Great details Spraig. Thanks. I was definitely preaching to the choir on classical guitars, you obviously know a lot more about them. I was particularly interested in the detail about Segovia not performing with older guitars. It is very common for folk and blues musicians to prefer a guitar's sound after it has settled in for a few decades. Of course if it gets too pricey then they start leaving them at home! I guess Segovia's guitars really were antiques and not just guitars that had aged a bit. Most of the guys playing the 1930's resonator guitars or old Martins spend a great deal of time re-tuning the old guitars while they play. Sometimes it gets so distracting that I wish they would give up some of the "authenticity" and get a guitar with decent tuning pegs!
Great darshon story about his concert. Must have been amazing. I didn't realize that you were so into guitars. I misread your intentions about Segovia re-tuning while playing because most performing artists end up doing this from time to time, myself included, and I never seen to get any extra props for it! Do you play classical now? Thanks for the new info on an amazing talent, Segovia. --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > I use an Intellitouch tuner that is clamped to the guitar headstock > > and takes the pitch vibration from the neck. Because it does not rely > > on the your ability to hear your own string it is very useful for > > performance. http://www.tuners.com/pt1.asp If you shop around the Net > > you can get a better price. You need to develop your ear, but you > > also need to get to correct pitch quickly without dealing with all the > > variables that effect your ear's ability to detect pitch if you want > > to perform. Go digital and save yourself a lot of pain. It will also > > improve your sense of pitch to be right one most of the time. > > > > I use a number of different open tunings in my shows as well as > > standard tuning which I tune down a half step. I wasn't sure if your > > question was about tuning the guitar or different tunings. Hope that > > helps. For Spraig, Segovia played gut strings that stretch more than > > steel strings. He also played vintage guitars that are more quirky. > > I think that is why he had to re-tune mid song. > > > > > > Actually, Segovia enjoyed playing his vintage guitars at home, but according to a 1978 > interview, Jose Ramirez sent him new guitars every year starting in the 60's. No-one gives > classical guitar concerts with antiques--guitars are far more delicate than violins and just > don't age well or travel well for that matter. Also, Segovia co-invented the nylon guitar > string with the DuPont family during WWII. > > BTW, the design of the modern classical guitar was geared specifically for Segovia, who > had larger than average hands, especially for a Spaniard. > > Also, regarding the tuning issue. I've played $6000 guitars. Even those are a little quirky. > As I said, for classical music, you need to fine-tune the guitar to the piece you play-- > different sets of open strings and the average position that you fret dictates where you try > to balance the tuning for best results. Segovia would retune on the fly as he performed-- > he may have been tuning to the piece or even to the section of the piece, who knows? His > timing was amazing since he never missed a note while he retuned. The one time I saw > him in concert, I was about 3 feet away from him at a tiny church in England. He passed > within inches of me as he climbed to the stage. I was in the "front row" with my knees > jammed over the edge of the stairs. I had to look under the railing to watch him. 12 > pounds for the ticket. The people in the choir box behind him only paid 2 pounds (his old > friend was pastor of the church apparently and it was a fund-raiser for the church I > believe). It was mind-boggling--I even got to shake his hand afterwards and stammer > "thankyou" a half-dozen times. He looked me in the eye and nodded. > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
