English Dance p69

[polydorus]

Hi Jamie

Here is my English Dance:
http://www.vimeo.com/2749034

I have decided against web cam lessons as I found a guitar teacher in London. I had a trial lesson before Christmas and he identified a number of things for me to work on. He said a lot of the same sort of things as you so I hoping that it will work out.

[Jamie]

Hi Simon,

Well, it is very good as far as it goes. However, you are not following my directions as closely as is needed on the left hand. On many changes, you are releasing pressure from the fingers that are down too soon, and "jumping" to the next position. It is very subtle, but I see it. This is adding an instability to the piece.


As I always say, as far as teaching goes, I am more interested in how you look than how you sound.

It is the kind of thing that will cause you more trouble in intermediate and advanced reperotoire, rather than here.

I imagine you could already play this piece, and other pieces of this level, before taking my course. Is that true?

[polydorus]

Looking at my piece, I think I see what you mean about the jumping. I will go back an try to eliminate it, I am probably trying to play the piece faster than I really should as well.

On my previous experience, I did have a go at classical guitar in the early 1970's without instruction and I sort of learnt Lagrima and Adelita, but I couldn't really play them, or indeed easier pieces. I just struggled through them and not doubt picked up a lot of bad habits.

I started with the guitar again about 9 months before starting this course but I just did strumming, no finger style. So no I couldn't play pieces at this level before starting the course but I did know my basic open and barre chords.

[Jamie]

Well, as I have said, you have a lot of natural talent to get along as well as you do. But, you are missing some of the finer points of my instruction, and you will pay a price for doing so. Watch Mark Cantrell's last video. Notice the beautifully relaxed movement of both hands, and the feeling of ease it evokes.

This comes from attention to micro-details. These details are usually not found anywhere. I give them to you, but you have to do the work to make them your own and benefit from them.

[polydorus]

Hi Jamie
I see what you mean, and I will try to work on the finer points.

I have done a video of slow practice on the last line of English Dance, it's not there yet, but I wonder if you could let me know if it is moving in the right direction.

I am trying to get a smooth sequential transition between notes avoiding the floating arm.

http://www.vimeo.com/2789053

[Jamie]

Simon, there is nothing slow about that kind of practice! You do not yet have an idea of what no tempo is. I have demonstrated it many times on my DVD, and in the course itself.

Practice at that level will not change anything.

[polydorus]

Hi Jamie
I did not post my slowest no tempo micro practice, but rather a line played in tempo fairly slowly to see if you thought there was any improvement. Evidently you don't think I am there yet.

For my micro practice I have been taking a few notes at a time looking at the finger movements involved. For example in bars 24 25, I opted to follow your advice and play A with 1 and keep it down until 2 is on the c#. I also thought about whether to put down 4 on G simultaneously with 2 or slightly after. I suppose it is better to put the two together so as to stop the open high E, but I though it felt better to put down 4 very slightly after 2,then there is the timing of the movement of 1 onto the F. I went through the whole piece like this thinking about each finger movement.

Something I did wonder about was what to do about the rests at the end of each line. They aren't mentioned in the notes and it doesn't sound too bad to simply forget about them. I think the piece would sound cleaner if the open A base notes were stopped when transferring to the open E base notes and I have experimented with playing rest strokes for the open E base notes to stop the A or alternatively moving 2 across to touch the A string.

A problem that I have been aware of but not really addressed properly, is that I tend to press down on the strings harder than necessary. I do this particularly badly when performing for the camera due to general tension and I am trying to work on this. I think this leads to rather jerky playing.

Are these the kinds of things you are after in micro practice?

[Jamie]

Yes, those are the kinds of things. Pressing harder, especially during performance, is a sure sign of lack of proper no tempo practice.

I am not saying your playing was bad, it was good, but not as good as you could be if you really followed my instructions consistently. It sounds like you are getting closer to the right kind of practice though. I would like to see some of your actual no tempo practice.

[polydorus]

Hi Jamie
I have done a video of some no tempo practice of the last line. I was looking at leaving my thumb touching the next base string, which feels rather awkward compared to leaving it near but not touching.

http://www.vimeo.com/2942705

Is this the kind of thing you are after for no tempo practice?

[Jamie]

Hi Simon,

Most of what you played was certainly to a tempo, so, no, it isn't really no tempo practice. You slowed at parts, which is good.

You are using a thumb rest stroke, that is not really required. The action seems good though.