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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2004.0. "Tremolos on a classical Guitar." by NSDC::PERTOSO (Marco Pertoso, Nsdc, Switzerland) Mon Oct 22 1990 14:21

Hello,

Can someone tell me what is the technique to play/learn tremolos on a classical 
guitar ? 

I was told that the worst is to avoid the "galloping sound" of the tremolo.

Thanks for the advices.

Cheers, 
Marco.

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2004.1I recommend...ZYDECO::MCABEELearning the First Noble TruthMon Oct 22 1990 16:4718
The "galloping sound" is the sound of notes not evenly spaced - a result of 
bad practice.  Like nearly everything else, you should start off slowly, 
keeping the notes evenly spaced.  Do this even if it means playing at what 
sounds like an absurdly slow tempo.  Increase the tempo regularly, but never 
play it faster than you can do it "perfectly".  

This slow practice has the added benefit of lettng you really pay attention to 
the tone quality of the individual notes.  Use this time to work out the 
subtle details of the attack with i, m and a.

Spend as much time tremming on the 2nd and 3rd strings as on the 1st.  

Laurindo Almeida does his tremolo with only three fingers (pim).  I don't think 
this flows very well.  Most people use pima.

Hope this helps.

Bob
2004.2ICS::CONROYWed Oct 24 1990 15:4425
    
    I agree that you need to start slow and practice with a metronome,
    but it may take a long time before you can do this very fast and
    accurately with notes evenly spaced. Not to be discouraging, but
    do you want to spend all that time on a technique that is used
    in just a few places? There's lot's of great guitar music that
    doesn't require tremelo and very little that does.
    
    (My answer though is, yes, it is worth the time to do right. Just
    be vewy, vewy patient)
    
    One other point, all the methods, articles, teachers, I've seen or
    talked to etc. say to use  p-a-m-i as the fingering. 
    That's thumb, ring, middle, and index.
    
    I would also recommend using sections of a piece of music to practice
    from, "Recuerdos..." is the best known one.
    
    There was a recent guitar player article on tremelo. I'll look it
    up and see if there's any other suggestions there. Hope this helps.
    
    Cheers,
    Bob
    
    
2004.3LARVAE::BRIGGSThey use computers don't they?Thu Oct 25 1990 14:2614
    
    What IS tremelo on a classical guitar?
    
    Are we talking about the tremelo effect obtained by playing the same
    note repeatedly very fast (as in Recuerdos de la whatever..) or the
    type of tremelo (or vibrato?) obtained by bending or tensioning
    (varying finger pressure)?
    
    Does tremelo in the classical world mean something different to that in
    the rock world (where I believe what is generally referred to as 
    tremelo is in fact vibrato?).
    
    Confused of Basingstoke, UK
    Richard
2004.4ICS::CONROYThu Oct 25 1990 15:358
    
    That's it. It's playing the same note very fast. Vibrato is
    as you said, moving the fretting finger to alter the note
    slightly.
    
    Technically the classical guitar doesn't really have a tremelo
    if you want to be nit-picky about it. It's supposed to be like
    the fast brushing of the bow on a violin, etc.
2004.5ZYDECO::MCABEELearning the First Noble TruthMon Oct 29 1990 13:364
I think it's really a bit of flamenco technique that migrated to the classical
world.

Some  people pick it up pretty quickly, others never catch on.
2004.6TRY A BOOK BY SEGOVIABALMER::BEYZAVIWed Oct 31 1990 17:294
    Segovia (god rest his sole) wrote a book on tremolo.  The book is
    about five pages, it expalin the art of playing tremolo on a step
    by step method.  I followed through the book, it gave me a good
    foundation to play tremolo on classical or flamenco guitar.
2004.7BSS::COLLUMOscar's only ostrich oiled an orange owl todayThu Nov 01 1990 13:216
    I'm rolling!!!  "Sole" is the bottom of your shoe.  Don't you mean
    soul?
    
    Hilariously, but understandingly yours,
    
    Will