Group 3
Increase Legato Playing in Both Hands in Two Weeks with TY!
Every instrument has its limitations and weaknesses. Playing legato is one of the hardest things to master on the guitar. Every note is so fragile: if your right hand accidentally touches the string or your left hand leaves the string in-between notes, the note will be stopped. Let’s explore and discuss the techniques and experiences on the details of how to maintain the notes with your left hand clean shifting, shifting motion, fingertip motion, exercises, and right hand training processes of free strokes for perfect legato playing.
Fellow Participants in Group 3:
TY Legato Group 3
JegHarDetGuitar
Amy G
Bill Stephens
Stephen Holland
Alex Polonski
Claudio
Eric Phillips
Emma
Oscar Leonardo Molina Sierra
Takato Umeda
Lawrence
Scott Sundsvold
Assignments:
Share a video where you demonstrate the three exercises as presented by TY. As a bonus, add measures 1-10 by Carcassi op.60 no.1
- Release the String, don't pluck it!
- Spider Exercise!
- Left Hand Shifting / Change Fret Exercises
- Carcassi Op.60 No.1 Measure 1-10
Watch TY's Lesson on Carcassi op.60 no.1 here!
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 where you had big issues with legato!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Sunday, July 24th 3pm EST / 12 noon PST
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Left hand Spider Exercise https://youtu.be/uraelSFEwq4
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Close up of left hand https://youtu.be/b60oPAjR7pk
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July 26 New Assignment
TY is now asking us to play a part of a piece that is difficult to play legato. Here is mine. I'm playing the part between the red brackets. Let me know your thoughts!
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Eric Phillips Dear Eric, Here! Please see some of the suggestions on the score! Love the sound and so hard indeed!!!
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TY Zhang Thank you so much, TY! I will give those fingering a try!
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I am working with a Thierry Tisserand composition entitled Kasi Mambo. The composition is from Couleurs latines. I am including a photo of the passage. I find this passage challenging as it moves in and out of triplets. Plus, the fingering requires me to focus the left hand so that it adds difficulty to what instructor TY has been teaching. I did work to put more work on the index and middle fingers, as discussed in Sunday's Zoom meeting. I appreciate all thoughts.
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Stephen Holland I have been working on the fingering, which most certainly improves the Legato. I have taken instructor Ty's example of focusing upon the parts where difficult arises. This morning I have put the entire passage back into the whole of the composition. That helps so much. Also, in the past I have played softly and slowly while learning a score. Now I am working to more loudly play a phrase in practice. This does help me to acquire needed muscle memory. Many thanks.
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Stephen Holland Hi Dear Stephen, I think you did a great job! I would encourage you to work on expanding the left hand finger stretching ability so you could play the passages with more ease! It could be change string exercises or spider, etc. They will contribute to the music legato playing! And for this passage, remember the rhythmic elements when we read the music, the tied over note needs to have the value be fully played. Try to move one finger at a time on the left hand, not leave everything when we shift!
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As the two-week course comes to an end, I want to thank Martin and Ty for the organization and instruction. The course addressed several topics of personal interest for me - Legato, shifts, tone, practicing notes loudly, focusing on troublesome phrases and more. Many thanks.
I close with this presentation of measures 29-33 for work I am processing of Thierry Tisserand's Kasi Mambo.
Here is the latest effort:
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Stephen Holland Wow! So good! What a great progress Dear Stephen!!!!!
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I am still not doing the recording properly. At least, I hope I'm not doing it correctly, because the sound is not good. I may need a proper camera and mic vs. my Galaxy S9536478900123 phone. But, (why is my font suddenly BOLD? I clicked on the B and it makes no difference) Anyway, and please forgive me if I missed this portion of the lesson, how do I keep the short individual notes from sustaining? I don't mean the actual notes, I mean the resonating sound in the guitar after I play the staccato notation. After four or five the guitar is still ringing.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
