After 18 months of learning classical guitar

**samoiedo** · 01-23-2022, 08:11 AM

My interpretation of Romanza - Yannis Yakoumakis...

I'd like to know your opinion...

**Tal_175** · 01-23-2022, 11:27 AM

There is a lot of maturity in your playing for having played for only 18 months.

**samoiedo** · 01-23-2022, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

There is a lot of maturity in your playing for having played for only 18 months.

Thanks! I have one online class a week and I play everyday...

**vintagelove** · 01-23-2022, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by samoiedo

My interpretation of Romanza - Yannis Yakoumakis...

I'd like to know your opinion...

Hello and great work so far. One exercise you may find beneficial is something I call "block chord" technique. Try going through the piece, but only playing the significant chord grips. There is a small hesitation in some of your changes, that exercise will surely help in that regard. Just repeat tough sections thoroughly in a relaxed manner.

Good luck!!!

**samoiedo** · 01-23-2022, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by vintagelove

Hello and great work so far. One exercise you may find beneficial is something I call "block chord" technique. Try going through the piece, but only playing the significant chord grips. There is a small hesitation in some of your changes, that exercise will surely help in that regard. Just repeat tough sections thoroughly in a relaxed manner.

Good luck!!!

Thanks for your advice. I wiil practice applying this technique.

**Michael Neverisky** · 01-23-2022, 07:03 PM

Nice work, great progress for 18 months!

Addressing the hesitation mentioned above, and a general approach to smoothing the melody line, my suggestion is to not play block chords. That is, don't concern yourself with placing down all the fingers of the left hand at once. In this piece, the melody note sounds before the accompaniment arpeggio is played. In some instances you have a brief moment after the melody to get the next finger of the left hand in position before plucking the string.

**vintagelove** · 01-24-2022, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky

Nice work, great progress for 18 months!

Addressing the hesitation mentioned above, and a general approach to smoothing the melody line, my suggestion is to not play block chords. That is, don't concern yourself with placing down all the fingers of the left hand at once. In this piece, the melody note sounds before the accompaniment arpeggio is played. In some instances you have a brief moment after the melody to get the next finger of the left hand in position before plucking the string.

Hi, that's not the purpose of the technique I advised him. To be clear, it's an exercise developed to improve not only the confidence and muscle memory in switching between chords, but to move confidently through the whole harmonic structure of the piece (or part of a piece). It is specifically focused on removing the hesitation and lack of confidence between changes. It's not how the piece is to be played, it's a practice tool.

Hope that clears it up.

**Jonah** · 01-24-2022, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by samoiedo

I'd like to know your opinion...

I do that only because you ask))

I always admire aspiring adult students - I would have never got into it myself)
You are musical by nature - I think it is the most important think, the rest will come with work.

Your 'hezitation moments' seem to be just 'forgetting what's next'.
Guitar is complex - many things going at a time.
One of the ways to overcome it is to connect them and practice separately, focusing on the thing that follows. thinking a bit ahead.
And do not take your eyes of the fretboard at this level at least (seems like you arrive to the next chord - you get relaxed a bit - don't! It will be too late).

Another practical thing: watch your left elbow, it may serve you a good service with years... it should be relaxed and hanging down like a pendilum.

Watch here even at the 1st fret they never raise an elbow a bit... (Lorenzo Micheli moves around a lot in general but it's a different thing)

**samoiedo** · 01-24-2022, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Jonah

I do that only because you ask))

I always admire aspiring adult students - I would have never got into it myself)
You are musical by nature - I think it is the most important think, the rest will come with work.

Your 'hezitation moments' seem to be just 'forgetting what's next'.
Guitar is complex - many things going at a time.
One of the ways to overcome it is to connect them and practice separately, focusing on the thing that follows. thinking a bit ahead.
And do not take your eyes of the fretboard at this level at least (seems like you arrive to the next chord - you get relaxed a bit - don't! It will be too late).

Another practical thing: watch your left elbow, it may serve you a good service with years... it should be relaxed and hanging down like a pendilum.

Watch here even at the 1st fret they never raise an elbow a bit... (Lorenzo Micheli moves around a lot in general but it's a different thing)

Thanks... It is these constructive opinions that make me improve day after day...

**ronjazz** · 01-26-2022, 11:05 AM

Invest in and use a metronome. Play your "interpretation" of Romanza starting at a tempo that allows you to play with rhythmic accuracy. You're hovering around 80 BPM (beats per minute); you will benefit from starting at 40 BPM and staying there until you can play perfectly with the metronome all the way through the piece. When you can do that, then increase the metronome speed to 45 BPM. Add 5 BPM every so often until you reach 90 BPM. This will greatly improve your control and confidence in a few weeks.

**Jonah** · 01-26-2022, 04:21 PM

I would be careful with metronome in classical studies... not to discard it, just use it with caution.
Classical time is not regular like in jazz or rock... it is much more flexible.
I would say that for some metronome would be useful - for some dizastrous.

To practice something slowly and then faster one does not need a metronome.

As for 'hesitation issue'... metronome will not help it.

But I do not deny that ronjazz suggestion may help somehow... not sure only that there will not be some things lost because of that .

I would prefer go on without it

**samoiedo** · 01-27-2022, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by ronjazz

Invest in and use a metronome. Play your "interpretation" of Romanza starting at a tempo that allows you to play with rhythmic accuracy. You're hovering around 80 BPM (beats per minute); you will benefit from starting at 40 BPM and staying there until you can play perfectly with the metronome all the way through the piece. When you can do that, then increase the metronome speed to 45 BPM. Add 5 BPM every so often until you reach 90 BPM. This will greatly improve your control and confidence in a few weeks.

I usually use a metronome in my study, although I don't use it in every piece. But I fully understand your suggestion and the benefits of using the metronome. Thanks.

**samoiedo** · 01-27-2022, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by Jonah

I would be careful with metronome in classical studies... not to discard it, just use it with caution.
Classical time is not regular like in jazz or rock... it is much more flexible.
I would say that for some metronome would be useful - for some dizastrous.

To practice something slowly and then faster one does not need a metronome.

As for 'hesitation issue'... metronome will not help it.

But I do not deny that ronjazz suggestion may help somehow... not sure only that there will not be some things lost because of that .

I would prefer go on without it

I understand your words... the metronome makes the piece play in a linear way, without romanticism. But I also realiza that it makes me slow down the way I play in order to consolidate the performance of the piece.