Nice Clip From a Guitar Lesson

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XLR

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Sagreras Study No.82 performed by a student of mine. Paul's a talented guitarist who makes his living in a field other than music... he's a cancer researcher. Anyway, this was done during our last lesson, just off the cuff, as I was putting him on the spot a bit to play a set he hadn't looked at in a while. It was done with a low end recording setup I keep tucked away in a drawer in my teaching studio (I record students occasionally just so they can hear their playing for fun.) Yeah, the gear and room tend to be a little woofy and reflective, but this came out with a nice feel to it, so thought I'd put it up here. I play an improvised 2nd part and it was all done in one take.

If you have any thoughts on EQ, etc to help clean this up I'd be interested.

Tim
 
Dunno bout the eqin' but I love hearing you (and students) play. What kind of mic did you have?
 
Nice song Tim. I think it sounds pretty good, just some hisses. I think it is breathing???? Great playing on his part. Impressive.
Ed
 
Oh, Mr. Lawler! Would you teach me too? ;)

Seriously. That is one talented student. Way beyond my scope but at the same time something to strive for. Wow. I was so taken with the music that I couldn't get away to listen to what you could do to fix it. But then anything I would suggest would/SHOULD be ignored anyway.
 
Sounded quite good.


How long has the Student been playing?
 
Space said:
What kind of mic did you have?
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Thanks Space... it was a Rode NT2 on omni into a Tascam US122. Paul was about 3 ft from the mic, I was another 3 ft further, to balance us. Don't usually use that mic for gtr but it was already up so I just went with it. I’m not playing much on it, it’s almost all him.

Dogman said:
...some hisses. I think it is breathing???? Great playing on his part. Impressive
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Thanks Ed. The mic and room are so bright that maybe it's just his shifting around in the chair that you're hearing as the occasional hiss. Funny though because his breathing does often come out pretty loud in recordings when he's engrossed in the music… a common issue for cl guitarists.

7 said:
I was so taken with the music that I couldn't get away to listen to what you could do to fix it.
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Thanks for saying that 7... I often feel like that when a student I'm working with plays a piece in an inspired way during a lesson and all I have to say about it is "That was beautiful... doesn't matter that the F#in the 4th bar turned into a D#... it was a beautifully done D# so it worked out just as well... maybe even better."

Passing Thru said:
How long has the Student been playing?
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He started in his 20's, studied with a couple notable teachers, got away from it due to career pressures, then got back to it in the last few years. He's been working with me on classical and flamenco playing for about 8 months, and I think has a good balance between things intellectual and emotional in his playing. Thanks for the listen and comments, Passing Thru.

Tim
 
Timothy Lawler said:
He started in his 20's, studied with a couple notable teachers, got away from it due to career pressures, then got back to it in the last few years.
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Soo... how old is he now? How long did he play before?
 
Early 50's. About 8 yrs serious playing in all, I'd estimate, and a bit of noodling around in between.

Tim
 
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Tim, any time I hear you, or evidently one of your students, playing that beautiful classical guitar I am momontarily in utter denial that my rediculous whammy bar warbling could ever make such a beautiful statement!





.......of course, I come around later on, but.... :D


Thanks for posting that, another beautiful piece.
 
Beautiful. Great playing. Can't tell you much about any problems in the recording, me being on dialup still (yuck).

Can I ask what brand of guitars are you using on the recording and what makes do you personally use? Been looking for a classical guitar for some recordings I'll be doing soon. Ha, ha, just don't expect them to sound like this. :D
 
Forgot to add that it's not only classical guitar players that have a problem with breathing bleeding into the recordings. Some of my acoustic recordings have a elephant with asthma in the background. :D
 
probably fun having students like that
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Thanks Sonixx, and that's sure true.

momontarily in utter denial that my rediculous whammy bar warbling could ever make such a beautiful statement
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Thanks Metalhead. Personally, the more I listen to different guitar styles the more I think the differences are somewhat superficial (volume level, tone color - and maybe how we dress to go out on stage. :eek:)

Sounds like he's having fun
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Thanks Gibson_eb2d. I think so... and from my side of things anyway, I think teaching's fun.

Can I ask what brand of guitars are you using on the recording and what makes do you personally use?
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Paul was playing a guitar made by Jonh Ray, who has a workshop in Granada. It's a flamenco guitar (Spanish cypress back and sides, spruce top) but really has the tone of a classical. It sounded more mellow in the room than the mic conveyed in this take. I was playing a guitar made by Fred Clarke, of Menlo Park CA. As far as my other guitars, I have a '77 Leitch (Brazilian ros. back and sides, cedar top) and a guitar I made when I studied guitar building w/Fred Clarke, which is what I usually perform and record with (rosewood/cedar). IMO though, a concert quality guitar is really only necessary if it's going to be mic'd at some distance in a large room (my own preference). I've noticed that many inexpensive guitars record well w/close mic'ing - where volume's less important and it's more a matter of response and consistency through the instrument's range. Just my opinion. Thanks for the kind words Toonsmith.

Toonsmith said:
not only classical guitar players that have a problem with breathing bleeding into the recordings. Some of my acoustic recordings have a elephant with asthma in the background
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Heh-heh...I haven't noticed that in your guitar recordings... I'll have to listen for it.

Thanks guys for listening and commenting.

Tim
 
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I graduated from a conservatory with a minor in classical guitar. I haven't touched it in 7 or 8 years and I forgot how beautiful it sounds. I was never able to really get comfortable with the right hand technique - since I'm left handed and play right handed (long story). Anyway those Sagreras studies were great, along with Carcassi, Villa Lobos and Sor. Thanks for the memories!
 
I graduated from a conservatory with a minor in classical guitar.
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Very cool, DC-XPL.
Anyway those Sagreras studies were great, along with Carcassi, Villa Lobos and Sor.
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DC, I agree, definitely! I still play sets of studies by Sagreras, Carcassi, Sor, V.L., Tarrega, Ponce, and some others - rotating through the sets as part of my own daily practice. I play their music so much actually that sometimes I think that in the afterlife someone like Carcassi or Tarrega might walk up to me and say, "hey, do I know you from somewhere?... did you play my stuff?" Just a wish I guess.

Thanks for listening.

Tim
 
A follow-up... I gave Paul, the performer of the piece, a printout of the comments and he was surprised by the supportive response and number of downloads (70). Actually, he was surprised about the whole thing as he didn't know I was putting it online. :D

Thanks to all who listened and commented.

Tim
 
Yes that was very beautiful. I am ALWAYS impressed by pretty much anything that has your name associated with it Tim. Your talent is truly inspirational, and you've obviously done a great job with this student. He sounds great.
 
Timothy Lawler said:
Paul was playing a guitar made by Jonh Ray, who has a workshop in Granada. It's a flamenco guitar (Spanish cypress back and sides, spruce top) but really has the tone of a classical. It sounded more mellow in the room than the mic conveyed in this take. I was playing a guitar made by Fred Clarke, of Menlo Park CA. As far as my other guitars, I have a '77 Leitch (Brazilian ros. back and sides, cedar top) and a guitar I made when I studied guitar building w/Fred Clarke, which is what I usually perform and record with (rosewood/cedar). IMO though, a concert quality guitar is really only necessary if it's going to be mic'd at some distance in a large room (my own preference). I've noticed that many inexpensive guitars record well w/close mic'ing - where volume's less important and it's more a matter of response and consistency through the instrument's range. Just my opinion.
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Afraid those beauties are out of my price range. I'm just a struggling.... hmmmm..... something. :D I think those inexpensive ones are for me.
 
Tim, this is a beautiful piece. Short, but beautiful. I wanted to hear more. I enjoyed the two guitars complimenting one another. Impressive work. :)
 
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