Group 2
Improve your Left-Hand-Fitness with Slurs!
The Fitness of the left hand is responsible for how comfortable you feel on the guitar. Regular slur practice will improve your stability and agility and opens your hand for more fingering possibilities! Two Weeks, Fingers 1234, a gazillion different possibilites! Let me show you my workout tips for the left hand and let us improve together!
Fellow Participants in Group 2:
Osvaldo Novais
Dave McLellan
Amine
Derek
Paul Kennedy
José Espírito Santo
Jesús Rodríguez Pérez
Nora Torres-Nagel
Khiem Nguyen
ERNESTO
Stefano
Amy G
Gerasimos
Some tonebase productions to get you started
Martin Zimny - Left Hand Workout with Villa-Lobos Etude #3
Martin Zimny - Getting Slurs Right from the beginning
Artyom Dervoed - Slurs from Nothing
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 with your experiences with Slurs.
- At the same time, start practicing the first bars of Etude #3 by Villa-Lobos. If you are new to the piece, start with my livestream on this piece!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Friday, June 24th at 6 pm CET (9 am PT)
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sorry to ask these dumb questions: 1) how do we submit videos? where are the controls to do that? and 2) the Zoom checkin on Friday May 20 doesn't make any sense, should that be Friday June 26?
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Dave McLellan oops I meant Friday 6/24.
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Dave McLellan Hi Dave! You upload the video (unlisted) to YouTube and then share the link in here!
It should be Friday 24th, but I might change that again as we're having a stream that day!
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Martin aha. got it. easy.
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I did assignments 1 and 2 this morning. I remember them from Martin's livestream. I did them for a while after that but then dropped them as I was too busy trying to do the challenges etc! They aren't any easier second time round! I didn't have the stamina to carry on with 3 and 4. Will try them later.
This is definitely going to be a useful 2 weeks. Thank you Martin
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Derek Fantastic to hear! It’s essential to keep it slow and simple! As I’ve mentioned in the video, I am only doing assignment 3 for my daily routine, but it is essential to imprint a clear movement pattern into your fingers!
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Here is my first submission. I feel it is most difficult using the pair of 3 and 4 fingers. The 2-4 is also difficult and the easiest are the 1-2 and the 1-3.
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Khiem Nguyen Fantastic Khiem! Couple of things:
- Don't play too fast!
- When you're playing on the first string it looks like your fingers a bit far away. Where is your left hand thumb positioned
- Don't forget to stabilize the 2-3 , 3-4 and 2-4 slurs with the fingers behind the slurring fingers (that sounds confusing). If you look at my video I put all all fingers on the string when I am slurring with 3-4 !
- Other than that you have a greatr impcat, even when you're slurring with fixed fingers! Excited to see you go through the Villa-Lobos!!!!
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Slurs Group 2 what do the rest of you guys think?
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Martin Hi Martin, thank you for your feedback. I will apply them to my next practice. :)
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Martin I think your feedback is great. Khiem, great job. Keep up the great work.
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Paul Kennedy Thank you!!
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Khiem Nguyen Great, I expected nothing less from you! Keep up the good work, you're on the right path! Have you practiced slurs intensively at one point in time?
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Paul Kennedy thank you very much Paul, I will keep on the practice.
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Martin thank you Martin, I will keep up the practice. Yes, there was a period last year that I practiced slurs intensively. I felt I got better precision in lefthand after that intensive period.
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Khiem Nguyen Good, keep it up, you're doing great! When will you be tackling Villa-Lobos 3?
Eric recommended "Padre e Hija" by Garcia de Leon, another great study! -
Martin I have just started working on Villa-Lobos 3 this evening, after the Zoom check-in. I will try to record a video when possible soon :)
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Khiem Nguyen fantastic, enjoy the ride!!!
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I am not sure I will be able to follow you with all the exercises and videos...we have received an unexpected visite ....though I will try at least to do some exercises and look some videos....sorry!!!
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Nora Torres-Nagel I am sure your visit LOVE to hear you practice slurs for hours!
Have fun and share whenever possible 
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Quick Announcement: We're doing the Zoom Check-In 2 hours earlier than planned to not interfere with Manny's livestream on friday! Please comment if you've read that!
Slurs Group 2
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Martin Hi Martin, I have read your announcement, thank you! :)
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Martin I saw this, thanks. posted time above show 12 PM EDT (and zoom confirms this). see you then.
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Martin Got the new time, thx
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Martin Hi Martin. I've seen the memo. So new time is 18:00 CET (17:00 UK)
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
