Classical Tremolo Technique

Description

In this tutorial series we will learn how to play the classical guitar style technique called tremolo.

The purpose of this technique is to mimic the way other musical instruments keep notes constantly sounding, or "ringing out". Classical guitars are acoustic intruments. When we play a note on a classical, acoustic guitar, the note starts at it's high point of sound & attack. Thereafter it immediately starts to decay, get softer. So, classical guitar tremolo was developed as a solution to this problem.

Historically, the goal of many musical instruments is often in some way to mimic the human voice, with a continuous, smooth, beautiful sound wave. The woodwinds, like clarinets, oboes, flutes, can achieve this contantly sounding, smooth sound as long as air is being pushed or blown into them; likewise, with brass instruments. The violin can also achieve this sound as long the player keeps pushing and pulling the bow across the strings. In fact, this is why the string, or violin family of instruments was developed to be played with the bow, in order to achieve this "singing" sound.

On classical guitar the technique requires getting your picking fingers moving so smoothly, evenly and efficiently that it sounds as if it is a continuously "singing" note. Eventually we want to be able to make these notes sound together seamlessly and even rise and fall in volume & dynamic level gradually.