The Techniques of Guitar Playing

Edition no. BVK02243
ISBN 9783761822432
Authors: Josel, Seth F. / Tsao, Ming
Language: English

This book provides a comprehensive survey of contemporary performance techniques on the classical guitar. It was inspired by a new generation of solo guitarists whose extraordinary technical and virtuosic skills have paved the way for a new understanding of instrumental performance practice.
Detailed explanations are given for the instrument’s technical potential within the historical context of traditional guitar technique.

Four main chapters describe:
- Techniques of the right and left hands
- Special harmonies and percussive techniques
- The main instruments of the guitar family and their potential
- Possible ways of notating contemporary guitar literature

The examples discussed in the book are complemented by music samples for download from the Bärenreiter website and detailed charts on multiphonics, bitones, and percussion techniques.

Index:
1 Guitar Basics:
Essential components of the guitar
How a guitar tone is produced
Traditional and nontraditional tunings
Abbreviations and symbols for fingers and fingering positions
Notation basics
Fretboard chart
LH techniques
RH techniques
Orchestrating for the guitar: key historical works
·
2 Guitar Harmonics:
What are harmonics?
Harmonics on the open strings of a guitar
Examples from the literature
Notation of harmonics
Half harmonics
Notation of natural harmonics and half harmonics
Multiphonics
Artificial harmonics
"Attackless" harmonics
Guitar harmonics in context

3 Guitar as Percussion:
Historical precedence
RH tapping
Bi-tones
Battuto
Guitar as percussion instrument
Tambour
Golpé
Percussive map
Tamburo
Brushing/Rubbing/Scraping
String buzz
Notational conventions
Foreign objects
Prepared guitar
Guitar as percussion in context

4 "All in the Family". The Acoustic Guitar's Relatives:
Nineteenth century instruments
Deviation from the six strings: the seven-string guitar and the ten-string guitar/décacord
Double-neck guitars
Ukulele
Acoustic steel-string "flat-top" guitar

5 Appendices:
Technical notes
Diverse preparations and descriptions from Yates and Elgart
CD Track List