Right Hand Techniques: Get More from Your Guitar!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jose M. on April 10, 2022
Class: Diving into Flamenco: Soleá

The class was excellent, full of new techniques, I feel will help me improve my guitar skills.

It would take me 6 thousand words to review what occurred during a magnificent 6 week course, The Classical Guitar Workshop. Sorry, even this note is lengthy! First, I was surprised with Cristobal’s email prior to the course starting. He wanted to know my background and my guitar history. Usually, once I start telling my story, people get bored and/or overwhelmed. Let us say, I am one of the most advanced beginner’s you will find, know much more than I can actually do, am a bit of a guitar nerd, and have guitar stage freight even though I was a University Professor and lectured on and did workshops to professionals in my chosen field. Yes, speak to a group of 2500 is no problem, but play guitar in front of one person is near impossible. Well, the surprise continued when Cristobal even responded to this email with one of nearly equal length and of an equal level of articulation; moreover, I knew unlike others, he actually read it! The same was true for any emails exchanged during the course. I had no stage freight with Cristobal. It was his calm demeanor and manner. I always knew and/or felt he had a “game plan,” a strategy, and several goals for the six sessions. He would even say what the agenda was for the following week. To my surprise, what not only was there always something, if not many somethings, new to me each session, but what seemed to be simple exercises, resulted in my old and arthritic hands functioning like they never have had on the guitar; albeit, I actually have been playing the guitar for let us call it 60 years! Yes, there were exercises, songs, and etudes, but even today, I could review them all, in less than an hour. The point being, rather than spending hours of review in a mechanical way, I was suddenly hearing what I was playing; I could practice in small bursts and actually cover everything, etc. I was no longer practicing and/or playing for hours and just “going through the motions,” I was actually learning and accomplishing more than I had ever envisioned. In the end, I took the course out of curiosity and a “crap shoot;”it resulted in far exceeding any expectations and hopes I would have had if the same was were set astronomically high. Furthermore, what seemed to be an ambitious agenda was accomplished and surpassed. The time went by so fast. Each lesson and the 6 weeks were seemingly a flash and a moment in time; a moment well spent. There was a camaraderie with other students in the class. Usually, in such internet groups, for me, it has remained a group of indivduals with little to no interaction; this was not the case. Cristobal could relate to and teach anyone regardless of their musical background, abilities, age, etc. He was patient, articulate, had depth and breadth and knowledge; yet was willing to also learn from and be interested in his students. He could even keep an old geezer like myself on task and on the path to the goals formally and informally outlined. The course was not what I would call Orthodox Classical. I play a steel string guitar and hold it Flamenco style. It didn’t matter. Whatever was taught easily translated and/or transferred to Fingerstyle and even a bit to Flat Picking...well, at least for me. If I recall correctly, Cristobal was demonstrating something and started playing Beatles tunes. The exercises were melodic, short, not overly difficult; yet, for me, lead to a high degree of gaining finger and control, stability, and better tone production and volume. I could go on further, but am nearing my 6 thousand words. The course and Cristobal were delightful. My regret is I did not know about Cristobal earlier and look forward to further study with him. He made some minor adjustments in how I use my hands and fingers. This had never been mentioned even by in person private lessons for two years I had with a Yale University trained classical and jazz guitarist. Some people might say Cristobal has one weakness….he talks a bit, but so do I...and for that matter, it is not idle chatter….it is relevant and he is on topic with an abundance of detail; for me, there was never a question, even after the fact, what to do, what he wanted, and when to do it. Yes, Cristobal might talk quite a bit, but paradoxically, he listens magnificently to the sound from your guitar and to each and every word you will say to him and ask! However, be forewarned, his 6 session beginning classical guitar series is not about learning several classical songs, it is about learning to play the guitar and/or increasing awareness and polishing already obtained competencies! Beware, it will take some time and effort to profit from Cristobal’s tutelage, coaching, and teaching. Fortunately, over the 6 weeks I went from grinding through hours a day with very slow and minimal progress to making massive progress in 30 minutes a day! When I was a kid there was a movie Around the World in 80 Days which is based upon a book from the 1700s which at those times would have been quite a feat. Fast forward, a comprehensive overview of Classical Guitar in 6 hours is quite a feat. If we would have covered half what we did, I would have been more than satisfied and I would have not ever thought such progress with my stage freight and developing accommodations for my arthritic hands would have been accomplished given the number of other teachers who have failed; what is most remarkable, Cristobal did not really alter the curriculum to accomplish this. It was the exercises he already planned, albeit with myself or any of the other students with as needed a specific suggestion or tweaking for all of us! There is an ancient aphorism, “When the student appears, the teacher appears!” Was I suddenly more ready than anytime in the last 7 years since I resumed playing? Was it a different level of rapport? Was it serendipity? Was the timing right? Was it things I have been taught several times over and it suddenly was an ah ha experience? Was it something about Cristobal which clicked with me? From my vantage, it does not matter, it happened on his watch and cerainly it was not my sudden flight into health and recovery following several recent surgeries or spending more guitar time! There are no guarantees! I have a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology and one of my most influential teachers was a Spanish teacher during my first year of undergraduate work! You never know when the right person comes along even if the person does nothing more than point you in the right direction. I found this in Cristobal with a qualification, others have made contributions along the way and are not to be minimized or forgotten. I took a small risk and reaped more rewards than anticipated; yet, this would not have happened had I been passive or a mere observer! Yes, something clicked this time! I could say more, but surely my 6 thousand words has expired or so I thought, it was ONLY 1227. Good Luck. Savor the Music! Just maybe some day you will venture back and realize what you have learned!

Excelente claras, lots of great information call mom the teacher he’s very good and patient and has extensive knowledge. He is very attentive to many details about technique and execution. We will recommend 10 out of 10.