Josef Mazan

    Rubrika: Articles in English

    • Did Schubert write for the guitar?

      Yes. In his piano cycle Zwanzig Menuette, Op. 41 (1813), the Trio of Menuet No. 17 immediately caught my eye. It’s clearly a piece originally written for the guitar.   The key of C major and the frequent pedal tones on the D, g, and b strings are proof of…

    • Practice of a new piece

      I would like to write here about a method that I have been using for a long time to practice pieces, and it has proven to be very effective for me. Before actually practicing a piece, it is necessary to have the fingerings completed and written down for each note.…

    • Tremolo

      Tremolo is one of the cornerstones of guitar technique. It is possibly the first step towards advanced playing techniques. The reason is that tremolo involves playing with multiple fingers of the right hand on a single string. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the contact of the finger with the…

    • Nails and their shape

      Playing the guitar with nails is a relatively new phenomenon. Up to the time of Fernando Sor, most players played without nails. Playing on double-course lutes and similar instruments was complicated with nails. Right at the beginning, however, I would like to clarify one issue. We do not use nails…

    • Intonation

      People with good musical ears can sing in tune. Others may struggle with intonation. This article discusses how to improve and sing more accurately. Singing with precise intonation is essential for understanding musical compositions. For instance, when studying the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, it’s beneficial to be able to…

    • About the planting

      Planting (playing with preparation) is a very important technique of the right hand, as it allows for easy playing of fast arpeggios. It is based on piano technique and finger preparation above the keys, which, among others, Beethoven recommended to his students. The most commonly used arpeggio for planting is…

    • Aguado’s i-im fingering

      While browsing through Dionisio Aguado’s Method published in English translation in the Tecla edition (Tecla 0011), I came across a specific fingering of the right hand in his well-known Study No. 17 (fig.1, page 130). It’s Aguado’s original fingering, and it may seem controversial as it seemingly goes against the…

    • Tone color

      For artistic guitar playing, tone color of a good quality is essential. It’s one of the main reasons why the audiences come to our concert. Much has already been written about the tone, but I would like to approach the matter from a different perspective. I have not yet encountered…