PLAYINGTIPS
[Bars1-3] Theopeningthreebarsimitatethepizzicatocellosoftheoriginal orchestralversionandIrecommendplayingpalmmutedandpluckwiththe fleshofthethumbforthedesiredeffect.AlightstaccatoontheFnotewill setthesceneofthehabanerastyle.Whenthemelodystartsinbar4,itisno longerfeasibletoplaythebassnotesmuted,soswitchtonormalplucking andtrytogetasubtleblendoftonefrommutedtononmutedbynot playingthebassestooloudly.Themelodycanbeplayedmainlyreststroke togiveitawarmfulltone.Thereissomeindicatedfingeringforbothhands tohelpyou,sodofollowitcarefully.Adifficultaspecthereisthearticulation ofthebassline–theproblembeingthelowDonthefirstbeatofeverybar, whichoncepluckedwillnaturallysustainforthewholebarunlesswedo somethingtomuteit.Mutingbassnotesisahugepartofclassicalguitar techniqueandsomethinggoodplayerswilldowithoutthinking.Inthe Habanera,themomentinthebartomuteisimmediatelyafterthesecond beatsothatthelowDisnolongeraudibleduringthesecondhalfofthebar. [Bar4] Forexample,inbars4and5mutethelowDwiththepadofthe thumbimmediatelyafterpluckingthebassnoteF(fifthstring,8thfret)by gettingthethumbto‘springback’andmutethesixthstringbeforeplucking thebassnoteA.Thisactionofpluckingandmutinghappensinonesmooth andefficientmovementofthethumb. [Bar6] Bar6hastheaddedproblemofboththeDandtheAbassnotes ringingthroughthebar,becausethebassnoteFisnowplayedonthe fourthstringinsteadofthefifth.Thistime,Imutethefifthandfourhstrings simultaneouslybyallowingthethumbtospringbacktotheA–inthesame wayasitdidforthelowDinbars4and5,butthethumbalsoleansback slightlysoitssidetouchesandmutesthelowDatthesametime. [Bars8-10] Bars8,9and10aremucheasierforthebassarticulation becausetheBb,playedonthesixthstring,cutsoffthelowDautomatically.