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

[@alvarobarriuso3773]

Great explanations about sound principles on the guitar, Alice. Clear enough to explain not only Ida’s and your position and technique, but also others that work nicely. Great also the left hand tips. I’ve been playing and teaching for years and agree on the most of it.

[@Ark4evah]

These videos are an absolute treasure!

[@Guitartzt]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@paulafranceschi]

Followed a thread from Jazz Gtr Forum, and watched all four parts, and enjoyed every minute, even though I've been playing in a completely different style for 58 years! Alice is wonderful!

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. Best etc, Alice

[@robertcronin6603]

So much great info!!! Having been playing for 30 years I haven't thought about my left hand and whether or not I could have been positioning better for quite some time - it looks as if I need to relearn a few bad habits I've picked up along the way...these techniques you are discussing are so rarely mentioned among blues/rock/folk players. Again, these four videos are the most enlightening and informative of any other classical guitar instructional vids on KZbin 🔥💜🔥

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. Have fun and good luck with all you are doing.

[@robertcronin6603]

@@Guitartzt thank you!

[@Guitartzt]

I made the change to the Presti right hand technique in 3 weeks after which I already played much better than ever before - but I was practicing 6 or more hours a day at the time. If you change any habit, 3 weeks is more or less the time to adjust, but you have to really do it 100% the new right way all the time. Get a mirror and play simple stuff VERY slowly and loudly and watch your hand ALL THE TIME.

[@kaptnmeier9018]

This was so helpful for my right hand (my alltime weakness)! I have still lots of work to do, but its better than ever before! Thanks a lot, Mrs. Artzt!

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome. It made a HUGE difference for me too when I first learned about it from Ida Presti. Good luck to you now - getting it consistent and permanent. Best etc, Alice

[@BradMaestas]

I really enjoyed this series. Very useful for beginners and advanced players alike. I find that experienced players can be just as guilty of disregarding the fundamentals as beginners. Having this clear and insightful reminder of the correct physics involved in playing the guitar is valuable to every one no matter how long they've been playing. Thanks Alice!

[@RickS714]

This series is such a great gift. I just listened/watched through all. I'll definitely go back again to take notes. Thank you so much for sharing such incredibly valuable information. I love to play and I know I have just learned some things that will make the guitar even more enjoyable for me. Thanks! Rick

[@danhoney7391]

Alice , thank you for sharing your skills, I found all four very interesting and informative, best wishes and hugs Dan

[@Guitartzt]

I am so glad you have helped...

[@Guitartzt]

I am so very glad my lesson helped you. I am actually considering the idea of trying to figure out how to give actual one on one lessons online, but that will not happen for a while as I didn't even get a website yet. But just this video seems to be helping people anyway. Thanks for your very enthusiastic and kind comments.

[@xpursangjock8724]

Have you looked at Zoom for lessons? It can work for one or 10 or more people at once.

[@Guitartzt]

@@xpursangjock8724 Actually I have been giving lessons online via Skype for many years. The post of mine that you are answering is 11 years old. Anyone interested in taking lessons with me on Skype (or FaceTime) can contact me at: [e-mail]

[@tonikaila5512]

Thank you so much Alice - that's hugely helpful. Really enjoyed all of it, all four parts, and found it very useful in trying to solve some deep rooted problems with endurance and speed and such. Much appreciated!

[@Maria-2405]

Thank you so much, I was supposed to do my exercises after lunch, but, in automatic motion, I took my phone am found your videos... Then I tryed the new right hand technique.. I can't believe how my guitar can sing beautifully this way, expecially with the clock wise motion of my right hand fingers Thank you so much Maestra, I had to stop my exercises to tell you that.

[@Guitartzt]

I am delighted it worked so well for you. It did that for me as well. Keep up the good work.

[@RareGuitarVC]

Many tks for your advices Alice.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad it was so helpful. Best Wishes, Alice

[@mungebob95]

After watching the videos several times, I find that concentrating on using the right side of the nail helps me keep the form.

[@philippeb1507]

Thank you so much for this helpful tutorial. I've just started to study guitar, mostly on my own as I am traveling a lot for work and it was so precious to have such a detailed and visual explanation of hands' position on the instrument. Best regards from France.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad to have helped you - Ida Presti was an absolute phenomenon, as you probably know. I was very lucky to have known her and studied with her - I am convinced her technique was what made my career possible.

[@adambozentko5877]

I've played for 20 years, why have I never heard of Her before yesterday..?..!.. Thank you for showing the right hand so in depth.!. Great breakdown.. I'm late to the party..!..

[@Guitartzt]

That is the tragedy of Ida Presti - that she had such a short life (died age 43), and that by now so many people are not even aware of her. She was a PHENOMENON in every possible way. She could play anything - instantly and perfectly - and better than anyone else. In one of my lessons with her, I've seen her fly through 20 or so different fingerings for a difficult passage I was having problems with, in Martin's 4 Pieces Breves, choose one, and once I practiced it a bit, I no longer needed to worry about it. She was a lovely person as well. I was super lucky not only to have got to know and study with her, but to have already been pretty fluent in French, which helped me get to know her better sooner. She played the guitar as easily and naturally as other people breathe, gloriously musical, and her technique was unsurpassed by anyone before or since - I am just trying to pass along as much of what I learned from her as I can.

[@Guitarissimo13]

By far the best beginning guitar performance tutorial on the 'web', as far as I'm concerned.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you enjoyed them and found them helpful Good luck in your teaching. Best etc, Alice

[@johnhalbert0]

Learning proper technique for the guitar has really changed how I play. I just stumbled across this by chance, but have to say that it's taught me so much that I think applies not only to the presti technique, which you demonstrate and explain very well, but to general technique, how the body works & how your body naturally relates to you guitar. Obviously you may have something to say about that, but I'm finding more and more that finding out how to make the guitar work with your body is key!

[@tubbers20]

First I'd like to say how blessed you were to be taught by Ida. She will always be one of my faves to listen to. :^) We are in the process of getting internet at home. Right now I am at the library. I will also be getting a new computer this week. May give Skype a try too. I am going to try very hard to adopt the right hand technique. I don't have a teacher and your videos are a huge help. Also, your playing the 19th century guitar is beautiful. :^)

[@Guitartzt]

The part of the nail that strikes the string first is the right corner - the side furthest away from the thumb. If you press your finger into the string just before plucking, you will see a groove in your skin that goes from that right hand corner to further up the finger on the other side - the side nearest the thumb. So with curving your finger enough, you are in fact playing with the left hand tip of the finger but sliding from the right hand corner to the middle of the nail.

[@Guitartzt]

Many thanks. Glad you found it useful.

[@matteoguitarra]

Thankyou for the great videos probably the best explanation of technique I have seen and you have caused me to re-evaluate how I play as I have been playing off the other side of the nail to what you advise and unfortunately it appears you be right it is very generous of you to share this with us so thanks again!

[@Guitartzt]

Well a lot of people do play starting on the left side of the nail, and for anyone who finds it works well, why not? But I was first taught to play that way, and did it for about 6 years. But once I started doing what Presti taught, it immediately improved my playing enormously. I am completely convinced that had I not made that change, I would not have had the major concert career I had.

[@RareGuitarVC]

Many Tks. These series are really useful. I wish you can talk something about shaping the right hand fingernails too if you are planning to do the next series.

[@filmic1]

Thank you for explaining all the mechanics especially on the right hand. My teacher (Spanish trained Brazilian fellow. MFA,) has me running through this right now. He took a bit of video of what my right hand was doing especially my m and a fingers. Hooking too much. Not relaxed. Must remember to push down and bring the whole finger (m and a) up and back so I'm pushing the string down and back.. So helpful.

[@Guitartzt]

I think you have the right idea - Bravo !! It is so important to get into a position that you can really relax in, and for sure you have to push the strings down, not snatch at them and pull up. Good luck to you in your work.

[@filmic1]

Thank-you. He put a rolled up piece of cloth under the strings right next to the bridge to attenuate the string tension and had me play, to show me how light I should be on the strings. He pulled the cloth out after a bit and noticed a big difference and explained that to me, that was my goal. That was genius, I think.

[@Guitartzt]

Sounds as though he is a very good imaginative teacher. Bravo to him.

[@bobbygoesbig]

Extremely informative. Thank you so much, Alice!

[@Guitartzt]

I've seen that criticized as a fault also and frankly I don't think it is an advantage, but I did it a lot also, and I don't think it wrecked my playing. What seems to be happening is that when one is trying to stretch the RH fingers apart more, then the pinky tries to help by pulling out. Best is if the pinky can mimic the movements of the a finger. But if your hand is otherwise pretty relaxed, then I don't think it hurts much to do it. Glad you liked the video.

[@tylerdockff]

@Guitartzt This is great! You should do some more videos! :)

[@lawcch]

hi, Alice, It is wonderful you gave these guitar lessons in youtube. I had followed your method of right hand techniques through Segovia's method. Maybe Segovia had taught Ida Presti when she was a child. I am not sure about that. Actually, all the lessons were given in Segovia method when i started to learn the guitar in 1980s and you wrote a few guitar exercises for LH and RH too. Thanks for your good lessons and they refresh my memory of learning the guitar.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad it was helpful. Best Wishes, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

The only small consolation I had was to remember that I had taken every possible opportunity I ever had to be with her - ask her questions - talk to her - play for her. I absolutely dropped everything else every single time I had a chance to be with her - so I had not ever missed even a minute of possible time with her. Still not at all enough time - but enough to make a very lasting impression on me - and on everyone else she ever encountered.

[@tylerdockff]

@Guitartzt Thats alright, I'll have to watch your videos a few more times anyway to make sure I get the most out of them haha. You have very clear and concise explanations. Thanks again! :)

[@STIZEN9]

Ida, are you still alive? Thankyou for helping me find my right hand position, after 7+ years of searching and wondering, "how the heck does Bream and Segovia use their right hand like that?" I was trying to keep my wrist straight like Simon Dinnigan, but this works so much better for me. My right hand is super relaxed. Thankyou Alice as well! This is the best video tutorial so far that Ive seen, and it is free of charge.

[@Guitartzt]

+STIZEN9 I found the same thing - that playing as Ida Presti taught me, when I first studied with her in 1964, worked SO VERY MUCH better than trying to do what I had been taught before. I am so glad that I could help you also. Ida died many years ago, but her wonderful music lives on in her recordings and in the memories of those who heard her, and her wonderful teaching both about music and about guitar technique live on also in all her students and admirers.

[@Guitartzt]

You are right. You have to watch your right hand and fingers for a while until you get the feel of it. It takes about 3 weeks of doing something pretty consistently to form a new habit. Best of luck. Alice

[@taciturnme]

Thank you so much! Was very helpful!

[@pascalealbertini7508]

Merci beaucoup pour vos conseils !

[@vihuelamig]

I started playing with that 'canted' wrist in the early 80's. For some reason I changed to more of an 'in line' wrist sometime later. I don't even think it was a conscious decision, maybe virtually everyone was doing that. Roll on the years and I started getting injured, probably more to do with shoulder tension and general posture than hand position as such. Too late for me to switch back, the damage has been done but it is nice to see someone promoting this technique. Nothing is set in stone, techniques and methods are re-evaluated all the time. Providing everything stays relatively relaxed there's no reason it shouldn't work for certain individuals. It clearly worked for Ida and what a truly marvelous player she was. Pity there are too few solo recordings but we have what we have. I was too young to see her.

[@Guitartzt]

I started out with the straighter wrist, and it really didn't work all that well despite my great determination, and my many hours a day of practicing. At the time, I just thought I needed to practice even harder and it would get better eventually. Didn't happen. But then I encountered Ida Presti at a class in Canada. I have always considered myself absolutely lucky to have encountered her teaching her RH technique when I had been playing only 6 years. In the three week course with her, having to change to her technique on the spot, my playing improved immeasurably, and I totally credit her technique with having enabled me to have had the career I did. Relaxation is a large part of it, but if you have to hold your whole hand up all the time, and keep it in position against the pull of gravity, then it is pretty hard to relax completely. With the Presti technique, gravity determines how your hand is held and no effort is expended in doing that. This means you have a LOT of power left over to use to play with, and hardly have to work at all to play loudly with a big round tone. There are however a few other aspects that enter into it as well - how you hold the guitar, how you sit, various angles of the guitar etc - wrist position - elbow position. There is a lot of misinformation floating around. I've had people come up to me and get into some Quasimodo - like contortion, and then tell me they tried to play with the Presti position and couldn't manage it. Well doing what they just illustrated, NO ONE could do it. So it is important to really do what Presti did - not some funny distorted idea about it. By the way, I'd never say it is too late to go back to the Presti position. I've got students now as late as in their 70s who got it working. Best etc, Alice

[@vihuelamig]

Thank you for the reply Alice. I didn't mean to suggest that it's too late for anyone to alter their technique, just that it is so for myself. My injury isn't going to get any better, which is a pity because I would like to try the Ida method.

[@tubbers20]

Hi Alice, I will try that too. I just set up a new desk and playing area and I am thinking of putting a mirror there so that I can see my hand position. It's kinda hard to tell from above if I really have it right and it felt like my hand was slipping back to my old position at times. Another thing I think really helped was when you said to watch my index finger knuckle position and that has also helped for sure. That was something I had never even thought about before. Will reply below. :^)

[@Guitartzt]

Many thanks for your kind words. I think it's all info people need to know and use.

[@tubbers20]

She was one in a billion. Looking forward to it. :^)

[@tubbers20]

Hi Alice, I just want to say that using the mirror has to be one of the best ideas ever. I was pretty much able to keep my hand in position and I feel that my finger comfort zone is just to the right of the sound hole about where Christopher Parkening plays. I'm guessing it depends on the players proportions as to where your arm rests on the bout. But watching my fingers as I played I could see the improvement right off. Now I just have to get used to the new finger angle. Thank's so much. :^)

[@yoyodunno]

Yeah I started on electric a few years ago too, and the right hand position on electric is so different than on classical. I've been trying to figure out the best RH position on classical, and thanks to your lesson I am getting out of the habit of my electric guitar RH. Now I my tone is getting much clearer and bell like, although I think it'll take some weeks to get used to.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome - seemed to be a good idea to get that info out there - so we all know what we are doing physically and physiologically, and why it works or doesn't.

[@Guitartzt]

I am so glad this is working for you. Good luck.

[@fyaman21]

I learned So much...Thanks

[@tubbers20]

Just wanted to say that I just ordered 'The Art Of Ida Presti' cd. Can't wait to listen to it. :O)

[@Guitartzt]

You got it - very well understood. Best of luck. Alice

[@lawcch]

Yes, another issue most teachers don't bother or overlook is the holding the guitar in a sitting position. we need to adjust the height chair. But I found that standing position is best for guitarist to play as it is quite natural position to hold the guitar. Beside the size of the guitar is very important like scale length 630 mm for small hand or shorter fingers and 650 or 660mm for longer fingers,

[@Guitartzt]

She was a true wonder. I haven't head this particular re-issue of her early recordings, but if it does justice to her sound, you are in for a treat. The earliest recordings she made were at about age 13 or maybe even 12 1/2 - astonishing!!

[@tylerdockff]

This is great! More videos would be appreciated!

[@Guitartzt]

I got the CD by now and it does have nearly all the things I already had - WONDERFUL - specially considering she was 13 or 14 when she recorded most of that stuff. A few naively funny wrong notes or rhythms because she was a kid - nearly self taught with no good musician for a teacher to catch such things. What strength and vitality - and what a technique!!! It was indeed horribly sad when she died - we had all expected her to last for a long time - she had promised me to play at my wedding.

[@tylerdockff]

This is great! You should do some more videos! :)

[@johnnygodel7531]

Once and for all, the easiest way to play a max. number of E's on a guitar: 6 : empty 5 : VII - m 4 : artificial harmonic XIV 3 : IX - c (or a) 2 : V - i 1 : empty ( or XII - c)

[@tubbers20]

One more thing. By going to the Presti position I noticed right away that it put my thumb in a much better playing position. My right thumb actually curves IN a bit and is not straight. (both of my Mother's thumbs had an outward curve) and in my old position my nail never touched the string, but in the Presti position I know it will now but I just need to grow it out a bit now. I was always disappointed that I couldn't use my thumb nail to bring out the bass tones. This is so great. :^)

[@Guitartzt]

For large hands, first make sure your string spacing is wide enough. Then if your arms are too long, maybe try putting either a guitar arm rest (Plenosom or similar) under your right arm, or a pile of pot holders or folded towel to elevate the arm and make the guitar bigger so your hand when relaxed falls more in front of the strings the way a smaller person's would.

[@Guitartzt]

Thanks for your kind words. Glad it helped you.

[@Guitartzt]

Thank you for your kind words and good luck to you in trying out the Presti technique. Best etc, Alice.

[@Guitartzt]

Shaping fingernails is quite a personal and depends on the curvature of the nails and fingers, the relative lengths of the fingers and just how the hand is hanging. In general I think the nails should be shaped following the general curve of the finger tip, and be long enough so that one can start touching the string at the corner of the nail and have the string slide towards the middle of the nail leaving it there. Above all, listen to the sound you get.

[@Guitartzt]

You made some good comments. I do find that a number of pop/metal/electric guitarists have come to me for lessons and feel classical guitar technique helps them - I have one such student now who teaches rock in a conservatory and comes to me for ideas etc. The Edge in U2 use to study with a classical guitarist friend of mine in Dublin. My observation has been that generally the more difficult the material being played, the more likely it is that pop/jazz etc guitarists use a classical technique

[@Guitartzt]

Glad you found it helpful.

[@Guitartzt]

@tylerdockff Well your thumb is what presses against the neck of the guitar to offset the pressure of the fingers. Particularly with barres, you need a very strong thumb, so if it is too weak the only long range solution is to get it stronger by practicing. You don't want to get it cramped, but you HAVE to use it. Putting too little pressure with the thumb means not offsetting the fingers, so you end up pulling the guitar neck towards yourself using arm and shoulder muscles = no good.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad to be of help. Good luck with your classical guitar playing.

[@Guitartzt]

It is certainly possible to play well using a different technique. But it is a lot harder and you have to be a lot stronger. I played with a more sideways hand position starting on the the left side of the nail for 6 years before changing to Ida Presti's way of playing. After doing that, I found out within a couple of weeks that I could play faster, better, with a louder stronger tone, and more accuracy. I totally credit my concert/recording career to having changed to her technique.

[@Guitartzt]

My a finger is also a little bit shorter than my i, and I do keep the a finger nail a bit longer than the i and m. Experiment a bit and see what works. But also if you are missing connecting with the string, then try changing the angle of your hand a bit, or the curvature of your fingers. There can be a combination of factors involved. I haven't toured for some years, but I do still teach a lot in Princeton NJ, and also I've tried on Skype - not great quality but perhaps better than nothing

[@Guitartzt]

Glad it was helpful.

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome. Keep up the good work. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

Bravo on what you are doing. The answer to your in the next post.

[@nixchain]

Thank yo very much yo are very kind, Bless You!

[@Guitartzt]

@RootsinBrooklyn This is part 4 continuing a discussion that was originally one long video. I think you will have to look very hard to find any competent classical guitarist with a "power grip" left hand position, and the reason is that it doesn't work if you are playing anything complicated with counterpoint in it. I've even noticed recently a number of electric guitarists playing using standard classical positions with both hands, as what they are wanting to play grows more complicated.

[@tubbers20]

Thank you for replying Alice. Now I'm wondering if I should try changing or will I be already set in my ways? I guess it couldn't hurt to try and with what it did for your playing it may not be a bad idea.

[@Guitartzt]

Glad it was helpful. Best etc, Alice

[@Guitartzt]

I already have all those performances on various formats, but ordered the CD anyway to have it all in one place. Yes Guajira is a fun piece which she plays marvelously - I used to play it also. On the new CD, is it called Guajira or Evocacion Cubaine? That's what it was called on the original recording - I have no idea why.

[@lawcch]

another exercise is to play slur downward by pressing all the left hand fingers onto the single string. Please advise how is method can be performed to minimize the movement of the LH finger?

[@Guitartzt]

Bravo. Keep up the good work. Best etc, Alice

[@tubbers20]

Hi Alice, It's a great cd and I'm sure you will also love it. :^) I dug out Guitar Review #31 with the issue dedicated to Ida after she passed away and I know it was a very sad time for all of you then.

[@tubbers20]

Thank you Alice. I will try that out for sure. I'm also waiting for my thumb nail to grow out too as even with my crooked thumb I think now the nail will hit the string with the new technique. It never did with the angled wrist. My nails grow pretty fast so I'll let you know if it works. I also that my hand does stay in position now and I can see my knuckles aligned with the strings when I use the mirror. :^)

[@Guitartzt]

More: The idea is to get your are and hand relaxed completely falling as gravity pulls it, and ending up right in front of the strings you want to play. So use whatever you need to accomplish that. If you are resting - bracing - your arm on the guitar, and plucking against the weight of that arm, then you should be able to play completely relaxed.

[@Guitartzt]

I don't think it is exactly the same, but may be closer than to some other techniques - for instance Bream's which is quite different. I've seen Oscar Ghiglia explain that he has done both what Presti did, and also more what Segovia did, and both look about the same to anyone watching. Some of it depends on the natural shape of the nails and how they are used - also the curvature at which the fingers are used.

[@tylerdockff]

This is great! More videos would be appreciated! :)

[@Guitartzt]

More: For tone, basically you have to make sure you are sliding along the nail - somewhat sideways - so the string thinks your nail is a big thick smooth ramp. Also your nails have to be nicely curved and very very very smooth. Let your hand fall as if pulled towards the treble side of the bridge, and then pluck towards your face. That gets your fingers coming in towards the base of the thumb the way they are designed to do. Good luck.

[@Guitartzt]

@eckhartd I'm not sure if I replied to you already. The little finger does what it does to try to help the ring finger stretch more, and also possibly because your thumb is not doing its job pushing to equalize the fingers' pressure. Bring your elbow in more and try to work on your stretch doing chromatic scales and patterns and just keep watching your little finger and keep it in and curved enough to come down on its tip. Try to favor the little finger and ring finger, not the first two.

[@metalheadjoel420]

I'm currently taking a guitar class and Yea it's difficult. My teacher says my left hand is good but my right hand is soooo sloppy due to my electric guitar playing with a pick. What I noticed was that Slap thing you explained earlier. I was playing a duet with my teacher and He was much more louder than me....anywayz. In order to get to my defult guitar position I notice my back is killing me. When you are in correct position do you get any pain on you back muscles?

[@Guitartzt]

Your wrist is too far up (towards the ceiling). If you hit the wrong string with any finger, it means your wrist positioned wrong. If you hit a string lower (in pitch) than you want, bring your wrist down towards the floor until you hit what you want. As an experiment, you can put your wrist any place, but so that your fingers don't quite touch the strings, and then just move the fingers as though playing and gently move the wrist towards the strings and see which string you actually hit.

[@tubbers20]

The cd is great. Songs are from 1938 to 1956. I don't mind the 'vinyl scratch' either. I've always loved 'Guajira.' :^)

[@tubbers20]

Hi Alice, I just wanted to tell you that I tried the wrist technique last night and concentrated very hard on keeping it in that position and it really seemed to feel and sound better. I felt a revelation and got that feeling of excitement when you discover something. Thank you. :^) Can I bother you with one more question? When you yourself play are you plucking the string (if looking down at the hand) from the right side of the nail like a lute? Thanks.

[@Guitartzt]

@tylerdockff Glad you found this useful. I may manage to make more videos in the future, but am a bit too busy to do it very soon. Thanks for the kind words.

[@theresepraisethelord201]

We need more videos please .. Teach us more techniques with chords and acoustic guitar for hymns and praises the Lord You are a real expert Gos bless

[@Guitartzt]

Hopefully I will do more in the future, but right now I am way overextended in a bunch of ways - as is my husband also. He'd be the one holding the camera and posting anything I'd do. I do give Skype lessons though, and that does seem to work pretty well (though not as well as in person lessons of course).

[@theresepraisethelord201]

thanks a lot for replying to me.GOD BLESS YOU

[@Guitartzt]

You're very welcome. Good luck with everything you are doing. Best etc, Alice

[@matteoguitarra]

How long did it take to adjust i've played for many years and reconstructed my technique once and now i think it needs redoing but have trouble letting my wrist go so much?

[@tylerdockff]

How much thumb pressure do you actually need. I feel like sometimes I am holding the guitar too tight with my thumb. My teacher told me to try to play with the thumb and then to place it lightly on the back of the guitar. What do you think?

[@BradMaestas]

Thanks for your response. BTW, I recognize the piece you played at the end but I just can't place the name. What is the name of the song you played at the end?

[@byrdmnmuzik]

I have large hands and I find myself feeling like I have to "contract" them in order to fit inside the frets and the strings. I see that Segovia had big fat fingers, while other players look like "spider" fingers. Any recommendations for getting good tone? Also it's REALLY had to relax when I play. Any suggestions?

[@Guitartzt]

Well I changed positions during a 3 week master class with Presti, and was playing far better than before in the final student recital for that class. But of course it is easier to do that with a teacher who can explain things. I'd say try it and watch any explanations I gave and try to do that. If you have questions, or something doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try to help. If you get desperate for one on one help, I have given some Skype lessons - not great sound/picture though.

[@lawcch]

Hi Alice, I agreed on your teaching of using the fingers to push down through the strings, but we need to adjust the position of the hand when play tremolo because the ami fingers of right hand need to play the same string. By adjusting the hand position horizontally across the string perpendicularly , we should be able to play easily

[@Guitartzt]

Lawrence Hiun If you are relaxing your wrist and allowing your hand to hang down the way Presti did, and I do, and the way I am teaching, then all your fingers will hang pretty much over one string - so playing tremolo is no problem at all and no adjustment is necessary. You seem to be thinking that you need to change to 2 different positions when you want to play tirandos rather than apoyandos. Not so at all. If you have a relaxed hand and have the knuckles that are nearest the palm of your hand positioned right over whatever string you want to play, you should be able to play tirandos and apoyandos from exactly the same hand position. With the apoyando you push down and keep going until you hit the next string lower than the one you are plucking. With tirandos you do exactly the same thing but just keep the tip joint curved slightly so that with the semic circle trajectory your finger tip describes, you miss hitting the strings above and below the one you are plucking but do connect with the string you want to pluck and push it down. If you look at your hand playing in the mirror while playing, you will not notice any difference in those two strokes - the joint that does the work is the one that is right next to the palm of your hand - that moves - the middle joint should not contract at all and the tip joint just keeps its slight curve or flattens out depending on which stroke you are doing.

[@lawcch]

Alice Artzt Thanks so much for your professional tip on playing apoyando and tirandos. Some Good guitar books I read were from John Taylor (UK author/ guitarist)" Tone production on the classical guitar" published by Musical New Services in 1978), Aaron Shearer " Learning the Guitar" and Abel Carlevaro "The School of Guitar" , including "The Art of Practising" authored by you where he taught on how to position the fingers and the motion of the finger s ht the string. Another aspect of the how the movement of the fingers hit the string or the motion (just like a motion of pendulum clock) of the fingers hitting the string, I found that the shape and the length of the finger nails play an important role and critical in producing the powerful sound on the guitar. If you watched Segovia fingernail shape and length plus the motion he performed those strokes on the strings , the sound came out is really powerful from a good guitar. I have been plying the guitar for almost 30 years trying to figure out how Segovia can produce a solid and rounded sound from the guitar. Besides the fingernail's shape and length, I think a good guitar also contribute its role in producing a good sounding music with ease of playing. A good guitar like yours (which I noticed from this video which you played the guitar was made by Sergio Abreu. Other issue on producing good tone from the guitar is considering the type of string tension to use, as general guide, from what I understand; basically a thick sound board like Jose Ramirez guitar recommended to use hard tension string whereas the thinner guitar soundboard, it's recommended to use the normal string or low tension string. As you aware that every guitar has its own unique strengths and weaknesses just like a human. I have many student' model guitars (such as Yamaha, Ibanez, Ryoji Matsuoka) made in Japan and Kenny Hill model , Jose Ramirez 4NE model , they are all quite ok and price reasonable with good quality workmanship. However, the action or the height of the strings from the fret board also play a crucial role on playability of the guitar Beginner guitarists should use lower action guitar whereas the experience or pro guitarist may use higher action guitar. Therefore, I think there are a few factors vital in producing good guitar tone: 1) motion/ movement of the fingers hit the strings, 2) fingernail shape and length, 3) the sound board thickness and 4) the tension of the string and action of the string. Masetro Alice, can you give your views or constructive comments on what I have mentioned on producing a good quality guitar tone for classical guitarists. Thanks again.

[@Guitartzt]

Lawrence Hiun For what it is worth, Carlevaro in his teaching said a lot of things that have caused many of his students serious physical problems - and to some degree that is true of Shearer also. I could elaborate, but would simply suggest watching really good relaxed players - Ida Presti would be the poster child for this - play and see what they do. If you had seen Carelvaro actually play, I think you could figure out not to do what he says. - More later, when I have time to reply

[@Guitartzt]

Just play arpeggios the way everyone does - from bottom to top and down again: pimami pmiami. With the Presti technique if you needed to do more strings, you could follow the a with any finger you liked and if you really wanted to you could even change the pattern or do the fingers starting with a on a lower string and i on the top one. I don't know anyone who does that, but you do have a lot more choices and flexibility with the Presti technique to reach any string with any finger you want.

[@Boepyne]

Alice, this was an interesting series of videos, but this last one seems to have brought up something of a controversy. I wonder what you think of William Kanengiser; in one of his videos here on youtube he recommends the use of the weight of the LH arm. I know that I use something of both - weight and thumb pressure.

[@Guitartzt]

A mirror is a great idea. Just relax your hand completely and then look at what it looks like in the mirror. Then play something and look again and see if it changed. I tell students to do this a lot in the first few weeks of changing positions.

[@hotivalmir]

Have you written a book on this method? I would love to buy it and examine it further

[@Guitartzt]

I never wrote a book on this, since in fact I think this video is better and clearer and less liable to misunderstandings than a written description would be. (I did write two books on technique and musicianship and how to practice - The Art of Practising and Rhythmic Mastery - both available on Amazon. The Rhythmic Mastery book would actually probably work well for anyone studying music - not just guitarists. The Art of P is more specifically for guitarists.) But if you have questions, just let me know, and if you really have lots of questions or problems, I do give lessons on Skype.

[@hotivalmir]

Alice Artzt Thanks so much for replying. Well, my question is concerning the ring (A) finger. I’ve watched your playing on “19th century guitar music” and some random videos on the internet and it seems your A finger is rather straight. It also seems that the A knuckle isn’t over the string it’s playing, but slightly behind the string. On the videos of the Presti technique (Ida Presti technique video 2/4 at minute 4:00-4:10) you say that if your knuckle is behind the string instead of over the string which you intent to strike/pluck/play, then you run the chance of hitting an adjacent string unintentionally. How do you manage this, or how do you position the A finger in this way? Sorry for the long reply. I am also interested in Skype lessons, could you provide some more detail about the Skype lessons?

[@Guitartzt]

You are right that my a finger knuckle often doesn't quite make it to where its ideal position should be. I get it as far out as I can, and most of the fingers are positioned pretty closely to over the string they are playing most of the time. My a finger is quite a bit shorter than most people's a fingers, and is set back in my hand a bit more as well. So in my case, I have to keep it a bit straighter to reach the top string if I am playing arpeggios. (I also often use the 3rd finger rather than the little finger of the left hand (which is ridiculously short) to reach high notes on the fingerboard. My hands were not ideally designed to play the guitar.) But if I am playing things like a tremolo, then I can have all 3 tremolo fingers over the string I am playing. The main thing is to make sure the fingers are mostly using the knuckle nearest the palm of the hand to do as much of the movement as possible, and not using the tip joint at all for that purpose. Having the wrist out far enough helps a lot with this. Hope this helps. Re Skype lessons, I fit them into my regular teaching schedule, and charge the same $70. an hour that I charge students who come here. Students either send me a check for payment or pay by PayPal. Assuming there is a time difference, we have to figure that out, but I teach every day of the week except Tuesdays, from around noon until fairly late in the evening, so something should work even with a big time difference. I have a Verizon FIOS connection - so pretty fast and good. You need to have a pretty good fast internet connection, and sometimes the time of day makes a difference if lots of other people are all trying to Skype from your area at the same time you are. Most of the time it works pretty well. My E Mail is [e-mail] if you want to contact me more about that.