GUITAR TIPS FROM CLIVE DAVIES
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| Thinking with my fingers... I'm Thinking with my fingers on the keyboard of my computer...
Just letting the words flow...
I can do this on the fingerboard of my guitar.
I allow my fingers to lead the flow of notes- intuitively.
Free flowing notes- no thought required, just allow the fingers to find their own way...
The fingers of both hands that is!
-Searching for 'patterns' - a repetitive series of notes...
It could start in a stuttering, floundering, groping fashion...
And this pattern could be on a single string, or over many strings...
I am seeking an interesting musical phrase...
The fingers of both my hands become comfortable with repetitive playing of the new pattern..
Once I'm comfortable with the left hand pattern I aways repeat the same fingering for the fretted notes whenever, or wherever I play this pattern...
The right hand fingering may take some further experiment before it too settles into familiar repetition...
I move the position up (or down) the fingerboard- one fret- or more at a time.
I may try moving the pattern in bigger or smaller fret leaps...while listening to the different notes that are produced.
Perhaps even move it from string to string...
In doing this, I am creating my own style of music on the guitar! * * * |
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FINGERSTYLE / CLASSICAL GUITAR ‘FINE PLAYING’
IS MAINLY ABOUT RIGHT HAND TECHNIQUE.
REPETITIOUS R.H. a m i IN BOTH TREMOLO AND ARPEGGIO PLAYING
CAN BE VERY TIRING.
SO, OVER THE YEARS I HAVE DEVISED SOME RIGHT HAND EXERCISES
WHICH I CAN PRACTICE- AT MY CONVENIENCE-
WITHOUT THE GUITAR!
THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES WILL BUILD UP ‘FINGER FITNESS’
AND ASSIST TIMING.
1) SURFACE TAPPING;
Find a resonant surface (a table top, or any hard surface) to tap a continuous a m i tremolo.
To avoid ‘galloping’ (grouping in threes) -count to eight;
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
a m i a m i a m
Start slowly and keep a regular beat.
It will take a long time for it to become comfortable!
Only then should you progressively begin to speed up!
*LOUD FINGER TAPPING IS OFTEN ANTI-SOCIAL
(-EVEN REGARDED AS A SIGN OF NERVOUSNESS!)
SO, WHEN I NEED TO PRACTICE MORE SOFTLY
THIS IS MY QUIET ALTERNATIVE;
2) SURFACE TAPPING VARIATION;
‘Slap’ a continuous a m i tremolo, counting as above,
onto your L.H. knuckles!
Make a fist of your left hand, and ‘slap’ the length of your R.H. a m i fingers
down the hollows between your L.H. fingers- (from knuckle to second joint.)
Each finger should produce an audible ‘slap’!
3) RASGUADO PRACTICE;
Use your left hand fingers ‘spread out’ in a fan shape- to function as the guitar strings!
Begin a simple Rasguado strum -where the R.H. little finger leads
-and the ami fingers follow one after the other!
All rasguado work, including the continuous roll and rumba strums,
can be practiced using this technique- which is always convenient,
and very friendly to your nails!
*I constantly practice these exercises- I have done for many years
-whenever and wherever I can- and I don’t need a guitar to do them!
I have never studied Flamenco, but my flamenco-ish (flamenco-esque?) rasguado playing, rumba strums and a m i a trills, would never, I’m sure, have become so fluid without using these exercises.
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