“Play the music, not the instrument.” –Proverb Today we feature Italian virtuoso Aniello Desiderio. This is video is part one of a 10 part documentary on youtube, so if you like it, there’s more! for you listening enjoyment.

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Non-Chord Tones

Music Theory

If you’re versed in a bit of basic harmony, there’s no doubt that you’ve tried to assign Roman numerals to a piece of music. The basic premise is that you try to account for every note – each note must belong to a chord. This ideal works really well for things like simpler Bach chorales […]

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Rolling Chords

Musical Interpretation and Musicianship

Guitarists roll a lot of chords, but should we? A rolled chord is an effect rather than a constant technique. When you roll a chord (especially in Bach) it throws off the beat. A chord that was previously supposed to occupy, say an eighth note, is now spread over an entire beat. Of course, for […]

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For Emergencies Only

Guitar Performance Tips

Memory slips anyone?

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Facelift 2.0

Around the Web

I’ve just updated the website design for The Classical Guitar Blog. I’m still working out the bugs, but I have some big ideals planned. For instance, the category this feed is posted in (news) will have it’s own feed. This feed will cover classical guitar in the news. This is similar to what I did […]

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Five Reasons to Start Practice Log (Today)

Classical Guitar Practice Tips

A while ago I started using a practice log. So far it’s been a great tool. It’s hard to get into at first, but once you get in the habit it’s hard to not use it. In case you haven’t gotten the hint that practice logs are a good idea, here’s some reasons why you […]

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Giuliani 120+

Updates & Activities

I’m pleased to announce my edition of the Giuliani 120 studies. The book groups the studies into seven levels, and includes text that covers practice suggestions and arpeggio technique information. The three people who post a comment on this post will be sent a free copy of the ebook! (be sure your email address is […]

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“Play by the rules, but be ferocious.” —Phil Knight Guitarist Metteo Mela is half of the oustanding guitar duo SoloDuo. Today’s video features Mela playing a piece by Legnani, a relatively under-appreciated 19C composer. Check out some free Legnani music at the Boije archive.

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Linkage: 6/19/09

Guitar Related Links

Are you on twitter? Guitarist Brian Barone is putting together a classical guitar twitter directory. Drop him a line if you’d like to be listed! On the same social media trend, you can hit me up on facebook if you’d like. Just include, “I read your blog” or something in the friend request! Guitarists everywhere […]

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Stretching Exercises

Classical Guitar Tips

@RayGil asked about stretching exercises for classical guitar today. He’s right there are some daunting stretches for classical guitar. I remember when I was in my first year of undergrad and my teacher had me playing something that had a G on the sixth string and B on the first strong together. I couldn’t do […]

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