The Bible of Classical Guitar Technique

Preface; Introductory Words by Aniello Desiderio; Suggestions for Using this Technique Handbook; Part One: Prerequisites and Basics; I. Short Introduction to Systematic Practicing; Prerequisites; Organizing Your Practicing; Practice Objectives; On Practicing Technique; On Sound, Rhythm and Tempo While Practicing; Motivation; Practicing with a Metronome; The Importance of Playing from Memory While Practicing; On the Frequent Repetition of Difficult Passages, Single Measures or Phrases; II. Holding the Instrument; The Four Points of Contact on the Body; The Correct Angle Towards the Body; Alternate Ways to Hold the Guitar; The Fusion of Body and Guitar into a Single Sound Source; III. Left Hand Posture (LH); Four Universal Rules; The Principles of the Four Hand Shapes; Different Positions of the Left Arm-Hand-Finger System, Clarified by the Fourth Hand Shape; The Positioning of the Fingertips; IV. Short Outline of the Movements of the Left Hand (LH); The Shoulder-Arm-Hand System; The Motion of the Arm; Basic Motions of the Fingers; Intonation and Finger Pressure; Left Hand Shift; Stretching and Contracting the Fingers; Ascending and Descending Slurs; Barre; Vibrato; V. Right Hand Posture (RH); Posture; Base Finger Joint Position Relative to the Strings; VI. Tone Production and a Short Outline of the Movements of the Right Hand (RH); Introduction; Nail Shape; Nail Length; Nail Shape of the Playing Finger; Polishing the Nails; Playing Angle of the RH; A System of Springs; Tirando: Sequence of Motions; Apoyando: Sequence of Motions; Sequence of Motions when Alternating Strokes (m-i and a-m-i); Thumb Attack: Sequence of Motions; Tonal Colors and Point of Contact; Playing Chords (Several Notes Simultaneously): Sequence of Motions; Arpeggios: Sequence of Motions; Part Two: Technical Exercises; I. Arpeggios; The Practicing Units 48; Endurance, Evenness and Speed; Arpeggio Practicing Methods; 1. Variable String Assignments of p-i-m-a; 2. Impulse and Reflex Development; 3. Practicing with Fixed Fingers (RH); Chord Progressions and LH Patterns; Arpeggio Practicing Units; A1 The 6 Basic Arpeggios; A2 6 Basic Arpeggios Expanded to 24; A3 Arpeggios with p-m-i, p-m-a, p-i-a; A4 Alternating Various Arpeggio Patterns; A5 12 Basic Arpeggios with Simultaneous Thumb Attacks; A6 12 Basic Arpeggios with Polyrhythms; A7 Arpeggios with p-i, p-m and p-a; A8 Important Two-Part Arpeggios; A9 The 12 Basic Arpeggios on Three Strings; A10 36 Six Note Arpeggios; A11 24 Eight Note Arpeggios; A12 Variations of the 12 Basic Arpeggios on Three Strings; A13 Arpeggios with Thumb Accompaniment; A14 Various Arpeggio Patterns; A15 12 Basic Arpeggios as Quintuplets; A16 Arpeggios with Two to Eight Note Groupings; A17 112 Arpeggios on the 2nd and 3rd Treble Strings; A18 Basic Arpeggios with Difficult String Crossings; A19 Playing Chords with Arpeggios and Repeated Notes; A20 One Finger Arpeggios over Several Strings; A21 Arpeggios with Thumb Accompaniment to Strengthen Your Attack; Intensive Training of Important Arpeggios; A22 Intensive: The Classic Arpeggio Pattern p-i-m; A23 Intensive: The Classic Arpeggio Pattern p-i-m-a; II. Coordination of the Left and Right Hands; Speed and String Crossing Exercises in the Right Hand; Speed Exercises with Repeating Rhythms on a Single String; Speed Exercises; String Crossing Exercises; Synchronization of Your Left and Right Hands - Exercises Using 2 Fingers from Each; Chromatic Triplet Exercises over All Strings; Synchronization Exercises While Changing Strings; Synchronization of 3 Fingers of the LH / 2 and 3 Fingers of the RH; Synchronization of 4 Fingers of the LH / 2 and 3 Fingers of the RH (24 Permutations); Synchronization of 4 Fingers of Both the Left and Right Hands (8 Note Permutation); Intensive Training of the Chromatic Permutations 1 2 3 4 and 4 3 2 1; Various Coordination Exercises; III. Scales in All Keys; Preparatory Studies for Scales and Runs; Scales over Two and Three Octaves in the Circle of Fifths and Fourths; Five Short Exercises for Major and Minor Scales; Applied Practicing Methods for Scales; 1. RH Patterns, 2. Repetitions, 3. Rhythms; 4. Accents, 5. Articulation 6. Dynamics; Examples for Practicing Single Scales and Runs; Scales in Triplets; Scales in Triplets with Three Finger Alternating Patterns a-m-i and p-m-i; Scale Practicing Models in the Circle of Fifths; 1. 24 Scales with Alternating Finger Patterns; 2. 24 Scales with Repetitions; 3. Using a-m-i and p-m-i in Four Note Groups; 4. The Practicing Model of the 12 Basic Arpeggios (Excluding the Thumb); Practicing an Original Run Chosen from the Repertoire; IV. Ascending and Descending Slurs in the Left Hand; Immediately Changing from the Treble to the Bass Strings; Slurs with Two Fingers; Ascending Two Note Slurs; Descending Two Note Slurs; Combining Ascending and Descending Slurs; Two Note Slurs as Triplets; Complex Two Note Slurs as Triplets; Ascending Two Note Slurs While Crossing Strings; Descending Two Note Slurs While Crossing Strings; Two Note Slurs as Triplets While Crossing Strings; Two Note Slur Combinations While Crossing Strings; Two Note Slur Combinations as Triplets While Changing Strings; Slurs with Three Fingers; Group 1 Diatonic - Triplet Slurs; Group 2 Diatonic - Triplet Slurs; Groups 3 and 4 Chromatic - Triplet Slurs; Slurs with Three Fingers Divided into Four Note Groups; Combining Two and Three Note Slur Combinations; Ascending Slurs with Three Fingers While Crossing Strings; Ascending and Descending Slurs with Open Strings; Slurs with Two Fingers and an Open String; Slurs with Three Fingers and an Open String; Ascending and Descending Slurs as an Embellishment; Short and Intensive Slur Exercises; Scales with Slurs; Chromatic Scales with Slurs; Slurs with Fixed Fingers; Slurs with Fixed Fingers / With and Without Open Strings; Two Note Slurs with Triplets and a Second Part; LH Trill Exercises and Embellishments; Slur Exercise Taken from the Guitar Repertoire Tarrega, Variations on Paganini's "Carnival of Venice¿; V. Tremolo; General Practicing Methods; Preparatory Exercises with a-m-i; Tremolo Exercises on One String; Tremolo Exercises Coordinated with LH Exercises; Tremolo Exercises on Various Strings; VI. Flamenco Techniques; Rasgueado Technique; Rasgueado with One, Three and Four Fingers; Rasgueado with Thumb and Fingers; Pulgar Technique - The Special Thumb Technique in Flamenco; VII. Supplementary Technical Exercises for the Left Hand; Shift Position Exercises; Preparatory Shift Exercises; Shifts Resulting from Finger Motion; Direct Shift Exercises; Indirect Shift Exercises; Chromatic Scale on a Single String; Left Hand Independence Exercises; Exercises for Leaving the Fingers on the Strings; 12 Independence Exercises on Two Strings; Four Examples for Practicing; Independence Exercises for the Left Hand on Two Strings (Alternating Two Fingers); Rhythmic Variations on Exercise 15 ("Two Against Three¿); Strength and Independence Exercises; Barre Exercises; Barre Exercises According to Llobet; Stretching Exercises for the LH 2Es Thirds, Sixths, Octaves and Compound Thirds; VIII. Additional Technical Exercises for the Right Hand; Tirando and Apoyando Exercises; Tirando Arpeggios Alternating with Apoyando on Two Strings; Tirando Arpeggios Alternating with Repeated Notes in Apoyando; Alternating Tirando and Apoyando; Thumb Exercises; Aguado Study; Simultaneous Attaking and Muting with the Thumb; Coste Study op. 38, No. 23; Exercises to Help Avoid Nail Noise; Pizzicato Exercises; Pizzicato Exercise with Thumb and Index Finger; Pizzicato Exercise with Thumb, Index and Middle Fingers (Three Part); Harmonics Exercises; Natural Harmonics; Artificial Harmonics; Alternating Exercises with the Pinky and i-m-a; Alternating Exercises with Fixed RH Fingers; IX. Practicing Playing Fast; Speed and Relaxation; Practicing Playing Fast with the Right Hand; Pure Reflex Development with Double Dotted Rhythms; Achieving Speed by Playing with the Outside of the Nail; LH Fingers "Sloppily¿ Placed on Purpose (Without Pressure); Taregga Exercise No. 7; X. Exercises for Perfecting Musical Expression; Vibrato Technique; Sequence of Motions for Vibrato in the Left Hand; Rhythmic Vibrato Exercises; Exercises for Developing the Flexibility of Hand and Fingers; Vibrato Exercises with Two or More Fingers; Vibrato Exercises with Barre; Exercises for Practicing Dynamics; Developing a Broader Dynamic Range; Exercises for Fine Tuning Dynamics; Carcassi Etude op. 60, No. 2 in A Minor; J.S. Bach: Four Part Chorale "Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende¿; Anton Diabelli: Sonata in C Major, Andante sostenuto, 14 Bars; Exercises at Different Dynamic Levels in Two-Part Harmony; The Arpeggiated Chord (Rolled) in a Polyphonic Chord; The Elastic Wrist Attack in Dolce Cantabile Playing; Part Three: Important Topics; I. Fingering Technique; Fingering and Interpretation; Left Hand Fingerings; 1. Tension and Release; 2. Incorporating Harmonic Reasoning when Developing LH Fingerings; 3. How to Use an Open String; 4. The Open String in Scales; 5. Analogous Fingerings; 6. Jumping with One Finger; 7. Special Issues with Fingerings Including Slurs; 8. Shifting by Contracting 1 and 4; Right Hand Fingerings; 1. Basic Fingering Rules for the Fingers of the Right Hand when Crossing Strings; 2. Special Issues Regarding RH Fingerings on the Bass Strings; 3. The Patterns p-m-i, a-m-i and p-a-m-i; 4. Arpeggio Patterns Applied to Scales; 5. Repeated Notes with a Single RH Finger; 6. Combining Different RH Arpeggio Patterns; 7. Using a-i on Neighboring Strings; 8. Special Issues when Using RH Fingerings in a Musical Context; II. Tuning the Guitar; Simple Tuning by Comparing Neighboring Strings; Tuning Using Harmonics and Octaves as an Aid; III. Playing from Memory - Memory and Mental Training; Playing from Memory; Memory Training; Associating Different Areas of Memory; Different Memory Training Methods; Mental Training; IV. Stage Fright and Fear of Performing; V. Technical Practice Guides for Daily Practicing; Short Technical Practice Guide - about 45 Minutes; Compact Technical Practice Guide - about 90 Minutes; Intensive Technical Practice Guide - about 3 Hours; TIP Directory; Bibliography