danterosati.com

This page contains:

Information about, and materials for, my class at Juilliard (my bio)

Exercises to practice and develop technique.

Links to audio of original and classical works.

Links to information about, and audio files of, my Just Intonation Guitar

class-related mp3s:

Tarrega - Lagrima

Bach - Prelude from 1st Cello Suite

Sor -Study #5

Couperin - L'epineuse

Carcassi - Etude #3

contact me (see below) with any questions about the class or private instruction

Developing Guitar Technique

Why practice exercises? Would an athlete ask that question?  Playing the guitar is athletics plus musicianship. Technique = Freedom! When you speak, your vocal chords respond effortlessly and all you have to think about is what you want to say and how you want to say it. It should be that way on your instrument too. Your hands must be strong, supple and in a dynamically relaxed state to be able to play whatever you want without your fingers tripping all over themselves. You must connect your inner ear to your fingers so that what you hear in your head may be made audible for others. Once the following technical exercises are learned in the abstract form presented below, you should practice a given technique by IMPROVISING some MUSIC using that TECHNIQUE.
 

Left hand Exercises:

Left Hand Combinations

Don't forget the essential Chromatic Octaves

Also do some Legato Chromatic Scales

Right Hand Exercises:

Warm up with some Single Finger Strumming

And while you're at it, you might as well practice some Rasgueo

Then get to work on the Right Hand Combinations

Scales:

Before you start, you better know about Preparation

And before you do anything else, practice some String Crossing

Practice the Chromatic Scale

Then get to know the fingerboard by learning the Diatonic Scale Patterns

Here's a good way to practice Major Scales, and train your ear too.

To help you with memorization, here's an essay on Visualization

Ciaconna in D minor by J.S Bach  This recording is of the violin version, with very few alterations.

Fuenllana Fantasia 16 - performed on Vihuela

Fuenllana Fantasia 7 - performed on flamenco guitar

Narvaez Fantasia Tercer Tono - performed on guitar

Kapsberger Toccata Arpeggiata - performed on guitar strung and tuned like a chittarone

Dalza Calata Spagnola - performed on Vihuela

Albutio Fantasia from "Intabolatura de Leuto de Diversi Autori" (1536) by G. A. Casteliono. performed on guitar

Original Compositions for Guitar

Song of the Wanderers    score (pdf)

Noguchi  score (pdf)
(live recording from my Master's Degree graduation recital at Juilliard in 1991.)

In the Night-Lily Garden

Evam Maya Srutam 

Helios

Microscopic Waltz  score (pdf)

Pieces for Guitar 1986 (pdf)

21 Tone Just Intonation Guitar

Some of my favorite guitarists:

Django Reinhardt - Lonnie Johnson - Paco De Lucia - Segovia - Sabicas

Jimmy Hendrix - Frank Zappa - Eliot Fisk - Kazuhito Yamashita

Links:

New York Classical Guitar Society

GFA Online Research Resources

Soundboard Vibrations made visible!

If you find the practice material and the free recordings available on this site of value, please consider making a donation to help me keep on developing and expanding this site:

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this material, my class at Juilliard, or private instruction. Feedback is always welcome.