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Post by creamburmese on Oct 10, 2017 17:36:47 GMT
Hi there - it sounds like you have the typical sound that Alison mentions from striking the bass (wound) strings at an angle and the nail or thumb? scraping over the windings... I'm not sure it's a function of a too short nail - most classical guitarists have a very long thumbnail to enable them to reach the string while the hand/wrist is in the typical slightly arched position. It's more likely to be because you are using acoustic technique with a flat wrist. Classical guitarists aim for first contact with the string with both flesh and nail together, thus muting any "click" from the nail, and the string then slides along and off the nail smoothly... in the classical position the thumb attack is pretty much perpendicular to the string, so it doesn't move along the string - so no extraneous noise - in contrast, when the fingers are used to pluck the bass strings, they are usually at an angle and they do sweep along the string and produce that scrapy sound such as you describe. Good classic players actually turn their hand to be more perpendicular to the string when plucking the bass strings with fingers to avoid that noise. Needless to say I am not a good player. Anyway try arching the wrist slightly so that the thumb doesn't move along the string when it plucks and tell us if it works! ... here is more info right hand positionJulie
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 19, 2017 20:48:43 GMT
Thanks Mark... now there's an idea for a new topic... memorizing pieces by visualization (something I have totally failed to master)! Julie
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 18, 2017 20:35:01 GMT
Hi all I've got a new wrinkle on my BLOG about learning guitar - my teacher created a video and list of tips for successful shifting. As this might be useful to others, I'm posting the link here... what should we think about when shifting? Hope you find it helpful! Julie
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 11, 2017 19:21:37 GMT
I have a related story - I thought I was doing all the right things - my tennis elbow was correctly diagnosed, and I went to a physical therapist who specialized in musical instrument injuries. All very gentle and careful - lots of exercises and instructions on warming up, taking breaks and stretching. I was given strict instructions not to do anything to stress it out - no reaching for objects, lifting heavy things, etc. Although weights were mentioned, I never got round to doing them because the PT told me NOT to do anything that aggravated it, and doing the weights hurt! Anyway my arm improved quite a lot, but then I re-injured it when I went back to practicing. Got a second ortho opinion - yes it's still tennis elbow. Got it injected with minimal improvement. Stopped playing for a month or two but on starting again, same problem. Although I could play the guitar, it was very stiff and sore when I "took it down" off the guitar and just the thought of reaching for something (like a case off an overhead in an airplane) made me wince. Then I spoke to a couple of experienced guitarists (one of them a pro) who had had the same problem - turns out the weights (or twisting exercises with a solid rubber tube) were what fixed it for them. Having tried everything else I started to do the exercises even though it hurt quite a lot. Yes, I was told, it would hurt initially. Well 5 and a half weeks later, my arm is 95% better, much stronger, I no longer feel the need to protect it and I'm back to practicing again.
However, I now warm up, I take breaks, I stretch, and I'm working on all the technique things that Dawkins mentions above. So I guess the moral of the story in both cases is that you have to have not only the correct diagnosis but also the right treatment. Although it seems to me that a good PT is often better at figuring out how to treat musculoskeletal injuries than the physician, ( I had a physician once inject what turned out to be a frozen shoulder telling me it was just pain - the PT diagnosed and cured it), in this case I think the PT actually hindered my recovery - if she hadn't been so cautious (and perhaps practicing "defensive therapy") I would have done the weights sooner and probably never re-injured it.
Best thing is to pay attention to all the good advice about practice habits before getting injured!
Julie
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Post by creamburmese on Jul 31, 2017 19:50:49 GMT
Sounds very jazzy to me! Definitely worth a try - just have to remember those notes on the scale,,,,
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Post by creamburmese on Jun 30, 2017 17:36:36 GMT
I think this is one of the best-suited Bach pieces to classical guitar - a gorgeous melody supported by harmony underneath... over 6 million views on Per Olov's rendition on youtube. I have to say I really like your arrangement - though simpler it loses none of the impact... definitely amazing!
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Post by creamburmese on Jun 23, 2017 22:34:39 GMT
Good luck with this Mark! I'm sure as Alison will tell you - to develop an authentic 'even" rasgueado takes work - starting with building up your extensor muscles, which are rarely used in regular guitar playing. My G teacher has me just doing simple up down strums on each finger, followed by alternating finger strums (at increasing speed and regular tempo) as a means to work the extensors - but I have noticed that where I couldn't even begin to approach a rasgueado pattern due to my fingers not being capable - after several months these kind of actions are now doable at a slow tempo at any rate. Keep us posted! Julie
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Post by creamburmese on Jun 5, 2017 20:09:33 GMT
Coincidentally I just watched the documentary "Sergeant Pepper's Musical Revolution" playing over here on NPR on Sunday. In the documentary they deconstructed the songs and explained how they got the special effects - like playing 9 pianos/keyboards at once, or physically cutting up and repasting harmonium play sheets randomly to get the musical atmosphere of a fairground roundabout. It was fascinating. And this when they were limited to 4 tracks - so had to record the first 4 tracks, combine them into one, then use that as the first track of another 4 track recording. I now hear this album with much more appreciative ears. If you haven't already seen it, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
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Post by creamburmese on Jun 5, 2017 19:58:24 GMT
Wow! Can't wait to hear you play it (and post to the forum )
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Post by creamburmese on May 9, 2017 13:27:03 GMT
Maybe you could post some pictures? I'm having a hard time visualizing what might be the best approach. I would comment that the hand position for playing classical guitars with the neck up is essentially perpendicular to the fretboard - there's no way you could reach the stretches using the angled position favored by steel string players. My guess is if you were able to use the classical hand position your stretch issues might go away, although it feels really weird when you first do it. Incidentally you might check out the positions of Scott Tennant and Michael Chapdelaine - they are internationally known classical guitarists (although Chapdelaine does steel string mostly these days) who have modified the classical position substantially to accommodate physical issues.
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Post by creamburmese on May 5, 2017 19:14:19 GMT
I was just about to say 'hold your derision" and suggest the classical position. Where, I might add, bending the wrist is not highly thought of - although practicing was what did my elbow in, my wrist is perfectly fine!
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Post by creamburmese on May 4, 2017 0:24:18 GMT
My guitar teacher does something called a "laptop tour" - he's done recordings (with and without an audience) in such places as a cidery (is there such a thing? - like a winery only for cider) - a music room full of exotic instruments, - an eclectic "performance space" he streamed as least some of them live --- not quite the same thing but it might give you ideas laptop tourJulie
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Post by creamburmese on Apr 22, 2017 13:35:00 GMT
I don't want to comment on the desire or advisability of buying a 20,000 something guitar - (though it exceeds the amount I am prepared to pay) but it would seem to me that first class luthiers at the top of their game should be able to make more than peanuts... I'd be interested to see the actual hourly rate of a maker of hand built guitars after paying for materials, shop, equipment, insurance etc. I've been in touch with a Canadian luthier about a guitar - seems he builds 3 or 4 at a time with a build time of 3 months - optimistically that's 12-16 guitars a year. How much do those have to sell for for the luthier to make more than a minimum wage? Although I'm an avid Amazon user, so far as local crafts go, I'm prepared to pay over the odds to support them. It would be a shame if all we were left with was affordable factory built options...
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Post by creamburmese on Apr 17, 2017 20:03:08 GMT
I've had a regular Hiscox for several years, but for me it was too heavy to cart around and no backpack straps, so I was using one of those expanded polystyrene cases which although it was light and easy to carry was a poor choice given the investment in the guitar. So I bit the bullet and got a Visesnut for Christmas - the big attraction was the lightness combined with support and backpack straps. At the time I was carting my guitar (plus music stand, music, gear) around several times a week and it is really great to just put it on my back and go. And the adjustable straps do work - the 2 guitars I use regularly are different sizes and both sit snugly in there. I don't really see a downside to the soft cover inside - it doesn't move with the guitar neck on top of it and i've never had anything escape. However there is a downside - due to the shape of the case, there isn't room for my only moderately bulky guitar support in that little compartment... The visesnut also has a case cover, which points up the other minor annoyances. The case I have is the "silvery" version and it scratches up quite readily - probably if I had got a plain one it would not have been an issue. And of course a true musician does not have a pristine case (!) However to alleviate this and prevent too much battering you can get a lightly padded case cover. It fits pretty tight and has to be unzipped all the way round before you can open up the case which is a bit of a pain, and it's not that easy to take on and off if you're using the backpack straps because the straps have to be unhooked and threaded through the cover and then attached using those little rings where you have to screw a piece over the joint. Very tedious. I fixed that problem by buying some heavy duty snap clips from the hardware store, but I would still only be inclined to use the case cover if I'm taking it on an airplane and it might be checked. Those concerns aside I'm still very happy with the case and would buy it again (though I would get a solid dark color for the aforementioned reasons). I have had the same problem with the latches on my Hiscox case as Keith - they seem to bend very easily so even though they look substantial they don't hold up too well. Maybe they are better on the Artist though - mine is only a lightflight. Strength test visesnut
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Post by creamburmese on Apr 7, 2017 14:35:49 GMT
Delightful (location and playing)!
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