Week 3 · 12 min
Keep the melodic colour in Endecha
By the end, you can sustain the melodic line through a string change.
Before this lesson
Lesson steps
1 Near the sound hole
Play the first bar near the sound hole with i and m.
3 min · 44 bpm · 1 note per click
Check for · 2 bars at 52 BPM — All four notes have a similar colour across both fingers.
More detail
Keep the string and tempo unchanged when comparing this sound with the sound near the bridge.
2 The D beneath the melody
Tune string 6 to D and let it ring throughout the first bar of the excerpt.
3 min · 44 bpm · 1 note per click
Check for · 2 bars at 52 BPM — D is audible below the three melody attacks in bar 3.
More detail
The melody is on string 3. The bass and the first melody note start together.
3 One colour across several strings
Connect bars 3 and 4 while silently singing the upper voice.
3 min · 44 bpm · 1 note per click
Revisit the tablature · Step 2
Check for · 2 bars at 52 BPM — The melody stays clear as it moves from string 3 to strings 2 and 1.
More detail
In bar 4 carry the same intention across the three notes on string 2 and the last note on string 1.
4 One colour across several strings
Connect bars 3 and 4 while silently singing the upper voice.
3 min · 48 bpm · 1 note per click
Revisit the tablature · Step 2
Check for · 4 bars at 56 BPM — The melody stays clear as it moves from string 3 to strings 2 and 1.
More detail
In bar 4 carry the same intention across the three notes on string 2 and the last note on string 1.
You can move on when…
You pass when, over 4 bars at 56 BPM, the melody stays clear as it moves from string 3 to strings 2 and 1.
If a movement feels difficult
The crescendo speeds up.
Keep the three eighth notes evenly spaced through the ascent.
The bass masks the peak.
Replay the peak with a lighter bass.
What to practise next
Sources
- Werner — Tone production
- McAllister / Siccas — Filing your nails
- Sage Music — Nail shaping
- Classical Guitar Corner — 7 exercises
- Werner — Right-hand planting
- Tárrega — Endecha y Oremus, Alier 5520; Gaylord Music Library, public domain
- Bradford Werner — Right Hand Position Lesson
- Classical Guitar Corner — Dynamics on the Classical Guitar
- Classical Guitar Corner — Rubato in Classical Guitar Music
- Fernando Sor — 24 exercices très faciles, op. 35 nº 2, Boije 481, p. 2