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Apoyando

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463 views9 pages

Apoyando

An article about apoyando

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boafasaurus
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE “SUPPORTED STROKE ‘by EMILIO PUJOL ‘Translated by Eithne Golden One of the procedures which has contetbuted most largely to revolutionizing the guitar technique of our time has been the “supported” stroke (asnner stroke), achieved by attacking the string perpendicularly with the Best, se (nd and third Singers of the right hand, which are then brought to rest om the sting Immediately below. ‘This procedure aot only ofers the right hand more security and firmness by pro ‘ding an additional point of support, thereby making it possible to produce greater intensity of sound, but eleo increases the player's expressiveness and virtuosity by «ving him greater control of the string. ‘There are few guitarists today who do not use this attack in playing scales or ‘paseoges ofthe sort thot in Aguado’s time wore called “volate™ at an even speed of 1MIK. | 100, expecially ifthe passage in question required increasing intensity or spec ‘ait developed. ‘There is no mention of this procedure in any of the known treatises or methods from the time of Bermuda and the predecessors of Amat through all the Spanish, Portuguese, Halian and French writers of the 17th and 28th eahturies up to Sor, ‘Aguado, nd Coste. As regards right-hand technique, the prinelpal difference between, ‘them (apart from the eternal argument over nails versus Boch) ie that some advise resting the litle finger on the sounding board? while others do not? Itis to be sup- posed that Sor and Aguado, since they were the most explicit when it came to teach- ing, would aot have remained silent about a question of such paramount technical ‘importance as this, f they themselves had practiced the supported stroke. One detail ‘should sufize to corroborate this suppostion: the supported stroke logially ro ‘quires that the right hand be held perpendicular to the strings f the fist, second and third fingers are to produce the maxlinum sound with the greatest naturalness. A the masters ofthe past, however, advised the oblique position of the right hand and ‘finger in relation tothe strings. ‘The frst guitaret to have arrived at ond adopted the perpendicular position of the right hand seems to have heen Térrega. I have been unable to find any evidence ‘the contrary.‘ This ilustians master used the supported stroke not only for scales, ‘or for the notes of a mele, but as a genczal le for all the notes which did not form art ofa chord or rapid arpeggie where the use of the supported stroke would inter fere with the sustaining of the note played on the next string below. Indeed, by practicing this stroke, Térrega bad developed the precision and sensitivity of his fingertip to guch a degree that oven whea playing without supporting the Gnger on. ‘the next sting he was able to produce a volizme of round eomparable ta that obtained bby using the supported strdko. ‘This important divergence from the ideas on right-hand technique maintained by ‘such eminent authorities a Sor and Aguado indueed me to ack the master om certain ‘cccasion if ft ware bls own discovery, ta which he anewered, “No Areas uscd if in ‘rapid scale passages, but without establishing any fixed order of fagering.” ‘Tirrega, on the contrary, never falled to specify the eorreat Sngering for either ‘hand. Whether sa dealing withthe right hand or the Taft he always strove to extab- lish a logical order of fingacing in accordance with the physiological possibilities of ‘the hand and the erganie nature of the Instrument. His theories, springing fro the 3 89 current advances in technique and instrumental sesthet- Jes, were intended to develop in the thumb and the three playing fingers of the right hand their maximum copa [ites for mastery of the string. Nevertheless, while for ‘is own personal satisfaction he might seekvout:new dil culties to overcome, he tried to avoid these as much o¢ ‘nto my hands. The only likeness of him which I possess ‘and which I have seen frequently reproduced in books ‘or magazines shows the celebrated srtist seated with his ‘ultar af rest, Therefore, I could not determine the posh ‘on-of hin right hand However, T-would-suppore that since he was instructed by his own father in the technical sree 7 omc Hae i ou timid wlivida manaGiuidene uedin Sinan, ! } cir ide pen shisitens rr ff ff ‘possible i hls actual playiog and waiting by establishing ‘logical order in the setion ofthe fingers. It is surprising, {find in the Paseval Roch Method, based on the Térrega School, certain logerings which I never saw the master Dimsel use, and which Tean therefore attribute only to a crroncavs interpretation of the pedagogical intent of the ‘author. I refer to Hxereises 7 (Nos. 1, 2,3 and 4) and § ‘(Nos. 22nd 4), which recoramend the persistent practice of the alternating use of the second and first fingers and the third and second on two conseeutive strings in an as- ccending passage. ‘Tésrega avoided erossing the fingers except in passing from one string tothe other, and fingered in such a mar ner that the attack on consceutive strings was made by the first and escond fingers or the second and third (ex- emples A, B, E) when going from lower to higher notes, ‘and by the second and frst or third and second when go" {ng from the higher tothe lower (examples C, D, F). The order frst-second-third can be used on one (example G), two or three strings (ecample H) when repeating the sume notes or pasting 10 the next higher stings (ezample 1K). The opposite sequence of third-secondsfirst can also bbe used on one (example L), two or three strings when playing in the opposite direction (examples Xf, N,O).For “eonseeutive strokes” with the iret second and third fin- gers on two adjacent strings, Tézrega recommended fom ‘mala 2) and rejected formula b), as demonstrated in the four diagrams following directly below. This order is y oro. Son logical, since when playing cords the fingers are fata rally distributed in this manner on the strings; the com ‘rary distribution would be absurd (example P). As far ‘as the order of the fingars is concerned, whether the notes are sounded simultsneously or consecutively is Iramaterial® ‘A pletare of Areas playing the gultar bas never come 90 emetic principles expounded by Aguado, his band postion, at Jeast in the begioning, must have been that recommended ‘by Aguado, unless the practice of the new stroke bad Induced hi to change it Thave before me a photograph of Térrega in bis youth, ‘when he smut have been fifteen or sixteen years af age, playing the guitar. The postion of his right hand is not ‘yet perpendicular, but neither is it entirely oblique. in ‘elation to the line of the strings it forme sn angle which, ‘Without being obtuse, isnot the right angle wd sce In his Inter photographs, but the litte finger is extended parallel to the soundingboard without actually touching it, & ‘detail which reflects the influence of Aguado. do not know for eertzin thot zroga was a pupil of ‘Areas, Thave henrd it said that when Areas gave certain ‘memorable concert ip Castellon in about the year 1861, the plneyear-old Francisco Tisrega was presented to him, and that when be saw the child's poseibilitios he gave bim valuable counsel. Later, Térrega met Julian, ‘Areas on several cccations, and it is possible that be learned or assimilated from him anything that he felt sight contribute to the perfection of his art. However, ‘other guitarists Ihavekhown who studied with Areas sach fas Lule Soria and Eduardo del Bando, did not hold the ‘ight band, ne did Térrege, wholly perpendicular to the strings in accordance with the concept of the supported stroke, ‘This procedure gives a new dimension to guitar tech- ‘nique. Thanks to this stroke, the modern guitarist has Ibaen able to Increase the range of shadings of which his Snstrument is espable; to establish the proper proportion ‘of sound between different voices; to give a clearer out Tine to his phrasing; to control more perfoctly the in tensity of his zhythmie accents; and in general to acliieve in his interpretation the fullest possibilities of daring, ‘understanding and emotion which are necessary to evoke {nthe listener his deepest and most complete appreciation. Cara Sauna, Ser ets ‘Beep for © lew depletions of Inte players such 22 the Buf {eon of Franz Bas, which are of no significance forthe Pur~ _nt nmRPHrReEREeErEEEBEREheHteEHERERBEanh wr. a. a ¢ : THE HISTORY OF POYANDO another view by Matanya Ophee (Unless otherotse noted, ail translations from French and ‘Spanish are those of the author.) Eve since I tarted to ply the guitar come 27 1 ‘elevate yy chee Baro ae as Invented by Francisco Terrega (1852-1909), Thad no in lensing clas and romartic tos and Harvey Tarball enone the apoyando sake: “was Trea hola the foundation of Modern Gites ‘Technique, Thefga ako etabliched the nse of the apo. indo rok. To corporate his nto ght hand ecg iecessthates the abandonment ofthe antic of sep {Echand ly eingtite gr nh tier either apoyenio ox tendo ith ay of he fingers 2s the tc ofthe me demand he op had tb led over the sng ith complete econ” What Tol added tothe gmeral tition ropardng Tig sole cilhing the we ef spond we ‘ea that the srokecamot be execoted whee ile gar Ss resting on the able Ifthe nf ue then one eos age that ft conde shown that ec masters ad NOT 1 the planted litle ager techie coldaeo be aged that, by less lag, they conld have ned the eta, Such axgumentation does ot belong inthe rena of eto col analy bat in that of fntay, Personally would ke to siny aay from 2 Bat Lame atta the oseation ofthe planed ger technique with thew or aom-ase of epoyando ts avail sesocaton. Expt that hen is ‘rete ea foregone condson a Tursbel dvs, th asso. ‘dation cnt fo the perpetuation of a sy wc Ie ‘inl ot ppt ye ee ‘xe many histones of the gira wich the sane smyth is exresed One ofthe more scat ones ts that by ‘om and Mary Ata Evens. Tey subscribe fo the noon ‘hat Femando Se (178-1509) ont Dons Aguado (78 91 1010) word the planted Ute ager technique, which, a8 ‘antioned sbovs,predades theme ofthe spyendo sede, The flloning caption thelr reproduction of the famons pete of Aguado paying agit mount on ipod “Dionisio A the guitar Like Sr he braced Ns ‘gfe for suppont. From te "Noo Modo pare Citra pa ihn Pst nd Mads B08" [iis hard to overlook the fact that the Erazses atsime fat the matters peoctly bviee from the pcre Hele ten thogh Agate applas to beretog Bee be ae not he ble Isao poste sat the litle ager may no be tonching the gtr fall be merely extended in the a at Some dance oes Be bridge without actly resting om “The cael cbaervr won ss aie tha hie Je NOT a photograph lta Hthogaph dean by ne onee poral ‘ras nt happy with the graphic ork done for iene a ook, and ina fotnate fo the same book, he expresses

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