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GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH Your Personal Guitar Lesson |
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We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
Pre-Planting at the Beginning of a Piece
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Here is a tech tip that is very simple and obvious. But it's one that I don't see mentioned much,
and one we sometimes forget about because it is so obvious. That tip is:
Always pre-plant all the fingers of BOTH hands that are needed to play the very first
note, interval, or chord of a piece.
"Pre-plant" means to firmly place or set the fingers of BOTH hands on the strings before you
pluck them. The wonderful benefit of this procedure is security. If the fingers of both hands are
on their strings for that first note, interval, or chord, not much can go wrong! You're off to a
solid start. Plus, any shakiness or trembling of hands due to nervousness is reduced, at least
for a moment.
When you pre-plant the right-hand fingers, be certain the fingernails are on the strings. If a
finger is planted on just the flesh, you will probably get a click or even get caught on the string
when the string slides from the flesh and then hits the nail. Be sure you are on the flesh and
nails simultaneously (usually the left side of each fingernail) before beginning to play. Be sure
to check every finger including the thumb! Sometimes one or two fingers will be set on the
strings correctly, but another (often the "a" finger) will not have its nail on the string.
On the left hand, be certain to position each finger very precisely as needed for the particular
opening note, interval, or chord you are playing. Sometimes a finger needs to be right up
against the fret. Other times it needs to be in the middle of the fret. Sometimes it must be
placed on its very tip. Other times it may need to be placed further back from the tip. Press
firmly and confidently so that the first sound you produce is solid and clear.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Let's look at the first measure of Matteo Carcassi's Etude, Op. 60, No. 3:
Example #1
On the left hand, we would pre-plant the first, second, and third fingers on the first three
strings. On the right hand, we would plant "p" on the fifth string, "i " on the third string, "m" on
the second string, and "a" on the first string.
Ex. #2
In the Danza, the third piece in Oscar Chilesotti's Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance, we would
pre-plant the first finger of the left hand on the fourth string, the second finger on the fifth
string, and the third finger on the first string. On the right hand, we would set the thumb on the
fifth string, "i" on the fourth string, "m" on the second string, and "a" on the first string:
Ex. #3
At the beginning of Carcassi's Etude, Op. 60, No. 7, we would pre-plant the thumb on the fifth
string with its nail and flesh firmly seated against the string. The left-hand second finger would
be planted on the third string at the second fret:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Ex. #4
Sometimes it's advantageous to pre-plant additional fingers for reasons of stability and added
confidence. Let's look at the opening of Adelita by Francisco Tarrega:
Ex. #5
It would definitely be a good idea to pre-plant both the left-hand third and fourth fingers on the
first string at the eleventh and twelfth frets for stable execution of the opening slur:
Ex. #6
But I think it's even better to also pre-plant the first finger on the first string at the ninth fret to
add even more stability to the execution of the slur. PLUS, instead of having to "jump" to the
first-string B at the seventh fret on the second beat, you will now have the first finger already
set securely on the string to act as a guide finger to enable a very stable shift down to the
seventh fret B:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Ex. #7
But the fingers are only half (or less) of the picture. The other component to beginning a piece
is the brain! When you watch professional athletes and performing artists (I find many
interesting parallels between the two), you will often observe them "getting into the moment"
before their activity. The weightlifter, ballet dancer, golfer, singer, ice skater, pianist, etc. all
take that moment (sometimes it's quite a long moment) to focus their minds on the physical
movement they are about to make. We guitarists must also engage the brain before playing the
first note, interval, or chord of a piece.
In your head, hear and feel the opening notes. Lock into a tempo, hear the sound, and feel the
mood. You can do this with your eyes open or closed. You can do this before or after you pre-
plant the fingers.
It is very important to establish the tempo in your head and body (tap your toes in your shoes)
before you begin so you don't come racing out of the starting gate too fast, out of control. In a
public performance, adrenaline will be coursing through your veins and will cause you to play
faster than you're accustomed to, causing all kinds of problems as you proceed. If the piece is
fast, it's a good idea to hear the most difficult part of the piece in your head and set your tempo
to that. But even in slow pieces, it's important to carefully set the tempo in your head. With the
adrenaline flowing, you can ruin the beauty of a slow piece by playing it too fast, even if you
play it technically flawlessly.
Then there's the mood. In a performance, you want to grab, hook, capture and enrapture your
listeners immediately from that first note. It shouldn't take several measures to "get into it."
Before playing that first note, feel the mood of the piece—happy, sad, ecstatic, grieving,
joyous. Or, perhaps the piece brings a picture, scene, or story to your mind. Focus clearly on
that picture, scene, or story before you begin.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
And again, all the "brain prep" can be done before or after the pre-planting of the fingers. Try it
both ways and see which works best for you.
Brain prep and finger pre-planting—use both and you'll have a boffo beginning.
For those unfamiliar with the word "boffo":
Boffo (BAHF-oh)
Adjective
1. (Of a movie, play, or some other show) Extremely successful.
2. (Of a laugh) uproarious, hearty.
Noun
1. A great success.
2. A hearty laugh.
3. A gag or punch-line that elicits uproarious laughter.
Of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of box office or an alteration of buffo, bouffe, or boffola.
The term was popularized by Variety, a magazine for the U.S. entertainment industry.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Here is a tech tip that is very simple and obvious. But it's one that I don't see mentioned much,
and one we sometimes forget about because it is so obvious. That tip is:
Always pre-plant all the fingers of BOTH hands that are needed to play the very first
note, interval, or chord of a piece.
"Pre-plant" means to firmly place or set the fingers of BOTH hands on the strings before you
pluck them. The wonderful benefit of this procedure is security. If the fingers of both hands are
on their strings for that first note, interval, or chord, not much can go wrong! You're off to a
solid start. Plus, any shakiness or trembling of hands due to nervousness is reduced, at least
for a moment.
When you pre-plant the right-hand fingers, be certain the fingernails are on the strings. If a
finger is planted on just the flesh, you will probably get a click or even get caught on the string
when the string slides from the flesh and then hits the nail. Be sure you are on the flesh and
nails simultaneously (usually the left side of each fingernail) before beginning to play. Be sure
to check every finger including the thumb! Sometimes one or two fingers will be set on the
strings correctly, but another (often the "a" finger) will not have its nail on the string.
On the left hand, be certain to position each finger very precisely as needed for the particular
opening note, interval, or chord you are playing. Sometimes a finger needs to be right up
against the fret. Other times it needs to be in the middle of the fret. Sometimes it must be
placed on its very tip. Other times it may need to be placed further back from the tip. Press
firmly and confidently so that the first sound you produce is solid and clear.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Let's look at the first measure of Matteo Carcassi's Etude, Op. 60, No. 3:
Example #1
On the left hand, we would pre-plant the first, second, and third fingers on the first three
strings. On the right hand, we would plant "p" on the fifth string, "i " on the third string, "m" on
the second string, and "a" on the first string.
Ex. #2
In the Danza, the third piece in Oscar Chilesotti's Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance, we would
pre-plant the first finger of the left hand on the fourth string, the second finger on the fifth
string, and the third finger on the first string. On the right hand, we would set the thumb on the
fifth string, "i" on the fourth string, "m" on the second string, and "a" on the first string:
Ex. #3
At the beginning of Carcassi's Etude, Op. 60, No. 7, we would pre-plant the thumb on the fifth
string with its nail and flesh firmly seated against the string. The left-hand second finger would
be planted on the third string at the second fret:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Ex. #4
Sometimes it's advantageous to pre-plant additional fingers for reasons of stability and added
confidence. Let's look at the opening of Adelita by Francisco Tarrega:
Ex. #5
It would definitely be a good idea to pre-plant both the left-hand third and fourth fingers on the
first string at the eleventh and twelfth frets for stable execution of the opening slur:
Ex. #6
But I think it's even better to also pre-plant the first finger on the first string at the ninth fret to
add even more stability to the execution of the slur. PLUS, instead of having to "jump" to the
first-string B at the seventh fret on the second beat, you will now have the first finger already
set securely on the string to act as a guide finger to enable a very stable shift down to the
seventh fret B:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Ex. #7
But the fingers are only half (or less) of the picture. The other component to beginning a piece
is the brain! When you watch professional athletes and performing artists (I find many
interesting parallels between the two), you will often observe them "getting into the moment"
before their activity. The weightlifter, ballet dancer, golfer, singer, ice skater, pianist, etc. all
take that moment (sometimes it's quite a long moment) to focus their minds on the physical
movement they are about to make. We guitarists must also engage the brain before playing the
first note, interval, or chord of a piece.
In your head, hear and feel the opening notes. Lock into a tempo, hear the sound, and feel the
mood. You can do this with your eyes open or closed. You can do this before or after you pre-
plant the fingers.
It is very important to establish the tempo in your head and body (tap your toes in your shoes)
before you begin so you don't come racing out of the starting gate too fast, out of control. In a
public performance, adrenaline will be coursing through your veins and will cause you to play
faster than you're accustomed to, causing all kinds of problems as you proceed. If the piece is
fast, it's a good idea to hear the most difficult part of the piece in your head and set your tempo
to that. But even in slow pieces, it's important to carefully set the tempo in your head. With the
adrenaline flowing, you can ruin the beauty of a slow piece by playing it too fast, even if you
play it technically flawlessly.
Then there's the mood. In a performance, you want to grab, hook, capture and enrapture your
listeners immediately from that first note. It shouldn't take several measures to "get into it."
Before playing that first note, feel the mood of the piece—happy, sad, ecstatic, grieving,
joyous. Or, perhaps the piece brings a picture, scene, or story to your mind. Focus clearly on
that picture, scene, or story before you begin.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
And again, all the "brain prep" can be done before or after the pre-planting of the fingers. Try it
both ways and see which works best for you.
Brain prep and finger pre-planting—use both and you'll have a boffo beginning.
For those unfamiliar with the word "boffo":
Boffo (BAHF-oh)
Adjective
1. (Of a movie, play, or some other show) Extremely successful.
2. (Of a laugh) uproarious, hearty.
Noun
1. A great success.
2. A hearty laugh.
3. A gag or punch-line that elicits uproarious laughter.
Of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of box office or an alteration of buffo, bouffe, or boffola.
The term was popularized by Variety, a magazine for the U.S. entertainment industry.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT"
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
Have a comment?
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
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Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Be a better guitar player or teacher. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and
the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and
the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.