The Secrets of Mastering Tremolo Technique (Classical Guitar) 

As a pianist/violinist I can tell this video is spitting absolute gold nuggets of guitar wisdom. The internet is a marvelous place. Thank you very much for sharing

I am a bedroom player practicing all these by myself. It is great to hear the same advises from a great teacher. Thank you.

You are an excellent professor. Thank you for your lecture. More grease to your elbow and more wisdom always. Amen

will definitely try these as i make all the mistakes you have so usefully and excellently highlighted - thank you !!

Thank you, A real explanation of the tremolo method. I am about to set out on playing tremolo so this is an optimum video for my future capability. Andy

THANK YOU! That's really great!

Yes please do a detail Tremolo from scatch. Thank you.

I enjoyed this more than you can know. I am only now arriving at the point to begin Tremolo. Your tips will be invaluable. Unfortunately, I do not know enough to suggest further videos, but when I do, I'll let you know.

I didn't realise I had this on x2 speed, I nearly wept at my inferiority 😂

Excellent video thank you!

Great video dude!

Great video! More on tremolo please!

Recuerdos de la Alhambra

This was excellent, would love the video suggestions you mentioned. Also specifically one on hammer on and pull off technique would be great, I’m struggling with that personally

Great video thanks! Lightbulb moment for me with the middle finger accent... What mic are you using?

Thanks for this video .I recognize good guidance after and during the struggles with tremolo.Yes ,do more if you like .I wonder from your teaching if you have noticed any good ways to increase speed??I also find D.Russel one of the most useful on line YT teachers .Peace n love .

Thanks very much, your explaining is very clear. Can you comment on doing the tremolo on different cords, like the b-cord one uses with the Recuerdos de la Alhambra? Ronald Zwaan.

Thanks for the tutorial - great to see you demonstrating some of the ideas in your book, (which I highly recommend!) Any chance that you could elaborate on your approach to tremelo on the inner strings? 👍

Good video Manus! I'm sure many will find this highly instructive. I have a few suggestions if I may though. I am a university professor of music, composer, theorist, musician, and guitarist. In fact, the teacher I had when I was earning my undergraduate degree (some time ago) in classical guitar performance was also a former teacher of David Russell. He didn't share the same idea of the "accent the a-finger technique" that you suggest here. I do see how you bring your idea into fruition when the music is realized though, so if this approach helps one to develop a technique that allows one to cleanly play tremolo lines, I have no qualms! At (2:42) ff, you mention a "bass line" and a "tremolo melody" as if this piece was in two voices. "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" by Francisco Tárrega is scored in three voices (a3). The bass line is comprised of only the lowest two bass notes throughout (mostly in parallel 5ths - very "Spanish folk style," as there is no attempt at conventional counterpoint), the actual melody sits just beneath the tremolo voice, opening on scale degree 3 (written as C5) in measure 1, and closes on scale degree 1 (written as A4) in the final measure as most tonal compositions do, and the tremolo line (merely an accompanying line) sits in the highest voice as a static and effective "glistening line" to offset the other two voices. Projecting the true melody is the challenge amid the contrasting bass and tremolo lines. It should be heard as the loudest and most prominent of the three voices. This is what I believe Tárrega's aim is with his composition; quite a task indeed for most! Playing the true melody alone will give one the understanding, direction, and goal of this piece. The bass and tremolo lines are simply accompanying lines to support the alto melody woven within.

just checked in Pepe Romeros LA GUITARRA technique guide from 2012, page 86 he explains tremolo:" the thumb,which is playing the beat,is the resolution of the cycle not the beginning. a finger is the singer of the melody,and the m-i sustains the note created by a."

Thank you very much for this lesson. I just ordered your book and am looking forward to it. My difficulty, which I have never seen mentioned is that I can get the speed up to almost tempo but can never actually get it there. There is a point that it just starts to feel like I'm flailing at the strings and I lose control. If you could address that in another video, I would be most grateful.

Manus: This is a very good film, Sir. :) It would be excellent to see a "no stone unturned mathematical" instructional film of speed development of the Villa Lobos Etude No. 1 right hand pattern. We have yet to see films that show "How" to do it. For example, repetitions such as first note to last note as, "1,2,3,4". 1,2,3,4,5,6,7". Or descending only "1,2,3,4,5", "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8". These are only examples of course. And, we have yet to see any film of the Etude No. 1 address very specific metronome marking increases. Such as starting at 60, the moving to 66, then 72....In a day for three days ? In a day for four days ? THEN moving the M.M. up every two days, etc. What we have never seen is a instructional film that addresses the "dogmatical" approach to the mechanical increase of speed for the Etude No. ! If you could do this, it would be terrific. :) We all thank you for an excellent film. :) Antoine.

I wonder how this lesson translates to flamenco guitar which adds the index finger in first, before the ring finger.

Manolo Sanluca

Really interesting! Re "The Secret"...But is there another reason why the middle finger gets an accent? It's longer than the "i" and "a" fingers and so needs to approach the string slightly differently to the fingers either side of it....

Hi Manus, when will you be posting a video on brewing the perfect cup of tea?

Just my two cents here. The most important part of playing a tremolo is the flex release aspect, particularly in the 'a' finger. It's not important that the fingers move fast. I've seen a lot of good tremolos with slow looping fingers. Because you are playing four notes per click, even in a fast tremolo the individual fingers move pretty much in slow motion. I notice your 'i' comes out almost straight. I've seen a lot of good tremolos with that motion.

....just a reminder: Pepe Romero has been teaching and explaining the tremolo to start from the ring finger for decades( also to see on youtube)

I've never really practiced tremolo but can do it because it just eventually comes with overall control of the right hand after YEARS of practice.

Another tremolo guru?

My pro tip: Don't get carpal tunnel syndrome!