March 1999
Volume 3 Number 1
Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best. --Anonymous

Letter from the President
Interview with Manuel Barrueco by Arnie Williams
Manuel Barrueco Master Class by Arnie Williams
The Tone Mastery of Brandon Yip by Arnie Williams
Finger Independence (excerpts from Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon)
Helpful Hints by Lawrence Ferrara
Are You Listening? by Emma Martinez

Letter from the President

Dear Readers:

As spring is poking through with blossoms and warmer weather, the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society looks forward to new beginnings in the months ahead. We will continue to produce our monthly events on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Lutheran Church at 6555 Geary Avenue (corner of 30th Avenue). Check the Upcoming Events calendar on Page 6 of this issue for more specific details. Remember that the stage is open between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. for Society members to perform (impromptu). The formal event begins promptly at 8:00 p.m.

There will be one exception. Because the first Friday of April falls on Good Friday, we have cancelled our scheduled program on April 2. Instead, we are planning our second annual fundraiser for the First United Lutheran Church on the second Friday of April--April 9--at 8:00 p.m. Those of you who attended the fundraiser last year will surely remember what a special concert that was. The format will be similar, and we encourage you to attend, not only to hear some of the finest musicians in the Bay Area, but to support a community experience as well. Last year the funds raised from the event benefited a coalition of community groups working around issues of homelessness. The money that will be raised on April 9 will be used to benefit services in the neighborhood of the Richmond District in San Francisco.

One of the ideas for directing the funds this year is to benefit students at a local public high school through the development of a music program and/or music scholarship. We view this as a collaborative project among the First United Lutheran Church, the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the public school(s).

I will keep you up-to-date as ideas and materialization coalesce. In the meantime, I urge all of you to attend this important and musically worthwhile event. Mark your calendars! Bring friends and family! If anyone is interested in participating in a collaboration team to join with church members, the Richmond Neighborhood Coalition, the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society and others, please contact me via e-mail or by phone to discuss (see contact information at the bottom of the page). Many thanks to all of you who continue to support the Guitar Society, and especially to the people "behind the scenes" who continue to make the Guitar Society the success that it is.

With best wishes for a fruitful spring,

Frances Kalfus, President

An Interview with Manuel Barrueco By Arnie Williams

Shortly before presenting a master class at a special meeting of the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society, San Francisco Performances' Artist-in-Residence Manuel Barrueco provided the following interview.

SFGCS: You were born in Santiago de Cuba in 1952 during a significant period of modern Cuban history and remained there during your formative years, immigrating to the U.S. when you were 14 years old. How did the milieu of post-revolutionary Cuba affect the kind of music you were exposed to and your musical development.

MB: When Castro took over, it was the result of a revolution; one or two years later, Castro declared himself communist. Many Cubans thought it only a matter of time before the U.S. would put a stop to it; and the Bay of Pigs did happen, but it was unsuccessful.

Communism didn't accept religion, so many people were forced to renounce it. All the schools became communist schools. Many parents, including my own, kept their children away from school to avoid "brainwashing." So I stayed at home with a "clandestine" tutor.

Soon after that the state conservatory opened a guitar department. I started going there at around age 10 or so. And that was my main musical surroundings--it was only a couple of blocks away from my house. I was totally in love with the guitar, and I would practically live there. I would sit outside my teacher's studio wanting extra lessons. I attended a number of concerts, and I also made an effort to try to learn about classical music in general.

In Cuba, music was all around. I have this image of the conservatory, people dressed in military fatigues--people with guns. Being that my family was not communist, it was unusual for me. It was actually scary, and I was afraid that something would happen.

When I first started, I played popular music for the first year or so. But it wasn't like salsa; it was more like ballads. The closest thing would be Mexican trios, a very popular music form.

As we all know, during different periods Cubans were allowed to come to the United States. At that time, to be on a "freedom flight," you needed a sponsor. We had a sponsor, so my family applied, but it took a long time to get permission. In the meantime, we were blacklisted. We finally left in September of '67; in December, I would have turned 15 and wouldn't have been able to leave.

SFGCS: You have your annual master class at the Peabody, and you've presented master classes for the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society. Do you get something from the experience that helps you in your art?

MB: I enjoy teaching very much. What I get out of teaching on the one hand is a personal satisfaction that comes from being able to share experiences with students. You work to become the best you can, but when you perform, only a few things are projected; not all things are communicated. It's very gratifying to tell someone how I came to something; how I perform a technique; it's also gratifying to have students and show them how to improve.

SFGCS: You studied with Aaron Shearer at the Peabody. What was that like?

MB: Aaron Shearer was an extremely rational man. His approach contrasted completely with what I had done at that time-imitation and observation. Here was a man asking me why I was doing anything and everything. He had his own theories about how the guitar should be played, but his No. 1 characteristic was his extremely rational approach. And I did find it to be a positive influence. Poor Shearer, he had to deal with me, and I also had ideas of my own and had certain ways. Sometimes he would get frustrated with me, and I with him. But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be what I am today. Much of my technique is either directly because of him or my feelings about what he suggested. Take the free-stroke sound; I never liked the sound he liked, so I came up with my own sound. And I wouldn't have if not for the confrontation with him. He opened a lot of doors for me.

SFCGS: Who was the most significant influence on you as a developing guitarist?

MB: From the guitar world, basically, it was Brouwer. I followed him around like a puppy. His advice was to become a musician, not just a guitarist--a musician whose instrument just happens to be the guitar. When I was a kid, 11 to 13, I played for him on a number of occasions in either formal classes or informally. We had in all only a half a dozen encounters, but I was totally enamored with him. His influence will stay with me for the rest of my life.

SFCGS: What can a participant do to get the most from a Master class?

MB: Listening is key. Even though it's hard to listen when you're up there and worried about not doing as well as you would like. Try to put ego aside. Try to take in information and to understand it. Don't play something you don't know very well. And this especially for someone who is a very good player--take something you don't know how to go further with.

SFCGS: In addition to being one of the most sought-after soloists playing today, you also often play with orchestras and have worked with singer Placido Domingo and flautist Emmanuel Pahud. How does that differ from playing solo?

MB: It's a totally different thing than playing solo. It's more along the lines of a conversation. Solo, you're there; you do what you want. Not so with others. Also, especially if you work with a great musician, this in itself is a great lesson. You're going to hear amazing things in the musical conversation. You can learn and be inspired. If you work with someone from another discipline, singer or flautist, you kind of have to put your instrument aside and go right to the roots of music. And lastly, you tend to play for people who are not guitarists, and so you have a different public. Sometimes I love playing for guitarists, but when you have a more mixed audience, the water is a little hotter.

SFCGS: Acknowledging that it's difficult to pick four or five favorite pieces out of the many you play, what are your favorite pieces for guitar.

MB: If I thought about the most important things guitar has to offer--the Rodrigo concerto, for example--the guitar obviously has something special to say in Spanish music. The writing of Villa Lobos is extremely important in opening lots of doors for the future. Some of the things he wrote, the finger patterns and the way he combines them, have influenced people like Brouwer. So because of him, I would say someone can hear what Bach can sound like on the guitar. And then the obvious masterpieces on the guitar, I would have to choose a mixture. For more modern, Henze or Takemitsu--he was a specialist. And Barrios wrote beautiful music for the guitar.

SFCGS: An undisputed master player, Segovia also had the reputation of one who, in Master classes, for example, didn't abide those who departed from his chosen fingerings or techniques. What was your experience with Segovia and how does your approach to students differ?

MB: I had very little contact with Segovia. I played for him only once. And afterwards only a hello here and there. But I would disagree with the statement that he insisted others mimic his technique exactly. Having said that, when I played for him, he was pushing me to play the way he did (laughs). But he was also supportive of others. For example, it seems like he went out of his way to help John Williams. And he was kind to Eliot Fisk. Segovia sounds years away from the way Fisk plays, so it does seem to me that Segovia helped a lot of people.

Especially when I was younger, I tried really hard not to influence students. But on the other hand, a friend told me once that you have to. You're a human being and you have certain likes and dislikes that will go into the classes. I'm not going to try to make them sound like me, but it will happen to a certain extent.

I observed a master class of a famous conductor. Here's the nuts and bolts, he said, how you do it later is up to you. I like that approach. On the other hand, some say it's just a matter of taste. And after a certain point, of course it is. Architecture, medicine, all have foundations. You do try to steer students into directions that will make them better.

SFCGS: Looking forward, what is your performance schedule like?

MB: Today is the 13th. Within three weeks, I travel within the U.S., to Italy, then back to the U.S. I go to Mexico for a couple of concerts, Milwaukee, Italy to Rome and Bologna, back here to Cornell University, then to teach at the Peabody. Each semester has 13 weeks; I teach in eight of those weeks, then travel and give concerts between semesters. I take the students very seriously. If ever my travel interferes, I'll stop doing it. I plan to always teach first and foremost.

SFCGS: What advice do you have for young guitarists of today as they approach arguably the richest classical guitar repertoire in the history of the instrument?

MB: I think, as someone has said, you have to have head, heart and hand to be a good player. You need to develop those three things. I would tell them to try to find the best information they can so they can become the best guitarists they can be. The one thing worse than trying to do it yourself is getting bad information. Really work to ensure that you're getting good information. Set challenges for yourself that are reasonable, but at the same time challenge you, and work very hard at them.

Information is extremely important; in the past, good information has been lacking. It takes time for information to develop and for people to have access to it. It's amazing how much we have progressed. Let's say you want to become a doctor. You can start cutting up people to see what's inside; or you can go to a good medical school. So learn how the hand functions, how to memorize, musical phrasing; good hand positions, bad ones. That expression, you are what you eat, applies here. As a guitarist, a musician, you are what you program yourself to be. So search for the best information.

Manuel Barrueco Master Class By Arnie Williams

Three Bay Area guitarists participated in the master class conducted by Manuel Barrueco at a special meeting of the San Francisco Classical Guitar Society this past November. Our own SFCGS member Chok Poh played first, presenting Vals No. 3 by Barrios. Sonoma State University student Scott Shubeck followed, playing Cancion del Emperador by Luis de Narvaez. And Simon Garfield, a graduate student from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, played Variations on a Theme by Mozart by Fernando Sor.

With Chok Poh (Barrios Vals No.3), Barrueco emphasized the importance of reducing tension when approaching a difficult piece. He recommended practicing slowly, saying that he often tries to see how slowly he can play a passage while learning it. He also recommended remaining relaxed on fast movements and concentrating on taking the shortest route from one place on the fingerboard to the other. Among other recommendations Barrueco had for Poh: practice hands separately to spot anomalies-things that you do oddly, and then work on those. When moving positions, don't reach-move the whole arm. During rubato, pick a control point, like a car going steadily up a hill then fast over the crest; have such a point in mind. Finally, Barrueco pointed out that it is important to work slowly and methodically on elementary pieces and then to build on that foundation.

In his feedback to the second performer, Scott Shubeck (Cancion del Emperador), Barrueco emphasized the importance of relaxation and the careful positioning of both left and right hands throughout their complete range of motion. In order to connect, you need to feel the strings, he said, and it's important not to lose sight of that. Barrueco recommended practicing the right hand alone with quarter notes, hearing the downbeat louder, the second beat a little softer, the third beat a little louder and the fourth beat soft. Practice this, he said, and then apply it to a piece.

Rhythm is especially important in early music, Barrueco told Shubeck. When you play early music stylistically, you should be careful not to lose the fundamental pulse and to work the rhythmic flexibility around the pulse. Barrueco also told Shubeck that he had good hands, but that he needed to double his sound. He worked with him for a few minutes on finding a good angle with which to connect with the strings and to project the sound more dramatically.

For the final performer, Simon Garfield (Variation on a Theme by Mozart), Barrueco observed that Garfield played the piece based on guitar. "I hope I can influence you," he said, "to play it based on music-something that could be played on piano or another instrument." It's important, noted Barrueco, to remember the style in which a piece was composed. The romantics and the classicists colored music differently, he said, just as romantic and classical painters did. You won't necessarily get these subtle differences in style from the guitar world, noted Barrueco, so you have to look eslewhere for models. Some of Barrueco's tips for a classical sound: concentrate on the musical line that runs through the piece; rubato in classical is very soft, very subtle; keep track of the comp(s [pulse]-careful with the ornaments; if you sing it, you hear it.

A final recommendation from Barrueco to Garfield and to all attending the master class: work on conscious memory, he said. Your mind should always be out ahead of your playing.

The Tone Mastery Of Brandon Yip By Arnie Williams

Those attending the January San Francisco Classical Guitar Society program-our first in 1999-were rewarded with the exquisite sound produced by Sacramento-area classical guitarist Brandon Yip. The kind of volume, projection and tonal character Brandon achieves makes every melody he plays-even those audience members may have been quite familiar with, such as Barrios La Catedral-standout as though being performed for the first time.

In fact, Brandon's opening music by David Kellner may have indeed been heard for the first time by many in the audience. Yip characterizes Kellner as an undeservedly, underplayed artist. "Kellner was a contemporary of Bach," says Yip. "He's not quite as cerebral nor does he use as much counterpoint, but his melodic ingenuity and sense of sonority serves the instrument well."

The philosophy behind Yip's program-choosing pieces that are accessible, yet have musical depth and that stand up to repeat performances-carry through to the selections in his first CD, Global Impressions. Available on the Joplin and Sweeney label, the recording contains many pieces with an Eastern flavor, including works such as Carlo Domeniconi's Variations on a Turkish Folksong, Takemitsu's Equinox and Six Balkan Miniatures by Dusan Bogdanovic. The latter composer is one of Yip's favorites, and he has had the good fortune to work with Bogdanovic in person in preparing some of his pieces. "Dusan is a true original," says Yip. "When you hear a piece he has written, you know it's by him, yet he remains fresh and innovative. It's great when you can go over a score with a composer and find which areas have or have not been set in stone-where you can do a little rubato or where you need to stick to the tempo as written."

Yip came to classical guitar, like many, through the back door. He began with electrical guitar and then attended college at California State in Sacramento where he discovered, he says, that they didn't offer degrees in Jimi Hendrix. Instead, he pursued classical studies with Richard Savino. "Although it was a small school," recalls Yip, "Savino drew many accomplished artists to our master classes-such notable people as Barrueco, Fisk, Oscar Ghiglia and Tanenbaum."

Later, Yip would attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he worked closely with David Tanenbaum as he earned his master's degree. During that period, Yip also discovered the Suzuki method of instruction, which he now employs in his work with children and other students at his own private studio, the Guitar Conservatory of Roseville. Yip also currently teaches on the guitar faculty at CSU, Sacramento and American River College.

Yip is now working on a project of all Granados music. He's collecting pieces that he feels have been underplayed or underappreciated and transcribing them for a future program and perhaps a second CD. And in March, Yip will be competing with other finalists for the grand prize in the Carmel guitar competition.

And how does he achieve his incredible tone? Yip modestly gives some of the credit to his 1996 Paulino Bernabe guitar. He had tried about 15 guitars in his search for just the right one, he says, before he found the Bernabe. "It has the kind of volume and projection I wanted without losing its charm and grace."

But Yip also admits that he's always working on tone, trying to achieve consistency and to capture that exact marriage of nail and string that projects well but remains relaxed. As those who heard Yip play in January can attest, he has indeed found that sweet spot and produces it with unusual consistency. That, as much as his choice of repertoire, will stand up to repeat performances.

Finger Independence (excerpts from Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon)

One of the crucial skills to develop early on as a guitarist is finger independence. Without training and patient coaxing, our fingers don't naturally behave the way they should-the third finger not staying put when the fourth finger moves to a higher string, or the movement of any finger pulling others out of position. Many a beginning guitarist has a first encounter with frustration when he or she discovers that fingers seem somehow connected-and indeed they are. But they can-and must-be trained to act as though they aren't, or at least to minimize the connection.

This is the first in a series of four short pieces that will excerpt brief lessons from Scott Tennant's Pumping Nylon. Scott is on the guitar faculty at the University of Southern California and is a member of the famed Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, as well as an accomplished soloist. His book has quickly taken its place as one of the most comprehensive arsenals of daily technique builders published to date. Edited by Nathaniel Gunod of Peabody Conservatory, Pumping Nylon (Alfred Publishing) is available at Guitar Solo and other area music stores. You are encouraged to make it a part of your essential music library.

Here's a simple exercise (see "The Left Hand," p. 15) that, if made a part of daily practice, will put you on the road to finger independence.

"Put down or 'fix' the fingers indicated [first, second, third and fourth on succeeding frets] on the third string. Play the notes indicated with the free finger." [Starting with the first finger, play a measure of four alternating quarter notes on the fifth and second strings and then a measure of four alternating quarter notes on the sixth and first strings; then move to the second finger as the free finger for two measures, keeping one, three and four in place on the third string, and so on, through each finger].

Says Scott, "It always helps me to think of the fixed fingers as being rooted to the very back of the neck, and the free finger as being as light as a feather. I also prefer practicing these in the fifth position, where the frets are closer together and the horizontal reach is easier and therefore less fatiguing over an extended period of time."

In Pumping Nylon, Scott follows this very effective exercise for single finger independence with exercises for two-finger independence, opposing motion and others.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to consult Pumping Nylon for other tips to help you pump up your technique.

Helpful Hints By Lawrence Ferrara

Q: How do you get unstuck when you are stuck in motivation and practice?

Staying motivated, maintaining the feeling of continual improvement and staying in touch with the excitement of playing guitar can often be elusive and fleeting under any circumstance. What I suggest as a remedy is to not get too upset over it and take a few steps toward returning to your former position of sustained inspiration. First thing to do is try and think back to when you first started to play guitar. What was your motivation then? What gave you the inspiration to continue to play for as long as you have? Some answers could be:

* Sensing the tone and sound of the instrument.
* Feeling the touch of your fingers on the strings.
* The thrill of hearing a fine guitarist perform for you.
* Remembering the first guitar recording you heard that introduced you to the
    sound and repertoire of guitar.
* The feeling of finishing a piece of music you worked so hard on.
* Performing for others with musicality and technical control.
* Having an inspired guitar lesson.
* Having an inspired practice.

Let me address some pertinent issues in practicing and studying that deal with motivation because having a continued satisfying practice is a means of staying motivated and inspired in your musical studies. A separate article could be written on how to practice, but here are some important issues that pertain to motivation:

* Seek insight into the composers individuality as expressed by his or her
    compositions.
* Stay in touch with and read about the discoveries and inventions of our time
    and of the past in art, science, history and philosophy.
* Avoid monotony in your practice. If you repeat a passage or a piece, strive
    toward making it different in your approach. Be creative in your practice by
    striving toward making the notes of your music artistic.
* Go to the guitar with intense interest and enthusiasm by listening and
    concentrating on your playing.
* Strive to make the phrases in your pieces mean something to you as well as
    carry a message to others, a message that is part of you.

I will conclude with a few final thoughts: If all else fails and your interest in guitar has stopped, then consider learning and listening to a different type of musical genre that is guitar related. The classical guitar is not so different from flamenco, bossa nova, or some forms of jazz. Those new fields may stir your interest and keep you motivated. In addition to the above, consider this; one of my conservatory students stays motivated by exercising or doing yoga right before he practices. The contrast of a physical sensation followed by a spiritual one is just the thing for him. All of these suggestions are much easier to list and talk about than produce in everyday practice, but if you are sincere about making the guitar a part of your life, then try to consider them. I will conclude with a quote by the musician and writer Alberto Jonas. "Work done with joy will get joy out of your work."

You can send your questions about classical guitar technique and performance to Lawrence Ferrara via email at lferrara@aol.com or by mail to SFCGS, 560 Nineteenth St., San Francisco, CA 94107.

Are You Listening? By Emma Martinez

Imagine getting into an elevator and hearing an inane conversation. You'd rather not listen, but being a musician makes "not listening" incredibly hard. You can hold your breath in order not to smell something bad, you can close your eyes in order not to see, but you cannot completely close your ears. But most of us have learned to turn unpleasant conversation, like elevator music, into a background drone.

On the other hand, listening well is also hard. It's an activity-an art you must develop alongside the physical and technical skills of playing any musical instrument. The physical aspect of playing the guitar is a constant challenge. To simply go through the motions of a piece mechanically without paying attention to the sound we make results in at best, boring playing, and at worst, a totally unmusical experience.

There are three vital elements involved when practicing: sight, feel and sound. Many beginners and amateurs don't consider the importance of developing sight (watching the left hand as well as the printed music) alongside feel (muscular memory and the physical feel of a particular technique). And unless you dampen your strings, the final element-sound-is a constant. Developed together and properly, this trio forms a formidable array of complex signals to the brain that it must learn to recognize.

Watching your left hand maneuver around the fingerboard helps not only to see that your fingers get to the right position but becomes a memory in itself. As you repeat a tricky chord change, training your fingers to move as individuals, you develop a physical memory of the chord. And as you memorize a melody, repeating the notes in succession, you cannot not help but hear the sound you produce.

The key to learning well is to do nothing fast. Until your fingers have acquired adequate muscular memory, you will be forcing your brain to make short cuts in the effort to comply with demands. Your ears will either ignore or simply be unable to notice subtleties such as tone quality and accuracy (buzzes and turning problems). This type of forced learning can mean that you learn a piece with wrong notes simply because you haven't taken the time to hear them.

But there is another danger to be wary of--becoming obsessive about the tone quality of your playing. Being aware only of the type of sound we make in isolation from the complete piece results in nothing more than a beautiful sound, which may indeed be pleasing but does not ultimately communicate the spirit nor meaning of the composer.

If you learn to listen well and to concentrate, your practice time can be cut in half. You will learn more quickly, despite having slowed down your normal routine. The more aware you are of sight, feel and sound, the more musically you will play.

Emma Martinez is an eminent classical guitarist who now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.