ETUDE
February 1943
volume LXI
number 2
page 135, 139

The Tarrega Guitar Method

By George C. Krick

THE SPANISH SCHOOL of guitar playing may be said to have had its beginning with the advent of Ferdinand Sor, 1780-1839, and Dionisio Aguado, 1784-1849. It is true that during the preceding century the guitar was the most popular instrument in Spain, and here and there some guitarist and composer rose above mediocrity; it was not until these two masters appeared upon the scene, that the guitar was considered an instrument able to hold its own on the concert platform. The next generation of guitarists failed to produce any composers of note, although the music of Sor and Aguado was kept alive by such concert artists as Cano, Broca, Damas, Vinas and Arcas, who also contributed some worth while compositions to guitar literature. But near the latter part of the nineteenth century there appeared a master who was destined to revolutionize the art of guitar playing and place it on a still higher plane.

Musical Explorer

This man was Francisco Tarrega, who may well be called the founder of the modern Spanish school. Tarrega was an explorer and innovator. Using the music of Sor and Aguado as a foundation, he was not satisfied with what he found there, but devoted his whole life to the improvement and further development of guitar technic. In his youth Tarrega had the advantage of a thorough musical education, received at the Madrid Conservatory. Upon his graduation he obtained first prize in harmony and composition. The guitar became his favorite instrument, and to it he dedicated all his energies and extraordinary intelligence. After some visits to the most important European music centers, where he was hailed as the greatest virtuoso of his time, he returned to his native land and began his career as teacher of guitar. Tarrega was happiest when playing for a small circle of friends and admirers, who would often gather at his home and listen with rapture to the beautiful music he produced on his guitar. His Preludios, Capriccio Arabe, Danza Mora, Recuerdos de la Alhambra may be classed among the finest compositions for guitar, and there are many others of outstanding merit by this master. However, his transcriptions of works by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Mozart and Haydn are his greatest achievement. His mastery of the guitar, his acquaintance with the entire piano literature, and above all his discriminating musical taste enabled him to recreate these classic masterpieces as though they had been specially composed for the guitar.

Among his many pupils, the most celebrated were Miguel Llobet, Emilio Pujol, Garzia Fortea and Domenicus Prat. Through the efforts of these artists the Tarrega music became known throughout the world. The recital programs of Andreas Segovia invariably include several compositions and transcriptions from the pens of the great master. Tarrega was continually experimenting in methods of striking the strings in order to improve and enlarge the tone of his instrument; he invented a variety of new artistic effects as exemplified in his Grande Jota, and the modern, intriguing harmonic progressions together with the delightful melodies pervading all his music, stamp him as one of the greatest composers for the guitar.

The Tarrega method of striking the strings requires a more elevated wrist of the right hand with the tips of the three fingers parallel to the strings. When striking the strings the fingers must not be raised, but forced quickly across the strings until they are brought up against the next lower one. This reduces the action of the fingers to a minimum and results in a full round tone. To use this method successfully it is also necessary to give constant care to the nails of the right hand fingers. They should project just a trifle, about a thirty-second of an inch beyond the fleshy part of the finger tip and be kept always at this length.

The Nail Stroke

This stroke is now used by most of the prominent guitarists, as it enables one to vary the tone of the instrument considerably and at the same time obtain increased volume. During his later years, Tarrega discarded this nail stroke giving as his reason that he preferred a better tone to greater volume. Now without seeming to criticize the master for this action, we are convinced that an artist appearing in a modern concert hall before an audience of fifteen hundred or more is compelled to use all his resources to obtain enough volume to be distinctly heard in all parts of the auditorium; and the answer to this is the nail stroke. We are quite sure that if Tarrega could be present at one of the Segovia recitals to-day he would be the first to approve the performance of this outstanding virtuoso. In the use of the right hand thumb, Tarrega also differed somewhat from the method used by all other classic writers for guitar.

The Italian and also the American guitarists extend the thumb and glide it across the string until it rests against the next higher one, claiming that this results in a more powerful tone. Tarrega advocates plucking the string with the tip joint of the thumb bringing it up against the side of the first finger. In the matter of playing scale passages there is a decided difference between the modern Spanish school and the method used by most of the old Italian and other European guitarists. Carcassi, Carulli, Giuliani and their contemporaries used alternating thumb and first finger on the three bass strings followed by alternating first and second finger across the three treble strings. Tarrega and his followers discard the thumb for this purpose almost entirely and advise using alternating first and second finger for passages across all strings. Occasionally they advocate adding the third finger when this finger happens to be in position to facilitate passing from one string to a higher one. This method when practiced sufficiently will undoubtedly assure a scale that will sound even and smooth.

In examining the music of Tarrega one cannot fail to note the effective use he has made of the higher positions. Whenever possible he avoids the use of the open first string and frequently places his chord progressions and scale passages on the inner strings in position.

His main object throughout his life was to obtain the most beautiful tone his guitar was capable of, and this was always the principal topic of conversation when pupils were gathered around him. Guitarists everywhere may well emulate his example.