Preface
This book contains the exercises and practice methods I’ve used to improve my tremolo. Each
exercise focuses very specifically on a particular issue. The book also shows you how to apply the
exercises to a tremolo piece (in this case, some of Tarrega’s ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’), scales,
and Giuliani’s studies in thirds, sixths, octaves and tenths from his Op. 01.
There is not much writing in this book, because I believe that improving the tremolo takes a lot of
action. The exercises speak for themselves, but some brief points to consider have been provided.
I suggest varying the tempo, dynamics, articulation and color as much as possible when practicing
the exercises. This will add a whole palette of musical nuances to your technique, which can
manifest in your performances.
My hope is that these exercises will free you from worrying about technique so that you can
instead project your unique musical voice with control, command, passion and grace.
Index
Six Open String Exercises 1
Applying the Exercises to Tremolo Pieces 4
Applying the Exercises to Scales 9
Applying the Exercises to Giuliani’s Op. 1 10
Copyright © Daniel Nistico 2017. All Rights Reserved.
Tremolo Exercises That Will Make Your Playing Flow Like Water
By Daniel Nistico
Six Open String Exercises
- Practice these exercises on all open strings
- Vary the dynamics, articulation and tempo of each exercise
- You can apply many of these exercises to other material, such as scales
- Movement should come from the knuckle joint
- Release the tension of each finger immediately after plucking each note
Exercise #1 - Basic Open String Tremolo
- Use a metronome to keep consistent tempo, especially when the rhythms change
- Make sure your accent, articulation, dynamics, etc. are all controlled
- Practice with preparation (see example below)
Example #1 with preparation
Exercise #2 - Forwards and Backwards
- Ensure that you maintain consistency in tempo, dynamic, articulation, etc. between playing the tremolo pattern
forwards and backwards
1
Exercise #3 - Accents
- One of the easiest errors to make in playing tremolo is to give accents to the wrong fingers. To combat this,
practice accenting each finger so that they will all be equally controlled
- This is great for applying to scales, and there is a similar exercise in the Mertz scales book.
Exercise #4 - Subtraction
- Subtracting one finger from the tremolo pattern can help identify our weak spots
- A consistent tempo is very important in this exercise, so I recommend using a metronome
2
Exercise #5 - Five Finger Tremolo
- Using the pinky can help strengthen our ‘a’ finger.
- This is a great exercise to apply to scales
Exercise #6 - Thumb Jump
- The thumb’s movement around the bass strings can often be challenging, so this exercise focuses very specifically on
that movement
- Hovering your thumb in anticipation over the string it’s going to next can help your accuracy
3
Applying the Exercises to Tremolo Pieces
You can apply all of these exercises to a tremolo piece you’re working on.
- Exercise #1: Practice the piece from slow to fast (crotchets - quavers - semiquavers). Practice with preparation.
- Exercise #2: Practice the piece with a forwards and backwards tremolo pattern
- Exercise #3: Practice the piece and accent a chosen finger
- Exercise #4: Practice the piece and subtract a chosen finger
- Exercise #5: Practice the piece with a five finger tremolo
- Exercise #6: Practice the piece with thumb jumps
I will use an excerpt from Tarrega’s ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’ to demonstrate how you can apply the concepts
from each exercise to a tremolo piece.
Applying Exercise #1: Slow to fast
4
5
Applying Exercise #2: Forwards and Backwards
Applying Exercise #3: Accents
Accent ‘p’
Accent ‘a’
6
Accent ‘m’
Accent ‘i’
Applying Exercise #5: Five Finger Tremolo
7
Applying Exercise #6: Thumb Jump
8
Applying The Exercises to Scales
Standard Tremolo Pattern
Forwards and Backwards
Accents
9
Five Finger Tremolo
Applying the Exercises to Giuliani’s Op. 1
We can apply some of the tremolo exercises to Giuliani’s studies in thirds, sixths, octaves, and tenths. The larger
the interval, the more challenging the exercises will be. I suggest also creating your own exercises and applying them to
Giuliani’s studies.
Here I’ve shown how you can apply the exercises to Giuliani’s C Major studies, but feel free to also apply these to the
remaining studies also. This provides you with hours of fun and challenging exercises to improve specific components of
your tremolo! The remaining studies in C Major are at the back, starting on page 13.
10
11
Conclusion
If you play through these exercise consistently each day, then I can guarantee that your tremolo will
start to flow like water. I recommend a regime where you devote at least 1/3 of your time to technical
exercises like these. Here is the regime that I have often used:
- Set a timer for 45 minutes and turn off all possible distractions (phones, tablets, etc.)
- Devote the first 15 minutes to pure technical work
- Devote the remaining 30 minutes to pieces
- Take a 5-10 minute break once your timer goes off
I recommend using these tools to help you when practicing the tremolo:
- Always use a mirror when you practice. This will help you notice habits that you would
otherwise not notice
- Record yourself frequently. This is easy to do nowadays with the abundance of cameras on our
digital devices.
- Play for people as often as you can. Try to set up a regular event, perhaps a gathering of friends
and family once a month, or playing at a local church once a week.
12
Giuliani’s Op. 1 - Second Part: Studies in thirds, sixths, octaves
and tenths
Apply the tremolo exercises to these studies. Try to create your own exercises too! You can download the entire
op. 1, which is public domain, by clicking here.
C Major: study in thirds
13
C Major: study in sixths
14
C Major: study in octaves
15
C Major: study in tenths
16
About the Author
Daniel Nistico is quickly establishing himself as one
of the leading guitarists of his generation. Daniel is
a passionate performer, teacher, and pedagogue, and
specializes in the performance practice of 18th and
19th century guitar music. His teaching and
research aims to revitalize the concept of being a
well-rounded musician, with emphasis on musical
ideas that can lead to deeper interpretive
understanding, and tools for composing and
improvising.
“Daniel is one of the most gifted guitarists of his
generation”
--- Nicholas Goluses: Professor of Guitar, Eastman
School of Music
Daniel constantly strives to promote guitar music
that has not had the fortune of being widely performed, and his debut solo album Un Viaje
Mistico... A Mystical Journey contains some hidden gems of the guitar's repertoire. Speaking on the
inspiration for the album, Daniel says that “it is a testament to my experience learning under
[teachers] Tonié Field and Dr. Donna Coleman at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.”
“Daniel’s interpretation [of Sevilla] brings a quality that I’ve not heard in many recordings. It’s
rather laid-back, unhurried, unfussy and the lines, voices and phrasing within the music are so
very clear... I may even be so bold as to say this is currently my favourite recorded version of
Sevilla.”
--- Nicole Neal: Classical Guitar n Stuff CD Review
Daniel has performed around the world, both as a soloist, and with his wife and flute partner as
Duo Vela. Daniel's goal through performance is to spread greater awareness of the scope and
expressive power that the guitar and its repertoire is capable of.
"Nistico gave an outstanding performance of Nikita Koshkin’s Poe-indebted Usher Waltz ... a
demonstration of technical virtuosity harnessed to a real interpretation."
--- Clive O'Connel: The Age Reviewer
