Complete Guide to Tremolo
A well-played tremolo on a classical guitar is one of the most beautiful sounds in western music. Master this magical technique and be guided through some of the great tremolo solos, including Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
Never be put off by the speed a concert guitarist’s fingers can move at - there is always a way in! My Complete Guide to Tremolo will teach you exactly how a tremolo is created. I will then take you carefully from string buzzing misfires towards a purring perfection using some great new exercises and a collection of beautiful solos.
The tremolo arm on an electric guitar (which RD calls a “whammy bar”) is used either to dramatically bend notes in either direction or, more subtly, to add vibrato.
Tremolo is the actual repetition of the same note creating the impression of a single, sustained sound, whereas vibrato is the repeated, rapid bending (wide or narrow) of a single sound. Tremolo can be played on single or multiple strings of an instrument using up and down strokes of a plectrum - this is more usual on steel strung instruments such as acoustic guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, balalaika etc. Bowed instruments can also produce a tremolo effect using rapid up and down bows. A bowed tremolo can create some dramatic, eery sounds and is often used in opera or film music.
One of the most famous guitar tremolo pieces of all time is Recuerdos de la Alhambra by the Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tarrega. The piece was made famous by a TV programme called Out of Town presented by Jack Hargreaves in the 1970’s. Now that same version can be heard each evening on BBC6 Music as background music for the Gideon Coe show. Learn to play Recuerdos as part of this teaching module!
This course was filmed in the Autumn of 2019.
Tremolo Beginnings Video
Tremolo Beginnings PDF
Tremolo from the Book of Spells - Video
Book of Spells - performance
Tremolo from Book of Spells PDF
Consolidation Video
Tremolo Consolidation PDF
Lesson 4 Video - Una Limosna
Una Limosna - close up video
Una Limosna performed
Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios PDF
Lesson 6 Video - El Abejorro
El Abejorro - close up video
El Abejorro - performed
El Abejorro - PDF
Lesson 7 Video - First Flight of the Baby Seagull
First Flight of the Baby Seagull - Music PDF
First Flight of the Baby Seagull - close up video
First Flight of the Baby Seagull - performed
First Flight of the Baby Seagull - performed