Classical Guitar Lesson #5: Tremolo

[chudnovsky]

great lesson thank you

[TheMonkeybutler20]

you sound a bit like sam kinison

[drfeelnothing]

Excellent lesson

[ipoodaily]

@edspyhill01 it differs from people. that's a stupid assumption ur making. john williams' thumb is the shortest nail. the rest is long.

[Estonianwoodsman]

hello. i was intriqued by what you said about the "i" working in alternation with m and a. my teacher and i talked about sympathetic motion with tremolo, and as i practiced i found that the alternation does indeed happen naturaly. i was just wondering, is the alternation of the i something that Shearer talks about in his methods?

[Lutemann]

No, Christopher Berg came up with this idea first, I believe.

[Estonianwoodsman]

@Lutemann that's interesting. i need to get his book.

[kendohmassif]

Good vdeio, no other video breaks down the technique like that!

[lia01reg]

THanks so much for this video. Not many people go into specific detail like you did - thanks!

[MrRfyl]

How do you make the sound smooth without galloping? It is not demonstrated in this video.

[Lutemann]

Once you can play the tremolo at 150 mm (four notes to the click) continuously without fatigue, then you take it back down and work on evenness with a metronome. the mistake that most people make is working on getting it even before they have a efficient motion.

[paolitas7]

great tutorial, claps!!

[IdontneedanIpod]

I am trying to learn Recuerdas de Alhambra. I am Fucked.

[SeasonsCurse]

@IdontneedanIpod same.... my tremolo just sucks

[animal03181989]

@edspyhill01 it is good advice and I recommed purchasing the book "pumping nylon" by scott tennant. It has a funny cover but the techniques that he covers through out the whole book is anything but funny. Plus hes an amazing guitarist look him up here on youtube.

[eljoisawesome]

thanks, 1st vid I found in ENGLISH the was worthwhile

[martinrking]

Dress shirt and shorts I'm gonna try that tomorrow thank you for the lesson

[gustaf89]

@edspyhill01 It's just a personal preference, my professor tells me that he could not make his nails grow as long as I can, and it kept him him from playing tremolo pieces. But to me, it is nice to try them all three:

1) long nails,

2) only skin,

or 3) medium length on your nail and a little bit of skin)

and then after that, you can decide depending on what like and what the piece requires you to use.

[gamergeek3000]

@edspyhill01 yeah I like having my nails shorter so people won't look at my hands then look at me like...wtf. PLus really long nails make more noise.

[PawaVidio]

Thanks man. Normally I play rock and roll or metal on guitar but recently I have been so touched by classical tremolo guitar I felt I needed to learn it. Thanks again!

[ozzydabigpapa]

nice lesson man

[paulmercy]

I just discovered your tutorials and they are very clear. Following this particular one is the first time I've ever managed to get some semblance of tremolo to work for me. It's slow but I'll keep practising!

[WhiteSayuri]

too fast but still good.

[CLASSICBOB4200]

I have found it very difficult to play a tremolo on any string other than the 1st. Any tips or suggestions?

[framephase]

arch your wrist more? can help to get the right angle on the string

[gamergeek3000]

whoops, I been doing a m i, for my tremolo. For a long time too. Guess I'll try it this way.

[45tacospaievar]

jejeje where is the tremolo?

[Venom93]

Tremolo as in the technique.

[KonnichiwaSushi]

COOL VERY excellent Tutorial! My fingers feel weird and kind of cool. :D Like there's some invisible weight. :P

[luckyredcricket]

I don't know if this is good advice or not because I couldn't listen to it. I rushed to turn off the speakers.

[IpkisStanley]

does anyone know where I can download a pdf copy of the book advertised on the right hand side of the video?

[lawnelson]

Have you tried it with "staccato"? It get really outstanding.

[StewieSwan]

I wrote a gypsy-like classical guitar part in one of my bands songs, and part of it requires me to learn this technique. So many thanks for uploading this.

[3allo0osh]

Thanks alot ,, this really helped me ! =)

[MohamedTheWise]

thanks very much i keep watching ur videos when i get stuck thanks but can u give a bit of advise about where exactly the finger tip contact the string from the inner side or from the out side thanks again

[MohamedTheWise]

really a excellent tip but does it have to be at absolute point where the nail meets the flesh or should it be the same point in each finger no matter exactly where. and thanks againg this thing really brings me the headache every time i pluck a string i look at my finger tip, very confusing

[roberdario]

Hay un tremolo muy conocido por las caracteristicas que explica, me podrian decir si alguien sabe, muchas gracias

[Lutemann]

This sounds like good advice.

[glioth]

I first learned Ludwig Van Beethoven- Fur Elise.. and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- Quartet 15

[ShinobiBoiX]

this gets crazy awesome at high speeds :)

look up recurdas de alhambra guys

[tishierkrisis]

What's your (or anyone's) idea of playing classical guitar with the tips of your fingers, instead of using your nails? Some people do not have the opportunity to grow their nails (due to work, or other reasons).

I always sound muddy, when playing classical. Good tips on that are also welcome. Thanks!

[Rafterman123]

Get some finger picks, I'm sure they are pretty cheap to get!

[glioth]

i know what you mean.. a good tip is to buy finger picks.. they atach to your fingers and sound like playing with a regular pick.. just ask your guitar store clerk.. if they're smart.. they can help..

[80XY]

put down those tabs and learn to read muuuusic.

[chopin65]

This may seem like a dumb question. I sometimes get buzzing on repeated notes. Could nail length and shape have much to do with this? Or is it my wrist position. I am self taught so I must learn on my own.

[Lutemann]

Not dumb. It could be a lot of things. Getting a good teacher might be the solution. Find a teacher from the Shearer school.

[mrmusicmanification]

@chopin65 you should also have a good luthier look at your guitar as it is most likely just a pair of dead strings or a problem with your neck

[chris2877]

can you translate in german or give me a link where the classical tremolo is explained in german?

[Lutemann]

Speed increase should show up very soon if you are doing things right. You may have old habits which need to be deleted.

[motimenow]

Thank youthat was a great video lesson. I have a tendendcy to start off slow okay than I somewhat tense up. When does one start showing "speed" increase? Thanks

[cobenblack1]

i am trying to apply this technique to an electric guitar, that also has a mid level of distortion. i think it will add to my playing, but i keep getting feedback - i cant work out how to hold my hand so that i could mute it while im playing like this.

[cactus445566]

...Lower the volume....

[keegan1728]

YOU KNOW THE SECRET !

[DreamedOfHugeSpiders]

i love these kinds of videos. too many guitar tutorials tend to focus on tunes while totally ignoring the technicalities of how to make music.

[NeniaKaulitz]

I will never be so good...:'( i play classical guitar by myself and i feel completely idiot, because i can do nothing!!!just something, but the sound of my guitar is so bad....i want to play it well....but i can't!!!:'( i will try and try and try......

[pavoloco]

Pessimism will get you nowhere... Quit bitching and go practice, or sell your guitar to someone who will learn how to play it.

[NeniaKaulitz]

you should be more nice with people, next time. thanks anyway.

[RussianFabjan]

Shhh. You have all the success ahead ! All this things needed to be developed slowly. You should just practice a lot.

[DjosueD]

You have hands right? And you obviously have a good working brain.

You have no excuse to surrender. Keep trying. You will be surprise of the things you can do.

Best wishes.

[NeniaKaulitz]

^^ thanks

[Lutemann]

I've seen people play good trmolos with no nails. Whatever nail shape works for free stroke scales should work for tremolo.

[carcrazy597]

are there any fingernail shapes that would be especially benificial to playing tremolo or is it just as easy to play with no nails?

[Meursault86]

I could do this pretty decently without practicing too much because I practice rolling my fingers for fun when I'm bored but I have trouble doing it accurately and with speed/volume without nails. That normal?

[Lutemann]

Playing the guitar is not a natural activity. You need to have very specialized training.

[Sebastian1633]

You Got That Right.

[comosicusguitar]

nobody understand my question....i get answer's like ...do what u feel is right...do what ever sounds good to you..but i dont have the speed right and i do not know if will sound good on the right speed

well....i hope i will get it right

[patatahooligan]

Maybe short nails will suit you better than long ones. Start with an easy song. It's important to start very very slowly so you get the rythm correct and the sound clear. If you don't get these two then do NOT speed up until you are ready, because if you do you'll have to start practising all over again like I did. But don't be fooled if it doesn't sound right, it might be because of the low speed.

[patatahooligan]

Maybe short nails will suit you better than long ones. Start with an easy song. It's important to start very very slowly so you get the rythm correct and the sound clear. If you don't get these two then do NOT speed up until you are ready, because if you do you'll have to start practising all over again like I did. But don't be fooled if it doesn't sound right, it might be because of the low speed.

[comosicusguitar]

thanks....i allready reach a high speed...a practice 3 4 hours every day.....i whant to do this right becouse if i reach the proper speed and i find that my tehnique was rong..ohhhh terrible

i do not know the secret o continuyti in tremolo

even in a midi format tremolo has no continuity like jim greninger does in recuerdos or like many other's...

well i gues i will find if my tremolo tehnique is bad or good when i will reach the proper speed :)))

[comosicusguitar]

i'm trying to learn tremolo....i whant to learn recuerdos de alhambra..but i have a problem

is it necesery to do staccato when you learn tremolo..in this lesson i dont see staccato but in other i do.....is better with staccato or without?...or is the same thing?

(my english is poor...sorry) (and dont tell me to get a teacher becouse i live in a little town..there is no teacher heare..please help

[Lutemann]

The short answer is no>

[trav856]

good tips, thank you!

[ivanovosixx]

I don't understand

[blackberryXD]

i don't understand... :(

[Lutemann]

Get a teacher to explain it to you.

[vitorcui]

owned

[tearsforcoldplay]

awesome!!

[plerimest]

where is your head?

[mytenaciousgreen]

its been eatin hahhahaha

[LocoPCtheoneandonly]

Thanks for posting!

[AtterseeSommer]

"Easier" is not the issue. If you play with a plectrum, sir, one limits the polyphonic/homophonic possibilites. You cannot add a bass line or arpeggio. You thumb will be rendered useless by holding that pick.

[titsmcgee852]

i dont give a shit, its easy for me

[AtterseeSommer]

But doesn't SOUND the same. Not as good, really. It is used in mandolin playing, to get more sustain from in instrument perhaps even less sustin. Play ye mandolin? You should develope this tremolo technique. Get rid of that pick, man.

[titsmcgee852]

i prefer not especially when playing knights of cydonia

[t4stringer]

Your lessons are very helpful, especially this one.

[titsmcgee852]

much easier with a pick thouhg

[AtterseeSommer]

yeah, right.

[rockafeladave]

cheers, now i can get "knights of cydonia" down right on the guitar

[titsmcgee852]

yeah, i play that one too

[socksy]

Knights of Cydonia really isn't meant to be played finger style - that tremolo you're hearing for most of the song is actually the whammy bar/synth, and the high notes that are actually tremolo are tremolo picking - you can really hear the difference. Finger picking works best with Soldier's poem, or with Bedroom Acoustics, since you listen to muse anyway.

[titsmcgee852]

i know what you mean. sorry bout that comment. that was about a year ago when i first started. knights was the first song i learnt. classical guitar is a whole different ballgame. :P

[asdfcopter]

good lesson, and might i add that you, sir, possess highly sexy nails.

[AtterseeSommer]

well who gives a flip about that?

[AtterseeSommer]

I did'nt post this.

[adanakebabi1]

jala

[absurdplanet]

Another fine demonstration that should greatly help beginning classical guitarist and set them on the proper path. If I may add: Practicing these strokes very SLOWLY using the a chromatic scale and trying to get the most tone and emotion out of ONE NOTE is also worth trying. An old proverb: If you cannot make one note sound "sweet with soul and emotion", why play the second?

[00sven00sven00]

is it possible to do tremelo picking without fingernails? im trying but the a keeps damping the string while the m is striking.

[Lutemann]

Probably not.

[Tacomonday]

I saw another Video, using 4 fingers will it sound the same using tree? wich one is better using 3 or 4 in tremolo? I'm confused this lesson is gud anyways :)

[purloinned]

it happens that 4 finger tremolo its more usual (almost always) for flamenco and the one of 3 fingers its for classical style

[ClassicalJoeNo1]

Awesome! 5 stars.

Good demonstration and explanation for the finger a movement at the end.

I don't know how to play tremolo. I never practice it. But I tried once and posted a video at YouTube. Welcome to check it out and leave comments.

[Lutemann]

What's the address?

[ClassicalJoeNo1]

replace the URL part with this:

watch?v=6F8f_G1PFbk

[Lutemann]

I saw it. Very good. That's the exact motion. The most obvious alternation is between the i and m and the m and a move more or less together. At high speeds the fingers find their own way.

[polardollar]

PLAY SOMETHING ALREADY...

Lol.

[bransonguitar]

Good lesson. May I also suggest to play your tremolo on one string only (pami)such as the second string to gain a true 1/16th note pattern. Slow and build over time. It should always be in control. Listen to my recording of Recuerdos de la Alhambra. Jim Greeninger

[Tacomonday]

Helo I was wondering wher can I find exercises for tremolo?You could post some exercises it would be very appreciated.

[paulmouse72]

Everyone has a different perspective on tremolo...for what its worth, I will add mine. I think of it as a very rapid circular motion between pima. It is great to practice tremolo on one string and I also practice starting on a different finger, each accenting the group of four. I also practice a lot of this rest stroke.

[Lutemann]

I'm not sure what you mean by "relaxed weight" of the hand. The energy from the stroke comes completely from the fingers - this is not the piano. When th finger flexes, the weight of the held hand may be released a bit to avoid the bouncing; pehaps this is what you mean.

I agree that the shaping of the nails is important, but it is also very individual. No book can teach you much about shaping the nails, IMO.

[ClassicalJoeNo1]

Yes, I change my nails shape all the time. I tried a long and straight one and posted a video here.

My nails are shorter now.

[Rexicano]

You left off one of the most important factors; the relaxed weight of the hand creates the warm tone. That's why Segovia and Parkening have such a great sound. Also vital is the shaping of the nails. Parkenings Method book explains in detail.

[Sudokuballer]

I learned the Tremolo with p-i-m-a and after some practsie this works fine. Well I am not a great Guitarist and my left hand needs impovement. But I think my tremelo is quite reasonable. Look/listen on my amateur intrepretation of RDLA on my Videos.

PS: I find this instruction quite usefull. Thanks.

[fabjan2006]

LISTEN TO HIM... He said some ideas which i found by myself and they suppose to be right. I am training tremolo everyday now. Thank you for some interesting suggestions!

[nlimnj]

At a guitar masterclass I learned that some flamenco players do their tremolo with all 5 fingers! i.e. P - p(pinky)-a-m-i. why? the eager gets fooled better that it's a sustained note because it's harder to "track" 5 notes vs. the usual 4. (of course u'd hv to rewrite RDLA completely!)

[theoden707]

Hi! flamenco tremolo is most commonly p-i-a-m-i!

[nlimnj]

That's one way of doing it, the idea is to play 5 notes instead of 4. notice how sometimes 4-note tremolo sounds like a cantering horse. people can "track" 4 notes because they're familiar with the sound of 4 legs!

[bach211685]

It is easier to decrease your tone volume, but harder to increase it. Building up the rest stroke will help with the wolume dynamic (cres. and decres.)

[superjoelucky12]

wtf are you talking about pima? sorry im not familiar with finger picking

[bach211685]

The only way to PERFECT tremolo, is to practice the same way you would the scales - tremolando in groups of three, four, five, six and so on... REST STROKE! Why? Because the muscles are engaged much more and you learn to control it better when playing it FREE STROKE later on. The scale exercises should be done with a metronome and with proper accents on the first note. HOW OFTEN TO PRACTICE? As often as possible. Infact I will go now and practice my scales. Bye!

[Lutemann]

Since I know several people who have great tremolos and did not learn it the way you suggest, it would be hard for me to agree that yours is the only way. Notice that I avoided saying you are wrong, but there are certainly many ways to get to the same place.

[bach211685]

The reason why I am suggesting the REST STROKE, is because of the nature of the tremolo (a rapid succession of the notes conveying the effect of a voice or instrument.) It is always in the melody. AND what do we know of melody - IT SHOULD BE 20% MORE AUIDABLE THAN THE HARMONY. Now, saying this does not implicate that this is always true. But, most of the time it is.

[Luca1015]

Awesome insight into playing correctly and paying attention to particulars. Its like formal lessons! Its great because you get a different and eye opening percpective to learning the guitar. Thanks so much for sharing these points!

Luke

[GProMangore]

Well sorry for double post but why not starting on A or M? I always been starting on A but i didn't manage to get a good velocity anyway.  Thanks for any reply.

[GProMangore]

Don't think i'm trying to deny your teaching i'm just looking for more insight and your opinion on the subject. I really want to speed up my tremolo technique :)

[GProMangore]

Excellent lesson everything is explained with worthy details! Many thanks!

[ctrlaltf]

I second 2Luke

thanks

[2Luke]

very informative. thanks very much for sharing. this is a good thing about youtube.

cheers mate.

[delpuckett]

i wish i could play that style...i'm too engrained into my particular style using every bad habit available !! :-( thanks for the vid

[jomarkdave]

i like to kick out the finger i just played while playing the present note. so they become one action. it's also fun to play with5 notes to the beat with piami