If you started playing the guitar by taking formal lessons from a classically trained guitarist, chances are that your first music consisted of repeatedly playing open strings, using rest strokes (from here on referred to as rs). You may remember that learning this was rather awkward, and that your teacher (possibly) had to correct your right hand position rather frequently. If you didn't take this approach, you may have started out playing chords and accompanying songs. You may have learned to use rss later on, but never really made friends with them. In fact many players that I get to meet, who had some formal training, know of the rs, but tend to avoid it. I believe this technique is one of the most powerful tools that helps the guitarist shape melodies on top of a bass or chordal texture; it can even be successfully used within a chordal texture, in order to bring out important melodies (just think of the second part of the Valsa Chôro by Villa-Lobos). Unfortunately it is impossible and futile to attempt to write a code book that lists all the possible scenarios and applications that would call for rss. This leaves the teacher with the sometimes frustrating challenge to justify his or her choices to the student. The problem is magnified by the fact that the use of rs is oftentimes a very personal choice made by performers, who will all be able to provide very valid and conclusive explanations for their decisions. In many cases the use of rs establishes itself during the preparation phase of a piece of music, and gets reaffirmed every time the piece is being played. What defines a good teacher in this context, is the ability to analyze one's choices and to communicate these choices to the student in manner that he or she can understand and accept.
The following examples demonstrate some "rules and regulations" that crystallized during many lessons, discussions or simple lonely thinking sessions that may have looked to the innocent by-stander like "some dude doing nothing."
Let's consider Ein Niederländisch Tänzlein (A Dutch Dance) by Hans Neusidler (1508-1563). Immediately the educated guitarist will think "Man, that's Renaissance lute music! Nobody used rest strokes back then." Bear with me, and read up on this topic at The Rest Stroke and When to Use It. For a thorough explanation of the fingering signs consult the Glossary
I designed the L.H. fingering in a way, that all skips go across two strings (see example 1).
For the R.H. fingering you will see that all down beats are rest strokes. That also goes for beat #2 in each measure (keep in mind, that we have cut-time)
All upward skips are done with free strokes. There are two reasons for that:
1. Technical Reason: Rest strokes on the b and d eight notes (also the a and c later in the example) would cause "i" to land on the fourth string, which would make the reach up to the second string for "m" farther than the right hand is used to.
2. Musical Reason: those eighth notes occur on unaccented beats within the measure; free strokes will almost automatically accomplish a lighter touch.
Prevailing linear motion is executed mostly with rest strokes (Example 2). Note the use of "a." This will become a very important finger that will let you "reset" your "i" and "m" progressions in order to avoid cross fingerings. If you are not used to using "a", this will feel a little weird. Learn it anyway, you will not regret it. The brackets on top of the "ami" progressions are meant to show you in one glance that there is an "ami"progression.
Example 2
Occasionally you will see suggestions to use the same finger twice in a row. If you strictly follow the rest - and free stroke suggestions, this will give your R.H. a "bouncy" feel which will nicely support the dancy mood of the piece (examples 2 and 3).
Example 3
Example 4: From Heitor Villa-Lobos, "Valsa-Chôro", Suite Populaire Bresilienne (Paris: Max Eschig, 1955)
Click the music to get back to the top
The same principles govern the R.H. fingerings of the Fugger Lady's Dance, written by Melchior Neusidler.
send your comments to: Matthiass@goshen.edu
