The Ida Presti right hand technique for guitar - Alice Artzt - 1/4

In this video from January 2001, internationally acclaimed classic guitartist, Alice Artzt explains and demonstrates the legendary Ida Presti's right hand technique for playing the guitar. Part 1 of 4. Copyright © 2009 - Alice Artzt. Several people have asked if Ms. Artzt gives Skype lessons - she does. She feels they are not as good as in person, but certainly better than nothing, and the Skype students she has taught in the past and is now teaching seem happy. She charges the same $70. an hour that she charges students who come to her studio in Princeton NJ.) For more information or to contact Alice Artzt, she can be reached at: [e-mail]

[@Guitartzt]

Just a note about Presti's teaching. I have always regretted that Ida Presti did not live a lot longer so that her very generous and imaginative teaching was not more widely known, and her right hand technique (which really takes advantage of a natural relaxed right hand and arm, and so nearly always results in a much stronger rounder tone, and a faster more flexible right hand technique) did not become better known as well. I totally credit her teaching and her passing on that RH technique to me, to the fact that I had the concert and recording career I had. Despite all my determination and dedication, I would never had been able to play as I did without her input. I also note that at least from photos etc, her RH technique seems not to be all that different from many historical guitarists - Tarrega, Llobet, Regondi etc. - so not the outlier many people seem to think it is During my tours, I would often have people come to me and twist their right hands into weird contorted positions, and ask me how I could play that way. I couldn't of course. No one could. There was a GREAT deal of false and distorted propaganda floating around to try to persuade people not to even try it. A very great pity.

[@servetheglobe]

When I met my second classical guitar teacher a long time ago, I was taught this right hand technique. I found listening to myself much easier. It is so much better for the right hand as well. However, all sorts of propaganda and noise win out over trying things out and letting one's ear and right hand decide things. I am so grateful for my second guitar teacher filtering out the noise I had been subjected to for a couple years.

[@Guitartzt]

@@servetheglobe Yes there are a lot of people who didn't really figure things out, and they go around spouting nonsense and saying that what Presti did was impossible (well, just take a look at her doing it !!), and defending whatever ideas they may have. It is possible to play using other RH positions - but it is a LOT harder to do, and can cause big problems in many cases. I feel very lucky that I was taught by her, early on, and had that big technical advantage during my whole career.

[@johnlay3040]

This is the first time I heard this RH technique is credited to Ida Presti. As you mentioned above, it is not that different from other guitarists'. I think it is actually the same, ie. it's pretty standard. Most of us play with that position, I don't know who the originator is. There are players who play with both sides of finger nail, eg Liona Boyd, but also there are some who play with just the other side of the nail.... from the KZbin video, Paola Hermosin seems to play that way.

[@Guitartzt]

@@johnlay3040 I think you may not have understood what the Ida Presti technique is - I just checked Paola Hermosin and for sure she does not use the Presti technique. She is initiating each stroke starting on the left side of her fingernails. What I am describing is having the RH totally relaxed, hand hanging down, and the part of the fingernail that FIRST touches the string is the RIGHT HAND corner of the nail - ie the part of the nail furthest away from the thumb. Then the nail is pushed down and slides over the string and ends up leaving the string from a point about 2/3 of the way along the nail (as it slides towards the side of the nail that is nearest to the thumb). This works extremely well, but is not at all universal - in fact most people play starting on the left hand side of the nail - ie the part of the nail nearest the thumb. A few do play on either side - Oscar Ghiglia has done so at times, and Liona may have done so sometimes (she did study with Alexandre Lagoya for a short time) though my impression is that she gave up on that years ago. Perhaps look at my video again - I think you have things mixed up. I do believe that historically some players did what Presti taught and did - for instance, if you look at photos of Tarrega and Llobet, They look as though they are playing that way Presti did. But when I started studying with Presti in the mid 1960s, NO ONE was doing that....and not too many are doing it now. A pity.

[@superkamehameha13]

Thanks a lot for your videos. I teach the way you show (with the right hand completely relaxed). My own teacher was a pupil of Lagoya, and he taught me to play this way. I'm also a karate teacher, in martial arts we try to be the more relaxed possible to gain speed, precision, and to use a minimum of energy. I try to apply the same principles with the guitar. Few guitarists play with the right side of their nails. So I highly appreciate your explanations and arguments, I agree with all of them. I like also how you explain to use first joint of the fingers. I use this movement for "buté" and "pincé". Thanks for sharing all this with us.

[@Hiroshima49]

No one could have explained the right hand technique so eloquently. It's a great contribution to the world of the classical guitar. Deeply appreciated.

[@Guitartzt]

So glad I could help you - the way Ida Presti helped me.

[@johnparker7784]

Excellent lesson from Alice.

[@Guitartzt]

Many thanks - glad it was interesting and/or helpful.

[@johnnygodel7531]

Best classical guitar lesson series available on the internet. Period. For free. What If god was one of us?

[@AtticusStount]

These lessons in ergonomics for musicians are very enlightening

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you found this helpful. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you liked it. Presti was such a phenomenon, I feel we all need to know how she did what she did so that technique isn't forgotten and lost.

[@MethenySco]

These lessons are an absolute goldmine of information, thanks so much Ms. Artz. Everything you say is accurate and proven in painstaking detail. I had two problems with my right hand, which was in a more straight position. One was a persistent bounce, especially when playing fast. The second was that I was reaching with my a finger to play the first string with certain arpeggios, or I had to move my hand. (ex Villa Lobos Etude 1). I've studied your videos, changed my position, and already after 5 days I notice a significant difference. No more bounce, no more reach. Tone off the right side of nail as opposed to left is far superior and louder, and no more weird shaping of the nail. I can use a very short nail now without any difficulty "reaching' the string. (I wonder if long nails are not a way to compensate for the straight wrist position- I notice that no "old school' players had very long nails like today's players). I can very easily change position from bridge to soundhole. Chords sound huge with the 'screwing a jar' motion. And most surprisingly, with a relaxed right hand, I'm able to let go more and just play the music without fussing so much about position, since it just falls into place. Overall I'm just more relaxed. It's a shame that bad technique has become fully accepted and is taught at the highest levels. You have expertly proven beyond a doubt why this position should be the only position taught. Again this lesson was invaluable. Thanks for your efforts and generous sharing of this information.

[@Guitartzt]

I am so glad my discussion and descriptions helped you. I also find it a great pity that more people are not taught this right away - for sure it made a tremendous difference to me in my career - more or less the same changes you mention - and it all worked quite soon. If I had not studied this with Ida Presti, I am convinced I'd never have had the successful career I did. When I first studied with Ida Presti in a summer class, we all had to do the "new" RH position right away, and by the second week it was already working very well, and by the end of the 3 weeks I could play in the final concert and do all the difficult pieces I had played before, but now MUCH MUCH better in every way. I think you are right about historical players using this technique and using shorter nails. Ida Presti needed to live longer and influence more people. Very frustrating that so many people don't benefit from this, and play with more difficulty, less strength, and generally a worse tone quality. Do tell other people - it will help them (if they pay attention).

[@Guitartzt]

No problem. I feel I benefitted so much myself from studying with Ida Presti, that I owe it to her to let people know a bit about her technique and ideas.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you liked the video. I'm not sure where I said noise instead of sound - I'd usually use that word for something less controlled than that denoted by "Sound". I played a lot of contemporary works, though nothing very atonal. About the most "modern" thing I played was the Henze Tentos - also Koshkin, Obrovska, Eastwood, plus Berkeley, Britten, etc etc etc. Most of my recordings are out of print, though I can make CD copies for people if they really want them

[@rodneyworthington2972]

Superb Lesson.

[@Guitartzt]

Thank you so much. Good luck in all you are doing.

[@jtagos1]

Thanks, I will follow your advice. This video is probably the best explanation of right hand technique available for free on youtube. I'm sure many guitarists worldwide will take advantage of it.

[@Guitartzt]

Thank you for your kind words. It certainly was fun to study with Bream - though I have to say my major influences were my wonderful teacher Ida Presti, as well as my good friend and colleague Sergio Abreu.

[@Guitartzt]

More: .) In cases where the person involved was willing to work very patiently for a year or so slowly relearning their technique, changing to the Presti technique has often got them back to about 95% of what they could do before and revived their careers. I've seen it happen a bunch of times, but not everyone is willing to put in the time and be that careful and analytical.

[@Guitartzt]

Yes of course the guitar used makes a big difference. My 1868 Torres guitar taught me how to play Tarrega - it did some things, and didn't do other things, so I learned what to do that it liked. Of course just having a really good guitar makes a difference also. When I first got the Rubio guitar I used for much of my career and many of my recordings, I found that all the voice leadings and subtle things I had been trying to do before suddenly really worked well.

[@francos1960]

Thank you for your generosity !

[@Guitartzt]

I find a lot of people misunderstand the right side of the nail position and try to do things that are very far from what Presti did and taught or what I do and teach. Just for starters, some people try to bend the wrist in ways it was never intended to bend, and/or hold their wrist far too low - near the guitar soundboard. Any of those things, particularly if done intensely or for long periods can injure one's hand.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you are now getting a better sound. Do make sure to relax your hand as much as you can - that will help a lot. I believe there were some differences between what Segovia and Presti did, but a lot of similarities also. Just looking at pictures, I have hte 9impression that Presti's right hand position was more like what Llobet and Tarrega did, but without really seeing them play (impossible) it's not easy to be certain of that.

[@TheMrplanck]

Thank you so much for this great video!

[@sparrowbarnesmusic5864]

I found u tonight and have subscribed. Your teaching is fantastic

[@Guitartzt]

Good luck to you - I hope all this helps you.

[@Guitartzt]

For the Presti technique, you let your hand just hang relaxed. That generally will get all your fingers dangling so that, when the fingers are curved in a good playing position, the finger tips are all more or less lined up above one string - perfect for tremolo. If you play arpeggios then you can reach out with the a finger and curve the i a little more, and you could even play some arpeggios with different fingers - a 5 note arp. low note to top note = pimai, for instance, if you want to.

[@ZRJZZZZZ]

There is much useful information in this lesson. The most important aspect of right hand technique is the right hand fingers’ contact with and release of the string, and that can be accomplished well without turning the right hand perpendicular to the forearm, which can cause compression of the tendons. Just because this angle worked for Presti and Segovia (who were geniuses) does not mean it has to be adopted by others. The angle must be considered based upon the person apostrophes finger and other variables. Whatever they are, this sort of compression would make it almost impossible to play rasqueados well.

[@scarslim]

Alice, que buenos videos, me ha servido bastante. Gracias por compartir.

[@alainvalodze]

Thank you for this...like discovering a jewel...wonderful guidance.

[@Guitartzt]

I'm so glad I could be helpful - Presti's teaching was so very important for me and my career, that I feel an obligation to pass it on to others.

[@alainvalodze]

@@Guitartzt 🙏🏼 a great service to us all who inquire. Bless. Be well

[@Guitartzt]

@@alainvalodze Thank you so much.

[@davinort]

Nice video Alice, very informative. Thanks for doing this, and keeping Presti's technique "alive",

[@closetome]

fab vid, one of the best I've seen on youtube

[@garymcallister4228]

Your playing of Seville for Julian Bream in his Master class was excellent!

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. I do teach in Princeton NJ, of course, but not so many people live near there. I also have tried teaching using Skype, with mixed results - really depends a lot on the location of the student, the quality and speed of their connection, and even apparently the time of day. So sometimes it works out reasonably well and sometime just a big problem. Maybe, soon, the technology will get better.

[@Guitartzt]

When I had a Bouchet guitar with a not so good first string, I just about killed myself trying to get a good big sound out of it. But that paid off when I got another guitar that had a really good first string - then I didn't have to work at all. Different guitars do different things. Ramirez type guitars have a thickish attack sound but less clarity and are often bass heavy - not my sort of guitar. Hard to play fast clear scale passages on. See what works for what you want to do musically.

[@parkmoonsun]

I can not speak English well, but Your class is The best. Thank you So much Alice~~~ .

[@guitarmanchester]

Excellent stuff!!!

[@zdubduke]

I was never a serious classical player, but if I were Alice would be the type of instructor I would look for!

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. I often use an armrest made in Brasil called a Plenosom - they have been imported into the USA - probably you can find it by using Google.

[@Guitartzt]

So glad it helped you. Best etc, Alice

[@Miharyfi]

Very helpful. Thanks a lot.

[@steelback2]

Well done miss Artist .Nice guitar you have just heard you first time j duartes piece your good as well .i have to use false nails ,hell on wheels when they come off .have you tried j duartes arrangement of albeniz torrie bermeja it would be nice to hear your unique approach .

[@robertpettersson6244]

Thank you for posting these extremely helpful videos. Have watched this video series a few times now and think I have a good grasp in how it should look when I pluck the strings. My plan is to use the 120 Giuliani studies( playing very very slowly) and make sure I use the correct right hand form. Have ran into a problem right away though as I was practising full plant arpeggio for the first studies. When I pluck the strings with my "i" finger I seem to be unable to follow through using mostly my knuckle joint while being relaxed( most apparent when I try and pluck the first couple of strings). It's basically mostly the middle joint that does the work. Meaning I try and use the knuckle joint but I hit the adjacent string if I don't bend the lower joints of my finger quite a lot as I follow through. Is pretty uncomfortable actually and after about 1 hour doing nothing but arpeggios my "i" finger is hurting abit( not the others). I am trying to hold my hand so that the knuckle is over the string being played like you showed in the video. A theory I have is that it could be because of my long fingers, but I don't know if that sounds reasonable? To give an idea of my fingerlenght, the span of my hand flexed out is 25,5cm( 10 inches). If I don't rest my right arm on the guitar I have no problem follow through since I can get more vertical space between the hand and the strings. But not resting the arm on the guitar is ofc not an option. What exactly is the solution? ( if indeed fingerlenght is the issue, I could be just talking nonsense and my technique is flawed in some way I don't realise). Have you ever had a student experience right hand technique problems because of fingerlenght? Anyways thanks again for the videos. Figured it was worth a shot to send you a question about my problem.

[@Guitartzt]

A couple of things: For sure it should NOT hurt. So for sure, don't do stuff that hurts. I am not sure exactly what you are describing, but one thing to make sure of is that your knuckles should be curled before you start plucking - in other words you need to have your fingers curved, in a relaxed curve, as a resting position, and then keep the curve during the stroke, moving only (well at least 95%) from the knuckle nearest the palm of the hand. Kind of the same way you'd do playing the piano or tapping your fingers impatiently on a table (except we guitarists don't do that for fear of hurting our fingernails). But that is the motion. You certainly want to be plucking back and down against the weight of the arm that is resting on the guitar - that is the counterbalance to the plucking motion. You should be using the same muscles that you't use to pick up a suitcase. You say it helps if you lift your arm up to get your hand further away from the strings. that woudl seem to indicate that the length of your arm, and fingers also, are probably the problem. You do need to rest your arm on the guitar, but you need more distance because of your long arms etc. So here is what to try. You can vary the place where you rest your arm, make sure you are resting it out pretty far so where you are resting your arm is pretty near the elbow, and vary the angle of the arm a bit also. You probably already tried all that. Next thing to try is go get a pile of potholders, or a towel folded a lot of times, and put that under your arm and on the guitar where you'd normally rest your arm. You are in effect making the guitar bigger so it fits you better. If you can find a good height of potholders or whatever, and it helps, then you have some choices. There are several companies that make guitar arm rests - the Plenosom company (made in Brasil) is one I like - They are a little hard to find lately but I think the XGuitars.com company has them. There are other arm rests also, or you could make something like a small firm pillow for yourself at exactly the height you need, and maybe put some rubber shelf liner on the bottom of it so it sticks to the guitar a bit and doesn't keep sliding off. Guitars were originally made for small Spanish people - for instance Carlos Montoya was about 5' 2", if I remember well, and he was just the right size for a guitar. Most of us are too big. See if that helps and let me know how it goes. Best etc, Alice

[@robertpettersson6244]

Alice Artzt Thank you. Really nice of you to take time and write back such an in depth reply. Actually found a more effective hand position pretty quickly after reading your instructions. Feeling abit stupid that I didn't think of it myself since it seems so apparent now. I thought I had tried everything when it came to placement of my arm. Moved it further down/up the guitar changed angle etc. However I didn't consider changing it around so that I actually had the elbow resting on top of the guitar. Always played with the inside of the elbow/forearm hugging the guitar. It made a big difference in that it gave alot more vertical space for the fingers. Feels much better to do freestrokes now, can relax the fingers alot more. Only downside is that my wrist is bent perhaps to much in this position. Not really sure. I would assume that as I improve at playing classical guitar I am going to learn to relax my hand more, with a totally relaxed hand maybe a bent wrist doesn't have to cause problems? Found this picture on google, my wrist kinda resembles this: i.imgur.com/RxQExJI.jpg So yeah looks kinda bad but placing the arm in such a way that I bend the wrist less would bring me back to my original problem of having my fingerlenght be an issue. Tried using a towel as an arm rest, will have to experiment with it abit but an arm rest seems like a great idea. Maybe with a good arm rest I can come up with a way of not bending the wrist as much. Going to check around to see if it is possible to order one here( I live in Sweden), otherwise I will just have to try and make one myself. Thanks again for taking the time to reply and help out. Appreciate it alot, I live in a small rural town so don't have any classical guitar players to ask for advice. Just fantastic to be able to have gotten help from such a great guitarist as yourself. Thank you.

[@Guitartzt]

Robert Pettersson Well your wrist will need to bend some for sure. But using an arm rest or pile of towels or whatever should let you have your wrist less bent. The picture shows the player’s wrist out pretty far and fingers not very curved and clearly he is playing starting on the left side of the nail rather than the right. Do make sure your hand is as relaxed as possible - that will give you a lot more power since you will only have to use the muscles that actually pluck rather than having to work to hold the hand and arm in place and brace it against the stroke as well. Good luck. One of my students has an arm rest made in Germany - black plastic - clamps onto the guitar. - Andreas Abel Armrest - Armauflage. It does sometimes tend to fall off but seems pretty good generally. Best etc, Alice

[@robertpettersson6244]

Alice Artzt Hi again, just wanted to mention that I ordered the Andreas Abel Armrest. Looked it up after I read you reply and it seemed like it had gotten some good reviews so figured it was worth a shot. Ordered it yesterday. Hopefully it brings some extra comfort, though I can probably get by without it now to tell you the truth. Have practiced quite alot and it is night and day from what it felt like a week ago. Slow and correct( hopefully) right hand practice really did make a difference. Pain and discomfort level is way down.

[@Guitartzt]

Robert Pettersson I am so glad it is working better for you now. Slow and relaxed is the secret to success. Best of luck. Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks so much - glad you found it helpful.

[@Guitartzt]

Many thanks for your kind words. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. Glad I could be helpful. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@Guitartzt]

I would amend my comment above, to say that by now I think Skype lessons are really as good as in person ones. They differ in that some aspects are better and some not as good, but in general they do work very well

[@Fledermausman]

Excellent video, Alice! Among other things, I was interested to see your demonstration of the difference between pulling a bass string out and releasing it near the bridge and near the nut, in terms of the amount of fret buzz. I think there's another explanation for what's going on, though. When you pull the string out near the bridge, you're also pulling up (out) the top of the guitar; you can see this clearly if you sight across the top from the edge. When you release the string, then, the extent of its movement towards the face of the guitar is augmented by the top's springing back to its normal position. This doesn't happen when you pull the string out near the nut.

[@RingOfRae]

Very nice and important lesson. Very interesting that master Artzt says "noise" instead of "sound". I wonder if she plays any contemporary repertoire. If so, I would like to give it an ear....

[@Guitartzt]

Put the false nails UNDER your own and file them in a chisel shape, with your own nails longer and the false ones shorter underneath, so the false nails only protect your own nails in the attack and you get the sound of your own nails only. The false nails are never anywhere near the cuticle, and never affect the sound at all - they just make your own nails stronger. If you do it right, it works wonderfully.

[@damiendavis.ezekiel5697]

wonderful

[@Guitartzt]

So glad you liked it and found it informative. If only Ida Presti had lived longer, I am sure her influence would have been far greater, since she would have had the chance to teach more people, and more people would have heard her amazing playing.

[@carbonatodebario]

Incredible... If it's already perfect in video, imagine it live!

[@jtagos1]

Miss Artzt, thanks for the wonderful videos. I wish I had seen them a few years earlier before I had adopted some of these techniques. However, do you have any advice for how the Presti technique can be modified for people who play without nails? My career requires that I keep my nails short, so I had to clip them a few months ago.

[@Guitartzt]

Playing without nails is certainly not ideal. I'd suggest still doing the same Presti technique, and just try to keep your nails out to the ends of your fingers if possible and curve your fingers a lot to try to at least get a bit of support from the nails. Good luck. I do remember Presti once performing in NYC Town Hall with nearly no nails, as hers were not strong and had pretty well worn out during the previous tour. She sounded wonderful - as usual. Amazing!

[@lurker62]

I can vouch for maestra Artzt's playing of contemporary music by eg Jana Obrovska & Dusan Bogdanovic as I own her "Variations, Passacaglias and Chaconnes" CD - one of my favourites.

[@seikun616]

Do you have any website or articles in a blog?

[@vianaautocenter258]

Muito obrigado!

[@Guitartzt]

O prazer e todo meu.

[@Guitartzt]

Merry Christmas to you too, and also a very Happy New Year 2014. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@Guitartzt]

I don't have a website - probably should have, but not yet. Certainly I've written a lot of articles but I'm not sure if any are still around online. At this point, all I can suggest is to google me and see if you find anything. I didn't do that in a while so really am not sure what may turn up. Best etc Alice

[@Guitartzt]

More: But any technique can be done wrong. I tell my students: if it hurts, STOP doing it. But there is nothing that I know of involved in the Presti technique, when done correctly with a relaxed wrist etc, that should cause any problems. (That said, I did recently have a student who had played for years with a pick and very stiff wrist, who at age 89 (really) decided to take up the classical guitar and came to me for lessons.

[@Guitartzt]

Sorry to have made it look harder than you anticipated. The thing I do find though, particularly among Americans, is the assumption that if you are talented, you just DO whatever it is easily. Elsewhere in the world the assumption is you WORK really really hard to do whatever it is. However, the thing I found is that practicing the guitar is GREAT FUN - I should know having spent probably around 6 or more hours a day doing it for the past 54 years. GO for it. Best etc, Alice

[@treborkciddur]

I studied with Michel Forestier in 1975 and saw you perform in Edmonton Alta. The La Goya technique is so smooth sounding compared to Segovia and some others. I stole your nail lube idea and use it to this day, (skin oil from back of the neck)

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for the kind words. Actually the idea of getting lubricant for the nails and RH finger tips was Segovia's - you could see him getting a little grease from the sides of his nose in concerts. Presti took the idea further and used a little bit of vaseline (in her case, she told me "Bio Dop" hair tonic) and put it on the guitar right next to the neck of the guitar, where you can easily get a bit on your fingers without looking obvious. Does work well.

[@treborkciddur]

@@Guitartzt Thankyou, for that idea too! now I'm starstruck.

[@havokbaphomet666]

Wish she was my teacher lol she explains very clearly and very much like the way a teacher should explain

[@Guitartzt]

Greetings to you too. Best etc, Alice

[@hvillazon]

Alice thanks... very informative , and you explain very well . a question... what is the difference with Segovia s technique?

[@Guitartzt]

hector villazon When I was first taught the Segovia technique by my very first teacher, I was told to hold my hand pretty much exactly this same way as I do now, but then I was required to play starting on the left side of the finger nails. I found I got my nails snagged some of the time if I did that, and it didn't feel at all stable, so after a while trying that, I eventually ended up holding my hand more sideways to keep from doing that. That seemed to work better but still was very unstable and not too strong. However if you look at Vladimir Bobri's very close up pictures of Segovia's hands in his book on the Segovia technique, there are many photos in which it looks as though Segovia is also playing starting on the right side of the nails, the way Presti did, and the way I teach. If you look carefully at historical pictures of Tarrega and Llobet etc, you also get that same impression. I remember Oscar Ghiglia demonstrating that you could start on either side of the nail, with very minimal change in position, with the hand hanging down relaxed as in the Presti technique. And I have had Segovia students point me out to their students as a perfect example of what Segovia said to do. So what I can say is that doing what people say Segovia did, never worked for me, and the Presti technique does work beautifully for me, and I think for anyone else who tried it. It is strong and stable, and allows the hand to be very relaxed and never get tired. As soon as I changed to doing that, it made an immediate and very striking improvement in everything I did after only a couple of days, and after 3 weeks, I was able to play everything I played before MUCH better than I ever had before.

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome. Best of Luck. Alice

[@maugog]

That technicism does not belong to Presti as she explains, but it's good she read John Taylor's Tone Production. Although, the way of playing RH inwards instead of pulling the strings is so common with many musicians from both classical and flamenco (gypsies, more than others) Spanish tradition.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome. Best etc, Alice

[@jean-pierresemeraro7994]

Merci pour vos videos pédagogiques. J'ai déposé sur ma chaîne youtube de enregistrements inédits de la grande guitariste Ida Presti. Bien à vous

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks - I'm so glad.

[@Mirkguitar90]

Hi Alice!Thank you for your videos! I want to ask you a question about the relationship between the classic guitar and technique. How much is important for you to choose the right classical guitar to develop a good right hand technique? Do you think that the guitar influenced the technique or the contrary?

[@halloerde]

Pt 1: Hello Alice. I always find it useful to consult your intellect, though I do so sporadically. I have a question about right hand technique. Though it works for you and Ida, I have known people who have injured their hands, through plucking off the right side of their fingesr, in long practices. I have been studying piano as well as guitar, and would love to introduce you to the work of Dorothy Taubman. She has helped leading pianists who have injured their hands, restore their technique

[@OktoberStorm]

You got a Torres?! How much was it? Or maybe I should ask how much is it for you to part with it ;)

[@Guitartzt]

More: The main thing that gets people injured and unable to play is having the wrist too low, usually done while playing starting on the left side of the nail. That happens a lot, and has stopped many major careers in their tracks. (This low wrist syndrome happens with lutenists and pianists also - Schumann was the first famous case.)

[@Guitartzt]

Various B vitamins are supposed to make your nails grow strong. But I found the best is to make little half moon shapes from ping pong balls and glue them under your nails with crazy glue. Takes practice to glue them well and file them so they sound good, but if you do it well, it really works to get a lovely loud sound with no worries. A lot of guitarists do this.

[@Gitanoz]

Alice, Lagoya told me to position the footstool in the middle rather than to the left. What do you think about that?

[@Guitartzt]

Whatever feels solid and stable and has your leg under no tension.

[@tubbers20]

Hi Alice. I just wanted to say that I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. :^) Randall

[@lucaborzani56]

does this tecnique work also for pieces that require a thumb stroke on the second string? It's not clear how the thumb can reach that far without the arm moving. Thanks

[@Guitartzt]

It works fine - no problems - the thumb should be able to easily reach any strings it needs to. It isn't that the arm never moves at all - just you have your hand relaxed and hanging from the wrist and put the wrist where the fingers and thumb are in a good position to reach whatever you want to reach. But the wrist needs to be out away from the guitar top enough that the thumb can reach most of the strings without the wrist having to adjust a lot. So if you are doing an arpeggio piece that has the i and m fingers playing the top two strings, and the thumb has to do notes on the 3rd string and the 6th string alternating, the wrist should be in a position that the hand can just stay in one position and the thumb can reach those strings without having to have the hand change positions to accommodate it.

[@rufyreen]

This is fantastic! I'm from India and want to learn this technique. Can I register for a video lesson?

[@Guitartzt]

+Melvin Rufus Yes I do give Skype lessons - not as good as in person, but certainly better than nothing, and the Skype students I have taught in the past and am now teaching seem happy. Probably we can arrange that if you write to me at my E Mail address: [e-mail] (I charge the same $70. an hour that I charge students who come to my studio in Princeton NJ.)

[@rufyreen]

+Alice Artzt I've mailed you a few hours ago from my email ID.. THIS IS EXCITING, I can't wait to learn from you!

[@Guitartzt]

@skaterguy1015 Sorry for the delay getting back to you. What might work is that lately I've been giving a few lessons online using Skype, so if you find you need to have me look at what you are doing and check on it and give you some advice, I could do that in an online lesson. The quality may depend on the speed of your internet connection. If you are interested, just reply to this message, and give me your E Mail address to reply to.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad to be of help. Good luck with the ping pong balls. Make sure to have some acetone nearby when you use the crazy glue. It will dissolve any mistakes you may make. Also best to get some strong tweezers to use to clamp the false nail and real one together while you are working. Once you get a technique for it, it is not hard - but does take a bit of practice - you won't probably get it instantly. Thanks in advance for any music. Best etc, Alice

[@anakkuna]

thanks:)

[@Dr.JesseLiang]

that was awesome 5******

[@Guitartzt]

I would think it would work with any finger style player. My main reservation would be that it will wear out your fingernails (assuming you use fingernails), but probably that will happen no matter what position you use. Try it - I'd imagine it would work. I've certainly seen a number of steel string and electric players in bands, sitting and using a classical position to play.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome.

[@Sorguitar91]

I´d like to make a question... Presti technique works very well when playing tirando but at apoyandos is somewhat difficult... Is right to play in the Presti´s position and also playing apoyando with the left side of nail? Is this change of position for both strokes wrong? I saw Christian de Chabot also changes the position of right hand and is different at rest strokes(which uses he left side) and for free strokes(uses the right side)...

[@Guitartzt]

+sorguitar91 I would not at all recommend changing position for rest stroke vs free stroke. I don't think it is at all necessary and makes a lot of problems. I find using the Presti position I can play a rest stroke or a free stroke with pretty much the identical same RH position, and can make them sound very close to the same quality of tone if I want to. The only reasons I can think of that might make it hard to do would be if your tip joints of your RH fingers are very curled up (arthritis?), and won't straighten out or double joint even the slightest bit - or if your forearm is very very long so that you end up with a very exaggerated bend in your wrist. (If you have a very long forearm, then try to put some padding or a guitar arm rest under it, so that you in effect make the guitar bigger and don't have to have your arm as crunched up.) Make sure your guitar is held at a pretty good angle - ie closer to a 'cello position - with the lower bouts resting out pretty near your right knee, and make sure your arm is resting so that if you relax it completely your hand hangs down over the strings somewhere between the sound hole and the bridge. Should work. Maybe that is something I need to do another short video about. But if you have to change position to do rest strokes vs free strokes, what are you going to do if you have a scale of single notes you want to use rest strokes for, and then followed by a chord? Or try a lot of things with chords alternating with scale like melodies. The melodic line will be a mess - probably totally inconsistent tone quality and volume, and you will miss strings like mad because of having no consistent hand position.

[@Sorguitar91]

+Alice Artzt Oh yes,now it works... I tried and finally can play without changing the right hand position though I need my nails longer... It takes a bit of practice but Presti´s technique works very well...

[@Guitartzt]

+sorguitar91 I'm so glad you got it working. It's very important to have a consistent and very stable RH position. Best etc, Alice

[@Himark89]

the video doesn't load.

[@Guitartzt]

I never tried Duarte's Torre B - actually never played that piece as everyone else seemed to be doing it. I always tried to play really wonderful music that others didn't play so much. I hope you put the false nails (ping pong balls) UNDER your own nails - didn't glue them on top. Then it doesn't matter if they fall off - you can still play and sounds the same. Gluing false nails, or ping pong balls, on top of your nails is an invitation to disaster.

[@Guitartzt]

It loads and plays fine for me. I'm sorry if you are having problems. Maybe something is going on with your computer or your internet company. I don't know what I can do since it seems to have no problem at all when I try it. Good luck. Hope it works for you later on.

[@KhaledFerdous-zk7ff]

Did you visited Bangladesh in 1975?

[@Guitartzt]

Very likely. I toured all over that area several times, but would have to spend a lot of time to check on what year I was where.

[@KhaledFerdous-zk7ff]

@@Guitartzt i found your name in old news paper in 1975, in my country Bangladesh, so i like to ask you this question

[@Guitartzt]

@@KhaledFerdous-zk7ff OK - So that happened that year for sure - and I may also have been there more than once. By now I can't remember and would have to do hours of searching to try to figure it out. I know for sure that I played in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan several times each, and many other countries around there a lot as well.

[@KhaledFerdous-zk7ff]

@@Guitartzt thank u for your reply , i also play guitar , but i usually play steel string acoustic guitar

[@Guitartzt]

@@KhaledFerdous-zk7ff Well, we all have to deal with pretty much the same anatomical issues.

[@arthasbr]

I wish I could have a teacher like her xD

[@Guitartzt]

Many thanks in advance for the music. If scanning it and sending it as an attachment doesn't work, then if you like you could send it by mail - 51 Hawthorne Ave, Princeton NJ 08540. Many thanks, and good luck to you.

[@brucelevine6517]

Noise????

[@Guitartzt]

No I doubt that has anything to do with it. There is a typical problem guitarists get with their right hands that is mostly related to their trying to play with the wrist too low (too near the guitar soundboard) and also the hand positioned too near the bass strings. Hard to explain in a few words. It is a serious problem and has stopped many careers. If you are anywhere near NJ, let me know and you can come and I can show you what's going on.

[@klguesthotel3983]

the 38 dislikes, what made these guys dislike such a "contributive" videos??????

[@Guitartzt]

More: . His wrist was so stiff he really could not bend it much at all, so playing on the right side of the nail was not very possible for him. Not a very usual case. I've heard of Taubman - I'll look her up when I get a chance.

[@steelback2]

Thank you miss Artist i have never heard the piece myself. I have never used ping pong balls on my nails don't know how?. what makes your nails grow strong ,i had good ones. talking about pieces of music where can i get canta cuando me ausente by hidrobo. anyway 5 stars on this video from me. well done.

[@steelback2]

Hello .Miss Artzt i have been trying to to send you some music ,as i said i would ,for your invaluable help.(i have still to experiment yet with the balls )through yahoo mail but to no avail .ifyou need advice which i may have to offer let me know*

[@steelback2]

Thank you miss Artzt. i will give it a chance soon as soon as i find ping dong balls .You know this video will become a classic of guitar information in very near future .For your reward i will send soon rare hard to get classical guitar music .

[@Guitartzt]

Unfortunately for you, I already sold it some years ago.

[@Guitartzt]

Sorry to have made it look harder than you anticipated. The thing I do find though, particularly among Americans, is the assumption that if you are talented, you just DO whatever it is easily. Elsewhere in the world the assumption is you WORK really really hard to do whatever it is. However, the thing I found is that practicing the guitar is GREAT FUN - I should know having spent probably around 6 or more hours a day doing it for the past 54 years. GO for it. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome.