Chapter 7

Free stroke (Tirando)

-”Tirar” = Pull (Spanish)
-Majority of pieces are played in free stroke because of block chords, arpeggios, rolling
chords, melody accompaniment, Alberti bass, tremolo passages, etc.
-May look easy, but is more complex than it appears: many factors affecting free stroke
technique
-Nail shape/length, angle of attack, finger lengths, finger joint usage
-Overlooking any of them can cause imperfect results: limited speed, loose
rhythm, lack of clarity, dynamically unbalanced

The shape of the right hand in free strokes

-Basically the same as rest stroke with slight changes:
-Global shape*
-Ring and little fingers move together: “maintaining primary anatomical form of
the muscles” (several muscles for moving the ring and little finger are connected)
-In slow tempo, separate ​a​ and ​c​ will not be very damaging technically
and musically
-In fast passages, it will produce excess tension in the right hand which
leads to slower movement and inaccurate rhythm due to less control

The position of the wrist

-Wrist should stay high to enable the use of thumbnail
-Thumb movement must not affect the stability of the hand and fingers
-Forearm and palm should be stable so that the wrist remains stable

Causes of un-rhythmical arpeggios and tremolo

-Rhythmic error in free stroke can have two sources:
1. Insufficient coordination/lack of musical intelligence
2. Unnecessary contact between fingers and strings before the stroke is made,
causing the fingers to get “stuck” on the strings
-2 possible causes
a. Habit of planting​ a,i, m​ on treble strings while playing with ​p
that causes some students being unable to use their thumb without
planting
b. Moving the thumb causes ​i, m, a t​ o move towards the palm
 -Preparatory exercise for free stroke playing: play various short scales (example 12 and
13) /melodic passages on the bass strings using the thumb only while keeping ​i, m, a​ off
the strings (no contact, ~1cm from strings), using free strokes and rest strokes

Movements of the thumb

-Avoid movement of the thumb towards the palm
-This movement limits the space between the thumb and index finger which may affect
the projection of notes played by both fingers in block chords
Rest stroke in thumb playing
-It is important to play the bass line with good projection, and using rest strokes will help
-Rest strokes have more string contact, producing a richer sound
-Thumb rest stroke has greater power and depth (thumb movement is controlled by larger
muscles)
-Thumb rest stroke is not always necessary, and incorrect use may cause imbalance in the music
-Proficiency in both rest and free stroke must be maintained

The shape of the fingers in free strokes

-The curve of ​i, m, a​ fingers are important in free stroke playing
-*For easier definitions of joints - 3 joints in ​i, m, a​ fingers:
-From ​knuckles ​(​lower joint ​according to Urshalmi, to proximal interphalangeal joint
(​middle joint​ according to Urshalmi), to distal interphalangeal joint near the nails (​high
joint​ according to Ushalmi)
-​Two upper joints​ refer to ​middle ​and ​high joints
-Rest stroke: flexible high joint, bent at middle joint, and the two upper joints are almost straight
when plucking
-Free stroke: two upper joints remain bent and form fishing hook shape with thumb

Which joints to use?

-The movements of fingers in free stroke come from the knuckles
-Using the middle joints can reduce volume and speed as well as produce high amounts of tension
in palm and forearm

Stability of distal joints​ ​(upper joints)

-In free stroke, upper joints of ​i, m, a​ have to be sufficiently hard and firm to resist the tension of
the strings
-The force of the finger must overcome the natural string tension to make a string vibrate properly
-Lack of proper firmness will result to unclear sound
-​i​ is not in rhythmic dynamic balance with other fingers and must be kept in check
-Exercise for developing firmness:
-Play scales (example 14) with the back of the nails in rest stroke manner
-alternate between 10-20 rest stroke (using back of the nails), and normal free stroke
-Do not overpractice with this exercise: it produces a lot of tension
-Play on 2nd or 3rd strings to avoid soundboard scratches