Group 1
Breaking Your Scale Speed Limits with Eduardo Inestal!
Virtuosity and speed go hand in hand when it comes to freeing your musical expressiveness from technical limitations. One key element in classical guitar performance is the ability to play fast scales with ease. Together, we will explore exercises that will enable you to push your speed limits and improve your scale skills while retaining relaxation in both hands and gaining a richer tool set to express your musical ideas.
- Sign-Up Period: August 11 - 14
- Course Period: August 15 - 26
- Class Size: 4 Groups á 10 Participants
- Optional check-In via Zoom: August 23, 11 am PST
Assignment for the first week:
Play the first exercise (Slow) while paying attention to the following:
- Keep the tempo
- Always alternate i-m
- Be "lazy” (move your fingers, both right and left hand, and yourself as less as possible) to keep the relaxation
Do the same with the 2nd exercise (Faster tempo)
Once you control this exercise, you can gradually choose your tempo, increasing the bpm. Pay attention not to lose your relaxation!
Have fun!
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Nick Hi Nick, thank you for the videos. Awesome job!!
It is very very good. Both, slow and fast! great coordination. Only one thing. Move as less as possible. No need for vibrato (LH) usually on scales. Lets keep our hands steady in order to win precision. But otherwise, great job!!! ready for next exercise!
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Eduardo Inestal thanks I am really enjoying this intensive. I haven’t really used or worked rest stroke in 20 years. So I feel pretty weak in this area.
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Mark Campbell video of Exercise #2 at 50/100/150 bpm:
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Mark Hi Mark!! Terrific job.
I love the fact that you started really slow. Thats the key!! awesome. Actually I have nothing to say but that it was perfect! Ready for the next exercise
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Question for today’s zoom session: what is a good exercise to practice increasing speed and precision with 3 octave scales, with special emphasis on shifting up and down the fingerboard, especially when two shifts on the same string take you above the 12th fret?
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Here's a video of exercise 2. Didn"t have a lot of time to do it so a bit rough and ready
Slow
A bit faster
Posting via my phone - Didn"t get the copy video link so I copied the link directly into the post
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Derek Hi Derek, Thank you for sending the videos. Great job.
There is one thing you have to achieve in order to be more precise in your scales. I and M should move at the same time. When one finger play the string, the other is released and goes "outside" in order to be prepare to strike again. Sometimes I feel both finger are on the string and is going to take a bit more time for the finger next to play to be ready. Do you know what I mean?
Another Suggestion, try to place your camera a bit away, so I can see your LH the whole time.
But great job!
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Eduardo Inestal thank you very much Eduardo. I see what you mean. I shall work on this. Thank you again for this 2 week intensive - I will keep working on these exercises
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https://youtu.be/v74KYBYXC1Q
Exercise #3 @ 100 & 150 bpm-
Mark Hi Mark! Great job, as always!!!
I find you dont have any problem whatsoever with this exercise. It was a terrific job. Only thing you have to do is practise (as everyone :)) to achieve more accuracy. But I dont see anything to point out. Great Job! now try to speed it up step by step.
LH: Amazing position!
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Here is exercise 3 at a slowish tempo. I did it a couple of days ago as I am away for a couple of days. Will try for a faster version tomorrow
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Derek Hi Derek, Thank for sending your video.
There are 2 things we should work on.
1. Syncrhonization between both Hands. (LH fingers come to late)
2. Position shifft. I miss the last note you play with 1st finger.
Solution: Play it slowly an increase your tempo stpe by step
Is just a matter of time and patien :)
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Exercise No. 4 by Eduardo!
Goals:
1) keep the tempo
2) Be as "lazy" as possible (move your fingers (an also your body) as less as possible).
3) increase the tempo gradually.
Start with 50 bmp and speed it up till 100 bpm Submit 2 videos with both tempos (slow and fast)
scales group 1
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Here's a slow take of exercises 3 and 4. Still working on the right-hand pinky. It either wants to be sticking out or curled in my palm so I'm working on finding a middle ground for it.
Thanks again for your input. This has been challenging, but it's definitely been one of the more beneficial workshops I've done.
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Steve Price sounds really clean to me. Nice
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Nick Thanks. Still a ways to go on anything faster and still clean.
This session has been good for making me focus on the details since I'm normally pretty lazy about that.
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Steve Price same here. I haven’t done technical exercises in many years. I needed an excuse to work on them again. These intensives are awesome for that.
It’s going to take more than two weeks to get my scales back up to par. But I love these exercises we’ve been given -
Steve Price Awesome job Steve!!!
Regarding Ex 3 slow (not so slow actually :) Nothing to say. Finger movement are perfect and sounds clear and rhytmic. Great job!!!
Ex 4 slow: Is pretty good, but there are 2 things I would like to point out:
1. There is too much motion on your left hand in general. Only fingers should move!
2. Pinky... yes, you know what I am going to say... Keep an eye on it, and keep it closer to the board.
But great sync!!
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Nick Awesome job Nick!
It sounds very good!. Great tempo and Sync. Your LH is fantastic! You are ready for an improvement in this exercise. Lets practise it with the accents! and you can also add dynamic in order to build direcction Try both, cresc and decres. Try diferent possibilities! It may be challenging but it is going to give you great results!
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Eduardo Inestal thank you for the exercises and your excellent teaching. I will continue to work on it.
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Here's a shot at exercise 4. Still needs work, but I do feel like I'm seeing progress.
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Steve Price Steve!! Great job!!! It sounds very good! Love how the 1st finger moves. Pinky is also much better than in the previous ex 4. Awesome job!!
I would say same thing I told Nick:
Eduardo Inestal said:
You are ready for an improvement in this exercise. Lets practise it with the accents! and you can also add dynamic in order to build direcction Try both, cresc and decres. Try diferent possibilities! It may be challenging but it is going to give you great results!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
