Author: Valentin Spasov
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The Importance of Dynamics in Music: Bringing Your Performance to Life
Dynamics in music are the written instructions that indicate the loudness or softness of a piece, guiding the performer on how to convey the emotional depth intended by the composer. Playing a piece with no dynamics can be compared to a robot reading poetry—monotonous and devoid of feeling. There are four essential components of musical…
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Learning Guitar Online: A Journey from Skepticism to Embracing Digital Learning
As an “old school” guitar teacher, I was initially hesitant about teaching guitar online. For years, I believed that while video lessons could be created, they wouldn’t truly benefit the student. After all, there’s no direct feedback from someone watching a video—you simply don’t know if they understand what you’re teaching. But a few years…
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Choosing a New Piece: A Guide for Classical Guitar Students
The Challenge of a New Piece The concert or exam is just a month away, and it feels like there’s enough time to learn that new piece or pieces. But as the performance day approaches, nervousness and uncertainty set in. You might even wish for a delay of another month. Does this situation sound familiar?…
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The Art of Muting: A Key Skill for Guitarists
As important as it is to learn how to produce sounds on the guitar, it is equally crucial to learn how to stop them—to mute them effectively. The reasons for mastering muting techniques are purely musical, involving note values, articulation, style, and more. For example, if a note is written as a crotchet, it should…
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Guitar Posture: The Foundation of Fluent Performance
The Importance of Posture Posture is a fundamental aspect of achieving a good and fluent guitar performance. It’s likely that your teacher has emphasized the significance of posture, and you’ve probably experimented with various ways of holding the guitar and positioning your body and hands. While posture is highly individual, based on the anatomical conditions…