Sor: Estudio 8 & Carcassi: Study 2

Someone asked me why I still practice / record classical guitar if I already know I don't want to take it to a pro / performance level.  Its because freaking classical guitar is the ultimate in contorting your hand to its most uncomfortable state whilst schizophrenically trying to sustain a posture of complete relaxation to even then even try create something that lands anywhere near the intended musical target.  This is a useful and transferable skill when working on any genre of music. 

Carcassi 2

Sor 8


Sor: Estudio 7 & Carcassi: Study 1

I've started using a new recording software called Reaper, and its way better than Garageband.  Just easier in every way and the videos you can find online aren't just random people making up a "lesson" as they go along.  Looking forward to using it more.

Recording reminds me a lot of going to guitar lessons.  You practice a lot and really think you're ready to show your teacher but for some reason when you get there, problems appear that were never an issue before.  Now you're suddenly behind the guitar and in front of it - you're the player and also part of the audience wondering whats going to happen next which is really stressful and frustrating because at home you might get to a place where you're not really thinking about anything at all when playing and the music just seems to happen but as soon as someone else is in the room (or a machine is listening), you are split into 2 people concentrating and trying to relax at the same time.  Its getting easier though because before I used to have the microphones set up for a few days trying to record a good take, but now I can get it within the hour.  Hopefully some day I'll just sit down and capture it right on the first try!


Ishida (Carcassi)


Ishida (Sor)



Sor: Estudio 6

I bought new microphones when I was home in CA - what an upgrade!

These things are so sensitive you really need to come down on volume and play unnaturally softly - and then play even softer.  Or maybe if you had a bigger room to record in you could just set them up further away, but in the end practicing this study for these mics put me way more in touch with Right Hand preparation technique.  For classical guitar, you have to plant your fingertip right on the exact spot on the string before you play it otherwise the microphone can hear the clicks and drags of your fingers not landing accurately.  The players who have mastered it really look like their hands / fingers aren't even moving because they're so ridiculously precise.

Ishida

Sor: Estudios 1 & 5 (Williams)

I've been playing these ones for so long that I didn't really closely follow the John Williams versions, but I attached them for future comparison.  


Sor 1

Its hard to take your time with this one because its so relentless with its activity.  This one I aimed for absolutely no missed notes and consciously trying to spread out the changes in volume as evenly as possibly across a rise or fall in the music.  Like Sor 5, I tried to eliminate unintended notes caused by lifting your fingers from the fretted strings.  Its the worst especially at quiet parts, but the trick I use is sliding slightly up or down the string to kinda make the lifting motion more horizontal instead of lifting directly from the string.  But if you do it too hard on a bass string you can make a "zippery" kind of sound because of the wound / coiled nature of the bass strings - its easier on the treble strings because they're solid plastic.


Sor 5

This one is pretty melodically uncomplicated and the chords are pretty easy, but because its so slow and there are so many barre chords throughout you're often exposed if your nail grazes a string causing a buzz or click or if you lift up a fret too suddenly and activate the string accidentally just by lifting off it.  Recording is tough because as your LH gets fatigued from practicing the barre chords you become even more exposed!  Then as you get more and more frustrated your hands get cold which for some reasons make the strings more sticky so lifting away has a higher chance of creating a wrong note!

Ishida