Tremolo Excercise

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Tremolo Excercise

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TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

Tremolo Excercise

Does anyone have any tremolo excercises they wouldn't mind sharing? or perhaps know some websites where I can get some? I need some help.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 3:40:56

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

quote:

ORIGINAL: El Zurdo

Does anyone have any tremolo excercises they wouldn't mind sharing? or perhaps know some websites where I can get some? I need some help.

Hi Tom

Some of the best exercises around for developing tremolo are in Scott Tennant's book Pumping Nylon. Although its targetted at classical guitarists, the principles for developing speed, accuracy ajnd control all apply whatever pattern you play. Same goes for his exercises on scale speed, arpeggios and a few other things as well.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 7:50:18

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Jon Boyes)

quote:

Some of the best exercises around for developing tremolo are in Scott Tennant's book Pumping Nylon.

Hi Jon, thanks for the recommendation. I have heard so many good things about this book I need to get it. Sounds like it covers all aspects of playing.

How's the baby? How are you and the wife adjusting?

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 12:06:56

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

Baby is fine, thanks - keeping us very busy!

I am spending most of the the time in a bit of a daze at the moment - it takes some getting used to, being permanently tired.

And all that nappy changing... phew!

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 13:34:55

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Jon Boyes)

quote:

it takes some getting used to, being permanently tired

Brother I have been tired since 99 when our first child was born LOL! It gets easier though. Your body just adjusts. It's tough but the good outweights the bad bar far.

Do you still have time to practice?

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 14:37:08

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

quote:

ORIGINAL: El Zurdo
Do you still have time to practice?

As I'm out gigging every week, in some ways this IS part of my practice - at least as far as my performance material goes.

Unfortunately there is very little time right now for working on new stuff - for my flamenco studies, for writing new material & recording.

I'm sure things will settle down though, Dylan is only two weeks old, after all.
I'll have him accompanying me with palmas in no time

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 15:07:38

Patrick

Posts: 1189
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom,

I would advise the video over the book.

Pat

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 15:18:10

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom,
I bet if you learn a couple little tremolo falsetas and play them a few times a day, concentrating on relaxing the fingers and hand at all times, that within a few months your tremolo will be fine. What do you think about doing that? Sometimes there is no magic bullet or trick or secret, there is only the reality of playing it and giving the body time to learn.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 18:19:59

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

Sometimes there is no magic bullet or trick or secret, there is only the reality of playing it

Well said Mike, only I would reckon "sometimes" is a bit generous.

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 19:32:19

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

What do you think about doing that? Sometimes there is no magic bullet or trick or secret, there is only the reality of playing it and giving the body time to learn.

I'm all for it Michael. My problem is that I've always been intimidated by this technique so I've shy'd away from learning it or from pieces that have it. But, I'm missing out because it is a beautiful technique and there so many great pieces out there with it.

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Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 1 2004 21:14:25

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
Tom,
I bet if you learn a couple little tremolo falsetas and play them a few times a day, concentrating on relaxing the fingers and hand at all times, that within a few months your tremolo will be fine.

That assumes that the fingers are moving reasonably efficiently in the first place. If they aren't, no amount of practice will help.

I agree with your point about there being no magic bullet, this is true of any technique and hard work is the iportant thing. *But* I think too many people slog away at something when they have the basics wrong in the hope that somehow it will come right. As I'm sure you'd agree Mike, practicing the wrong way ingrains bad habits that are very difficult to undo - practising mistakes makes one good at making mistakes.

I completely agree with the advice about slow, relaxed hand movements, I just think that Tennants exercises ensure that the fingers are doing the right things. Its no magic bulet, its a practice regime that has to be followed carefully.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 2 2004 8:14:38

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

It's an interesting point, I've always been one for study and very directed exercises. Nowadays I've been more about adding repertoire and haven't had much time for scales and other exercises. I won't discount the worth of my two years of scale work, though :). I guess as long as there is progress in what you are doing, keep doing it. Until you get bored. I don't think that even playing scales every day, ultimately, will allow you to perfect those scales. I think it's more complicated than that, that to play great scales, you also need to learn how to play songs. Does that make any sense to anyone?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 2 2004 15:14:03

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
I think it's more complicated than that, that to play great scales, you also need to learn how to play songs. Does that make any sense to anyone?

Definitely. Playing through scale exercises is not the same as making music, although you can make music with scales...

Its interesting this point about practicing exercises to improve one' technique vs playing chunks of actual music that contain the technique you want to improve. I think both are important, and both have their place. Its easy to become a technique fetishist and spend all your time doing exercises - I think I went through a phase like this when I was studying classical guitar.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 2 2004 21:21:32

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

I did too. I think you guys were all here, telling me, Mike don't play so many scales, you're going to get burned out, hurt your wrists, blah blah. Well, right now I'm not playing so many exercises, although I still get some in there. RichardM's advice for achieving Paco de Lucia sounding scales intrigues me, because he said that Paco's method makes it sound cleaner and better, even though someone might be playing at the same speed. I had noticed that I played some fast runs and they just didn't sound like Paco.

RichardM says that Paco plays the picado runs stacatto--he stops the string with the next finger before he plays it. Of course, all picado does this to some extent, but Paco emphasizes the effect. This has gotten me back to playing scales at least half an hour a day. I want to sound like Paco!

I was talking to one of my friends yesterday, an expert guitarist. He said it took him about 3 years of heavy practicing to get his technique. Note that this stage came after he had been playing for many years. This is borne out by my experience, too. After playing guitar about a decade, I entered a phase of woodshedding, practicing from 2-8 hours a day. I'm about 2 years into this phase and have really gotten incredible gains. I wonder if this works this way for a lot f people. And by technique, I mean pro-level high technique... my friend shreds, plays lots of sextuplets in his improvising!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 14:16:58

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Mike,
What does "shred" mean in your context?
My dictionary says: "shred: to tear something into small pieces".
What exactly does your friend tear into small pieces? The music score?

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 14:30:55

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

sextuplets

you like those huh? play 32nd notes.thats faster.

Henrik

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 15:03:28

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

Henrik, don't be so competitive:). Anyways, I'm into flamenco not heavy metal.

Ron, my friend Arturo is into improvising, he is Mexican and his songs have for the most part, Latin chord progressions, although usually with more of a rock feel. He also plays with a pick. I think he can read music but I have never seen him with any scores, so that rules out that shred definition. I am sure you are aware that in the 80's there was a subculture of the guitar subculture that liked to play Jackson guitars very loud and very fast, using very thin picks and lots of hammer-ons and hammer-offs. This is the shredding I'm talking about! Although in Arturo's defense, he's playing an acoustic, nylon string guitar with a heavy pick and gets about as aggressive a sound as you're going to get out of a pick. He's real good, although that style of his guitar is not particularly to my taste. But I do like the shred a la Paco :)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 17:40:04

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

I am sure you are aware that in the 80's there was a subculture of the guitar subculture that liked to play Jackson guitars very loud and very fast

Ah yes, that would be me. As a matter of fact, I took out the old Jackson "Kelly" this past weekend, plugged her in to see if I still had it in me. I was rusty and felt somewhat uncordinated with the pick. After playing on the nylons for so long it was mega easy to fret the electric especially with that thin neck. Nothing like raw in your face power chords through a Marshall.

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Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 17:55:39

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

This is getting worse....whatever is a "Jackson"??
I only saw the word "shredding" on the FT Forum a few weeks ago.
From the context I assumed it meant playing Electric Guitar in a wild and fast manner.
So I was a little confused when then term was used with regards to nylon string guitar.
I don't keep up with KoolSpeak these days due to old age, but I think I've got it now.
So what your saying is that if I ever find myself in Pheonix, listening to somebody playing nylon string guitar really fast and loud and if I wish to show approval, then according to proper social convention I should shout something like "I say Sir, well played. You shredded that axe in a most pleasing manner. Jolly well done!"
Have I got the general gist or not?

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 20:27:48

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to TANúñez)

Ron, man you are so out of date. Shred is a term of nostalgia. You would only say shred now as a sort of knowing joke, or perhaps condescendingly. If you happen to see my _friend_ Arturo "shredding," the best thing you could say was "sounds good" or "you play well." However you could probably say shred to Tom and get away with it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 20:30:44

Guest

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 3 2004 21:00:27

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Tremolo Excercise (in reply to Guest)

Hey Ron,

Basically, when someone say's so and so can shred or shreds, they're just saying he can play. Usually very fast and crazy all over the fretboard. Think Edward Van Halen, Eric Clapton. Too different style but both masters of the shred.

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Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 4 2004 14:28:56