Estudio No. 1. Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (03:18) Lesson Introduction Lesson Goals

The guitar offers many possibilities that are not available to musicians that play other instruments. Many instruments are limited to producing a single note at a time. On guitar however, a chord progression and a melody can be played simultaneously. This enables a guitarist to play complex solo arrangements. Developing this ability requires ambitious study and practice. Throughout this series, Matt will provide you with the tools necessary to mastering this art.

In the current lesson, Matt challenges you with your first solo guitar arrangement. Mateo Carcassi's "Estudio No. 1" will put your performance, technique, and reading skills to the test. Musicality issues such as phrasing, dynamics, and interpretation are addressed. Specific techniques such as string skipping and alternate picking are also discussed.

"Estudio No. 1" features a steady melody line throughout. Chords are seldom used to harmonize the melody line. This allows you to focus your attention on performing the melody line. Before attempting to play a chord progression in conjunction with a melody, you must first master playing melodies by themselves. In the following scenes, Matt explains how to perform the melody musically.

Estudio No. 1

Countless classical guitar pieces have been arranged for electric guitar. Many jazz guitarists practice and perform these pieces as a way of developing solo guitar technique. These techniques can easily be transferred back to the jazz genre. In addition, performing these pieces adds diversity to a jazz guitarists repertoire. Carcassi's Estudio No. 1 will provide you with a brief introduction to the possibilities of solo guitar. Chapter 2: (07:55) Estudio No. 1 I. Practicing the Piece

A. Listen and Learn

Before diving into the piece, listen to Matt play through it several times. Begin to internalize the sound of the piece before you play it. Then, pick up your guitar and work through the notation.

Note: Tablature and notation to "Estudio No. 1" are listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

B. Tempo

This piece can be performed at a wide range of tempos. Typically, it is played anywhere between 104 and 168 beats per minute. However, as you begin to practice through the piece, start at a much slower tempo such as 60 or 70 beats per minute. Once you can play through the entire piece successfully at a given tempo, increase the metronome setting by one notch.

C. Technique

Use strict alternate picking throughout the entire piece. Do not deviate from this pattern regardless of string leaps. However, during the arpeggio section (mm. 29-36), consistent downstrokes can be applied. Spend significant time experimenting with both techniques to discover which works best for you. Matt prefers not to deviate from alternate picking during this section. He finds it awkward to switch to a new picking technique just for a few short measures. The downstrokes produce a slightly louder tone. Do not choose a certain picking pattern because it feels better. Use the picking pattern that sounds better.

D. Musicality Issues

When studying the melody line, you will notice that many of the measures feature wide interval leaps. To highlight this key feature, add a slight accent to the note that is leapt to. This will increase the overall musicality of your performance. Listen closely as Matt demonstrates the first four bars of this piece at 04:40. The accent he applies is rather subtle. Heavy accents will draw too much attention to the leaps in the melody.

Print out the notation provided under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Then, write in where each of these accents should be placed. Write an accent above each large melodic leap. Be careful not to miss any! Leaps do not always ascend within the melody line. Several descending leaps occur as well. These leaps appear in measures 11, 15, 18, 20, 28, and 37. Chapter 3: (02:19) Harmonizing Notes In measures 23-26, some additional harmony notes are added to the melody. Listen as Matt plays the harmony line at 01:26. The chord progression featured in these measures is a canon. Many of you are probably familiar with Pachelbel's famous canon in D major. This piece follows the same progression in the key of D instead of C.

When this part enters, it must remain smooth and connected. Each harmony note must be held for its full value. It is very easy to cut these notes short. Play the melody and the harmony line separately to hear how each individual voice should sound. Once you can play each individual part successfully, play them together. The harmony and melody notes must be struck at the exact same time. Do not slowly drag the pick through both notes.
Chapter 4: (04:36) Arpeggio Section Simplify!

The arpeggio section spans measures 29-36. It is quite difficult due to the amount of left-hand movement that occurs. At first, practice this section by strumming each chord. Hold each chord for a half note. When you can play the progression in this manner, add the right-hand pattern back in. If necessary, set the metronome to a slower tempo.

Musicality Issues

-Add a very slight accent to the highest note in each arpeggio to create the illusion of a melody line.

-The arpeggio section ends with the dominant chord G. Add a slight ritardando to the end of the section. This will highlight a transition to the final stretch of the piece.

Final Strummed Chords

In the final two measures, make sure that you hear the highest note of each chord as the melody line. Remember that the melody is always the most important part of any piece of music. As a result, it must be brought out from the harmony or highlighted in some way. To make the highest note louder, squeeze the pick more firmly as you pass through the chord. As a result, the higher notes in the chord will sound louder. Do not get sloppy and play one of the inner voices in the chord as the melody!

Preview of Next Lesson

In the following lesson, Matt covers the tune "There Is No Greater Love." He will discuss key elements of this piece such as the minor version of the ii V I progression.

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