Group 1
Mastering the art of subtle timing flexibility is crucial for delivering performances that are as expressive and speech-like as possible, captivating your audience's attention. Have you ever marveled at how the fluid manipulation of timing by your favorite performers adds depth and expressiveness to their music? If you aspire to imbue your musical expressions with similar vitality, or if you aim to perfect and evolve your ability to produce seamless legato, this course is tailored for you. We will introduce techniques designed to equip you with the skills necessary for integrating these practices into your own rehearsal routines with pieces beyond the scope of this course.
Course Highlights:
Dynamic Timing Flexibility: Delve into the nuances of timing flexibility to achieve a more expressive and speech-like performance. Discover the secrets behind the captivating, ever-changing stretch of time that adds color and expression to music, drawing listeners into your sonic world.
Legato Mastery: Explore the techniques to perfect your legato playing, ensuring seamless transitions and a fluid, singing quality in your music. This segment focuses on cultivating the ability to convey your musical ideas with the same vitality and expressiveness as your favorite performers.
Technique Enhancement: Engage in specialized exercises designed to improve your timing flexibility and legato execution. These practices are crafted to help you integrate these skills into your personal practice routine, allowing for continual growth and refinement.
Customized Feedback: Benefit from personalized feedback tailored to your unique musical journey. This course offers the opportunity to receive direct guidance and strategies from an expert, enabling you to overcome challenges and achieve your musical goals.
Collaborative Learning Community: Join a network of like-minded musicians and enthusiasts. This course fosters a nurturing environment for sharing insights, experiences, and encouragement, building a community of learners dedicated to musical excellence.
Enroll now and unlock the potential of your guitar playing like never before!
Timeline:
- Sign-Up : NOW until March 17th
- Course Period: March 18th until March 28th
- Optional check-In via Zoom: March 23rd, 10 am PST
Assignments Week 1
Note:
- Try to experiment with different tempos (bigger, smaller, etc.).
- Always listen to yourself. If what you were playing was gradually becoming clear or audible, keep at it.
- For exercises 4-7, it is important that you emphasize the melody and make the accompaniment quieter.
- In exercises 6-7, you can use appoyando to bring out the melody.
- Please send me videos of exercises 1, 2, and 3, and choose only one from 4-5 and one from 6-7.
Videos
Exercise one: https://youtu.be/GDYyqiyhuws
Exercise two: https://youtu.be/hgux2nOkEaM
Exercise three: https://youtu.be/SFDvk4CHsaI
Exercise four: https://youtu.be/gbNV-ZEJv5c
Exercise five: https://youtu.be/h9Kfdnhmm54
Exercise six: https://youtu.be/-yHXgqAruYs
Exercise seven: https://youtu.be/OShYqOe6fyo
Scores
Improve_your_time_flexibility_and_legato
Assignments Week Two
First exercise: https://youtu.be/B53r9aRax44
Second exercise: https://youtu.be/CIWz9DZQFQ4
Third exercise: https://youtu.be/CGEyEbwx6UQ
Fourth exercise: https://youtu.be/XAdOVEPx5Lc
Fifth exercise: https://youtu.be/dm9dW9WTXLU
Scores
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Hi Borbála,
I am grateful for the chance to work with you on this essential area of guitar technique. I've attached two videos (Exercises 1 - 3) and (Exercises 5 & 7). Still need a bit more time with these to get more gradual evenness in the execution of accelerando/ritardando phrases but it's coming along. Just the kind of exercises I've needed.
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Borbála Seres exercise 7
It seems to me that you prefer the more powerful music materials then the lyrics One.
I loved your version of this sor study.
I found it really nice how you played with a timing and also with the tonecolor changes. It became really enjoyable!
In general if you are interested about my opinion because it's always very subjective, I would try to work on the tone quality, sometimes it becomes a bit too thin and metallico. But please don't misunderstand me because I love metalico tone color, but normally the basic tonequality is better to be dolce. For our human ears I think it fits a bit better or mostly people find it a bit nicer.
But anyway nicely done!
Thank you
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Borbála Seres Thanks very much for the feedback and encouragement.
One take away for me is your observation about a tendency to emphasize the metallico/ponticello position when I am seeking to vary my dynamics. I could hear it right away after your suggestions. I wonder sometimes if I have developed a habit with my standard right hand position - or have not been more intentional about playing over the sound hole as a kind of "default" position from which I can then choose to change the dynamic either direction.
Thanks again.
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Rick Lord dear Rick,
We all have problems with the posture for the guitar since it has such a big body and we have to sit with a very uncomfortable asymmetric position which can never be good enough. I took a look again on your videos to figure out what could be the problem and I assume that the guitar is a bit too high. I remember when I was using this ergo play Troster my right arm became also a bit too down it was slipping close to the bridge. So I had always problem too with the right arm with the tonequality. That is why I changed for guitar lift.
Try to experiment how could you put the guitar to find more comfortable and better position for your both arms. You can use a mirror for controlling it. But we can also speak about it a bit more on zoom in.
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Rick Lord I'm not in your group but it's always a pleasure to see what you're doing, great take on these exercises!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks. Just watched yours! Excellent work my friend and I like the adaptive set up for TB submissions.
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Rick Lord Thanks Rick, I'm trying out something quicker to use and install for easy sharing, for now it seems good, next step is doing the video «montage» on the iPad!
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Exercise 3: Playing top voice only with an exaggerated slowness to concentrate on legato and rubato. Of course it's fuller music with the bass.
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Neil Macmillan hello Neil,
Thanks for your extra effort to send me this new video! I can see that you worked really nicely on your legato and rubato. This tempo is much better to controll these issues. Great job!
Of course everything sounds much better with more voices but just be patient and keep going to experiment with your legato with one voice first and later of course you can put everything together to enjoy it even more musically.
I am glad that I can see your nice smile always the end of the videos, that means to me that you are enjoying these exercises!
Keep going and have fun!
Thank you
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Exercise 6: I know this one as Estudio 6 from the Segovia 20 Studies collection. Playing slowly to focus on interpretation.
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Neil Macmillan exercise 6
Thank you for the video!
It's really very nice how clear we can hear the melody on the top. Great job!
I would say you could work a bit more on the time flexibility of it, and I would recommend to leave the notes of the accompaniment sound longer than its written. You are doing really great job with the muting but this kind of musical material could sound even more beautiful if you leave those notes also to sorority. It could help more to the musical flow.
And listen to your tone color, I find a bit more dolce tonecolor more fit to this soft amorous musical material. Come a bit higher with your right hand, try to play on the top of the hole next to the fretboard.
Nicely done!
Thank you
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Borbála Seres Thank you for your commentary. Wonderful suggestions to work on.
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This was shared earlier today in a tonebase livestream about recording yourself in the practice room. It was from the flute platform. It is a helpful checklist for evaluating your recording. I thought some of you might find it of value.
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Martha Kreipke Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Martha!
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Martha Kreipke I have found your lessons in this series so helpful and motivating. I had a question about RH fingering in legato: In the example of the soprano line in Exercise 3, I was wondering how you choose your right hand i-m fingering pattern? I find the i–m string crossing in the first two eighths of second measure less comfortable than m–i. When is it acceptable to repeat a RH finger (say using m–m in the last eighth of the first measure and the first of the second) to make for a less awkward RH string crossing; sometimes I see instructions to always alternate RH fingers, but it seems overly complicated in this case.
I am working on my videos of the 4/5, 6/7 (which are proving quite difficult in the LH for me... will post my best attempts!) Thank you for sharing the recording checklist.
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David
I am pleased that you have found my postings helpful to you. Regarding the RH fingering in Exercise 3 - I mostly used the m-i pattern for this. I had planned to play the chords in the final three measures but when I recorded it I decided at the last minute to leave out the bass notes. If I had played the chords I would have repeated fingers. I try to avoid repeating fingers when playing single lines as it will make it harder to play at faster tempos. In the second beat of measure 1 I would consider a-m-i for three notes on a single string. For many of the pieces I play I write out all my RH and LH fingerings as I am figuring them out. There are times that we cannot avoid repeating fingers but my teachers have always told me that it is okay when that is the best solution. I hope this long response makes sense to you.
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Martha Kreipke thank you very much.
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Week Two Assignments are posted, see you in the TWI Check-In!
Date & Time: March 23rd, 10 am PST
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Here I send you two PDF files. After your conversation about recording yourself in practice room I thought it could be also useful for you to know all the possible details you could check during an observation. Have fun!
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Hello,
Thanks for the course! This is an area I really need to work on. It's good to see some familiar faces.
First exercise was actually the most difficult physically for me. Mostly when trying to play it faster
I noticed how much noise my thumb makes on the bass strings on exercise two. I have the same issue when using a pick, so not sure what I can do about it except maybe change the angle of attack? I think my legato is better with the thumb than the other fingers.
Really listening to exercise three I noticed that I don't play legato nearly as smoothly as I thought.
Glad to be working on exercise four, because dynamics are my main weakness. I'm usually glad to be able to play a piece and hit all the notes, but it doesn't sound like music without the dynamics. Not sure I did very well here, but it was extremely helpful to practice.
I reached my upload limit on YouTube for the day, so could not upload the sixth exercise. I will upload soon.
Thanks again!
Jeremy
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Jeremy Heiss hi Jeremy,
Thank you for the videos.
Exercise 1
It was really nice. Of course it's always more difficult when we are playing these patterns faster. But I find your playing really nice gradually. The only thing which I noticed and I assume that cause also that unsecure feeling for the fast tempo, that your a finger (ring) makes a bit too big movement. And of course it will cause this feeling of difficulty. When you are playing fast try to stay very close to the strings with all your fingers and try to make very small movements.
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Borbála Seres great job thank you!
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Jeremy Heiss exercise 2
Your legato of p finger is super nice.
Yes you're right your thumb is making that noise on the bass strings. As I can see indeed the angle of the plucking with p finger is not the best, that causes this noise. It's just because your thumb nail is kind of slipping too long during the plucking on the string. That causes this noise what you meant. Try to come a bit higher with your right arm closer to the top of the hole, and try to pluck a bit more with the left side of your thumb not with the middle part.
Let me know if you would need some help!
But the exercise was really excellent thank you!
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Jeremy Heiss exercise 3
I think your legato is really nice quite good I mean yes not everywhere was perfectly in synchronity. But it's just because sometimes you put your fingers of the left hand very tiny earlier to the string which will cause this kind of non-legato sometimes. If you pay attention that you are just preparing in the air and not changing earlier the fingers of the left hand, that your movements of both hands become in complete synchronity it will be even better, even nicer.
But anyway I think it was very good job what you did with it!
Thank you
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Jeremy Heiss exercise 4
I liked your video very much. Of course if we have some difficult piece which is challenging our technique is very difficult to formulate it musically too. I would say if you would like to make it even nicer than concentrate on the top Melody and try not to play everything equally loud. Try to listen to The top voice. The end of each measure you lift up the finger of the melody. It would sound nicer if you could leave them down each time until the next note in the top voice. What you can only do to play only the top notes to concentrate on the fluent flow of the music and you could also make the tone quality a bit more dolce. If you are coming higher to the top of the guitar hole your tone quality will become much nicer warmer which could fit better to this kind of musical material. But of course are tone color and tone quality depends on the shape of the nail too. And of course on the angle of the plucking of the finger. Try to pluck with the side of your nail (not with the middle) and try to put your hands to a diagonal position to the strings. I'm not sure if you understand what I mean but if not please let me know that I can help you!
And as you said the volume is challenging for you I also wanted to say you could experiment with a bit more flexible temple and with a bit bigger volume progression.
Great job thank you
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Borbála Seres Your guidance is very much appreciated! I understand what you mean about playing diagonal to the strings. I initially learned to play more perpendicular to the strings, so it is still an adjustment for me, although I am getting more comfortable with it. Also, since I used to do a lot of muting when playing with a pick I got used to playing closer to the bridge which is another habit I have trouble breaking. The practice lists that you and Martha shared will be helpful for remembering such things.
Thanks!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
