Tremelo Help

[MegaBrawn]

Can anyone give me any advice on how to practice tremelo? I have no problem with Alhambra, but sometimes I feel I don't hit all three notes in the tremelo and I feel my tremelo isn't even enough.

Also, what kind of tremelo do you use when playing single notes in ensembles? The a-m-i tremelo of the continous i finger going up and down like a pick?

[keith]

when you say you have no problem with alhambra, do you mean your tremelo sounds even or you have no problem with the left hand (assuming your right is your tremelo hand)? alhambra for the left hand is fairly straight forward. since you are asking for assistance with your tremelo i assume it is your right hand. here is what i would recommend to get your tremelo down (note: this is a classical tremelo--for a flamenco add the 5th note):
1. practice every day--5 minutes or so; once in the morning once in the evening
2. buy a metronome
3. meditate on the value of patience
4. read aesop's fable of the hare and tortoise (this will become obvious as you read below)
5. set the metronome on a very very slow pace. for each "click" you engage a finger (obviously click #1 will be the thumb). focus on each finger, so the slower the better in the beginning. use the 2nd (B) string for the a*m*i* sequence (see below at smiley face). use top 4 strings for thumb part.
6. re-read aesop fable
7. as you become more adept, pick up the speed
8. re-read asesop fable.
the moral of this story: slow and steady will win the race. NOW, if you are having coordination problems with P and A, which usually throws off the rhythm, try this:
1. metronome on 2 clicks--again, slow.
2. P strikes string (try string #6)
3 A strikes string (use string #2)
4. repeat with same two digits (thumb and finger)
5. when second nature--then have P strike string 5 then 4, then 3.
5. re-read aesop fable
the idea is to repeatedly use the P and A digits to get that sequence down.
:D using the 2nd (B) string for the a*m*i sequence will allow you to develop a very short and tight deliverly.

as to question 2 not quite sure what you mean. a tremelo and strumming are 2 different techniques for differing sounds, etc.

[NGiorgio]

Along with the above suggestions, I have another. As a Classical player, I have spent a lot of time with tremolo and "Alhambra". Now with my Flamenco pursuit, I have learned the 5 note Flamenco tremolo. Try playing "Alhambra" with the Flamenco tremolo. It may be difficult at first but I have found that the 5 note tremolo improved my 4 note tremolo. "Alhambra" also sounds quite nice with the 5 note tremolo. Another variation that I have used is p*i*m*a*m*i* as an exercise. The 5 and 6 note tremolo may improve your 4 note tremolo. It may take some time to be able to separate the different tremolos. I found that when first attempting to play the "Alhambra" with the 5 note I would fall back into a 4 note. It will take some effort but I found that it was well worth it.

[pmremes]

do you guys ever find that it is a lot easier to play the tremolo on the e string, and a whole lot harder on any of the others? my fingers keep hitting the e string if i'm plucking b for example. i've tried different hand positions, but nothing sounds as nice as the tremolo on the e string. i'm sure the main thing is just a whole lot of patience and practice as keith says, but if this sounds familiar to anyone and they have found managed to fix it, i'd appreciate some advice.

thanks

phil

[snetzley]

Hey Keith. Great explanation. Especially the constant reminder to practice S-L-O-W-L-Y. Works for me. :lol:

[Jon Carter]

When I first started to learn tremolo, I always practiced it on the B string.
If you start by practicing on the E, you will only have to adjust your strokes when you come to play on the B, as the tremolo has to be much tighter on the inner strings.

By learning to play tremolo on the B, you are actually restricting the range of movement of the fingers. This is the essence of a faster tremolo, as the less stroke motion one uses, the more efficient each strike will be.

[MegaBrawn]

Thanks for the advice. I'll work on it slowly and see how my right hand develops.

[sseow]

hello buddy,
if u want to learn tremolo, i hv one book just to teach u on this... 115 pages of music, exercies, in progressive manner to guide u... i bought this book some 20 years back and still pretty useful...with this book i can probably run a "school of tremolo"...:)
any interest...?
...oh... btw, it is a book in chinese from Taiwan, but it does not matter as u only need the exercise. not too many BS...u know wat i mean...
Seow
Singapore

[apettit]

I think that Keith's technique for you problem is very correct, I would like to add one very important thing however. When practicing slow or fast, it is extremely helpful to prepare all fingers. when "p" plays, "a" is already on its string, when "a" strokes, quickly plant "m" on the string, when "m" strokes, plant "i" on the string. While "a, m, and i" are going through this cycle, "p" should be incrementally moving back to its home, or next position, so that when "i" plays, the "p" is planted and ready to go. When "p" plays, all the fingers should fly back out to their initial positions with "a" on the string. This will sound staccato, and probably not match your desired sound, but it is very helpful practicing. Good Luck and don't forget to correlate this technique with Keith's method!

[keith]

keith says thanks and be sure to read any aesop fable that has the moral of the story relating to properly prepared things (in this case, fingers).