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This famous study by Fernando Sor gives us the the challenge of separating melody from harmony and bass while all being bundled up into continuous eighth notes.
One of the most powerful techniques you can use to clarify the melodic part is to isolate the melody, play it separately and even sing the melody too.
In this podcast I look into this useful practice tool and discuss why singing and playing the melody can be so useful.
If you know other pieces that suit this practice technique please share it with us in the comments below.
Than you so much- it is so enlightening
Søren
I’ve gone to different online studies of Sor teachings, the elite guitarists and guitar shed etc, probably five different ones and you’re teaching on Does study here the B minor is extraordinary, it’s very helpful… It’s hard to get used to doing but sinking that Melody really makes a difference.
Thanks Simon……..for keeping me on your email list in spite of not joining up yet. I do plan to so, and continue with learning Capricho Arabe. Making slow progress with that and the ornaments are challenging as well as the rhythm challenges. I have always loved bminor study ever since hearing the great Alirio Diaz play it on his album……i think called 4 centuries of Spanish Guitar. Your podcast was very useful……….one of the challenges is getting the melody louder with free stroke, i find some methods that teach melody using rest stroke are not correct in that rest stroke seems to get in the way of playing accompaniment on adjacent string. Will now work with your suggestions of quieting t he accompanying notes in the arpeggio. Study is great for working on accuracy of arpeggio and making notes clear and trying to cut down on extraneous noise from fingers hitting other strings accidentally.. Really liked Study in DMajor….one i never learned and the two really go together. All the Best……..ps. i basically started learning guitar in Sydney back in 1971 at the Sydney Classcial Guitar Center
Thank you. Very good lesson.
That was enough to get me to upgrade my membership to annual level. Too many great CGC podcasts to mention but for me this was the most enlightening. Thank you for putting these together and sharing your knowledge
Thank you, Simon for keeping me updated. I am so inspired by your music and lessons.
this Study in Bm by Fernando Sor is for ABRSM Grade 3 or Trinity college Grade 3. control free stroke and aponyado stroke. I learnt it many years ago. Melody line with aponyado stroke and free stroke on harmony notes and bass.
Quite boring to repeat the same lines over and over again. There are tonnes of other guitar studies by other composers, Abel Carlvero, Villa Lobos, Gerald Garcia, Emilia Pujol, Tarrega, etc.
[…] Sor’s Study in B minor from Op. 35 at first glance looks like a simple arpeggio study. And it is indeed a study that develops right-hand arpeggios. However, it is equally a study about voices, and differentiating melody from accompaniment in the right hand. That requires control and balance in the right hand, technically, but it also requires a musical understanding of balance of voices and harmony to know best which voice to bring out at different moments. We’ve included a performance video below of what’s possible with this beautiful piece of music. Moving from technically correct to musical mastery is not only not easy but invites many years of exploration, discovery, and expression. Check out a podcast dedicated to making Sor’s Bm Study really sing here. […]
I just found this. Brilliant. Thanks Simon.
And your playing is absolutely stunning. Your tone and the musicality (if that’s a word) you put into this recording is amazing.
Can’t wait to try out this technique on this piece and others. Thanks again!
Singing the melody is the way out. I am interested in the scores and tabs for JS Bach 999 and 1007. Please make details available on how much they cost.
Thanks, Murray.
You can purchase the BWV999 here for $2.95:
https://cgcpublishing.com/collections/solo-repertoire/products/prelude-bwv-999-j-s-bach
The Prelude BWV 1007 is only available currently in our Graded Repertoire book:
https://www.classicalguitarcorner.com/graded-repertoire-for-classical-guitar/
Peace,
Dave B (CGC team)