MICHAEL LORIMER
MASTER CLASS
Damping And ViUa-Lobos's "Prelude No.4"
INeE MAY THIScolumn h:ls bttn about
S damping. and I hu\'c discu�S<'d Ii
vanety
of ways to eliminale un�3nlcd sound\;. 11l1s
month. Ict'� apply the techni4ue� to Villa·
Lobos's Prdudt> No. -I (di)!. b} lJd\o\in·
Mills, 25 Drcshon Dr., MchilJe, I\V /1747).
a bc'autiful pi� thai IS In most gUllanSIS'
libl1lrits, The first nOie of the prdudc I� £
and pla)'ing it will excite man) )mpalhcuc
harmonics. On some gUllars, vanous har­
monics will enhanct the sound of the: nOIe:.
If so, finc-leave: the ones }OU like. Rut
usually [like 10 hearlhe note hy IIstlf. Hov.
would you damp all the: su;np except the:
l one on which you pia) thc fiN nOlc'llf)ou
are nOI using your left-hand index finger.
you could drape it acr())S Inc �trlnp liI.'> if
you "''Cre going 10 make a b3rre. but 'Aithout
pressing II forcefully mough 10 ITUlke an
actual barre. You could Also mt tnc fingc�
of lhe right hand on thc strings you ....ant
. to
dAmp: iFndido. or inck;.: finger]. ttl {mf'{Jio.
or middlc fingcr], and u (anll/ar, or nng fin­
ger) on the trtble strings and p [pl/lga,. or
thumb] on the basses, Try tnesc wlutinns
and any others thaI come to mmd,
My approach �ould change dcpel'Khng
on the guitar. the room in .... htch I ....ID>
. pla)-
109. and my fetling .... hen I performed the
piece. Hut hert is one solution I \.Iould often
usc. In Ihis prelude I like to hear the melod�
singing. and played "ery IIltt'nsel}. so I ptr·
form it \.lith pand begin on the founh string
lostcad of the one indicated 10 the .score. the
third string. I damp the thnx Irebb b} re�t·
ing i, m. and a Ixfort' I begm; throughoul
the measure I continut' 10 ml i, m. lIud u.
immediatt'ly after the first note. i damp the
fifth and sixth stnn&<> hy m!>t'nmgp bet .... een
. nOle of the measure. G, Simultaneously
them. tilt Ocshy pad dampmg the fifth. the
back of the thumb damplOg tnc Sixth. ThiS
IS like the tcchniqut' illustrated \.11th photos
in July's column.
I play the second note. H. on the fourth
stnng. damping with p as I did on the first
note. This prq>ares p to pluck tne thud I1Ote.
G. on Ihe fifth string. When the G IS played.
something mUSt Ix done aboUl the 8. so at
the momcnt I play the G. I lifl the left·hand
finger from B in order to damp it. Simul·
taneously I lean the left·hand lingcr I ullCd
to finger the G so that II ,cache. the fourth
string (this allo\.l'5 me to lift the finger uscd
for B). Immediatcly after I pia) lhe G. I
damp the sixth string \.IlIh p, and I do the
same thing wilh the fourth note. ,..•. With
this laSt note I aiM) use the tt"Chnu.jut' of
leaning the left-hand linger )o that It dllmps
ISO GUtTAR PI. ...VF.R 0("10111011. t919
the fourth string.
Simultaneousl) .... lIh plaYlOg tnc fifth
note. D. I mo\'c I. tn, and a down one string
each. �o that now thcy arc damping tilt
founh. third. and second strings. respec-­
tl\'eI) I don't do anything about damping
thc sixth siring. bc.-causc thc 0 is pla)�
qUickly. but after I play the: next note. £ I
immediatcl) damp the stxth SITing with p.
While the £ sinS' on the fifth string. one
lin} �)'mpalhetic harmome sounds on the
fiN �tring: I like thiS harmonic lind pur­
posely leave il. Now theft' lire no damping
problems until the first nOle of the third
measure, £. Hert I damp the treblt slrtngs
with /, m, and Q)imuitancouslywilh playing
i
the £ on the founh SITng.
TOt of thIS sectton I damp using the ap­
proach I\� been describing.
In the next scclion, the onc with arpeg­
gios (measures II 26). I do whatC\'er I can
10 make the mclod)' the nOles wilh stems
down-smg, I pia}' Ihe melody notes withp
and the three nOles tMI follow cach melody
wilh i. III. lind a. balancing each arpeggiated
chord to highlight the melody nOle. The
ones played with i, m. and a arc soft. and I
prepare the fin�rs for t'aeh arptggio by
plaemg them on tnc treble strings simul­
taneousl) \.11th pla)'Ing the melody note.
rhls preparallon cnhanees the melody's
smgmB b) damping the trebles: it is likt' tht'
lechnique of pedaling used by pianists in
similar p<lssagcs. When I pluck the high C
al tht' endof measure25.l damplhc second
string \.Iilh a n:�t �ltokt', At the same lime, I
louch the second �triny wilh p in prepar.. •
tlon for the damping that Otturs on the last
.... ith playmg the G. I damp all the strings
except the first by laylOg p across them: I
keep thiS damper on the bol1om four when
I pia} the octa\'e 8's In measure 26.
I he scclton thllt follo....
s-measures
. 27
through 32 features harmonics. Through­
out this part the melody should sing as a
smgle lme. Sec if you arc playing it this way
by progressing through measure 27 and
slOpping JUSt after the first note of measure
28. £. allowing it to ring. Do you hear any
tones other than the E! You may hear some.
cspccial1) the D harmonic on the third
smng. If VIIla-Lobos had desired such an
dfect, he \.Iould ha\'c lied Ihe notes he
wanted to nng IOto the next measure. as nc
did .... ith lhe harmonics in tnt bass (the £
notes with �tcm� down 10 measure 28). or
he would ha'� put �Iurs on the notes like
I continue, using the salTM: damping tech·
nique with the third nOte of Ihe measure on
the third string. I play a rest stroke to damp
the third Siring when I play tht founh nOle
of the measure. Immediately after the last
note of the measure I damp the second
string with L My approach to this mca.sure
is just one of several that could be used with
equal $u«ess. For inslanee. instead of
damping thc lirstthrec notes of Iht measure
with the right hand, I could have ustd the
kft. using the samc left-hand linger with
which I formed each harmonic to simul­
taneously damp th� adjacent string. The
easiest techniques by which you can effect­
ively play a clean line art the ones you
should use.
This month we've examined in detail
only a few mc:asuTC$ of this lovely prelude.
You can play the entirt pict'C beautifully
using lhe tcchniques I havc described. You
may ha\'C noticed I .....as concerned with the
sound of l'ad, note discussed. If you lake
Ihis son of carc and learn just onc work.
you .....ill raise: the: playing 1e-.'eI of your whole
repertoire. Have fun!
In playing this prelude. especially in the
arpeggio section.do you hear one unwanled
sound that has not been dealt with in these:
columN on damping? 1be sound to which I
refer is the squeak lhat occurs during shifts:
thiS IS caused by rubbinglhe fingers of your
lefl hand against the wound basses. How to
climin3te this unwanted noisc is the subjec1
of nexl month's column.
0 hOSC )'o:� in measure 25. But the first
note of measure 28 is pan of the melody
that prCCledt' s it. and Villa-lobos has under­
scored his desire that Ihis note sound by
itself with the rcsts plaet:d below the note.
So. whtn )'OU play this note, damp the bol­
tom four slrings with p. and play the note
with a rest stroke to damp the: sccond string.
Now this nOle �'ill sing clearly.
let's go back and check the Other nOles.
Play the first 1110'0 notes of measure 27, and
after the second one. damp the Bstnng.. Do
you hear sounds on any of the other strings?
If so. you will wl)nt to damp them so that
the line sounds clean. For the whole measure
I damp the ....ound
. strings ....ith
. p. I damp
the first string with m immediately after I
play the scrond note of the measure wllh i
on the second string. I could also damp the
firsl string simultaneously wilh playing thc
second string. but for me II sounds best on
most guitars when I damp just afte"",'ards.
Try both .....ays and see whieh works best for
)'ou,
 MICHAEL LORIMER
MASTER CLASS
Finger Squeaks
SINCE FE8RUARY I'vE HHN discussing clean playing,
and I've given tcchniquc� for damping uo ....:anted sounds
and achieving good dynamic balance. Last momh I applied
thc damping techniques discu.<;sed in previous columns to a
beautiful piece Ihal is in most guitarists'libmries. Villa-Lobos's
Prel/l€k No. 4 [dist. by Delwin-Mills. 25 Deshon Dr Mehillc.
.•
NY 11747]. 1 showed ho,", you can climinate un.... 'anted sounds
by careful � of damping techniques. but I did nOt tell you
how to eliminate onc noi� thc squeaks that occur during
shirts in position. These are caused by rubbing lingers of thc
tert hand against the strings, especially the wound basses. So
let's examine Ihe problem of squeaks by taking a fresh look
31 Prelude No.4.
You can Sian by recording this composition or another
piece that you're: nO\.\, playing. When you arc satisfied with
the music you\'e made. listen to the tape-not for the music.
but for the squeaks. If you 3re surprised by the number of
squeaks you hear. you art in good company. I know of no
fine professional guitarht who has nOi had the experience or
recording and being dismayed by the obtrusiveness or the
extrnneous finger noises he or she produced. Squeaks are
such 11 common sound 10 guitllr playing thaI ncarly every
guilarist starts out taking them for granted. We become deaf
to squeaks. especially the one� in our own pla)�ng. As players
we naturally listen for the mu�ic. nOt the noise. Listeners.
however. often hear the nOlSe, evcn to the exclu.<;ion of the
music. They find them diStracling. 8y recording. you have
gained a different pcnopecti\'c and made the first su=p towards
climinating squeaks-being awart of thcir existence.
Record your music again. this time being careful to aVOId
syucaking. As you eliminate the noises. you will hear how
much clearer your music becomL'S. and your desire to perfect
your teChnique will grow. Here's how I would approach the
Prelflde No.4. I like to begin by playing the first note, E, on
the 14th fret of the fourth (D) 1Ilring. I like the strtnglh and
sonorit), of the sound I can gct with this fingering, but it
causes thc problem of eliminating noise in the shift to the
next note of the piece, B. "'hieh I also finger on the fourth
string. A simpk solution i) immediately suggested by Villa­
Lobos: refingering. 1)lay the E on the third string (G) a� the
score indicates. Rcfingering notes that would be played on
the wound strings, especially the fourth. and playing them on
unwound strings is often 3 good way to avoid squeaks. Some·
limes refingering removes a shift altogether. and this in itself
eliminates the problem of squeaking. Hov.'cver. while rcfinger­
ing should always be carefully considered, it is not always
possible. And in some situation� like the first notes of Prelude
No. 4. where it i!> possible to refingcr. it is not necessarily
desirable to refinger. When refingcring spoib the eolor or
texture you want. look for another solution to the problem
of squeaks.
148 Gun AI!. PI AnI!. 'IO"F\1111:11. 1'179
Between the E and the B. the sound I like best is porta­
mento (a very subtle slide. in the manner of a vocalist). No
other effect produces a beller legatO (playing without discern·
able interruption) or a mort expressi\'C linking of the notes.
To make a portamento without squeaking. I tum my left­
hand fingertip so that the soft skin on the side of the fingertip
-rather than the \'ery tip of the finger-touches the string
when I am sliding. Turning the hand this ""'3y makes available
to me one of the most beautiful and expressive sounds of the
guitar. Try some slides and shifts to sec if the technique of
turning works for you.
Some people have a skin texture that makes the type of
portamento I\'e been describing impossible on the wound
slrings: usually this problem is caused by calluses. If you haY(
calloused or rough fingertips, you can soften them by soaking
them in warm "'3ler, drying them, and then sanding them
with fine sandpaper. It will also help 10 rub cream or oil into
a callus. At the same time. you will do well to correct your
left·hand technique if it is causing the callus. On a guitar "ith
a reasonable action. it takes very little presSUrt to hold a
note; sometimes just the weight of the finger itsclf is sufficient.
Good guitarists frequently have soft fingertips and lillie or no
calluses because: they press the strings aocuralely and with
only as much pressure as is necessary to hold down the notes.
Calluses are usually caused by pressing tOO hard. If you ha�'t
callus problems. make sure that you never bend the tip joint
of your Icft·hand thumb. because it's easier to play without
bending the thumb.
Take fivc or ten minutes and play with your attention
focused on just the behavior of your thumb. Correct any
places where you bend your thumb just as you would correct
any other left·hand fingering that was faulty. If you still haY(
difficulty with the left hand-fatigue. problems in shifting,
too much effort in pressing-practice playing without touch­
ing the thumb to the neck of the guitar at all. Learn to playa
passage well, and then bring the thumb back into use. ow
you should be using the thumb properly-as a guide for the
hands and fingers. not as a squeezer. This SOrt of technical
sludy is best done in short (fi\'e to fifteen minutes) and intenSC'
sessions. Study 0111)' the use of hands. and be uncompromising
in identirying and correcting mistakes.
Turning the fingertip and sliding on the soft part of the
finger is a very beautiful effect when il works, but if you ha\'t
fingertips that are too rough or calloused. it is not possible 10
make portamenti on the wound strings without squeaks. And
even if you have supple fingertips. the technique of turning
the ringer won't work if conditions arc wrong. such as when
your hands art too cold or when the weather is too humid or
cold. The shifting technique to rely on is liflinK the fingers.
Next month 111 discuss this technique and conlinue talking
about Villa·Lobos's prelude.
 MICHAEL LORIMER
MASTER CLASS
More On Finger Squeaks
T AST MONTH I DiscusseD ays of eliminating the squeaks
.....
Lthat Ottur durmg shifts of the left hand: these are caused
by the fingers rubbing on the Slnngs. c�pct'iall) the ,>,ound
OOS$elo. The first lolCp towards eliminating squc:aklo is being
aware of their existence. and I suggested recording youn.clf
as a technique to heighten �our awareness. Using the Villa­
I.obo!> Prelude No. 4 (dl.�l. b) 8ch.. m-Mills. 25 Deshon Dr..
Melville. NY 11747} as an lilUSIr.lIion. I talked about two
squeak-elimin31ing techmqucs-rdingcring and lurning the
hand so thaI you make sticllng sh,fu on the softest pan of the
fingcnip. Using the Icchni4ue of turning. it i)o sometimes
possible 10 produce Ihe loound I ILke beSt In the I) riC sections
of Vil1a·Lobos':. Pri'lIllJf'-\Ubllc and exprc\sive shde.. (purlO­
mt'tlfl) that link the note, of thc mclod} In the manner of a
\oclilisi. BUI for people " nh rough or callou:. fingenlPl>. It I�
nOl possible: 10 male p<Jrlomt'r1ll on "ound ..I rings "lIhOOl
:.queak�. and e \ c n if lOU h.1\l· �uppk ..kin on lour fingerups.
the technique:\ of turning "on) "ork if your hands are too
cold or if Ihe weather i� 100 humid and cold. Thl:. monlh let 's
look at a shifling K'Chniquc )'ou (:un n:1) on-liflm/( the fingc�.
I play Ihe firM t"O notes (If Villa-Lobos-s Prrlud(' No.4
on Ihe founh stnng (D). When I shift u�ing the technique of
lifting the fin�crs. I do "0' u-.e the damping technique on the
I fir.;t notc
(E) a� descnhcd in my October GPeolumn. Instead.
I allow the harmonic.. of the t: to ringIII the fir:.t (E). fifth
(A). and sixth (/;) Stnn�. rhl� Wa) sympathetic harmolllCS
will hold the E tone "hlle I do th(' shift. making It sound
l('golO (or smooth). Simuitaneousl) with damping the fourth
siring with my right hand. I raise the left-hand finger "ith
which I fingered the E pcrpemllcularl) to the Stnng. and in
one lOstant I shift posillon and pili) tht" next nOle. 8.
Here arc som�' point:. to oh�r"e aboul thc techlllque: of
lifting the fingers to �hift:
Raiw Ihe finger ptrpendiruharly to nue strings-otherwise
you will get squeaks.
Damp "'jth the ri2hl hand as you raise the Idt hand fingn­
-
-Otherwise you will hear a �Iur to Ihc pitch of the opcn
�tring on "hieh lOU fingered the note. If the next nOte I�
played on the same "tring. a good way to damp is 10 prepare
your righi-hand linger to pIa} the next notc.
Treat your hand and forfoaml as a un il when you shift
Vou will find thi� j.. the most eflielcnt wa} to shlf!. Lock )our
wrist so that you dun) change the relationship oflhe hand to
the forearm. Assuming Ihat ),ou ..tart with a good balanCt!.
there is no reason that )OU "nuld \\anl lO alter thai balance.
and locking the \\ risl
\\111 preser\'e II. Changcs of P(»ilion can
oflen be made b} merel} shifling the hand forearm UIIII:
sometimes it i:\ nece:.s.ary to rotate: thc arm \(l accommodate
new chord positions. The les .. work lour finger:. do. the hetter.
Shift at the last possiblfo moment. By doing �o )oU will
enhance your legato.
U!lf' open strings for legalo. Whenc\er possible:. use the
sound of open strings )OU ha\e alread) played or �)'mpalhetic
hurmonics to mainl:lin sound \\hlle )OU shift. In the descrip­
tion jusl given of how I play the first tWO notes of Prelude
No.4. I made a point of "01 damping sympathetic harmonjc�.
L- __ ________
144 GUITAR PI AnR Di;(.·I:MIIl"1t 19N
an illustration of this technique.
Place your fingers perpendicularly 10 the strings It
ne'" position-otherwise you may slide into the new n
and get squeaks.
Play the new tone in rhythm. You must play in rh),hrn
have a good legato. This point may seem obvious. but i
surprising how often pla)'ers arc rhythmically behind If
shifts. One reason guitarists make this mistake is their d �
to prolong the previous tone for its full value. which t
accomplish by shifting at the laSt possible moment. The
main concern is for their legolo. The desire and concern a
correct, but the technical solution is nol. If notes of a phra
are playt:d in good rhythm and with dynamic continuit
but art prematurely damped-the line will havt much mo�
legato than a phrase in which Ihe notes are prolonged and t
rhYlhm lags. To achieve lega/o on the guilar. good rh},
and good dynamic balance: are much more important t
prOlonging voices.
The entire Pr�/ude No.4 can be play(:d beautifully a
without squeaks using the pOf/ameniO teehnique descn
laSI month and Ihe method of lifting I\'c just illustrated. B
measures 11-26 (the arpeggios marked animolO) are especial!
difficult to play noiselessly because we musl shift chor
instead of singh:: notes. This exciting pas.�ge is tOO oftt
spoiled b y continual squeaking. Let's set whal can be done I
eliminate Ihis sort of distracting. unwanled noiS('. To pli
well. it is esS('ntial to practice the lifting tcchnique throug
the passage: then in performance yoo can usc pof/om�nlil
the conditions are right.
I play Ihe first note of Ihe passage (E) with my $Ceo
finger. As I play the fourth sixteenth-note in the arpeggi
(E). I shift to the next chord. which I finger as follows: F.
wilh 3 (or ring finger). A with I (or index finger). and 0'
with 4 (or little finger). It might seem Ihal by shifting earl
and playing the Eas a dotted eighth-nole instead of a quaner.
I might ha\' e clipped the sound or the melody and disregarded
thc indiC<:ltion to play ("amobile. or in a singing manner. But if
Ihe shift is in rhythm and the dynamics art balanced to
highlight the melody notes (the bass notcs with stems down)
the shift will sound perfectly legato. Two contributions to tM!
legato are the sympathetic hannonic on the sixth string and
the sonority of the arpeggio. I)ractice this shifl until you can
play il legato and without a squeak.
Continuing. I prepare the righI-hand fingers for th
arpeggio when I play the F*. which falls on the second beat,
of measure II. As my Oclober GP column explained. this
damping highlights the melody note. and I use the tednique
of damping and preparing on each shift throughout the
arpeggio passage to highlight the melody. If you usc: this
damping technique, you must damp exactly as you pla)'eaeh
melody nOle-not before or after-and you must keep the
right hand relaxed. III describe how I play the rest of this
passage next month. r &1. NOle: Pari of Micho('1 Lorimer)
(kloht'r ('o/umll was p/oc('d oul of St'qum('e. 71u> passagt
bt'ginning "lhoS(' JOU S('t! ill measure 15 .fhould Ix> at Iht lOp
of lilt! lasr cohmm of prim.]
M
 MICHAEL LORIM ER
MASTER CLASS
""'-''--' Eliminating Finger Squeaks, Part III
INCE NOVEMBER J'VE BEEN diloCUSltlng "':Iys to eliminate
S squeaks that occur during �hifls in po�ition. Tbc:se arc
caused by the fingers of the left hand rubbing on )tnnp.
espectally the wound OOSM:). I have gLven se\leral lechniquc�
for eliminating this unwdnted nobe. including refingcring
when possible: turning the hand and touching the siring with
the soflest part of the fingeflip� 10 produce subtle. vocal-like
)Iides bet....<ecn nOIc:) (ponamentos): and lifting the fingc� off
the strings whcn changing po)ilion. I\<e used Villa-Lobosi.
Prelude No.4 [dis!. by Selwin-Mills. 25 Deshon Dr.. Meh·ille.
NY 11747] to iIIustrdh: these methods. La:.t momh I began to
discuss measures 11-26 (the arpeggio)' marked all;malO). an
elopecially difficull passage 10 play noisdelosly bccaUltt: the
shifts involve chords instead of SLOgle note:.. LeI'S continue
from where we left off. in Ihe middle of mca:o.ure I I.
The shift from the second chord to the third chord of
measun: II is made ea�ier by the fact that the po:.itlon of the
left-hand fingers (3, or ring finger. I. or index finger: and 4.
or little finger on the D. G. and B )trings, respectively) is the
same in both chord). Can you !nllke the ch.. ngc while maLO­
taming a good kgato (smooth style of playing) and without
making a squeak"! I do the shLft by changing posilLon JUSt
aflcr playing the high £ in the arpeggio thc same technique
I described last month for playing the pre\'lous shift. Alo
before. the high £ rings and enh..ncc), the legato of the move.
I rai:.c 3 and I perpendicularly to the Mnng:. and slide on 4 to
Ihe Fff on the B )tring.
When 4 is u:.cd in thiS manner. It i:. called a guidefil/ger.
AI. I play the A fin�red by 3 on the D lotring. I damp the
treble sirings to highlight th;), mclod)' nOle while preparing
my right-hand finger:. for the arpeggio. a:o. I explained in m)'
OclOber '79 column. Simultaneously. I plaet: the lefl-hand
fingers 3 and I. In making the )hift. I maintain the positions
of the left-hand fingers from one chord to the next. and
lock 01)' wrist. moving the hand and fore.. rm as a unit.
8y locking the wriSt and maLOtaLlllng the po!oition of the
fingers. it i) alw po:.sible to change POloLtl0n accurately ",ith­
out the usc of a gUide finger. Hut I ILke the ponamcnto
created by the founh linger as it slidclo. and I continue to usc
4 as a guide linger on each shift Ul1til the third beat of lTlea�ure
13. Here. as I change from tht: previou:. chord. 1 put1 on Ihe
G string and UllC it as a guide (it slide) 10 G). On the next
shift I use I again as a guide finger. and except for the last
chord of measure 14 (where it ilo belot to u:.c I for a guide
finger).
1 then UllC 4 again as a guide finger on each shirt until
measure 16. EXlensj\'e use of 3 for a guide finger (on the G
string) call be made staning in mea)urc 18. and the rest of the
arpeggio section 01 Prt'ludt' Nu. 4 eun be played without
squeaks using the techlllques I\c been de.:.enbmg.
To learn these: technique), wdl. pia) the "1J>Cggio :,celion
without using guide fingers. perfecting each 1ll0\t: !>O that it is
108 GUtTAIl. PLAYtiIl./JAI'UAII.Y 198(1
legato and your playing is nOI marred by squeaks. Con-
scientious study 10 eliminate squeaks in just onc work. like
the beautiful Prelude No. 4, will raise your technique to a
new level and clarify your music.
Comfortable positioning of the left arm is fundamental to
good left-hand technique. and in eliminating squeaks you
will also automatically learn good use of the: left arm. For
example. it is difficult or often impossible 10 raise the fingu
perpendicularly to the strings if the arm is positioned incor­
recti),. So when you find a position in which il is easy to raise
the fingers perpendicularly. you will ha\"C found the correct
position for the left arm-any wrong position of the arm is
likely to product squeaks just when the fingers arc raised.
You will also find that it is mueh easier to play without
squeaks when you lock the wriSt and move the hand and
forearm as a unit during shifts rather than when you move
the hand "and foreann out of phase.
You can make a serious study of left-hand shifting tech­
nique from the standpoint of how the ann is used in conjunc­
tion with the hand by doing the exercises in the third volume
of Abel Carlevaro's method (Cllademo No.3 of his Seri�
Dida('fica. which is published by Barry and distributed b y
Boo�y & Hawkes. .30 W. 57th SI.. New York. NY 10019).
The greate�t benefit will be derived from this book when the
in�truetions in thc preface are carefully heeded and when the
exercises arc done with concentrated attention as 10 how the
\eft arm is used. Some other good studies for left-hand shift�
ing techniques can be found in pages 11-82 of the founh
volume of Emilio Pujol's Escuela Razoflada, which is pub-­
lished b), Ricordi and distributed by G. Schirmer. 866 Third
Ave. New York. NY 10022.
My diSCUSSIOn of squeak elimination would nOt be com­
1 plete without commenting on the anificial means of suppress·
ing squeaks used by some players-greasing the left-hand
Imgers so they shde qUietly on bass strings. using nat-wound
or other types of so-called squeakless bass strings. sanding
down the ridges on bass strings. and so fonh. To my ears
these -cures" are as bad as the disease. In every case one bad
sound n.:pluces another-for example. thump),. dead--sounding
basses are substituted for distnlcting squeaks. I have yet to
hear a bass string with a good sound that is also squeakless
(if I should encounter such a ....onderful
. string. you can be
sure III mention it in this column!). Greasing the fingers or
the haloS strings is mess)'. diminishes sound quality. and does
not replace good technique. The same can be said for the
device of sanding down ridges. In both Ihe long and shon
run. good technique will serve you bc!;t. [£d. NOle: Michael
Lorimn will giw Q Olle-week maSII'r dass otl March 26 through
30
Il'ritt' Mr. lall MitcJtt-lI. Music Dept.. uk'is And Clark
Cullegt'. POriland. OR 97219. or udt'plwne (503)