| There is a "Great Need" for a "Real Solution" to the | | | | I'll play REALLY simple music !' |
| frustration and slow progress manysuffer when it | | | | ~~~ |
| comes to either learning or perfecting the physical skills | | | | So the accepted and traditional approach didn't work |
| required to properly playthe Classical Guitar. | | | | because you had no framework to put it in. |
| And it's long overdue ! Long, long, overdue ! | | | | No real critical path to build up to the skills required. |
| The "Traditional Solutions" that generally have been | | | | All you did was read through some neat music at your |
| available to students of the guitar apparently aren't | | | | own tempo of choice, probably painfullyslow but a little |
| "really" working. I also discovered the same thing 30 | | | | faster than your playing ability. |
| years ago when I was trying to clean up the rough | | | | Then you read through some scales, the Great |
| edges to my technique. | | | | Pretenders of Progress, at the same tempos but |
| Things haven't changed much what with same old | | | | thistime a little slower at first and then a quick increase |
| Method books that have you trying to playmusic right | | | | to what I call 'finger wiggling speed'. Youknow when |
| out the box which create bad habits due to lack of | | | | you close your eyes and have at it, like a dog, madly |
| "real" finger training, live lessonswith teachers that end | | | | scratching at the fleas. The old , |
| up being nothing more than spinning the musical roulette | | | | 'I'm going to do this even it it kills me'. |
| wheelof good or bad misfortune and/or studying with | | | | Well ....guess what ? It did. |
| fabulous players who arenotoriously bad teachers that | | | | The next Snake Oil to try ? |
| just play for their students during lessons. Maybe | | | | REALLY SIMPLE MUSIC. I know I can tackle that and |
| you're alreadyfamiliar with some of them. | | | | SOUND like a Pro !!!! |
| I think most lovers of the Classical Guitar firmly believe | | | | So you turn to music collection anthologies, if you |
| they can teach themselves the Guitarand today, with | | | | haven't already and flip to the simplestlooking one of |
| all of the information on the Internet, many are also | | | | the bunch and confidently place it on the stand, take a |
| convinced they now have allthe free downloads | | | | deep breath and sound thefirst note or chord. |
| necessary to piece it all together and somehow | | | | Whew ! Not Too Bad, let's continue. You keep going |
| become a player. | | | | like you're disarming a bomb or something,expecting |
| Sadly, none of these opportunities contain any real | | | | the worst but hoping for the best. |
| value or truth because the pieces aredisjointed, | | | | The next few measures come out OK , but then......a |
| sporadic in their placement and only provide the mere | | | | finger slips, you miss a note, the temposlows to a |
| perception of hope, what withlittle Etudes and Studies | | | | crawl and you break out in a cold sweat but no REAL |
| that actually require advanced techniques to play | | | | mistakes yet so you continue,cutting through the wires |
| properly. | | | | between the timer and the dynamite in your brain at |
| Very few ever realize this fact, however. | | | | breakneck speed,you're halfway through the piece and |
| When I realized the scope of the problem and the lack | | | | just before you blow it, you stop and go, I DID IT ! |
| of solutions available 30 years ago,it was mind | | | | Wow, the Lie worked, or so you think and you flip to |
| numbing. Plus, I had just hit 'The Wall' when all real | | | | the next simplest looking piece in the bookand do the |
| progress stoppeddead in its tracks and the future felt | | | | same routine exactly the same way as the last. |
| very bleak to me. | | | | You do this a few more times and you feel vindicated. |
| If you don't know about 'The Wall' yet, just keep going | | | | 'I found the right solution! '. |
| like you have been and you'll find out | | | | Then the cold water of reality hits you in the face. No |
| .....all .....about it. | | | | it didn't, who am I kidding ? That soundedreally terrible ! |
| And then... it was a slow.... agonizing ......realization of | | | | ( And if you have ever recorded youself playing and |
| what was clearly in front of me. | | | | then listened to the recording, you knowwhat I mean. If |
| The CG world, in general, is the product of two | | | | you haven't yet done this, I recommend it highly, but be |
| hundred years of inbreeding coupled with a sortof | | | | prepared for some real |
| amateurism that is now also deeply entrenched in a | | | | "cold water in the face" reality shock ! ) |
| self inflicted tradition of symbioticmediocrity. | | | | But you persist with the simple pieces, exploring the |
| A lot of concepts to wrap your brain around but it's | | | | "extreme musicality" path where with everynote, your |
| true ! | | | | face scrunches up with expression and your hands |
| And if that statement offends you, then perhaps | | | | leave the instrument at the end ofevery phrase and |
| you're caught up in the middle of it all and don'teven | | | | wave around a little, like a Beauty Queen in a parade |
| realize it. | | | | and you "Try" to capturethe ear of anyone listening to |
| Seriously, I am very disappointed that only a small | | | | your gems of poetic tones. |
| percentage of players ever reach the plateauof | | | | Then, you just peter out, there's not many options left |
| excellence that I believe is available to everyone if only | | | | open hope diminishes and you think... |
| their technique would be pursuedcorrectly, with a real | | | | "Gee, my favorite pieces of music, scales and |
| critical path and not just haphazardly. | | | | REALLY simple music didn't work,what's next ?" |
| You know, like on every other classical instrument, | | | | ~~~ |
| Clarinet, Violin, Piano, etc., etc., etc.. And incase you're a | | | | Lie #4: |
| Guitarist feeling sorry for yourself because the | | | | 'OK, there must be a piece of music so my |
| Classical guitar is 'difficult', thereisn't an instrument on | | | | NATURAL abilitywill just shine like a harvest moon and |
| the planet that is easy to master. | | | | I'll be playing like a PRO in a week.' |
| But musicians do it every day, except Guitarists who | | | | ~~~ |
| seriously lag behind in the accomplishmentdepartment. | | | | This one, as you might imagine, is short and sweet ! |
| So here are what I call : | | | | There aren't many Piñatas left hanging at this |
| The Five Great Lies about Classical Guitar Technique | | | | birthday party to take a swing at and the optionsare |
| ~~~ | | | | becoming very few so reality starts to creep into your |
| Lie #1: | | | | conscious thoughts. |
| 'Sight read more music today than you did yesterday' | | | | Things like... |
| ~~~ | | | | "I just don't understand how I can love the Guitar so |
| If sight reading pieces of music really, actually works | | | | much and all it does is throw me off like abucking |
| for your technical progress then I supposeyou should | | | | bronco !" |
| read through more of them. | | | | So... |
| But for most Guitarists, sight reading is only a vicarious | | | | The 'Great Search' begins for that one piece of music |
| way to feel like you're really "A | | | | that your natural ability will take to, like aduck to water |
| Guitarist". I mean isn't the whole point of it all to play | | | | and the music will just 'pour' out of you like some open |
| Music ? But if this what you've beendoing for months, | | | | fire hydrant on a hot dayin the city and all your childlike |
| years or decades, admit it.....it hasn't 'really' been | | | | dreams will romp and dance in the water. Happy, |
| working. Your technique hasimproved only marginally | | | | happy,problem solved !! |
| over whatever time period and you're probably only a | | | | You listen to recordings, scour the catalogues, visit the |
| little happierabout how you play your pieces this year | | | | music shops, go online and downloaddozens of pieces, |
| than you were last year. Sad, but true ? | | | | scores of etudes, and you go to bed and think, |
| When and if you ever attend a Master Class, here's | | | | tomorrow, it will happen. |
| what you'll witness. A student, who hasplayed through | | | | You get up and start sight reading like you never have |
| their piece several million times, sits down and plays it | | | | before, hitting the same walls you'vealways hit, |
| for a Sanctioned Teacherin front of an audience of | | | | throwing each piece on the floor every time saying to |
| CG students who have played their pieces a million | | | | yourself, 'Nope, that's not theone !' |
| times and arewaiting for the truth or at least some | | | | Within an hour, you're surrounded by music on the floor, |
| truth that will solve their own, unique and individual | | | | like some prolific composer writingmasterpiece after |
| riddlesof slow progress or no progress. | | | | masterpiece. |
| The Teacher proceeds to tear apart the student's | | | | You start downloading Midi renditions of everything |
| interpretation, sometimes with kindness,sometimes....not.... | | | | you can click on hoping that your inner earwill tell you , |
| and then demonstrates a more effective interpretation | | | | 'It's the One.' |
| along with eloquentobservations, interesting tips and | | | | And then..........you find it. It's perfect. Everything about it is |
| humorous anecdotes. | | | | perfect, the time signature, the keysignature, it fits your |
| Oohs and Aahs from the crowd...... | | | | hands like an O.J. glove. |
| Applause, Applause ! | | | | You go to work sightreading it incredibly slowly, then |
| The student goes home and tries to muster up the | | | | backwards,like all the greats talk about. 'Wow, I can |
| emotional maturity of the teacher and thenplays the | | | | play this backwards and forwards !' |
| piece a million more times, maybe better, maybe not. | | | | And it works ! You can actually get through it with just |
| Why ? Because the student's technique is 'exactly' the | | | | the smallest little glitch, really small. |
| same as it was before but the student isnow one step | | | | You learn it over the next week or two and play it |
| closer to a great Resume. To be fair, these are great | | | | over and over but then family members startsaying, |
| experiences to well,experience. | | | | 'Play something new for a change, would you please |
| What do the Guitarists in the audience do ? They go | | | | ?' |
| home, buy the piece that was demonstratedand sight | | | | The anger grows in you because you've found the |
| read through it a million times to see how they stack | | | | perfect piece and you can play in withsatisfaction after |
| up against the Teachings and thensuffer severe | | | | God knows how long of trying. Deep down though, |
| depression over their inabilities for ...... perhaps months | | | | even YOU start to getbored with it but you ignore |
| like middle levelexecutives who just got fired from their | | | | those thoughts at first. |
| boring jobs. | | | | A month later, you're depressed again like the sort that |
| Why ? Because their technique is 'exactly' the same | | | | middle level executives get when they'refired from |
| as it was before. | | | | their boring jobs except thistime not only were they |
| And this scenario repeats itself over and over and | | | | fired due to gross incompetence and extreme |
| over...... like some Guitarists' car wash, feelingshiny and | | | | dereliction of duties,they've been job hunting and after |
| new for a week and then......back to the status quo. | | | | dozens of interviews and being hired...........they get |
| Actually, only a very small number of extraordinarily | | | | firedagain. |
| talented players ever independently movethrough the | | | | 'How much more of this can I take ?', you think. |
| hurdles, obstacles and brick walls that the Classical | | | | You're logic is stuck in the muck because you can't |
| Guitar puts in front of us all andreach the top. | | | | even come up with "The Question" let alone |
| They are the select top .01 percent who you hear in | | | | "The Solution". |
| concert andare the object of every Guitar Groupie | | | | ~~~ |
| Wanna-be in the world. | | | | Lie #5: |
| If you're in that top .01 percent, congratulations ! | | | | 'Everything is falling apart. I know, I need Professional |
| But if sight reading music is the major weapon in your | | | | help so I'll PAY a teacher to give mesome Lessons. |
| arsenal of mastering your technique, thenrealize | | | | Yeah, that's it, I'll take some Lessons' |
| this.....you're living in a bear skin and knives world of | | | | ~~~ |
| survival and it will only get worsethrough time in that | | | | OK, you're about as close to feeling like a complete |
| cold dark cave you call 'Classical Guitar Technique'. | | | | failure as it gets so you find a Classical |
| You might as well sit down and become a diamond | | | | Guitar teacher somehow and muster up the courage ( |
| cutter without any knowledge aboutdiamonds or | | | | and this one takes real courage ) to go toyour first |
| cutting ! | | | | lesson. |
| Here's the TRUTH : If you practice the right things | | | | It's like going to your first psychotherapy, or something, |
| correctly, you CAN start to turn yourtechnique around, | | | | and the student ahead of you comes outthe teacher's |
| you won't get depressed and you won't need to | | | | studio looking kind of bewildered and confused ! |
| attend dozens of Master | | | | 'Oh, great, I should leave now', but the teacher sees |
| Classes and Concerts to reach deep inside and | | | | you and motions for you to come on in. |
| discover the player you never thought you were. | | | | You get up and Hope that your guitar case is locked |
| And you won't have to take endless lessons with | | | | and you forgot the key ...BUT it's not ...andyou didn't so |
| someone who teaches you by having you playmusic. | | | | you can't turn back now. |
| I used to call Lessons 'Mini Master Classes'. | | | | The sound of your footsteps, as you walk into the |
| Because that's what they are and if you take these | | | | teacher's studio, is almost deafening andeverything |
| 'Mini Master Classes' from the same personmore than | | | | suddenly goes into slow motion. |
| 6 times in a row, I call them 'being in a rut'. | | | | You sit down, get out your guitar, wipe the sweat |
| Exposing yourself to the musical teachings of one | | | | that's pouring out of your palms like two openfaucets |
| person can be myopic, damaging, too selfabsorbing | | | | and wait for the teacher's first gem. |
| and only eventually serves the ego of the teacher and | | | | You're instantly dreading the 'Play Something For Me' |
| gives you only false hope. | | | | request.... |
| If you want to take lessons, take one lesson from 3 | | | | But instead, the teacher asks.... |
| different teachers. You don't go to the same | | | | 'So, where you from ?' |
| Doctor week after week to get an opinion on your | | | | Where am I.........? |
| condition, do you ? | | | | You think to yourself, ' Why, I'm from the deep, dark |
| No, you go to three Doctors, evaluate them all, and | | | | cave of failure and depression, that's where |
| take the most reasonable path recommendedafter | | | | I'm from....... !!! |
| reflecting on all the issues. End of Doctor visits. | | | | What else do you want to know about me ??" |
| Guess what ? The same thing applies to lessons. | | | | But.... you get a hold of yourself and allow the |
| Keep it in mind the next time you go to yourlesson. | | | | conversation to eventually turn to things like,posture, |
| Announce your new plan to your teacher and wait for | | | | straightening your back a little, the seat is too high, your |
| "The Shock Heard Around the | | | | foot stool is too low, dangleyour right arm off the |
| World" ! | | | | guitar, down, up, that's it, lower your left arm, relax the |
| BOTTOM LINE IN THREE STEPS : | | | | top of your hands,picture a field of flowers, go to your |
| 1) You MUST approach, what I call, the Critical Path of | | | | happy place......tone, juxtaposition, relax, relax.....bend |
| Technique from the beginning and not from the end. | | | | yourright knee a bit more, turn your right wrist in a little, |
| ( hint, music is the very end of the process ) | | | | thaaaat's it, now lower your left shoulder atouch, ....just |
| 2) You must practice the Critical Path until it's second | | | | a touch more.....Perfect ! Now, relax the muscles in your |
| nature. | | | | neck and play the etudeon your stand. Beautiful ! Play |
| 3) You must practice the Critical Path until it's second | | | | it again, but this time...With Feeling ! Wonderful, you |
| nature. | | | | have Real |
| But....the good news is, once you have it and it works, | | | | Talent ! |
| you don't have to revisit the masteringtechnique | | | | By the end of your first lesson, you feel pretty good, |
| process ever again. | | | | you think you learned something ...PLUS...you even |
| You just keep it 'Warmed Up'. If that isn't the most | | | | have an assignment, the teacher's X-ray vision of how |
| desirable goal as a Classical Guitarist to runand | | | | you should develop your ... 'Real |
| achieve as fast as you can then perhaps you should | | | | Talent.' |
| take up Origami or something. | | | | "Thank God I'm not doing this alone any longer. What a |
| That's why the time you spend on REAL technique | | | | Relief !" |
| practice is absolutely the best investment youcan ever | | | | So the teacher gives you your first homework |
| make - IF... you're educated about what really works | | | | assignment... |
| and what really doesn't. | | | | You can hardly stand the anticipation of finally receiving |
| And music isn't on the list or in the Critical Path. | | | | the Keys to the Castle. The Golden |
| Anywhere !! | | | | Chalice of direction and success like some Miracle |
| ~~~ | | | | Map that will put you on the Road to Rome. |
| Lie #2: | | | | The sweet potion of Hope...you can almost hear the |
| 'OK, if playing music isn't working, I'll practice some | | | | thunderous applause of the audience as you |
| scales' | | | | WOW them with a Third Encore piece !!! |
| ~~~ | | | | Here it comes... |
| Waking up every morning with a lie swirling around in | | | | "For next week......" |
| your head is very unhealthy and alwayscauses you to | | | | Yes ? Yes ? |
| spend time in the day on the wrong things. But it's your | | | | "I want you to practice this Sarabande in you collection |
| lie and you think it's theright solution so you go ahead | | | | book on page 19 and thenpractice the scale in E major |
| and waste time. How much time have you wasted | | | | in three octaves. Remember to relaaaaaxand go to |
| with your lies ? | | | | your happy place. " |
| I was convinced that this was the inspired path to | | | | What ?...... Why that's the piece my family.... can't stand |
| great technique ! | | | | hearing any more ! |
| Time to seriously practice some serious scales ! | | | | And .....that's...... the Segovia scale that ....didn't do one |
| Here we go........first mistake ? No metronome. But what | | | | thing for me except create whole bodyfatigue !! |
| the heck, three octavescales, mature fingering edits, | | | | Silence for a few pregnant moments....then.... |
| brilliant note for string choices, brilliant , brilliant ! | | | | You politely and graciously excuse yourself, get in your |
| Just playing them makes you feel a step closer to the | | | | car and burn your tires into a gloriouscloud of white |
| Maestro. | | | | smoke down the teacher's driveway, permanently |
| So you have at it, following the fingerings exactly as | | | | leaving the symbol of your everloving gratitude for all |
| written starting out rather slowly at firstand then more | | | | to see. |
| rapidly just as he demonstrates on his teaching | | | | "I guess I won't be coming back here ...Anytime Soon ". |
| recordings. He would playsixteenths at quarter note | | | | Now What ? |
| MM 60 and then... suddenly ...triple the speed. | | | | This five part story plays out all over the world over |
| So this is how the Maestro practiced ! What a | | | | many different durations of time, someshort, some |
| revelation ! | | | | long, although most usually long and maybe there are |
| And what a joy to listen to the Master make music | | | | some additional wrinkles andvariations, more or less |
| with scales. | | | | time and money wasted. The details are almost |
| You try, of course, but you can not match his speed | | | | unimportant. |
| and power so you start repeating the scale,up the | | | | But most HAVE to go through this long self |
| fretboard and back down over and over and over. | | | | deprecating process before the truth of it all sinks |
| Then you try to increase the speed gradually but the | | | | inand you're worn out and say, 'I'm ready to be shown |
| more you try, the more all sorts of littlemistakes and | | | | how to get from point A to point B and I'llaccept the |
| glitches start happening. | | | | truth'. |
| Then certain of your left hand fingers feel like they are | | | | But sadly, a 5 to 25 year absence from the Guitar is |
| lost or something with wanting to placethe third finger | | | | not uncommon in between the point ofquitting and the |
| but the second finger going down instead. | | | | return to wanting to play again. |
| Your right hand fingers are getting confused as to | | | | Why ? It's obvious. The pain last time was too |
| when to alter a fingering pattern as you shiftfrom | | | | overwhelming. At least, if you chose Origamiway back |
| string to string and they start creating a different | | | | then, a cute paper bird was created and you felt |
| pattern every other measure without youeven | | | | creatively successful. |
| realizing. | | | | But now you're ready for the truth and you're ready to |
| Then you start second guessing the edition's fingerings | | | | do anything to rekindle that spark you felt |
| and trying your own but they're about aseffective as | | | | 5 to 25 years ago or just yesterday. |
| blowing up balloons full of holes. | | | | Make no mistake about this one..... |
| "What the heck is going on ?", You think "I'm not | | | | Classical Guitar Technique Has a Critical Path, a Very |
| increasing my control ability, I'm actuallylosing control !" | | | | Specific, Critical Path ! |
| Weeks later...only marginal technical improvement, very | | | | From beginning to end. And that's where the problem |
| little gain in finger control and whatfeels like muscle | | | | is. Most Guitarists hop in mid stream ofsome teacher's |
| fatigue in your whole body. | | | | "Practice Routine du Jour" some in the middle, some at |
| Then you start looking at the time you've spent and | | | | the end, most never at thevery beginning and if they |
| the limited time in the day you have to spendon your | | | | do by some miracle, they don't follow it to the end. |
| beloved guitar. | | | | Why ? |
| And your music ? | | | | Because that teacher doesn't really know what a true |
| It's sitting on the stand just waiting for you to bring it to | | | | Critical Path is and their practice routinequickly falls |
| life ! | | | | apart when others follow it. |
| So you sit down and ask yourself, "If playing music | | | | You don't start with music, etudes and scales, you |
| doesn't work and playing scales doesn'twork, then | | | | start with the individual fingers on each handand then |
| what will work ?" | | | | multiple fingers on both hands, identifying the weak and |
| I mean how does one get to very rapid speed control | | | | strong ones, correctingdeficiencies slowly and gradually |
| with loud volume and full tone, you know,like Segovia ? | | | | more rapidly through a process where eventually, both |
| You give up the serious scale work. It's too exhausting | | | | handsare working in concert, many times for the first |
| and you're getting worse as a playerrather than better. | | | | time. |
| But you love the Classical Guitar and you're | | | | And you'll take years off your practice time and you'll |
| determined not to give up, so you think, "Theremust be | | | | get to your music years ahead of schedule. |
| a way to ease into the world of REAL playing ability | | | | It won't happen overnite but it will happen in less time |
| and not make so many .... | | | | than you think. |
| "Mistakes all the time !" | | | | Longer or shorter doesn't matter, isn't the point. The |
| ~~~ | | | | point is that you'll have a technique you cantravel with |
| Lie #3: | | | | anywhere in the world, sit down and play. |
| 'OK, if playing my favorite pieces of music and reading | | | | How long have you wanted to be able to do that just |
| through scales aren't working, | | | | once in your life ? |