Primary Skills Development
“He makes the impossibly complex masterable and gives us the methods to do it.”
all things classical guitar
A Complete Technical Approach for the classical guitarist
The serious classical guitarist who wishes to study, play, and ultimately perform on the classical guitar needs a strong technical foundation. This foundation can be achieved when our hands are working with optimal strength and coordination. Optimal strength and coordination can be achieved by applying mechanical principles to both the positioning and movements that are required to play the classical guitar in an efficient manner.
Poor technique will slow most player’s progress, cause more errors, and require more effort to play than necessary. Equally inhibiting can be the long-term effect from improper technique which can shorten the careers of even the most talented of players.
In Phase I — Primary Skills Development, we will explore the principles of positioning that will form the basis for our sitting as well as the right and left hand positionings. Next we’ll explore the principles of movement that will form the basis for two important movement forms: alternation and sympathetic motion movement. Unknown to most players these forms (and their derivatives) surprisingly represent the entire right hand movement library in the classical guitarists’s repertoire. Once these forms are mapped and integrated into study and concert repertoire, the increasing improvement of your technique will transfer to your repertoire. In essence, you’ll learn to ‘master’ the guitar.
We’ll also work on left-hand positioning, placement, and shifting which will result in a more relaxed, efficient and accurate left hand.
By the end of Phase I, you’ll have a concise and effective technique practice regiment that can continue to be used to further your development over many, many years.
Finally Phase I Primary Skills Development has chapters for advanced work for greater speed in the playing scales and arpeggios.
Workshops Designed for You
How I developed Phase I
Primary Skills is a tried and true method. Beginning with a strong foundation given to me by my teachers, I have continued to develop this technique over forty years of performing, studying, and teaching. I prepared for each set of concerts by applying new concepts to my practice for months at a time. I reviewed each set of performances to determine what worked and what could be improved upon.
Performances became like ‘field studies’ for my practice. Then I applied the same concepts to my work with students of all levels.
Once proven I produced clear and concise instruction applicable for any level of student in the form of both written text and videos.
- Clearly Written Instructions
- Practice-Along-With-Scott Videos
- Printable Exercises
- A detailed Practice Plan for each Chapter
Primary Skills, by the Chapters
Pursue the Chapters of Primary Skills below.
Positioning is the critical first towards a working technical foundation.
The classical guitarists repertoire has a finite number of movement forms. Applying the principles of positioning to these movement forms creates a consistent technical advancement.
Chapter 5 – Principles of Movement
Chapter 6 – The Free Stroke
Chapter 7 – Alternation
Chapter 8 – Sympathetic Motion
Chapter 9 – Tremolo
Chapter 10 – Compound Motion
Chapter 11 – Left Hand Patterns
Chapter 12 – String Crossing
Chapter 13 – Scale Bursts
Chapter 14 – Rest Stroke
Chapter 15 – Primary Skills Exercises and Practice Plan
Chapter 16 – Left Hand Positioning with Sympathetic Motion
Chapter 17 – Shifting with Scale Bursts
Chapter 18 -Shifting with Complex Alternation
Chapter 19 – Left Hand Chord Positioning
Chapter 20 – Mapping Range of Motion and Alternation
Chapter 21 – Mapping Sympathetic Motion
Chapter 22 – Mapping Mixed Patterns
Chapter 23 – Mapping Popular Repertoire
Chapter 24 – Fingering Guidelines
Chapter 25 – Integrating Mapping into Repertoire
Chapter 26 – Extended Scale Forms
Chapter 27 – Scale Speed Development
Chapter 28 – Arpeggio Speed and Development
Chapter 29 – Studies Supplement
Primary Skills Reviews
Join the Community
How do I sign up?
1
Become a Rosewood Member
Your Rosewood Membership not only gives you access to Phase 1 Primary Skills, but also all my FretMarker Archives as well as my Saturday Workshops.
2
Begin working from Chapter 1
It’s simple, just follow the instructions in your “How to Work Though Primary Skills” video. Each chapter in Primary Skills will conclude with a practice plan and schedule for moving to the next chapter.
3
Sign up for Tech Talk with Scott Workshop
Tech Talk will cover a wide variety of subjects. A portion of the hour will be spent covering Phase I as well as a Q&A Session.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Primary Skills covers fundamental skills that help form the foundation for beginning players and increase the abilities of even the professional player.
Primary Skills should be followed in order and at the progress rate given at the end of each chapter.
Your Technique Practice will take between five and ten minutes per day.
Yes, you simply need to resist the temptation to integrate your new skills until instructed to do so.
Yes, Primary Skills is likely quite different than what you’re working on and the new skills should work seamlessly with your current studies.
With your Rosewood Membership of $19.99 you’ll have full access to Phase I.
You’ll have the fundamentals down, including all the right hand movement forms, in about 6 weeks. Then you’ll move on to more advanced work – all can be completed in about 6 months.
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