FERNANDO SOR Study 18, Opus 35

This month Bridget Mermikides takes us step by step through a beautiful study by the man who many consider to be the forefather of classical guitar.

Bridget Mermikides embarks on a series of more approachble pieces, like this Sor étude.

In this issue we are focusing on two fundamental techniques of the classical guitar: the free stroke (‘tirando’) and rest stroke (‘apoyando’), and how we control them in order to balance a melody with its accompaniment. While a pianist might achieve this by altering the dynamics between their two hands, the guitarist must learn to accomplish it within the picking hand. I have devised two exercises to address this skill and this in turn will allow us to play the wonderful Study No.18, Opus 35 (published in 1828) by the Spanish composer and perhaps first virtuoso of the instrument, Fernando Sor (1778-1839). Sor was a successful performer, respected teacher and prodigious composer (his work includes two operas, nine ballets and three symphonies). However, it is with the development of the classical guitar where Sor’s enduring influence lies. His output of pieces, studies, lessons and exercises, have bred generations of classical guitarists from student to master, and are as useful (and used) today as in his lifetime. Sor was also able to blend a very sophisticated and expressive musical voice with useful technical exercises - a rare achievement, particularly on the guitar.

First, we should clearly define the two fundamental classical guitar picking techniques:

1) Rest stroke (apoyando – ‘to lean’). Here the plucking hand fingertip makes a preparatory contact with the string, and then plucks at an angle so that it comes to rest on the adjacent lower string. 2) Free stroke (tirando – ‘to pull’). Here the plucking hand’s fingertip makes a preparatory contact with the string, which is plucked at an angle so that the plucking finger deliberately avoids any contact with adjacent strings.

Free stroke is a more agile and light technique and is favoured for arpeggios, passages with string crossing and accompaniments, while rest stroke produces a louder, fuller tone – although a little more awkward technically - and so is generally favoured for melodic lines. That said there are players who play with beautiful full tones on free stroke, and some (particularly in the Flamenco style) who can play phenomenally fast in rest stroke. While there are no hard rules, the general idea of free stroke for accompaniment and rest stroke for melody is useful and good players master both, optimising projection and fluidity, and using them instinctively.

Exercises 1 and 2 pinpoint the various uses of rest stroke and free stroke on open strings, in preparation for the upcoming Study.

NEXT MONTH Bridget arranges the lovely Prelude In E Minor by Dionisio Aguado

“Free stroke is a more agile technique and is favoured for arpeggios, passages with string crossing and accompaniments”

Fernando Sor is one of the founding fathers of classical guitar

TRACK RECORD Fernando Sor’s studies are ubiquitous, so there are many excellent performances online. But it’s also great to have them on CD, in order to refer to them and get to know and love certain perfornances. Enea Leone’s Fernando Sor: Complete Studies For Guitar might be a good place to start. But the great John Williams has also recorded Sor’s studies, so look around and find something you like.