“Scordatura,” in Italian literally meaning “discord,” refers to retuning the standard tuning of a string instrument.Â
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Music Concept
Pizzicato and Syncopation
This Invention in E major is in open position and features slurring, rhythmic syncopation, pizzicato, glissandi, ponticello, and p golpe (tapping on the soundboard).
Rubato and Glissando
Prayer is an intermediate-level piece that features sections of flexible rhythm, meter, and tempo in a playing style called rubato, a piacere, or ad libitum
Irregular Meter
When compound- and simple-subdivided beats are combined together, the result is irregular meter.Â
Kenya
Kenya is a very accessible (open-position) hemiola study in the style of African folk music.
Welsh Folk Song
Suo-Gân is a traditional Welsh tune, first appearing around 1800 with lyrics set by the Welsh folklorist Robert Bryan.Â
Hemiola
A new rhythm arises when the accent pattern in 6/8 meter shifts from two groups of three’s to three groups of two’s. This is called hemiola.Â
Rhythm Study
Kalimba is an easy rhythm study featuring 16-note patterns with off-beat stress. It was written to imitate the sound of the south African instrument by the same name
Developing alternation with a
Remembrance is a p,i,a,i,a,i arpeggio study. Before playing, make sure you’ve mastered free-stroke alternation on two strings. This requires two important techniques: the sympathetic and opposed finger motions.
Developing the p,i,m,a,m,i arpeggio
The p,i,m,a,m,i arpeggio works most efficiently when organized as two sympathetic motions: i,m,a followed by m-i, with an opposed a,m in between.
Exploring Rest-Stroke Position
Free-stroke position is the foundational position for the right hand. On average, guitarists use free stroke about 80% of the time when playing solo.
New Music: Solace and Lyric Tune
Two new beautiful studies composed by Alan Hirsh featuring rest-stroke melody with free stroke accompaniment–Solace in 5/8 and Lyric Tune in A major. Listen to a recording while you view and download them both.
Ornamentation
This article is from the Online Supplement, Book II. An ornament is a note or group of notes that decorates and gives character to a melody. The simplest of all ornaments is the grace note…
