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I've read one or two comments about an English translation being prepared of this 1902 Method, and I'm wondering if it has appeared yet?
I'd be very interested in anything he has to say about nails. At the moment I'm typing the odd paragraph here and there into Google Translate, but it's a slow and not at all accurate process.
RE: English Translation of Rafael Ma... (in reply to Rob MacKillop)
It's certainly not a complete beginner's book, but the level is not my interest, rather the context of an Andalusian writing a book on guitar playing in 1902. I enjoy the study of guitar publications in the 19th century, though this one just makes it over the border into the 20th, but much of it is backward looking.
I've managed to translate the nail part - he preferred them very short, though I was a bit confused about "murdering' (matados) them in the middle! Here's the quotation:
"Aconsejo tocar con las uñas cortadas al nivel de las yemas y en forma cuadrada, con los centros matador; así no hay miedo que al dar acordes fuertes suenen ma ó se rompan, y al mismo tiempo facilita la ejecución.
Las uñas largas la entorpecen mucho, supuesto que es mayor el recorrido de la cuerda hasta producir el sonido".
If anyone can translate that more accurately than Google, I'd appreciate it. He was, of course, playing gut trebles at the time, so any comments regarding nails should be taken in that context.
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RE: English Translation of Rafael Ma... (in reply to Rob MacKillop)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Rob MacKillop
I've managed to translate the nail part - he preferred them very short, though I was a bit confused about "murdering' (matados) them in the middle! Here's the quotation:
"Aconsejo tocar con las uñas cortadas al nivel de las yemas y en forma cuadrada, con los centros matador; así no hay miedo que al dar acordes fuertes suenen ma ó se rompan, y al mismo tiempo facilita la ejecución.
Las uñas largas la entorpecen mucho, supuesto que es mayor el recorrido de la cuerda hasta producir el sonido".
If anyone can translate that more accurately than Google, I'd appreciate it. He was, of course, playing gut trebles at the time, so any comments regarding nails should be taken in that context.
"I advise playing with the nails cut squarely to the level of the fingertips, with the centers filed smooth; thus there is no fear that strong chords should sound poorly, or that the nails should break, at the same time it makes playing easier.
Long nails slow playing greatly, since the distance is longer that the string must travel before producing the sound."
"Matar" has a number of meanings besides "to kill". Among them is "to file down" or "to smooth."
You might try checking dubious words from Google in a good Spanish-English dictionary.
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