Even though each cross-rhythm has a specific “sound” that can be learned and reproduced as necessary, I find it best to use a method to figure out the exact rhythmic relationship between the two parts, so that any figuration, no matter how complicated, can be learned and performed most accurately. Fortunately this method is very simple and extremely flexible, so let’s cut to the chase and actually figure out how it works.

The idea for figuring out any given cross-rhythm is to forget about the relative rhythmic value of the notes (i.e. the duration in relation to the meter/tempo), and just approach the two groupings in absolute terms. How does the two patterns actually fit together? Let’s start with a simple cross-rhythm like 2-against-3.

In order to figure out the exact rhythmic placement of each note, let’s start by finding the least common multiple (LCM) of the two rhythmic values—namely 2 and 3. Basic arithmetic tells us that the LCM of 2 and 3 is 6.

Let’s write out two series of six equal “subdivisions” (forget about their actual value in terms of eighth-note or sixteenth—it doesn’t matter at this stage)

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6

Now let’s group each series according to the rhythmic values we’re trying to fit together; basically we want one series to have two beats, and the other three.

1 2 3 1 2 3 (two beats)

1 2 1 2 1 2 (three beats)

Now let’s focus on where each beat happens (the 1’s in the example)

If you read “across” the two series and only play the accented beats, you’ll have the exact cross-rhythmic pattern you were setting out to discover in the first place. Just tap the 1s and count the other subdivisions to keep a steady time. As you get more comfortable, just tap the accented beats and think of the subdivisions. As you bring the entire group up to the speed of your original context, you’ll have your accurately spaced out cross-rhythm.

Let’s try 4-against-3. The LCM is 12. Let’s write out the two series as three-groups-of-four and three-groups-of-three.

If you play just the accented beats you’ll hear a 4-against-3 cross-rhythm.

Of course, things get a bit more complicated as the numbers get bigger. Here’s 5-against-4 (LCM=20).

In order to translate the more complicated cross-rhythms to the musical context, you have to reintroduce the correct subdivision pulse into the mix. The faster (higher number) subdivision is the one you’re after—in this latter case, place your accents across a steady count of five (if you “zoom out” the pattern so that it encompasses just a single beat level, the actual subdivision is a 20-tuplet).

When playing the accented patterns, it helps to keep two hands separate and make two different sounds—maybe by rapping the desk with the knuckles of your left hand, and (gently) beating your chest with your open right hand.

I hope you will find this method to decipher cross-rhythms useful. With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to unlock even the most complicated patterns—and the beauty of this method is that it’s “scalable” to whatever level of complexity you need.

Learn to Count (and Play!) Cross-Rhythms from Classical Guitar

The Competition Winners

First Place: Not Awarded
Second Place: Chia-Wei Lin (Taiwan)
Third Place: Anton Baranov (Russia)

Giuseppe Zinchiri (Italy) won the Premio Joaquín Rodrigo award for the best interpretation of a work by Joaquín Rodrigo.

Watch Chia-Wei Lin Play

Watch Anton Baranov Play

[source]

2012 Koblenz International Guitar Competition Winners from Classical Guitar

Division I Competition Winners

First Place: Silviu Ciulei
Second Place: Joseph Palmer
Third Place: Max Zimmerman
Fourth Place: Hazen Clough

Silviu Ciulei

Division II Competition Winners

Open to high school students grades 9 – 12.

First Place: Kevin de Miranda
Second Place: Zac Richey
Third Place: Sam Biagioli

Division III Competition Winners

Open to students grade 8 and under.

First Place: Mary Sarmur
Second Place: William Blackburn

Watch Winner Silviu Ciulei Play

2012 Appalachian GuitarFest Competition Winners from Classical Guitar

It’s a Privilege, Really

While many full-time students would rather practice their solo rep rather than reading through a 24 guitar version of a Catalan folk song, large ensembles offer an invaluable opportunity for music-making to community members, adult learners, and other guitar enthusiasts. For many amateur musicians, participating in an ensemble is the easiest and safest way to get on stage, allowing them to gain in confidence and gear up to their own solo presentations. The regimen of rehearsals and scheduled performances can also be a boon for those who had to place the guitar on the back-burner as other priorities took over, offering both structure and an incentive to keep the chops up.

Professionalism

Barring previous experience from playing in an orchestra or marching band, the average classical guitarist is often clueless as to how to behave in a professional musical ensemble. A well-disciplined guitar ensemble director should enforce a few simple rules that will come in handy throughout the students’ professional career—whether they end up playing “in the pit” for a musical, or are called up at the last minute to read the mandolin part on a contemporary piece.

First and most importantly, when playing in an ensemble you should show up at the first rehearsal with your part fingered, learned, and all page turns worked out. This is especially important for guitarist given that, apart from a few exceptions, we tend to be pretty crappy readers. In a professional solution, not having your part ready at a first rehearsal would likely result in getting fired on the spot and never called back again—so the academic environment, when managed in a professional manner, can serve as a “safe” training ground to get into this essential habit. Other useful things to learn: always bring a pencil, be silent (both verbally and in terms of noodling on your instrument) when the conductor speaks, be on time, and be in tune.

Preparing for Bigger Things to Come

At the opposite end from the community player spectrum, playing in a conducted ensemble can benefit those with virtuoso aspirations. Weekly rehearsal leading to a public performance will give plenty of opportunities to learn how to follow a conductor’s patterns, cues, and expressive gestures. One idiosyncratic benefit of the guitar ensemble repertoire is that much of the more modern pieces feature mixed and odd meters, which are much easier to learn under the guidance of a conductor. All of these benefits are sure to add up and pay off if and when you will be asked to perform as a soloist with an orchestra, or as part of a professional contemporary ensemble—thus gaining access to some of the most exciting and rewarding music in our repertoire.

Aside from these utilitarian considerations, being part of a guitar ensemble can be a rewarding experience in of itself. As with everything worth doing in life, ensemble practice is worth doing well—if you take it seriously and professionally, you may find you’re enjoying your time in the plucking orchestra after all.

What I Learned in Guitar Ensemble from Classical Guitar

International Division Competition Winners

First Place: Brendan Evans
Second Place: Max Zuckerman
Third Place: Brent Crawford

Brendan Evans

Youth Competition Winners

First Place: David Steinhart
Second Place: Simon Parenteau

Watch Winner Brendan Evans Play

2012 Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition Winners from Classical Guitar

Look back

Instead of always learning new music, go back. Revisit a piece you learned some time ago. By this I
do not mean a month, six months or even a year. If you have been playing long enough, go back three
years; go back to your freshman year of college or before. Pull out the study in B minor by Sor (or any
other piece) you learned because you were instructed to. Play it, learn it and enjoy it! My guess is that
you will enjoy playing through the B minor study or any other piece you learned and realizing how far
you have come. This time when you are learning try applying all of the ideas you have learned, hear
things in new ways, play it differently than you did then and experience how far you have come as a
player. As existential as this sounds, it is incredibly gratifying! I recently began working on the Sor
Mozart variations for fun. It is a completely different piece to me now that it was five years ago when I
learned it for my junior recital.

Never forget

We play guitar so we can play and make music. Connect with people in a different way than is possible
through any other form of communication. Enjoy the journey you have traveled so far, look back from
time to time and do not get caught up in where you are going all the time. It is incredible rewarding to
revisit pieces and can reveal how far you have come and possible make the path you need to continue
on clearer!

Enjoy Your Progress from Classical Guitar

All in One Solutions

An easy way to get one’s feet wet without investing too much money into equipment or software is to go the handheld recorder way. There are countless models available, starting at just around $100 and climbing upwards with the addition of more features and higher quality components. Things to look for: a decent pair of built-in stereo microphones (either cardioid in XY configuration, or omni), the lowest possible self-noise, and the possibility to record uncompressed audio at higher bitrates for ease of editing. While some of the fancier models allow you to use better external microphones, and could be considered a sort of modular, expandable solution, I am a bit skeptical of the quality of the built-in preamplifier and converters—if you want to use external microphones, I think it’s better to invest on decent pres and interfaces as well, and use an all-in-one for live recordings, scratch tapes, practice sessions, and the likes.

Editors Note: I’ve had some nice success with the Zoom Zoom Q3

Computer and Interfaces

If you already have a functioning and relatively up-to-date computer it makes sense to consider using it as the core of your digital audio workstation (DAW). To do so, you will need to purchase an audio interface. Like digital recorders, interfaces come in all sizes, price ranges, and feature sets. You want to make sure the interface you choose is compatible with your computer and OS, and you want to get at least two microphone inputs with 48v phantom power available. Interfaces can get expensive, but entry-level ones by Focusrite, M-Audio, and Presonus are perfectly serviceable. A step up on the price ladder, something like the Apogee Duet (Mac only) will effectively put you on par with many semi-pro studios.

You will also need software for editing. Again, your OS and computer will dictate what’s available; keep in mind that free software DAWs are perfectly fine for learning the ropes. You can always upgrade at a later time once your needs become more sophisticated.

It’s NOT all about the gear

The greatest peril of getting the home recording bug lies in the allure of higher quality, more expensive gear, and its promise of “magical” results. The truth is that mid-level microphones and converters would be perfectly fine for the vast majority of situations that require serviceable, professional results, and that a good recording depends in a much greater way on the abilities of the engineer (in this case, YOU) and the acoustic qualities of the room than on the minute differences between the performance of a $500 mic vs. a $1000 one (hint: the second one is generally NOT twice as good). Conversely, I think it’d be unlikely for someone to produce a truly commercial grade recording in their home studio without investing some serious money in acoustical treatment and noise isolation (we’re easily talking a few thousand dollars).

Another overlooked caveat: when self-recording the musician has to act in the three roles of producer, engineer, and performer. Although some people can juggle the necessary and different skillsets (Tillman Hoppstock seems to be able to do so just fine), I would suggest that an extra pair of ears end up making the guitarist’s job much easier. A good producer can help you see through the haze of technical perfectionism and tell you that yes, we do have a real solid take of that passage; if necessary, they will also draw attention to the kind of tiny problems that would become much greater were they to go unnoticed until the editing stages.

The real benefits of having a serviceable recording setup lie in getting more comfortable in front of microphones, learning how to best capture one’s guitar sound by exploring various microphone placing techniques, and, in the case of a mobile setup, the possibility to do location recordings. As you continue to develop your engineering and editing skills you may get to the point where you can rent a quiet, acoustically pleasant location (such as a remote church or a well-insulated performance hall), bring your own gear, and go to town. In light of all of these benefits, it may well be worth it to invest in a standalone recorder or an interface+microphones setup to start experimenting—just don’t end up spending all of your free time reading microphone shootout threads on Gearslutz.com.

Home Recording for the Classical Guitarist from Classical Guitar

In-Depth Interview with Sharon Isbin from Classical Guitar

From a performance standpoint, I still believe that having a piece memorized means knowing that piece in an intimate and profound way—a desireable springboard from which to undertake any sort of interpretive work. I’ve also encountered a couple of psychological studies that showed how an audience reacts more positively to performances from memory—even when they just believe they’re witnessing one, as in the case of a group that was shown a video of a cello performance framed in such a way to leave the music stand (from which the cellist was reading) out of the picture. My own audiences have expressed their appreciation (and sometimes downright amazement) after hearing hour-plus long programs of intricate music performed entirely from memory. Up until a few months ago I would have just shrugged and told them “that’s the only way,” but more recently my perspective has been changing.

To cut to the chase—I’ve gotten busy. The intense dedication to practicing and memorizing new repertoire I could afford while working on my Master’s is a thing of the past. At the same time, I still keep an active performance schedule (easily more active than when I was in school), and I make it a point to perform something new as often as possible.

As my first performance of the year approached and the venue kept asking for program specifics for an outgoing press release, I was forced to make a decision. I really wanted to present a new piece, Toshio Hosokawa’s haunting Serenade, but its fifteen minutes of slow, microscopic development was proving impossible to memorize in time. I could play the piece, but not from memory.

As I kept practicing with the score, I decided to give it a go. I would focus my practice on performing the piece while reading it. I sent off the program with the Hosokawa on it, crossed my fingers, and kept practicing my page turns.

That performance was a real eye-opener for me. Not only could I program and play a new piece, but the experience of performing from the score was fresh and positive in an unexpected way. Having the music in front of me allowed me to relax and really be “in the moment”, not having to worry about what was coming next, and letting the music unfold at its own pace. The sheer presence of the score seemed to irradiate a feeling of security, giving me a solid ground upon which to build a lighter and freer interpretation.

I have been reading a few new pieces on pretty much all of my concerts for the year. This new practice has also enabled me to work faster and better in learning new music, leading to fresher and more diverse programs. Furthermore, as some of the music I am playing is undeniably complex, it makes sense to focus on more exquisitely technical and interpretive elements, rather than racking my brain trying to remember which crazy chord follows that other, slightly different crazy chord.

As with so many things in life, virtue is somewhere in the middle—in my case, a memorization-only approach was putting the brakes on learning and presenting new repertoire. Whatever your performance level and situation, consider re-evaluating your memorization paradigm to see if there is room to shake things up a bit. You may be positively surprised by the results.

Bridging the Memorization/Reading Gap from Classical Guitar

Guitarist Julio Reyes studied guitar with his father, a native of Paraguay who came to America as cultural ambassador. Carlos Reyes had been a student of Dionicio Basualdo—a pupil and friend of Agustin Barrios, as shown by the dedication his Vals Op. 8 No. 4. However remarkable, such pedigree would mean little unless accompanied by convincing performances; fortunately, Reyes’s debut recording Heart Strings delivers.

Julio Reyes

The disc contains thirteen compositions among Villa-Lobos, Chopin, Lauro, Carlos Reyes, and of course Agustin Barrios, the most represented with eight tracks. Reyes’s plays sensitively and with exquisite musicianship. Never hurried, never strained, his technique seems to exist only to serve the underlying musical meaning. I was not overly surprised in hearing his deliberate and convincing phrasing, as I knew that Reyes is also an experienced conductor, having served as an assistant to Kent Nagano in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as having directed the second performance of Joseph Redding’s opera Fay Yen Fah (which was premiered, and then rapidly forgotten, in 1925). As I listened to Reyes’s performances, I heard a musician who just happened to play the guitar, and that helped instill some new life in the well-known and often-heard repertoire. His appropriately slow and longing interpretation of Barrios’s classic Julia Florida was a favorite of mine.

The one track that is completely novel is the premiere recording of Gratitud by Carlos Reyes, a warm vals dedicated—you guessed it—to Dionicio Basualdo. The short and charming composition is both inventive and idiomatic, and I would hope to see it published sooner rather than later.

About the only fault I can find with the recording is the less than stellar sound quality. There is a noticeable hiss underscoring each track, and becoming especially distracting in the quieter passages. I am also not crazy about the quality of the treble sound, whereas the low- and midrange strike a good balance between clarity and warmth. Conversely, these sonic characteristics contribute to giving the recording a character of yesteryear, especially combined with Reyes’s decidedly vintage phrasing. I would be happy to trade such minor audio quibbles for the deliberate and mature musical expression that Reyes conveys throughout this recording.

Presently Julio Reyes keeps busy teaching, performing, and lecturing on the interpretation of the music of Barrios. I heartily recommend checking out his honest and beautiful work; aside from the sheer pleasure derived from listening, there is much to learn on a musical and interpretive level from every aspect of his playing.

Heart Strings is available on iTunes and Amazon.com Audio samples and other information can be found on julioreyesguitarist.com.

CD Review: Julio Reyes, Heart Strings from Classical Guitar