Leo Brouwer's Estudios Sencillios!

Blaise Laflamme That's really interesting. I can see how changing the timbre on one note in a block chord would be a really useful tool. 

Blaise Laflamme BarneySteve Price there are three variables to volume: speed of attack (the fastest you swing the louder it sounds), mass (the more mass involved the louder) and surfice of contact (the deeper your finger goes into the string the louder). The use of these three variables is custumary. Mass usually involves preparation. The other two don't. For the surface variable you can either shift your hand towards i or a as Blaise suggests or you can change the configuration of the tips of your fingers by lifting just a little bit some and going deeper with the one(s) you want to hear more.

Regarding speed, what I usually tell my students is to think of a General shouting "charge!!" for the finger that we need to hear more and the others are the soldiers following sort of reluctantly just because the impulse is leading them.

Blaise Laflamme #6 is an arpeggio over chords. The chords have a choral structure with always the same voices moving in diferents directions. I, myself, don't see much of a difference in that regard between the #6and  #2. I treat the different notes of the arpeggio as if they were pedal held notes of a choral sometimes repeated. Much in the same way we feel the repeated notes of tremolo as a continuos melody.

Blaise Laflamme Nice tools to have in our music "toolbox".  Thanks!

Ariel Elijovich Thanks for expanding on this, explaining some different approaches you use to achieve the desired result.

Blaise Laflamme why, yes, of course... they are different pieces after all but, for me, the intricasies of the right hand involved in the volume control of different notes and voicings (and open string control!) In them both are much the same. It's difficult to explain with words. Maybe in the near future I can show you what I mean with a video....

Barney I enjoyed watching Jonathan Leathwood's video. I had never heard of the "scoop and skim" method. I'm more used to pressing in more to the sound hole to bring a note out as Ariel Elijovich describes. 

Steve Price Thanks for sharing this lesson by Jonathan Leathwood. What a coincidence... I just started reading his book Guitar co-authored with Richard Wright.

Jane Anderson I typically press more into the soundboard, as you do.  This is also effective in a different context--if there is time for single notes in a passage that need a special round and beautiful tone , the "pressing in" creates that because of physics of guitar sound production.  This is why "Apoyando" typically creates a warmer rounder tone in most cases.  ( Unless the players technique is so refined that their free strokes tone approximates that of their Rest strokes - ie Marco Tamayo, David Russell, etc.))

Jane Anderson How do you like the new book so far by Leathwood and Wright?

Barney I'm enjoying the book.  Before I bought it I asked myself if I really needed yet another book about the guitar. 😀 Now I'm glad I bought it because it's different from other books I've read. It's definitely geared towards intermediate/advanced players, with advice for teachers, too.  It was recommended by Ben Verdery at a recent guitar week when he taught several individual lessons in sort of a casual masterclass setting.

Another coincidence: I just read the section in the book on chord voicing where they bring up Brouwer 2.  It's nice to now have the YT video you posted to go along with it. In the book they suggest a simple (though not easy) exercise for working on chord voicing.  Basically starting with open strings and progressing from dyads to 4 note chords with special attention to the amount of string displacement.

Jane Anderson I used to see Ben at many concerts in New York.  He is awesome, very funny , and has great custom made Hawaiian shirts, haha.

Leathwood is also an Alexander technique teacher. Did you notice if he speaks about it relating to guitar posture and movement in the book?

Barney Yes, great description of Ben! 

I haven't come across any references to Alexander technique yet. I'll notice though, as I progress through the book. 

Jane Anderson Thanks Jane!  I think I’ll order the book.