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Posted on August 24th, 2009.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Vibrato adds warmth to one’s playing, and gives notes greater sustain. Abel Carlevaro identifies the first two types types described below:
HORIZONTAL is done by “shifting” the pitch below and above the target note. The speed and width of the vibrato is best controlled by the arm.
VERTICAL is produced by the action of the finger alone. The string is pulled either up or down and returned to its normal tension. As the pitch is modified only by getting sharper, one should bend the string with care so as not to sound out of tune. I call this the “Jimmy Hendrix” vibrato.
SPECIAL is similar to the one above, except it is the arm that makes the string oscillate vertically, both up and down. It is necessary to release the thumb for this vibrato, the one I name the “Eric Clapton” vibrato! (Watch some Clapton video clips to see how this is done.)
Posted on October 25th, 2008.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Quel est la quantité de pression que doivent exercer les doigts de la main gauche sur les cordes?
Quand la main droite joue avec puissance (f ou ff), il est évident que les doigts de la main gauche doivent appuyer avec une certaine pression sur les cordes (pour qu’il n’y ait pas de sons parasites). Et il est vrai que si l’on joue plus doucement, (p ou pp) les notes sortent bien même si les doigts de la main gauche n’appuient pas très fort.
Pendant longtemps je suivais la logique qui dicte que la pression de la main gauche doit être en relation directe avec la quantité de force appliquée par les doigts de la main droite. C’est-à-dire qu’au fur et mesure que l’on joue de plus en plus fort, les doigts de la main gauche doivent progressivement exercer de plus en plus de pression sur les cordes.
Mais plusieurs éléments, rencontres et pensées m’ont fait réviser cette idée. Mon expérience personnelle, c’est à dire mon propre jeu ainsi que celui de mes élèves, m’a obligé à arriver à une autre conclusion: quelque soit la dynamique désirée ou utilisée, la main gauche doit appuyer avec la même force que lorsque l’on joue fort.
Voici l’une des raisons qui m’a poussé à arriver à cette conclusion: En tant que psychologue et guitariste, je suis convaincu que la bonne assimilation d’un morceau de musique dépend de la manière dont il a été “enregistré” dans les deux mémoires, et auditive et tactile. Si l’on joue fort, on envoie deux messages simultanés et dépendants l’un de l’autre: l’oreille entend avec plus de clarté ce que l’on joue, et les notes sont d’autant plus gravées dans les doigts. Le cerveau reçoit et capte des renseignements interdépendants venant des deux voies: l’ouïe et le toucher. La mémorisation et la capacité d’expression sont toutes les deux ainsi fortifiées. (Bien entendu, certaines personnes ont aussi une forte mémoire visuelle qui leur est utile.)
Alors cette mémoire digitale, cet “enregistrement” sur et dans les doigts, est assurée d’être constamment présente. Et aussi d’une même ou d’une plus grande importance, nous évitons ainsi la fâcheuse tendance des guitaristes de jouer des passages doux (p et pp) avec un son pauvre manquant d’expression.
Note: Cela dit, je n’invite pas les guitaristes à utiliser une force immodérée avec les doigts. Mon conseil c’est de connaître la quantité de pression nécessitée par un jeu ff sans que les cordes frisent et de s’y adapter. (Bien entendu, la guitare doit être correctement régler auparavant!).
Posted on November 5th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Many good guitarists use pronation for the right hand, one that allows the thumb to be closer to the top, and therefore to the strings. I personally use this approach and I strongly recommend it. (See entry for October 7 below for explanantion.)
It also helps for playing scales evenly and rapidly as it makes it possible to compensate for the unequal lengths of the index and middle fingers. The “limping” effect that sometimes occurs can in this way be eliminated.
Beaucoup de bons guitaristes emploient la pronation de la main droite puisqu’elle permet le pouce d’être plus proche de la table d’harmonie, et donc des cordes. C’est ce que je fais moi-même et ce que je préconise. (Voir l’article du 7 octobre plus bas pour la définition.)
En outre, cette présentation s’avère utile pour jouer d’une façon régulière des passages rapides en forme de gamme. Sans la pronation, on risque d’obtenir un effet de boîtement dû au fait que l’index et le majeur ne sont pas de la même longeur.
Posted on November 5th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
The left hand has many more forms, shapes and presentations to acquire than the right hand, so to speak of a single approach would be a mistake. However, it is interesting to find that regardless of chord shape (whether fingers cover 1, 2, 3, 4 or more frets) or whether we are playing scales, supination gives the weaker side of the hand a greater advantage. (See entry for October 7 below for explanantion.)
As fingers 3 and 4 are not quite as strong as the first two fingers, you can imagine how nice it would be to have a solid back-up for them. Well, that is certainly possible with supination since this is the way to turn the hand with the palm facing upward. This automatically reinforces the weaker side of the hand, provided that supination is in constant use when needed, which is very often.
Il y a bien plus de formes et de présentations pour la main gauche que pour la main droite. Il n’est donc guère possible de parler d’une seule approche. Cependant, il est intéressant de constater que quelque soit l’exigence technique (gammes, ou accords sur 1, 2, 3, 4 ou plus frettes) la supination renforce la partie la plus faible de la main, là où se trouvent les doigts 3 et 4. (Voir l’article du 7 octobre plus bas pour la définition.)
On peut bien imaginer que ce serait agréable d’avoir une aide pour ces deux doigts. Tant que la supination est en vigeur (ce qui provoque la paume à s’orienter vers le haut) cette partie plus faible de la main se trouve automatiquement renforcée.
Posted on October 7th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
When our right forearm is rotated clockwise, the palm of our hand will face upwards in a cup like fashion, as if to receive something. The thumb is to our right and the little finger to our left. This is called “supination“. I find it easier to remember this word if I think of being able to hold some soup in my cupped hand!
In order to achieve the opposite of supination, we need to rotate in the opposite direction. Again using the right hand, we will end up with the thumb to our left and the little finger tp our right. The palm of the hand will be facing towards the floor. This is called “pronation“. (For the left arm of course, supination and pronation can be achieved by rotating the forearm counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively.)
Quand l’avant-bras droit est pivoté pour que la paume de la main regarde vers le haut, on dit que la main est en “supination“. Dans cette situation, le pouce se trouvera vers la doite et l’auriculaire vers la gauche. Je m’en souvenais en imaginant que je mets ma main en coupe pour boire de la soupe! (la soupination)
Pour obtenir l’effet contriare, on doit pivoter l’avant-bras dans le sens inverse, c.à.d., pour que le pouce droit se trouve côté gauche, l’auriculaire côté droit. La paume se trouvera alors face au sol. Cestte situation se nomme “pronation“. (Bien entendu, si on travaille avec la main gauche, les rotations se feront dans les sens opposées.)
It is interesting to note that humans are some of the very few primates that can perform pronation and supination of the forearm and hand. (Please see entry of November 5 above for an explanation of how these mechanisms operate to improve our guitar technique.)
Il est intèressant de constater que l’être humain est l’un des rares primates capables de réaliser la supination et la pronation de l’avant-bras. (Veuillez vous reporter à l’entrée du 5 novembre plus haut pour comprendre comment ces mécanismes nous permetent de mieux jouer de la guitare.)
Posted on October 1st, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
What is a rest stroke? I always ask new students this, and the answers show that the concept is not very clear to them. But there is one aspect that is always present: the finger lands on the adjacent string. Therefore, of course, the fingers cannot perform a rest stroke on the 6th string, just as the thumb cannot do so on the 1st string!
What happens after that? I then ask. Here there is less consensus. “Nothing”, “The finger then relaxes”, “The finger lifts up”, “I don’t know”, “It depends”, and so on.
When does the finger return to its starting place? “When we need to use it again!”, “A little bit after the stroke”, “Quite quickly”, “Who cares?” There seems to be no concept or idea about what would be the best mechanical condition, the one that can enhance musical performance.
Why does the finger land on the adjacent string? “For a better sound?”, “Because I was taught like that”, “Otherwise it would be a free stroke”, “Why not?”. We can’t define a stroke by what happens after it has produced the sound, but rather by how it is prepared and how it is meant to end. Differences here can produce remarkably different results.
What about making the same beautiful sound when playing chords and arpeggios? Now we are getting into deep territory. And is the free stroke the necessary alternative to the rest stroke? We need to know that there are more than two strokes in classical guitar playing. As the motorcycle ad goes: “different strokes for different folks”.
This is going to be the subject of my new book. If some readers may be surprised when I say that I do not use the rest stroke, most will certainly be shocked to learn that I do not use the free stroke either!
Posted on July 9th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Lorsqu’on joue sur trois cordes voisines avec les doigts i-m-a, une manière très efficace de produir un son uni serait de les faire travailler comme si ces 3 doigts formaient “un seul et gros doigt”. On fait cela en joignant lateralement les doigts qui se touchent et forment ainsi une unité. Pour mettre en valeur l’une des trois notes jouées, il suffirait de faire “ressortir” (en allongeant) le doigt correspondant, mais toujours en maintenant le contact latéral entre eux.
When i-m-a are used on three adjacent strings, a very efficient way of producing a unified sound is through lateral contact between the fingers, moving them as if they were one big finger. This contact will help them work together. And if you want one note to be highlighted, all you need to do is to “bring out” (by lengthening) the corresponding finger, while continuing to have the lateral contact.
Posted on June 30th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Once you have memorized a piece, you can listen better to the music by closing your eyes and playing. Let your ears and muscle souvenirs guide you on the fingerboard. Start with a small section, gradually enlarging it until you can play the whole piece with eyes closed. If at first it feels like you’re on a bridge that may collapse, little by little, you will realize that the bridge is very firm, and you can travel on it confidently.
Une fois une pièce apprise par coeur, tu pourras mieux entendre et donc guider la musique si tu arrives à la jouer aux yeux fermés. Laisse que tes oreilles et ta mémoire musculaire te guident. Commence d’abord par une petite sélection, en l’agrandissant peu à peu. Si au début tu as l’impression que tu marchais sur un pont peu fiable, petit à petit tu te rendras compte que le pont est solide et que tu peux l’emprunter sans crainte.
Posted on June 19th, 2007.
This post was written by Jad Azkoul.
Let’s consider the controversial subject of the “rest stroke”. This is a stroke that some people use every time the opportunity permits, and that others avoid like the plague.
Here is an email I got from a guitarist:
I have this problem which I needed to share it with you hoping that you can somehow assist me with. For about a year my ability of using my right hand third finger decreased gradually. There is no pain only when I push so hard hopelessly. There is no numbness or tingling but it’s weak.
I had a very steady bright rest stroke and fairly fast but not anymore I am using the i & a instead of i & m. I was told that this problem with the middle finger is common among the classical guitarist but what I don’t know how to restore my finger speed and strength back again?
How can you help me? Is there any particular exercise that I can follow or some sort of physiotherapy?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Here was my reply:
I am sorry to hear that you are having a problem with your right hand. It is a rather common one for classical guitarists who use the rest stroke and free stroke in the traditional manner. It is difficult to help you by email, but I will give you some thoughts about it.
The rest stroke is usually made by striking the string rather strongly and using the neighboring string as the way to stop the finger. When this is done repeatedly over many years, the equally important mechanism in the hand for stopping the finger’s movement is almost never used. Each finger, in fact each articulation (wrist, arm, etc) has a flexing and an extending tendon. Most guitarists use the rest stroke in the most simplistic way, i.e. by using only the contacting tendon, and rarely the flexing tendon. You are a victim of the repeated strain injury (RSI) which comes from repeated movement of the same element. It can be fixed, but it takes “re-educating” the finger and the hand. You have to approach guitar playing in a different, and perhaps a totally new way for the right hand. If you are lucky, the situation may not get worse, but it will probably not improve either. Some guitarists have had to give up playing altogether.
I hope this advice is useful.