Classical Guitar
Classical Guitar
Ben Bolt - Classical Guitar Music Master
Ben Bolt was playing lead guitar in rock bands at the age of 12 and performed professionally at 16 in Miami. After high school, Ben left his band to study classical guitar music in Spain. At the age of 19 he studied classical guitar with Andres Segovia in Madrid. Andrés Segovia, the father of the classical guitar, said "Ben Bolt is an excellent guitarist with fine tone." Segovia personally paid for a scholarship so that Bolt could continue his studies at the Musica en Compostela, which Segovia founded. Later in Paris, Ben Bolt sought out and studied with Abel Carlevaro who continued to teach Bolt in Brazil at the International Guitar Conservatory. There under full scholarship, Bolt was introduced to more Segovia teaching information and equally important to the Carlevaro school of guitar technique.
During the next several years Ben Bolt went on to Montevideo, Uruguay, Carlevaro's home town, to complete his music studies under the direction of Maestro Carlevaro and Guido Santorsola, the distinguished Italian composer and conductor. Carlevaro invited him to attend the 1974 International Guitar Seminary in Brazil under full scholarship. In that same year Ben won the coveted Merit Prize as Outstanding Student at the First International Masters Class in Montevideo. Bolt is credited with being an innovator in introducing thousands of new people to the classical style of guitar playing through his DVDs and books which use a revolutionary format of learning. In the past, guitar students needed to learn to read classical guitar music at the same time they were learning to play the classical guitar which was complicated. Since the publication of Bolt's classical guitar book/CD packages, beginners are able to play immediately. His guitar tablature system, which uses lines and numbers to show where the notes are on the fretboard, along with the CD recordings empower all students to play. Because of his vision of making classical guitar accessible to all kinds of musicians, the classical guitar is now being experienced by the masses.
Several Ben Bolt classical guitar books have become best sellers and his "Anyone Can Play the Classical Guitar" DVD has become a reference source for college guitar students as the authority on basic fundamentals concerning classical guitar technique. Ben currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee where he teaches all styles of guitar. He is also Professor of Guitar at Carson-Newman College. He believes anyone can play the guitar well provided they have these three key ingredients: a good instrument, a knowledgeable teacher, and music that holds the student's interest. Fortunately for avid classical guitarists, Ben continues to release more instructional guitar tab books and DVDs every year covering the music of various composers such as Bach, Mozart, Pagannini, Tarrega, Sor, and Carcassi.
About the Author
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps people succeed at becoming better guitar players. His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous, unique selection of
classical guitar tab
as well as guitar books and instructional DVDs by
Ben Bolt
himself.
Classical Guitar
Aniello Desiderio - Classical Guitar (part 1 of 10)
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Developing Classical Guitar Techni $15.14 Developing Classical Guitar Techni |
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Spanish Music For Classical Guitar $16.99 Spanish Music For Classical Guitar |
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Classical Guitar Reborn $14.99 Classical Guitar Reborn |
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Classical Guitar Masterpieces $9.99 Classical Guitar Masterpieces |
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Classical Guitar You Love $2.99 Classical Guitar You Love |
Play Classical Guitar
To play Classical Guitar no study is complete without the great Spanish Masters, Fernando Sor, Ferdinando Carrulli, Matteo Carcassi, Mauro Giuliani, Isaac Albeniz, Dionisio Aguado, etc. These player composers were the founding fathers of the modern era of Classical Guitar music. These great artistes all lived in the late 1700's and early 1800's and between them laid down most of the currently played and recognized Classical Guitar repertoire.
If you learn to play Classical Guitar you are sure to come across these composers very quickly.
Such was their mastery and skill that some of the recognized Great Classical Composers notably Beethoven and Bach wrote works specifically for the Guitar! Beethoven once commented "The Guitar is a veritable orchestra unto itself". Fur Elise was written as a classical guitar piece for his niece who was learning to play.
In The Classical Guitar (Ariel Publications, New York, 1976). Frederick Noad wrote
"Many of the celebrated Vienna composers were familiar with the guitar and played it as an accompaniment to songs. Both Schubert and Von Weber were players and both published a number of songs with guitar accompaniment. In The Guitar and Mandolin (Schott, London. Revised edition 1954), P.J. Bone wrote, "The majority of Schubert's accompaniments were conceived on the guitar, and only afterwards did he set them for the piano, and many of his early songs were originally published with guitar. Many of his accompaniments show clearly and indisputably the influence and character of this instrument; they are in truth guitar accompaniments.""
The size and portability of the guitar made it a very popular instrument and early versions were played and were popular as far back as the Elizabethan era and earlier in the UK. It is hardly surprising therefore that when electricity made the amplified electric guitar a possibility the instrument began a second career as the instrument of choice for Rock Bands, Country Musicians and bands in general.
The instrument is plucked with the finger nails of the right hand and the notes are selected with the fingers of the left hand on the fret board which is usually made of a hard wood such as Rosewood or Mahogany, the body is made of softer woods to allow for the shaping, The Face Board should be solid many cheaper instruments will be plywood faced, which can degenerate with time. The strings will be nylon with the base three (typically) being wound with metal. Some brands of string wind the G and B strings with finer nylon (Saverez for one), this is to give the string a consistent width and purer sound for each note, nylon tending to stretch with age and distorting notes due to the variations in string width.
The Classical Guitar is a great choice for your or your child's first instrument since the wider neck makes it easier to avoid left hand fingers touching the wrong strings, the nylon strings are also easier on the left hand finger tips than steel strings would be, and finally the classical guitar is played ergonomically. The position is seated on a square backed chair with the left leg supported on a foot stool, so that the guitar rests on the left thigh, the inside of the right thigh and the top back of the body rests on the lower part of the chest. The fret board making an approximately 45 degree angle to the ground, this leaves the left hand totally free to move up and down the fretboard, the left hand should play no part in supporting the instrument.
In order for children to learn to play before their fingers are fully developed Classical Guitars are made in 1/2 (4-8) and 3/4 sixes (9-12) as well as full size. There are copious amounts of guitar sheet music available on line, and even teaching and lesson systems. The biggest plus of all is if you learn to play classical guitar you can play any style of guitar music! So why not give it a try?
About the Author
The Author Stephen Parkin is a member of the Wealthy Affiliate University and the co owner, with his wife Shauna La Pierre, of Pine Grove Stable in Nova Scotia Canada. As well as the stable which is run along Classical Dressage Training lines he is interested in Internet Marketing, Photography, Classical Guitar and his two dogs (a border collie and a labrador retriever).
Stephen's Classical Guitar site is Play Classical Guitar.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Wealthy Affiliate University is welcome to go to http://www.thedressagehusband.com/wealthyaffiliateblog to register for a free course and see a review.
The Stable website is at http://www.pinegrovestable.com and as well as information about the stable it contains web stores selling books and dvd's as well as many photographs taken on and around the farm.
The Stable website contains a form for readers to provide comments and Stephen and Shauna welcome any constructive comments from our readers so please feel free to post any feedback there. Thank you.
Classical Guitar