listen.
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Thanks Neil Macmillan i will definitively check it out
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and in of your live stream (maybe one year ago but cannot remember which one..!) you showed a really cool way to end the A section of the Bach 's Bourrée with a two string ornementation? could explain it again? thank you :)
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Hadrien I think I remember what I did there!
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martin great thank you !! I won't be able to make it before 5.30 but will hurry up !!
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Hadrien Hey Hadrien! No problem at all! Looking forward to seeing you when you arrive.
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This is my second request, so if you can't get to it, that's fine.
I am now also working on Ponce's Prelude 8, which is rather well-known as a fingering challenge. I'd be curious what you would do with measures 14-16 below. It seems impossible to me to sustain each voice for the indicated length. Do you agree? If so, what compromises would you make?
For what it is worth, the second picture is what Segovia did with this passage in his edition.
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I might want to update the thumbnail for this stream...
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measure 59 of Pujol's El Abejorro near the end of the piece
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Pujol's El Abejorro's measure 59 - how to make it legato
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Hi Martin, sorry if I'm late to this. The stretch at this measure really drives me nuts. I can play a lower F# like some but it loses something. Is there someway to do this stretch more comfortably? Thanks!
