Classical Guitar Technique - Rob MacKillop

[@wearetemporary]

I think what’s so lovely about this approach is that it is a playing style and aesthetic that is totally focused on and committed to the domestic enjoyment of playing the instrument. So much of how guitar construction and playing technique has developed was conditioned by the desire to transform the guitar into a concertizing instrument (which is perfectly understandable and legitimate goal). The problem for me arises when we present, without explanation or alternatives, a concertizing technique to players, most of whom will never give (nor want to give) public concerts. For the domestic amateur who loves playing the guitar, purely as a source of lifelong joy and fulfillment, our pedagogical default (nail playing, nail maintenance, loud projection, large instruments, uncomfortable scale lengths, etc.) can seriously jeopardize a student’s love of the instrument. I think young students of the guitar would be better served learning your approach and then, when the ambitions to become a concertizing professional materialize in specific students in their early teenage years, switch to the appropriate technique for that career ambition. This would set up the 99% of students who will not become professionals which a much enjoyable and maintainable technique for lifelong playing, whereas now we cater to the 1% and watch the majority of students drift away from the instrument.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Well said. I agree, but with one proviso: people have been playing this way for hundreds of years while also playing concerts. Admittedly the performing arenas were generally small (salons, chamber concert rooms, etc), but today we also have excellent microphones and PA systems which can help fill larger arenas. I’ve played concerts with this technique, and live radio broadcasts, without one complaint about lack of volume. It is possible.

[@wearetemporary]

@@RobMacKillop1 Good proviso. I’ll subscribe to that, as well :).

[@cliffordmayes5764]

Dear Rob, thank you for liberating me from the tyranny of the bent-wrist, nails-only technique! My name is Cliff I'm a recently-retired, 63 year old professor of education who has played classical guitar on and off all his life but is getting serious about it again since I retired last year and am free of constantly having to publish. Your technique feels so natural and right to me and is allowing me to take my playing to higher levels than the nails technique ever did. You have made a big difference for me. Bless you!

[@RobMacKillop1]

You've made my day, Dana, and it's only 8am :-)

[@russmian6078]

Here ye hear ye ...I concur wholeheartedly...

[@Michajeru]

I love the sound that you get on a guitar and your musicianship in general. I also like your modest manner.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Thank you. Appreciated.

[@CharlieTwoShirts]

I loved listening to you distill your techniques. Very thoughtful. I also don't maintain nails. I've tried off and on. I do keep them just a bit longer than yours. They do come into play, but only just slightly. I love your relaxed approach. Having trained hard (3 hours a day) as a youngster in classical violin I can say I have definitely found more enjoyment just, well... enjoying the music. That rigid method feels like a starched collar now. Thanks for all of your content. I always learn well from your music and spoken word.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Robert. I'm pleased my work has been of interest to you. Best wishes, Rob

[@ryankirkmusic755]

This is really refreshing to see. I'm a classically trained guitarist who has shifted towards a jack of all trades approach musically. I just like playing lots of different instruments and repertoire. Most of my 'classical' guitar playing these days is Renaissance or Baroque material, and I've shifted to playing either off my right leg or with a strap and the guitar against my chest like a lute. Along with this, I've also shifted to more of a 'thumb-under' position and playing with the flesh too. I love it. I've always thought it was funny nonsense to listen to 'very serious' guitarists pontificate on the classical posture and technique and then give a recital full of Bach and Dowland.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Good to hear it, Ryan. I've been this way for twenty years. You'll find lots more about other players who play without nails are n my website: rmClassicalGuitar.com Cheers.

[@ryankirkmusic755]

Thanks Rob, I will check it. I recently found your main website and got really into your banjo transcriptions, I've even recorded a few of them. I've got your Bach Cello transcriptions and new lute/guitar book in the mail. Keep on doing what you're doing!

[@Sojourn6]

I have played with flesh only for 30 years. Thank God! The day I started studying with Hector Garcia, my life changed and my sound did also, as did my focus on sound, and the allure of finding a guitar that truly embraces the nuance sound only. Your playing is elegant and timeless!

[@michaeljaffe1298]

This is so very helpful! Thank you Rob!!

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Michael.

[@riceboii101]

I also play with no nails. i always break my nails when there long and also feel that i have more control with the flesh of my fingers. Wonderful right hand technique. i will try to incorporate resting my pinky on the soundboard

[@holestep2063]

I wish I new about this 10 years ago

[@RobMacKillop1]

Well, you have some catching up to do, John. Get to work! ;-) and Good Luck!

[@AzSamad]

Such a great video, love your explanation about your approach and pulling the strings just enough for the tone. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing Rob!

[@cedriceveleigh]

Fantastic video! I will try this technique because I love the beautiful and soft sound that you make.

[@MrMichaelEdie]

No Nails represent!

[@blindallick6882]

A great video and discussion going on here. I'm a steel string player, but have only seriously got into fingerstyle in the last year and a half. I've tried to grow my nails , but with steel they never get that long, but do make a little difference. My thumbnail, on the other hand (pardon the pun), has grown pretty long as I've been playing with a collapsed hand position and the nail seldom touches the string as the thumb is almost side on to the string. All the same, I have noticed that I have started to, on occasion, bend my wrist and go for a more 'Tarrega' type posture purely for the effect of using the thumbnail. I've been playing for years - well decades - with a plectrum, but messed about with flesh playing fingerstyle, and there is something nice about the feel or the direct contact of it. It does really encourage you to really pull the string.

[@TRosnagleGuitarist]

very interesting. thanks for that.

[@linguafranque]

Thank you, Rob, for this very informative video. I'm trying to adapt this technique to the ukulele. Would you say this is essentially the "thumb under" technique used by some lutenists? Or is it something else entirely?

[@holestep2063]

thanks Rob

[@fishwonton]

I know a great guitarist/lutenist/banjoist plays just like you w/o using nails. I've read Emilio Pujol also played and taught the nail-less method. Do you know if the Emilio Pujol guitar school books are a good start to learn this technique? thx

[@apurbabanik1993]

Hi Rob, hope you are doing well. I have a query, whenever I try to plant my finger on a string, I hear a buzz why is that? And could you please guide me on how I can correct it.

[@wjchivers]

This is really interesting Rob, thanks for the video. Like Dana below I am about to retire and get serious about guitar again! I recently bought a 3/4 sized classical guitar to use as a travel guitar, scale length 58cm, and I find the shorter scale very charming and easy on the right hand. Can you tell us who makes your guitar and what is the nut width? Cheers, Bill

[@RobMacKillop1]

Hi Bill. That's was my wife's guitar, which she has since sold. It was made by Manuel Rodriguez y Hijos. I think the nut width was 50mm.

[@wjchivers]

Thanks Rob, I think that is the way I am leaning: shorter scale but retain the standard nut and bridge widths. Thanks for your videos, Bill

[@ludustestudinis]

Thanks for this enlightening video. Incidentally, I had the same problem of finding the modern guitar to be inadequate for playing in a "lute style", i.e. with flesh, little finger on the soundboard etc. Eventually, I had purchased an orignal late 19th century guitar. I wonder why use the guitar presented in this video, given that you also have a copy of a 19th century guitar. Does it have any advantages?

[@armieofone8763]

You play small guitars- what make do you play? I've got very small hands-only 13cm from index to pinky and less if I want to make the notes clear and the transition smooth- some songs I have to change the fingering entirely so that they don't sound quite how they were written to sound. Pretty frustrating. And I've got to learn the piano as well to qualify for graduation- that's really hard (can't play an octave chord, and I'm always having to drop notes) anyway, I need a small guitar with a shorter scale length (but not a romantic guitar just a scaled down modern one) :

[@holestep2063]

were can I buy one of these guitars can't find locally in Minnesota

[@Ener01250]

Bonjour. Bravo pour vos vidéos ! Je n'ai jamais osé mettre des Nylgut sur ma guitare classique . (J'utilise les Nylgut Aquila pour mes luths depuis des années ) Quels tirants me conseillez-vous pour une guitare espagnole qui a une longueur vibrante de 65,5cm ? Ou sinon ,quelles tensions préfèrez-vous , je peux peut-être calculer les diamètres si j'ai la tension pour chaque corde ? Merci. René.

[@goldyplee]

hey Rob!! I really admire your work. I have a question. How do you execute tremolo and other right hand techniques with your form?

[@RobMacKillop1]

The same way as anyone else, but it does sound different. Pujol, a student of Tárrega, said the tremolo should be ethereal, not machine-gun-like. When Tárrega cut his nails off, he went on tour giving many concerts, and we know that tremolo pieces were in his programme. It's definitely possible to play tremolo, but many modern nail players might not appreciate the result as much. As for other techniques, I can play whatever I want to play. But I must point out that there are as many ways to play without nails as there are players, just like nail playing. Don't judge the entire technique from the playing of one person. Check out the Players page on my website: rmClassicalGuitar.com

[@delboy1978uk]

you can still buy gut strings? in glasgow? where?? :-D interesting info amigo, thanks!

[@antshelley170]

hello ,fantastic video! I wanted to ask you what you think about touching villa-lobos without nails? Is there a recording? regards

[@RobMacKillop1]

Why not? There are many Brazilian players who play without nails. I can't think of any recordings.

[@antshelley170]

Thank you very much for the commen

[@Chrisalchin]

Do you find it hard to do quick runs or play tremolo ?

[@RobMacKillop1]

Exactly the same as when I had nails.

[@thonguyen7999]

Thank you. Can use your technique on acoustic guitar ?

[@RobMacKillop1]

+Tho Nguyen Yes you can. I also use it on electric guitar :-)

[@divinodayacap3313]

Your video looks like a Rembrandt Painting.

[@sauliuskrizinauskas344]

which strings do u use?

[@fredhoupt4078]

Supposedly Joni Mitchell uses unusual tunings and no one is complaining about the results.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Indeed she did. A regard her as a genius.

[@rayian5891]

Interestingly different. I do like the tone you're getting from that technique. I'm guessing it's mainly based on Fernando Sor's style as spoken of in his method. Is that correct? In your opinion did Sor play rest strokes or strictly free stroke? All the best

[@RobMacKillop1]

Despite Sir writing a Lot of words about technique in his Method, there are some grey areas. That said, I'm pretty sure he played free strokes with his fingers, though perhaps some rest strokes with his thumb. Yes, I have been influenced by Sor. There is some lute technique in there too, though there was no such thing as o e lute technique. And there is some of my own thinking in there too. I'm not suggesting anyone else play this way, though it might promote thought and discussion, which is never a bad thing. Cheers.

[@rayian5891]

Rob MacKillop Each to his own. You're playing some very nice sounding music that people enjoy and thats what counts

[@cliffordmayes5764]

As a p.s. to my previous comment, Rob, do you offer personal online lessons? I'm a long way from Edinburgh. Alas. Edinburgh is, truly, my favorite city in the world.

[@cliffordmayes5764]

Actually, Rob, my name is Cliff. I'm a professor and since we lot sometimes get hacked by students, "Dana" is an alias. But under whatever name, I'm glad to make your day, for you've already given me so much with your liberating videos. I feel, at 63, like you've given me a new lease on my guitar life. I'm not quite clear on how to arrange private lessons with you. Please advise. Thank you, Rob...for everything. Cliff

[@kenp3L]

Sound level is too low. My volume is turned all the way up and I can barely hear this.

[@kiesel86]

zzzzzzz...I´m tired