Classical Guitar Lesson #2: P stroke

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS! Now you can get Kent Murdick's new five volume series, "Learning To Read Music On the Classical Guitar" that goes right along with the Youtube technique videos. This is the direction and music you need to do things right! Buy three or more books and "shipping and handling" is FREE!

Sample pieces can be seen at: http://members.aol.com/lutemann/book1.jpg
Substitute in "2", "3" or "4" to see pieces in other volumes.

Book 1: "The First 30 Days of Instruction". $5.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling. The student will learn eight notes in the open position on the 3rd, 4th and 2nd stings, and a handful of simple rhythms -- all pieces and exercises are played with P stroke only.

Book 2: "The Next 30 Days of Instruction". $5.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling. Rests, ties, the division of the beat and eight new notes -- E, F, G on the 1st string and the open 5th and 6th strings - are covered in this volume. The rest stroke with 'i' and 'm' is introduced . A few solos are included.

Book 3: " Bass Notes". $5.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling. Since reading ledger line notes is difficult for beginning students , I devote a whole volume to learning B and C on the 5th string and F and G on the 6th string. Many solos are included.

Book 4: "Chords". $5.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling. Reading two and three-note chords and the free stroke are covered in this volume. Many playing styles are covered including ragtime, tango, beguine and the Mexican waltz. An index of first position chords for strumming appears at the end.

Book 5: "Arpeggios". $9.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling.
Contains pieces based on the most important arpeggio patterns including five tremolo pieces. There is also a complete section on playing ragtime guitar along with first position versions of Leyenda, Recuerdos De La Alhambra, Malaguena and a tremolo version of Romanza. This books brings you right up to the intermediate level.

Supplementary Material which includes CD: "Mel Bay's Easiest Classical Guitar Solos Book" $14.95 + $1.75 shipping and handling.

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Video description: The P free stroke should be as loud as the P rest rest stroke although it will have a different tone quality. It is perhaps the easiest movement to learn with the right hand.

I may have mis-spoken at 1:08 in this video. What I meant to say is that all three P-joints extend together in the extension phase and flex together in flexion phase. The P middle joint doesn't move much, but it does participate in both phases and is not static. To see all ten lessons, do a search for: classical guitar lessons murdick. To hear Kent Murdick play, go to http://members.aol.com/lutemann/NO.mp3

Produced by
Kent Murdick
University of South Alabama

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• guitar
• lesson
• technique
• pstroke
• murdick
• aaron
• shearer
• christopher
• berg

[RiCorr]

Re your thumb: Charles Duncan's book, 'The Art of Classical Guitar Playing' includes a picture of a thumb very much like this and calls it 'dysfunctional" (sic). The "hyper-extended basal segment of the thumb" comes about "through an unconscious contraction of the extensor muscle, with a corresponding underemployment of the flexor muscle in the ball of the thumb. It's major weakness is that it prevents finesses of attack".

His words, not mine! Does Shearer recommend this thumb position?

[Lutemann]

@RiCorr

It's pretty much what Shearer recommends. The best way to describe it is that all three joints extend together (to varying degrees) and all three joints flex together. It's pretty close to what David Russell does. Having said that, I've seen a lot of different P strokes that work well.

[Deliata]

Maybe i did use the wrong word to descibe.On the video  107 you are showing as middle joint should be strait your's is slightly bend it as you play during the video.Again sorry if i offended you.That what i did learn from Antonio Dumezic. Raffi Aslanyan, and finally Carlos Bonell. And also it is important think if you feel you are producing god sound what ever the position you are doing that's the one is wright.Best regard

[Lutemann]

I really need to do the P stroke video over again. What I really wanted to say was that all three joints of the 'P' extend together to the string, and then all three joints flex together. The middle joint does not have a very large range of motion, and for some peple it won't move at all. People who hold the P- tip fully extended will tend to move almost exclusively from the wrist joint.

[Deliata]

Hi .I am not trying to be rude .but you finger positioning P is wrong,it is not supposed to be bend,at least it must be strait,

best regard .

[Lutemann]

I'm not sure what you mean by "wrong" There are various schools of thought on the 'P' stroke, all of which are used by fine players.

[ls1phsyco]

Classic Guitar in my opinion is the hardest to play!

[juglis]

I'm right beside you.

I play electric and classic guitar. The latter makes me feel like killing myself more often haha.

NOTE: i'm not suicidial it was just making a funny comment. A little dark humor doesn't harm anyone.

[MyFire11]

omg all so long.... comments not gonna read

[SesaayGayeaa154]

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[ListenToOurTorture]

should you cut your nails really short? they always just seem to catch on the strings and make it harder.

[salamhi]

sorry to say this, but that is not the proper way to hold the fingers, specially the P

you can play the guitar like that but you can never become a pro like that.

[otharennaur]

How long should the P nail be? I just can't get it :(. Btw, g string's a little bit out of tune.

[RiCorr]

Interesting video. You make some good points as does Shearer in his new book 'Learning the Classic Guitar, Part 2'. But I , like Deliata, wonder why you bend the first joint of your thumb. Perhaps you do it so as to counteract a double-jointed thumb or perhaps this is what Shearer recommends. Does he?