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1. Can anybody who has Oscar's Paso a Paso book 3 illuminate me on excercise 1, apart from having exceptionally long fingers, is it conceivable to stretch the 4 fingers to hold 1st fret on the 6th string, 3rd fret on the 5th string, 5th fret on the 4th string and 7th fret ont he 3rd string? Oscar says in the DVD that this is the ultimate goal but he doesn't show it how.
2. Can the Sevillanas in Book 3 be found anywhere? His booklet contains only Vaiven.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
frhout,
Maybe Todd K can do it with his eight inch long fingers, but us mere mortals...no way. I think I got about half way down the neck with this exercise when my left arm locked up and my eyes started to bulge out! That's why I just put a capo on the 4th and call it good!
It seems like I read that the score was available from Mel Bay for the Sevillanas.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to Patrick)
Hola
When I was young and impressionable I saw an Irish showband guitarist play a barred A on the fifth fret of a Strat and do a slide up from the first fret of the 6th string, while still holding the chord. Try it: why I didn´t give up on the spot I do not know. Even now I can only reach fret 3!
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
Actually its quite doable, but you need to practice a lot and develop your stretch. I do this excercise almost every time before I start playing. After probably three month or so I could reach the 1st fret.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to gshaviv)
I'm five foot eight or 1 metre 70, I haven't measured the length of my fingers but I'm more or less normal, so people can guess how long they are. I tried the exercise several times but it just seems impossible. Even if one manages to stretch the fingers, it seems difficult to have control of the middle and ring fingers. I'll do it again another day, but I already my fingers won't be any longer.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
I say, dont even worry about stuff like that.
Work on whatever your pieces require.
You'll never have to do a stretch like that.
So why kill yourself. I can pretty much garantee you that most if not all great players, would never sit around attempting meaningless and painful stretches, for their own sake.
Your time is MUCH better spent working on getting a good tone, rasgueados, and arpegios.:)
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to ToddK)
Thanks Toddk, I won't spend too much time on it. I have been playing for a long time, stopped for a few years because of work. I have been training myself from scratch, and seriously in order to regain the flexibility and "rubberness" which I had lost. I recently saw in Serranito's DVD that he uses his thumb to press a string in the Soleares on two occasions. So, I was wondering ...
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
quote:
So why kill yourself. I can pretty much garantee you that most if not all great players, would never sit around attempting meaningless and painful stretches, for their own sake
TK
I agree 100% Life is too short for hours of excercises.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to Patrick)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Patrick I agree 100% Life is too short for hours of exercises.
Me too. I do find myself asking 'whats the point?' with stuff like this. Just because something is hard to do, does not make it beneficial.
Sometimes, a little exercise can make all the difference to an individual in solving a problem, but just because it works for that individual for that problem, it does not follow that all exercises are worthwhile for everybody.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
Hi guys Yes, it's possible to do this exercise .I like it very much, because many nice sounding chords need good stretching . And about Sevillanas.Contact to me in a few days.I have these scores
p.s Gerundino63 called me '' Monkey " maybe it's the reason why I can do this exercise
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to frhout)
The first challenge I can do it but it'll take time to reach for the frets. The second, I'm just in front of the first fret and I think it'll be possible with practice. I've got decently large hands and can stretch quite well.
But does that has anything to do with my playing? Take a listen to my recordings and you'll realise that I'll still have problems playing even with fingers twice as long and hands twice as large. (and damn I hope I don't wake up some day looking like that..) Sure, it EASES playing but it does not neccesarily make you an amazing player.
However I do derive joy when my classical guitar teacher guides me in playing. When she says 'stretch!' I just stick out my finger a little more.
RE: Two questions on Oscar Herrero B... (in reply to Skai)
of course it's not very important can you do this exercise or not.But ... better to have good finger's stretching, you never know when you will need it, but once it will be neccessary. The first thing I'm saying to my students .. STRETCH YOUR FINGERS !! you will feel more comfortable playing even simple chords .Must be at least 90 degrees between i and m fingers.
p.s It's amazing when you can do tremolo in tarantas on the 9th fret -the first string and bass on the second fret - the sixth string ... sounds very nice
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