Calling all classical guitarist!

[JohnDoe]

Hello

There dont seem to be much talk here on soft about classical guitar. So I thought I create a thread to invite all classical guitarist and whoevers interested, to talk and share anything related to classical guitar.

Let me start the ball rolling.

I've been playing the classical guitar for about 2 years now and I dont know any other classical guitarist. It can get lonely sometimes playing by yourself.
Maybe we can come together to form a duo or a quartet. Or even perform pieces that we are currently working on. I know I could work on performance anxiety.

Right now I'm working on Asturias, bach prelude of lute suite 2, piazolla's verano porteno, villa lobos etude 3 and variation of handel's theme on the blacksmith.

My favourite composer is Astor Piazolla. For those of you that have not heard of him, heres a video of one of his most famous work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUAPf_ccobc

On the guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC4SaZ9G-MY

JD

 

[lester_music]

I like classical too...

but usually I will take the score and play my style, if certain notes I don't like i will change.....my thumb always comes above the neck....hehe..

That is why I still cannot be a classical guitarist...i don't follow rules..but i love
classical music more than anything else...

also just curious since you play classical guitar, I notice many classical player I know don't play stop the bass note even when there is a chord or harmony change, is it suppose to be like that or?

 

[ruixist]

a thread for classical guitarists!! holy! my life is now perfect. hahaha.

stopped practising regularly a few years ago but now i'm trying to pick up the pace again. aiming to work on asturias as well, and overture by fernando carulli.

does anyone know good places to buy classical guitar scores?

 

[JohnDoe]

Hi lester

Some famous classical players also break the "rules" but as long as they make music, who cares. The general idea is to play as efficiently as possible. Especially in classical guitars, the 'rule' is that the thumb should stay behind the neck to make stretches easier. This is also because classical guitars have wider and thicker necks compared to electric and steel string guitars.

Regarding the muting, I'm not so sure maybe if I see the score I can help you better. Normally we mute the string if there is a rest in bass line melody, or if for instant you play A on the 5th string then play E on the 6 string right after as the A is played in open position, you would want to mute it for the E to ring clear. Sorry my explaination very.... lol

Hi ruixist

I dont know about scores as I have never payed for score before, haha. I only play free stuff. But I do have a huge collection of scores that are in public domain. If you want, I could send you.
Oh just remembered, I think tomas music at roxy square has a lot of sheet music for guitar. You can call them to ask. Just google tomas music.

Anyway what guitars are you guys using and what pieces are you working on?
Overture by fernando carulli, I have not heard that before. I'm gonna check that out.

 

[KeDraiv]

...

does anyone know good places to buy classical guitar scores?

www.imslp.org

i think they have some but usually the older ones and not the 20th centurish composers.

 

[Ivanity]

Try this site for some scores of varying levels
http://www.geocities.com/jubing/free_music.html

Music scores: There's this shop called Tomas Music Consultants at the ground level of Roxy Square II [opposite Parkway Parade] which has loads of books by various composers and compilations of varying degrees of difficulty.

Good to know there are classical guitarists in Singapore!
I'm currently using a Matsuo MH80 which is a relic, beautifully handcrafted.
I have another instrument, a Hofner HM-88 by master luthier Dieter Fischer.
http://www.classical-guitar-world.com/hofner-classical-guitar.html


JD: are you learning at a school? Or wih a private tutor?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ct1mo0CV8&feature=related

 

[lester_music]

hey john,

thks for your respond,

so that means by right they suppose to stop the ringing string when necessary right?

the problem I have is when the classical guitarist plays plucked in, the sustain is extremely long especially for low note....but they just don't bother to stop the low E when change to next root note on other strings....and this classical guitarist has a so called teacher's grade...

So I am just wondering do they teach that in school for classical?

 

[ruixist]

i think muting a string when not needed is something everyone knows, but it's kinda hard to put into practice..

 

[JohnDoe]

Hi Ivanity

Whoa. Good to see you. I've seen you on youtube before and thought thats a good guitarist that is also from Singapore. I especially liked the piece by Brouwer, a Day in November. You have very nice guitars (and a nice house), did you order them from luthiers overseas? What was the experience like? Shipping and all. And how do you maintain them? The humidity in Singapore is not very favourable for classical guitars.

Whoa I just realise you video is on that guitar site. Your famous!:mrgreen:

Anyway I used to learn from a private teacher and now I'm learning at a music school. The reason being that my first private teacher was the student of my current teacher. I'm fortunate that they are both very good teachers.

@Lester
Haha good to know that your guitar has good sustain. Its a common complain for classical guitarist that the sustain is not long enough.
Ideally the open string bass should be muted when moving on to the next bass note played on another string. I can't really say much on this because muting in classical guitar is an advance technique and I'm not really there yet. Sometimes it is exceptable to allow it to continue to ring, other times not. I'm not very sure how it is determined though.

I think in music school, its highly dependant on the teacher you study under because they don't really have a common method that they teach to all students. Maybe they learn the same songs but regarding technique it depends on teacher to teacher. However I think muting is an important skill that should be taught. Its good that you are aware of it. Maybe if you ask your guitarist friend about it he might have a good reason for not muting.

I doubt anyone who has a teacher's grade (LRSM? LTCL? Yamaha grade 5?) wouldnt know about muting. Not sure about the Yamaha grading system though but the teaching diploma from ABRSM and Trinity is VERY high standard.

 

[lester_music]

actually I do not feel that muting is an advanced technique, it should be taught right from the beginning.. to develop this habit from early stage...

so it will not sound so sloppy with the unnecessary strings ringing...

Actually I am referring to a classical guitarist playing a pluck-in guitar, that is why sustain is extremely long....hehe....

That guy has got Y grade 6 I think, we were actually playing different stuff, take turns during a party, I was doing the Tuck Andress, Chet Atkins kind of solo and he is doing all those classical stuff...

So I told him to stop all the necessary string, cause it sounded so messy...and he told me off, saying classical guitar most difficult and said that I may not understand what he is playing...haha..

So up to this day, I still wonder...hahaha

 

[JohnDoe]

I think one of the reasons muting is not taught until a later stage is because many other techniques take priority. My observation is base on what my teacher has taught me, it may be different for other teachers.

Perhaps your friend is not used to the electro acoustic with its extra sustain. He might not sound as bad on a normal classical guitar. He sounds arrogant from what you described, but I think because we guitarist are very sensitive to criticisms, especially in middle of parties.

 

[lester_music]

agree..but one good way to improve is to take criticism constructively..this is a big hindrance for many people..Ego thingy

you sounded a lot more humble..hehe..

anyway...I love stuff from Bach, really love to hear them transcribed and being played on classical guitar, actually anything baroque sounds cool to me...

 

[Ivanity]

JD: Famous!?
i'm actually better known as Ivan Lim the journalist from The New Paper!

Anyway, the guitars that I use were purchased here.

The Matsuo was from Swee Lee, about a million years ago.

The Hofner was a gift from my wife: She got it from Frank Brothers.
the violin shop at the Esplanade mall when she saw how pleased I was with it.

It has excellent projection, clear trebles, loud basses.. and a good balance between the bass and treble notes. Best part is, it cost only $3,000.

I tend to like my guitars to sound cold and dry, and balanced, which is why I like this German make. Somehow Spanish instruments and I don't really get along.

If you fancy a good instrument, you can pick one up from the shop I mentioned earlier, Tomas Music Consultants.

He (Thomas Liauw) has Kohno guitars, Paulino Bernabe, Aparicio, Ramirez... to name a few.

Of varying price range and he has contacts with he best luthiers in the world.

He's a friend of mine but it's an irony that I didn't buy from him because I can't enjoy the rich warm, Spanish sound!

agree with your points on muting.

 

[PureNoise]

i think romance d armour is nice...

 

[JohnDoe]

Yes Bach's music is very nice. One of the piece I'm learning now, BWV 997 prelude is my favourite together with the fugue. Oh and if you have not heard before, the Bach Chaconne is one of the most powerful and difficult guitar piece. Check out it out on Youtube, you wont regret it.

@Ivan
Cool. A newspaper journalist. I should read the news more, the only news I hear about is posted on this kopitiam forum.

I have seen a very interesting guitar at Frank Brothers however when I was shopping for a new guitar (6-8 months ago), it didnt cross my mind to visit Frank Bros. I went straight to Tomas, the source of all things classical guitar haha. I think I was too excited to look around. I got myself a Juan Hernandez Professor which I paid for with my allowance from my Poly attachment. So in other words my blood, sweat and tears went into this guitar.

You’re a lucky man. Next time when I get married I will bring my wife to try out guitars with me and drop her hints. :mrgreen:

I have not tried playing German guitars before. I would imagine that they sound brighter and more separated than their Spanish counterparts.

 

[JohnDoe]

Hello .... are there no more classical guitarist? Maybe I'm not looking at the right place.

 

[guitarsan]

^ I think so too. The make up of this forum is predominantly teenagers, hence classical music is deemed rather uncool. If this thread is about metal or...errr...metal, it will be 8 pages long already.