Matt Palmer breaks down his turbocharged hybrid plucking technique
in this excerpt from his book The Virtuoso Guitarist, Vol. 1.
The fundamental approach to this scale
technique is quite simple.
Pitches from a particular
scale are arranged in three-note-per-string patterns,
and the right hand repeats
the fingering a–m–i. The
sequence of attacks in
the right hand is of the
utmost importance. The
sequence a–m–i follows the
principles of sympathetic
motion, much like the
natural closing of the hand.
It is therefore a naturally
efficient way of moving the
hand—similar to tremolo
technique. The mastery of
this technique can easily
provide guitarists with a
simple and effective method
of playing scales on the
guitar. Efficiency and ease
of execution are key factors
in the fluid and effortless
technique required to play
scales at great speed. Fig.
1 demonstrates the basic
approach to a–m–i scale
technique over an ascending
C major scale.
Observe in Fig. 2 how
each string begins with
an attack of the a finger.
Furthermore, the attack of the
a finger consistently coincides
with the use of the left-hand
first finger, while the attack of
the i finger is with the fourth
finger. In the descending
scale, a similar consistency can
be found. The attack of the
a finger now coincides with
the use of the left-hand fourth
finger, while the i finger is
with the first finger.
IMPORTANT
As can be seen upon further
study of this method, when
playing scales that proceed
stepwise I am always in
pursuit of fingerings that
allow me to maintain the
consistencies found in fig-
ures 1 and 2. No matter the
events that occur within the
course of a scale—direction
changes, shifts, strings with
more or less than three notes
on them, etc.—I always
attempt to maintain or
immediately return to the
idea of three-note-per-string
scales attacked with a–m–i.
This adds a great deal of
consistency to the method,
and makes the process of
fingering and executing
these events much easier.
Furthermore, as you will see
in the advanced application
of the technique, the vast
amount of fingering poss-
ibilities that usually exists
is replaced with a relatively
small number
of formulas that
can be applied to
various scenarios.
Classical plucking-hand
fingering
p - “Pulgar” or thumb
i - “Indice” or index finger
m - “Medio” or middle finger
a - “Anular” or ring finger
To hear sound clips of
these examples, head to
premierguitar.com/oct2011
Fig. 1 Fig. 1
&
am
oeoe
oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe
i ami ami ami ami
oeoeoeoeoe
578
568
457
˙
Fretting-hand
fingering:
124124124124134
357
357
Fig. 2
oeoeoeoeoe
Fig. 2
&
am
oeoeoeoeoeoe
ami ami ami
875
i ami
oeoeoeoe
865
754
˙
Fretting-hand
fingering:
431421421421421
753
753
Fig. 3
Mauro Giuliani, Gran Sonata Eroica Op. 150
4 4 &###
ami amimi ami ami
˙
oe
OE oeoeoe
oeoe
Ó
oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe
oe
oeoeoeoe ‰
OE oeoe Ó oeoeoeoeÓ oe oe oe™ oe OE
0
7
6
0 12 10 9
12 10 9
11 9
12 11 9
12 11 9
0
9
10
9
0
Fig. 3
oeoeoe
oe
OE oeoeoeoe ˙˙˙˙ Ó
0
04
2
2
2
0
10
9 12 17
2
4
3
4
0
6
5
5
Fig. 4
J.S. Bach, Chaconne from Partitia in D minor BWV 1004
Ê Tune to D
Fig. 4
3 4 &b — —
i
——
i
oeOE
oe oeoeoe oe
OE
oe oe oe oe oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe oe oeoeoe oe oe oe oe oe oeoeoeoeoeoeoeoe oer≈ ‰ OE OE
˙
amiami a
0
3 023
2
3
5
3
2 35
356
356 0
ami ami a
35
252
3
2
0 23
135
135
