How to Play Lightning Fast Classical Guitar
Blasting out lightning fast scales on the classical guitar is a very impressive feat. It sounds so good and really raises the emotional level of your playing. You really can increase your playing speed if you understand a few basic principles.
The first principle of speed on the classical guitar is the fact that whole pieces are not fast. Speed in compositions comes in bursts. This is the basic tenet of comparison. A piece played Largo might have Andante passages that are fast. But these Andante passages are slow if compared to a composition that is presto or prestissimo. So be aware that speed is not necessarily how many notes a second but more a factor of notes and phrases in comparison to each other.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You already know that practice is critical to speed. You have to practice your scales just for the practice, and you have to practice a wide variety of scales. Classical Guitar is like every other form of kinesthetic art; as you practice the motions you make will settle into deeper regions of your brain and your body will learn how to do it without you even thinking about it. With practice you will be able to blast out very fast scales that will amaze you.
Some Practical Advice
Now, all of that sounds good but what about some practical advice on how to get faster?
This part is easy, and the single best thing you can do to improve your speed is to make a conscious attempt at finger crossing patterns with your right hand. This is usually the biggest challenge to playing speed. Practice, on a daily basis if possible, crossing string patterns.
What are string crossing patterns?
This is the way you pick across the six strings with your right hand. If you are playing a scale and you transition from string to string with the right hand you will use a pattern such as playing the first string with your index finger then playing the second string with your middle finger. On to the third string you are back to your index finger and for the fourth string again back to the middle finger.
Avoid the same crossing patterns and create new ones
As you become aware of your finger crossing you will see that you have very distinct patterns that you use. You should create and practice new patterns that are not comfortable for you. This truly will dramatically increase your speed. A good example of a new pattern you might try is to switch your starting finger. When practicing scales you probably start the first note with your right hand index finger. And as you progress through the scale you cross scales in the same pattern. You should try starting the scale with your middle finger. This will totally change the crossing pattern you use for playing the scale and once you get a bit of practice like this your speed will increase significantly. Vary this crossing pattern in as many ways as you can and make sure you also do double strikes where you cross using the same finger.
To improve your playing speed on the classical guitar you have to practice and you have to bump yourself out of your normal routines of playing. But with some conscious effort you can significantly improve your speed.
The author has been playing the classical guitar for over 20 years and is still learning. For more interesting stuff about this beautiful instrument including mp3’s of him playing:
The Classical Guitarist
Celebrity Fascination and the Modern State of American Culture
Celebrities are people too, or so we’ve been told. Whether or not it’s true, Americans love to think of them as something more than just people. We are fascinated by them. Fascinated by the choices they make, the company they keep and whether or not they succeed or fail. We watch them on the way up and watch them even more closely on the way down. We scrutinize them in every way, mindful of the mistakes they make even more than we are of the successes they create.
So why are we are so fascinated by celebrity culture? Certainly part of it is the media, which reports on their actions as though the world’s fate depended on it. But on the other end of the stick, isn’t it us who decides that People magazine sells more copies than Time or that Inside Edition gets better ratings than the local news?
Yes, we are indeed the ones responsible, and no one seems willing to apologize for it. Why should we? Celebrities, because of their status, have the ability to do, see and experience things we simply can’t. How many posh beachfront homes in Malibu do you own? Same here. How many starlets or Hollywood hunks have you taken out for a night on the town? Ditto on this end.
But there’s more to it than just the money, the cars, the mansions and the parties. Part of it is that we do want to believe they are just like we are. We’re looking for kinks in the publicist armor. When we find it, we generally sympathize. Take Jennifer Aniston’s split with Brad Pitt, for example. How many of you sympathized with TV’s “Rachel” and bought into the theory that Angelina Jolie was a home wrecker? Now how many of you who answered affirmatively would care as much if it happened to your next door neighbor?
The reason for that is simple. We watch them. We grow up with them. We invite them into our homes every night and more often than not, they never fail to entertain. It’s natural for us to care about these people we’ve never met, because in a way, we have met, and through their acting, songwriting or performing, we feel we know them well.
You can read more about Jennifer Aniston http://www.yuddy.com/articles/actress/jennifer-aniston.html and Brad Pitt http://www.yuddy.com/articles/actors/brad-pitt.html on our site.
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DeGeneres Joins Long List of Comedians Who Have Hosted Academy Awards
It started with George Jessel at the 9th annual Academy Awards and hasn’t stopped since. From Bob Burns to Bob Hope, Jack Benny to Jack Lemon and everyone in between, it seems comedians have become the host of choice for the Oscars. And why not? After all, awards presentations can be a little stuffy and it certainly helps to have a comedian to move things along.
This year’s host has had something of a career resurrection. Since her sitcom Ellen was cancelled, Ellen DeGeneres’s career seemed to be over, or at least out of the public eye. She then landed on the talk show circuit, where her self-depreciating and quirky humor has quickly made her a daytime television fan favorite.
And so we wait with baited breath to see if this year’s Oscars will be as funny as last year’s, where Chris Rock kept things lively with commentary on many of the stars in attendance. The Academy Awards producers wanted to take the show’s comedic bits into the 21st century, and Rock more than met their expectations.
In one particularly hilarious part of his monologue, Rock asked the audience, “Have you ever seen a movie so bad that you questioned the star’s finances? Saw this movie Boat Trip the other day and I immediately send Cuba Gooding a check for $80.” This was followed shortly after by a commentary on holding out for the right actor, such as Denzel Washington, in order to make a successful film. “Denzel’s a fine actor. He would never make Pootie Tang. After Denzel saw "Pootie Tang" he sent me a check for $80.”
The change was a stark departure from the other comedians hosting the show over the last decade, namely Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. While their comedy was appropriate for the show, many felt it was a little on the tame side.
Whether this year’s show keeps that tradition alive, or as with last year, stays a little more cutting edge, is anyone’s guess. DeGeneres is a brilliant comedienne who commands an audience quite well. She can be sharp while seemingly subdued. If her previous standup performances are any indication, it should be an interesting night.
You can read more about Bob Hope http://www.yuddy.com/articles/actors/bob-hope.html and Ellen Degeneres http://www.yuddy.com/articles/television/ellen-degeneres.html on our site.
To read more about other stars see our site Yuddy.com http://www.yuddy.com
