Pepe Romero Course (Feb. 13 - 18)

After our last class with Maestro Pepe Romero.

We just finished our week with Pepe Romero and it has been one of the best weeks here in Alicante. We studied various concertos (mainly the second movement of Aranjuez) and solo works by Joaquin Rodrigo. Aside from musical things that maestro talked about in classs, the stories he told about his dear friend, Rodrigo were most invaluable. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to not only know but to be friends with the prolific composer and to think about the conversations they've had together just blows my mind. This is something that you can't learn from just anybody and that's what makes Pepe so special, on top of all the wisdom he's gained in his lifetime. Hearing him talk is like listening to a great story that you don't want to end. I keep saying to myself, "tell us more Pepe!"

The pieces I prepared for the masterclasses were En los Trigales by Joaquin Rodrigo and two movements (2nd and 3rd) of the Vivaldi Concerto RV 93.

In En los Trigales, he talked about:

Articulation - shaping the phrase like a speech with good grammar/ inflection. First, he thought of a sentence that had the same amount of syllables as the notes in the phrase. Then, he made me say the sentence out loud and play the notes to reflect the sentence and it worked like magic! "I like to play this song, and I am ha-ppy" (this corresponds to the opening phrase of the piece) Also, he told me that I need to imagine the whole phrase before starting the first note.
Scale Passages - play only the first and last note of the scale and imagine making a bridge with it. The starting and ending point is the foundation, and all the notes in between should have a sense of direction, otherwise you will end up with lack of energy towards the end of the scale. This helps create pulse and also allows you to feel the long scale in one motion. (see video below)
Vibrato on long notes - You should always think of how you want the note to sound instead of randomly moving your finger to the left and right. To create a swelling tone or a sound that gets louder after the note is plucked, hold the note still for a moment and move your finger slowly while pushing into the string simultaneously. To make a sad vibrato, move to the left first. To make a happy sound, start by moving to the right.
Rodrigo's vision - Pepe explained what Rodrigo imagined when writing this piece. Rodrigo was blind but he had a very vivid imagination because his wife was a poet and would describe every little detail about the things surrounding him. En los Trigales translates to "In the Wheat Fields" and Rodrigo saw in his mind, a wheat field moving in the wind like a giant golden sea.

About the Cadenza

Most people might not be aware of the cadenza written by Pepe Romero. Perhaps, many of you do indeed know about it but choose not to play it (I too decided not to learn it although I was nervous what Maestro might think). Well, Pepe explained the reason behind his cadenza. Apparently, Rodrigo had called Pepe right before he recorded his album in Brussels and said to him:

"Pepe, I want you to extend the slow part of En los Trigales."

Pepe: "What do you want me to do?"

Rodrigo: "Add some scales. You know, one of my bastards (haha) You know all of them!" (class bursts out with laughter)

In my second class, I played Vivaldi's Concerto RV 93. Some of the things he told me were:

Movement II. Largo

"Enjoy the beauty of the sound that you create. Only play for yourself, not for the others." (Which is a little contradicting to what he said in Joey's class, "Your awareness of the sound projecting in the hall is very important. You can't just play in your own little circle, you must fill the room to reach the interest of the audience. Once this is established, you will eliminate fear within yourself."
The notes are like jewels connected to a thread, make them dance and fill the room.

Movement III. Allegro

"I want to hear the bursting feeling of joy!!!"
Keep the pulse of the beat
The voices must have different dynamics but each voice should have consistency.
When the scale passage comes in, the driving energy has to have a moment of lift, almost like the time stops for a moment and then resumes after the scale ends.
When playing scales forte, think of velocity of the stroke. It's not about how strong you hit the string, it's all about the speed in which the finger moves across the string.

We played all of Giuliani's 120 Right Hand Studies together which took about half an hour.

Technique Class

We had technique class in which Pepe showed us how to do some physical exercises to relax our bodies. He also talked about awareness of the instrument, how we must feel the vibration of the guitar, how the string moves when it's played and the way it feels on both hands. He said the best way to refine our technique is not in front of the mirror but rather in the dark. Memorize what the string looks like and how it reacts when you play. Then, close our eyes, visualize the instrument, search for the sound and feel it in our body to further develop awareness. We have a tendency to rely on visual movement of our fingers, but associating the sound by the look of the hands will result in tension.

Every time Pepe opened his mouth, he talked with so much passion and it made me feel like he wanted us to keep passing on what he believed in... and these are the things I've learned that really connected with me.

We have a deep passion for the instrument, therefore, we must keep it alive as long as we live and eliminate whatever it is that gets in the way.
The guitar is your companion. We isolate ourselves during practice but you must never forget that you're not alone because the guitar is your friend. It will speak to you and you must listen. If you listen closely, it will tell you how to play it.
Never pick up the guitar and take it for granted. Always connect with it and feel the desire to play it.
Subconsciousness is the best way to "control" the things we do. When we talk, we don't think about how we want our voice to sound but we are able to communicate in a natural way. If we think too much about how we are going to play, it will create more tension and unnaturalness.
"Enjoy the sound of the notes. Enjoy the harmonic changes. When we perform, we tend to forget to enjoy. Think of what it is that you enjoy about the piece. It should be the same pleasure or feeling you get when you enjoy a cup of ice cream. You must have the feeling of satisfaction, desire and fulfillment."
"Everything breaths in life. You have to feel the expansion" (of the phrase.)
Your internal voice must be singing the whole time. Your music hast to be a reflection of what you hear internally.
"Kiss the string with your finger. If you want more intensity, kiss with more passion."
"Every jump is a perfect image. You can't have any doubt, just faith. Don't think about how you get there, just make it happen."
Once you decide to play, don't stop the commitment. When the two energies (finger and string) meet and is released, you must follow through without hesitation.
(In Baroque music) You must feel the pulse of the eighth notes and set the tempo accordingly, instead of matching the tempo to the melody.
The energy has to keep going, like a tornado that starts in your stomach and takes you.
"Rest stroke is a lost art. In my opinion, rest stroke is the most beautiful sound of the guitar" but it's becoming less used these days.
To play fast rest strokes, it's important to get off the string (after plucking) by relaxing the finger and not flexing or pulling your finger away with force.
Power comes from the center of the palm, not the fingers.
The tone is determined when the finger leaves the string. Make sure the weight of the finger is evenly distributed, feel the string before you pluck to get the richest tone.
Rodrigo and Torroba loved the rich tone of the guitar and absolutely love to hear the guitar sing. Rodrigo would often say, "Play louder, louder!" and when the guitar had reached its maximum capacity, he would say "Now prettier!"
"Joaquin Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla were completely in love with Don Quixote. You must read this if you want to be able to play very well, the music of Rodrigo."
"Rodrigo wrote Concierto de Aranjuez the day his daughter died, the saddest day of his life... We have to deliver his message and that is our job as guitarists"

Concert (february 11, 2017)

My first concert of Pepe Romero definitely left a big impression and it was such a privilege to get to see this legendary guitarist play for almost 2 hours of significant guitar repertoire. It's incredible how much energy and stamina he has on stage at his age of 72. He's a true performer and you can see it in the way he walks on stage, the way he thanks the audience with his charming smile, without a doubt he had me inspired and made me smile from ear to ear. I'll never forget the satisfaction on his face after he finished each piece as the crowd applauded him for his beautiful performance. The thing that impressed me the most in his playing was his signature rest stroke scales and rasgueados. I just couldn't believe the power and velocity he produced without any hesitation whatsoever... he just went for it like a figure skater does his triple axel without any doubt or fear and with much success. It was a magical experience for me to see such a legendary performer who has been on the concert stage for 60 some years.

Nanae FujiwaraFebruary 18, 20171 Comment