Villa-Lobos Etude 4 Micro Study 1 is a guitar lesson designed to help with playing repeated chords, in this case to help with Etude 4 by Villa-Lobos. These extra lessons are all part of the #villalobos12in12 challenge.

Villa-Lobos Etude 4 Chords

This is a short micro study which will help get closer to all those repeated chords in etude 4. It is a very small focused lesson which will get the study up and running a little faster, and improve your overall RH mechanism.

Notes:

Open String Repeated Chords

This starter exercise for etude 4 works the main fingers of the RH. Make sure that your there is even tone across the strings, one string is not louder or more prominent than another.

KEY Strategy

Planting

The RH needs to plant, securely and cleanly at speed for etude 4. The RH mechanism for this is easily practiced with open strings. Remember planting is, touch, then play. Etude 4 is all repeated chords, so get used to playing like this with your RH only, where it is only half the effort. Once the LH chords actually come into play, the neural workload is actually quite something. So cut it in half and practice with open strings, and lots of them. This will help develop stamina and touch.

Other Info

Note: The planting has been made explicit in the example above. You should be cutting off each chord micro seconds before playing it, with a plant.

Secret

Develop your touch

Planting requires that you have a “feel” for touching the strings in the correct manner each time. This is achieved by learning to feel the strings against the pads (finger tips) of your fingers. Almost like seeing them. Once you develop this it will become automatic.

And Remember: move the stroke from the big knuckles, not the tip joints!

Want More?

Check Out Approaching Villa-Lobos Etude no. 1

#villalobos12in12! what is that?

I bet, like me, you want to play all 12 of Villa-Lobos’ awesome studies? Find it a little tough to get some of them started, or even finished? Want some help? #villalobos12in12 is a community led challenge that aspires to inspire and help get these fantastic pieces up and running. And it all starts here at CGRocks.

Check out this more detailed post on this – #VillaLobos12in12

If you want a free copy of etude no. 1 join the CGRocks community below.