This month I'll introduce a new technique to play scales based on the free-stroke or tirando technique. This concept flies in the face of tradition as free strokes aren't usually the classical guitarist's first choice for playing scales. That's probably because there is a generalized belief that the best tone and amplitude of sound are achieved using the rest-stroke technique.

If correctly applied, the new technique I'll introduce here could be as powerful in terms of volume as the traditional rest stroke. The natural tendency, however, will be to get a lighter yet beautiful sound. This sound is very suitable for playing music from different periods such as the early Classical-Romantic era when the ideal sound was crystal-clear and elegance-oriented rather than aggressive and punchy. As we are going to see in future articles, free stroke combinations are very suitable for other guitar styles too. The alternate picking feel can be successfully emulated and scales can be played fast, smooth and effortlessly.

Aside from the myth of the absence of tone in free stroke passages, there is another myth that needs to be dispelled- that of not using the thumb to play scales. The "free stroke combination" technique is based in great part upon combinations of the thumb or p with the other right-hand fingers (i-m-a).

Let's examine the most important combinations in detail and how to use them in scales and musical passages.

First combination: (p-i) and (p-m) on a single string.

Video 1

Recommendations and comments:

• Practice on every string with the metronome trying to get an even tone between the p and the opposing i or m finger.
• Be careful with the accents.
• Invert the order of the fingers to practice the accents.

First combination applied to a scale pattern.

Video 2

Second combination: (p-m-i) or (p-a-m) on a single string.

Video 3

Practice this exercise starting with a different finger, for example: m-i-p or i-p-m, as you can see, the order in which the fingers are triggered remains. The idea here is to practice placing the accent in a different finger but keeping the same pattern.

Since there are three fingers involved, the triplet feel comes up naturally, that's why it is important to practice these patterns over groups of four notes and concentrate on the accents. It's pretty much the same situation we analysed before with the three-finger rest stroke technique. (See Video 4)

Video4

Second combination applied to a scale pattern.

When the scale goes from the 6^th to the 1^st string.

Video 5

This is a three-note-per-string pattern. Starting with the m finger is the best choice when the scale goes from a lower string to a higher one because the m is in a better position to engage the next string. That's why the m always strikes first when there is a string shift.

Same scale and location but in a 9/8 bar. The accent always lands on the m.

Video 6

When the scale goes from the 1^st to the 6^th string.

Video 7

When a scale goes from a higher string to a lower one, the better choice is to start with the p because it is in a privileged position to strike the next string. Therefore, every time there is a string shift, the thumb (p) is the first to play.

Same scale and example but in a 9/8 bar.

Video 8

Video 9

As you can see throughout all these exercises, there are several formulas to play scales employing this technique.

• When the scale fingering presents three notes/string, the right hand will play with three fingers: p-m-i or m-i-p.
• If the scale goes from the 1^st string to the 6^th, then the order of the combination will be p-m-i, but if the scale goes from the 6^th to the 1^st string, then the combination order will be m-i-p. The direction of the string shift is the determining factor.
• When the scale presents two notes per string then the right hand will play with two fingers too, either p-i or p-m.

As you have noticed from my previous two articles, the last exercise/video has been always the first bars of Villa-Lobos' Etude No.7; please click here to refer to these articles and see how this famous passage can be resolved effectively with the different techniques that we have covered so far. Following this precedent, this month's article will again include the first section of the etude so you can see how this passage can also be resolved using free-stroke technique.

Video 10

In future articles I will cover more complex combinations, techniques and exercises, more music passages and even the application of all these to the electric guitar along with different musical styles.

I hope you have enjoyed this article, thanks for your attention and see you next time.

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