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Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
Pulgar exercises anyone?
As anyone who has watched my Seguiriyas upload will know, my pulgar is a bit flimsy . And no surprise because I don't have any exercises to practise it and make it stronger and more controlled.
Can anyone share something they have found useful?
its a good recording and you have good timing, the only thing i will say is change the angle of attack to where the striking area is half flesh half nail and later on use the wrist and weight of your hand/wrist to get a heavier stroke
if i was advising exercises, id say get gerardos encuentro dvd and book, dont be thrown off because its gerardo and he is a guitar genius and maybe you think the material on it may be difficult.
the technique section is the most comprehensive i've ever seen and he really differentiates between the different types of pulgar technique.
only by tackling most of the technique section on the dvd and doing scales and chord patterns was i able to follow gerardos course this summer and take home 90% of the falsetas.
Actually it doesn't matter really what you practice, it's more a matter of how you attack the string with you thumb. That's what I got from watching the Gerardo Video.
You have to consciously work on being assertive with the thumb, this is I think the real key.
your angle of attack looks okay to me. it's pretty close to perpendicular to the strings.
maybe changing your thumb nail shape will help you achieve more nail into your attack.
instead of moving from the thumb joint only, try powering the movement from your wrist when you can. rotate your wrist like you're opening the door. and try to attack the string downwards into the soundboard.
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
RE: Pulgar exercises anyone? (in reply to at_leo_87)
quote:
instead of moving from the thumb joint only, try powering the movement from your wrist
Yes, YES, YES
So I just was practising some stuff - an exercise from Norman's site (thank you Norman ), a solea falseta which is all thumb, and I found loads of sections of the taranta I play which can be used as an exercise too. Already I can hear a difference in intention
Of course getting it there consistently will take a lot longer but you know, it's a start.
What I found usefull is: - pick a chord progression - play pulgar on every string with the swing from the wrist - next cycle play pulgar which rests on the next string
But I have to say when I am puzzling on a piece I seem to have forgotten all the above untill I feel comfortable with a part of the piece , so I can concentrate on the thumb (or any other technique) again.
Hey Ailsa, I just tabbed out an AWESOME exercise for getting your thumb in shape..it's an alzapua for solea. My teacher showed it to me on the first lesson and I still practice it. I believe it came from Marote.
Isn't it true that spending the time is the essential element in learning technique? Great stuff, and I just happen to be working on my pulgar a lot more than usual. That is true. Thanks for bringing it up Ailsa. Have you tried improv??? Seems to be a godsend for me. Oh well, now it's time to practice and get off this wicked computer...... Gary
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. And no surprise because I don't have any exercises to practise it and make it stronger and more controlled. 
but you know, it's a start. 
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