Group 2

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

2_week_enhance_your_time_flexibility_and_legato

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  • Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Michel Giroux
    Hi Everyone!

    There was some questions about rubato playing, so I made a video about this topic. I hope it will answer everyones questions.

    https://youtu.be/QORKJGqUVT0

    Like
    • Borbála Seres Thank you for sharing this Borbala, and you're so right about listening to other instruments, band or orchestra for opening up musical horizons and freeing up from the neck! And as Barney said in the other group you're definitely a wonderful teacher! 👌💪

      Like
  • Hello Borbála,

     

    thank you for all the advices for the first 3 exercises. I really appreciate that you take the time to share your knowledge with us,  review and critique our playing during this workshop. I took notes of your recommendations and i already started to apply your suggestions.  Sorry for the late submission of the other half.  There is simply not enough hours in a day... I am trying to save some time to practice but my professional and family life takes precedence at the moment.  I will be retiring later this year or next (i haven't decided yet) and at that time, i will be able to devote more time to refine my playing and continue the study of harmony.

     

    Here is my take on exercises 5, 6 and 7.  I have practiced while recording myself and i selected the ones that i liked most.

     

    https://youtu.be/cxu-WbNSTw8

    Like
    • Michel Giroux hi Michel,

      Thank you for videos. 

      I know this feeling exactly about not having enough time. Days should last at least 30 hours then maybe I could have enough time for everything what I want... ☺️

      Exercise5

      It's nice how you formulate it. In my opinion it could be much more free , experiment with extremities, try to exaggerate all the rubato ideas that it can become more clear also for the listener. After the rit in measure 4 you wait too long and that is why the phrase become kind of broken there. Also try to formulate the rit at the end a bit more gradually.

      As I see you use ergo play too. Please watch my video about the position which I uploaded couple of days ago to help all of you with the tonecolor. I think that could be also the solution for you to be able to achieve much nicer tonequality, which would be necessary for these beautiful melodies which we work with now.

      Great job thank you! 

      Like
    • Michel Giroux exercise 6,7

      You worked on them really nice they sound good. I would recommend to you to work more on this musical flexibility. They seem a bit too metrical which could fit for some other pieces but not for these ones. I would advice to experiment with these musical ideas a bit more. Please also listen to my versions again to get the idea how you could formulate them a bit more flexible. You can also compare my versions with your versions to hear the difference and that you can get more clear idea what should you work on a bit more.

      I would say in general nice job, you could highlight the melodies very nice and I am sure if you start to try different musical ideas versions, will be able to enjoy the music even more

      Good luck thank you

      Like
    • martinTeam
    • LIVE
    • martin.3
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/v95EUPuY5OFH-d_0DjAwjhP-xjo4GBtwHw46ji_NewZYTJ5Li6N_emYbTsHorjnt.czQSr3qOnu08Ij-O

    Here is the link to the Zoom Check-In!

    edit: the Recording of the Check-in!

    Like
    • martin there is a 2nd Zoom Check-in?

      Like
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Blaise Laflamme Ups, the recording of the Check-in!

      Like 1
    • martin Obviously... looking at the path in the link, thanks!

      Like
    • Daniel Beltránnull
    • Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
    • Daniel.3
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Borbála and all colleagues! Hope you're all okay. Despite I've been recovering from a injury in my right hand due to incorrect technique, and playing and going back in shape has been and still is quite laborious, I'll do my best to record for tomorrow a couple of the exercises you've sent. Alike, I've decided to return with this course and participate a little once again here in Tonebase after a long pause, so I won't miss the chance to post at least 2 videos tomorrow. Thanks a lot for your insights on this topic!

     

    Best Regards!

    Like
    • Daniel Beltrán hi Daniel,

      I am glad that you chose my two weeks intensive to return back after your injury. I'm sorry to hear that you had such a problem, that is never good. Just pay attention that you are getting back step by step not immediately. Don't sit too long with the guitar and don't push yourself for something, which makes comfortable feeling! That is crucial that the problems don't return back. 😊

      Like 1
      • Daniel Beltránnull
      • Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
      • Daniel.3
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Borbála Seres Hi Borbála! 

       

      Thanks for the suggestions! They are completely correct. Sometimes we get to this situation and patience is crucial, and not stressing anything and looking for a relaxed and confortable feeling is key! I've been there pushing for the results to early, and actually doesn´t accelerate the process. Thanks for placing that back in my memory, so I can have it always present.

      Like
  • Hello Borbala
    Thank you very much for the very detailed comments and advice in the first video, which will of course be very useful to me.
    For the second video, I decided to zoom in on the right hand. I'm trying to make crescendos but the forte is not convincing and in the end I have the impression that everything is at the same sound level.
    Otherwise, I see this short piece more in one go, so maybe you can hear that in my video.
    Thanks again for your involvement in these two weeks, it's so essential to think about making music at last.

    Olivier

    Like
    • GALAIS Olivier Very nice. I'll try it at your tempo once it falls under my fingers better.

      Like
    • GALAIS Olivier hello Olivier,

      Thanks for your video. I find your version super beautiful. You guide the tension and make nice smooth musical flexibilities. Indeed your tempo increase a bit different character for it it's more together as you said in one. But that's fine. This is the great about music that we can have completely different ideas to the same musical material and all these versions can exist at the same time. Only we use a bit different tools or use the tools differently to express them.

      Great job! And special thanks for the different angle of the recording. Actually it should be a bit more from the side to be able to see exactly how you pluck the strings. But I don't see a problem with that. I really think that the tone quality change which you meant at f playing is just because of the movement of the arm. Look at your video and try to observe that when you are playing forte you make extra movements with the forearm. It's a kind of conducting movement. And always you get to a bit lower position with it, under the sound hole, and also a bit more perpendicular instead of the diagonal (I mean the attack with your nail). That increase a bit harsher tone quality. If you will be able to control not to do this conducting movement for forte I am sure that you will find your tone quality better. Sit in front of a mirror and watch yourself during the playing. Focus on the place where you are plucking the strings, your hand should stay closer to the top of the sound hole. 

      But anyway I find your tonecolor really nice I don't find it so extremely bad as you feel it! 

      Thank you for the effort to work on the exercises really very well!

      Enjoy always the music. That should be always our goal!

      Thank you

      Like
    • Borbála Seres 

      thank you very much for this analysis. I am very happy to have participated and it will really change my practice. I've picked up a few of the easier pieces (le papillon by Giuliani) to continue working on my legato and expressivity.
      Thank you very much ( and thanks again for the transcription of BWV1007, you sent met some years ago...).
      See you soon!

      Like
    • Daniel Beltránnull
    • Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
    • Daniel.3
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Here´s a little video executing exercises 2 and 6 from the first week. I chose them because they were the ones I could handle better. I'm aware of many of the technical isues present in my right hand, and of course, they limit me to perform better these excerpts. Did a regular try in these videos and could do waaay better, but I won´t discard them due to my current technical state. Of course, any suggestion on this topic is well recieved, and even surely suggestions and observations that could help to enhance my legato and rubato. I'm sorry that I didn't send earlier the videos and more exercises, this were the ones I got to feel confortable so far. Alike, thanks for these 2 weeks, Borbála! 


     

    Like
      • Daniel Beltránnull
      • Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
      • Daniel.3
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view
      Like
    • Daniel Beltrán Hi Daniel,

      Thank you for your videos.

      Please don't apologize for not sending me videos earlier. I am happy anyway that's you decided to participate on this two weeks intensive although you had the problem with your hand. By the way what kind of injury did you have in your right hand? 

      Exercise 2

      I find your thumb legato really very nice. You even had the energy to formulate it musically too. It was really very nice. I don't see any problem with your right hand legato. Or at least I didn't hear the problem of the synchronity. But the angle of the video didn't allow me to see your thumb movements. But I found it really perfect.

      Great job thank you! 

      Like
    • Daniel Beltrán exercise 6

      I found your version of exercise 6 really beautiful. Your musical formulation is very nice gentle and smooth. You handle the melody really well, it's audible very clear. Also the time flexibility I find very good. Since you ask me to tell you any observation about your right hand technique I would say a couple of things. If I see it well your nails are way too long. That can increase also a kind of tension in the hand but not necessarily. But the long nails surely will increase kind of bed position for the right hand. Your right hand wrist is too low, you should try to make the angle of the wrist a bit different. Don't make it too high that's also not good but to make it almost straight or a bit higher than straight if you are looking at it from the top. That is really important that you can have enough place for all of your finger movements. When you're wrist is as low as yours you start to pick out the strings instead of plucking, pushing them into the sound hole of the guitar. 

      But of course it's really difficult to formulate it. If you wish, you could watch a couple of my newest videos on YouTube because I used to show my right hand from the angle of the plucking so you can observe the good way of doing it.  If the wrist position would be a problem for you, try to put a ball of 🧦 into your pullover or guitar sleeves under your wrist. (Or if you are in USA, you can order device called: practice right for example from strings by Mail. I have found out this "socks way"  to help for my students who has the same problem and it seems to work really very good. Because then your brain will  getting used to this necessary position of the arm and wrist. 

      I hope this observations will help you a bit to get better technique for your right hand.

      I wish you the best with your hand and enjoy music always that is the bottom line in my opinion. 

      Like
    • Borbála Seres 

      Like 2
    • Borbála Seres This is maybe not the best solution but with the basic arpeggio patterns you can adjust the correct posture. But muting would be difficult with it. 😊

      Like
      • Daniel Beltránnull
      • Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
      • Daniel.3
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Borbála Seres Hi Borbála! Thanks a lot for your comments! I appreciate them very much, both about technique and musicality! That tip you've suggested me about raising the right hand wrist with a sock under the sleeve is terrific. Didn´t knew it, and will apply it from now on. Thank you! 

      Like
    • Daniel Beltrán Dear Daniel,

      You just have to use it until your brain will get used to this new position of your right hand, wrist. It's a kind of reminder for your brain. Actually if you can pay attention on it by yourself it's not necessary to use the socks and more . Anyway for the longer term the bottom line would be to be able to concentrate on it alone. But it can happen that when you are not paying attention on it, the bad habit the bad position can return. So be patient and try to make the right adjustment without any tension. And never do something what doesn't feel comfortable. If There is something uncomfortable or very tense for your body anywhere then something is not right. Try to analyse yourself from inside if you are aware of your body language.

      Good luck and have fun with the music! 

      Like 1
  • Happy to see there’s such a lot of activity in these 2w intensive! 

    I finally post my first exercises. Sorry to be so late., but here are my attempts on accelerando-ritardando, and legato playing. Not yet the Carcassi and Sor studies. I was quite busy practicing Carcassi for the Carcassi challenge. And had to practice for my lessons (Barrios- also quite a challenge for rubato playing.)
    The practice for the second week is very useful, and pleasant as well. I hope to record my progress on the Tarrega piece tomorrow.

    Like
    • joosje hi Joosje,

      Indeed we were very busy the last two weeks with beautiful videos.

      I am glad you could manage couple of the first week exercises. I can see how busy you are with many different things to practice. Please don't push yourself for another video. Priority is always the quality not the quantity. These videos  will be reachable for later as well, you can work on them later too, so I would recommend to you to take your time and work on them well instead of rushing for making them now. 

      I will response tomorrow on your first week videos.

      Like
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