Calace Method Help

[Jairo Ramos]

I'm studying the Calace method and the Branzoli method to improve my sight reading and overall technique. But I'm stuck with the Calace Method book 2, Lesson 9.

I can read french and italian, I understand the indications but I can't understand how to translate them to the mandolin. If I play the two notes with one stroke, I only get a drone/double stop.



Maybe somebody here can explain me this part to me.

In Lesson X, the exercise is in a totally unknown measure to me, 12/8. How to use this measure in the metronome for practice? I have a metronome and a digital metronome in the PC.



thanks in advance for your help

[Jordan Ramsey]

Hello Jairo, In the first exercise, my understanding is that you play the notes separately with down strokes. Like this:



And the second exercise, you count in four. Note that I'm not using the suggested pick directions, and I'm taking it about 10bpm slower than the posted tempo.



Hope these help, all the best.

[Jairo Ramos]

Hello Jordan! Thanks for the videos!

My musical education says me to play the 72 exercise as you do (wonderful playing, by the way), but I'm not sure. Calace says in the explanation: with one pick stroke down in the first note passing immediately to the other note, obtaining with one pick stroke two notes at the change (changing?) of the strings. He uses the sign g__, in the 71 exercise too, and I believe that is the sign for hammer on. Meanwhile, I will do it as you do, the same way as in the Cristofaro method.

Your video of the 73 is a great help! but I have a doubt, in the partiture there are tremolo notes, and you do the exercise with staccato.

Thanks again!

[Jordan Ramsey]

Hi Jairo, the g__ means down stroke, so down stroke through both notes of each eighth-note grouping in 72.

In 73, the tremolo notes only have one slash through the stem, which means eighth-note tremolo. Unless I'm mistaken, this would be the same rhythm that happens through the majority of the exercise. Not sure why he chose to abbreviate some of the eighth-note groupings, but I'm pretty sure I played it correctly (minus the pick directions, which seem very difficult at that speed).

I am no expert, self-taught with Calace and classical technique, this is just how I interpreted the music. Maybe someone with more definitive information will chime in. Cheers.

[Beanzy]

Not looked at this with the mandolin in hand yet & can't watch a YT until later so not heard Jordans vids yet.

The explanation indicates that the notes are grouped as if they were 4/4 triplets, but that in 12/8 they can be written simply.
He has arranged the exercise so you begin practicing basic arpeggio technique for the triplets. Pushing through the string change, teo notes on one stroke and a return, but the timing has to remain even between all notes in a triplet. The triplets are arranged as four to a bar, being done at the tempo indicated. ie: 126 triplets/min. You should hear a separation between the four sets of three but no 'rest', just a pulse as if it were 1,2,3,4.
The slashed stems are done as a tremolo for the full value of each of the four to a bar & will be marked by the note change rather than any dud / udu grouping, however the 4 to a bar feel should be felt. The picking directions are assumed to carry on for each set of triplets until something else is indicated, they just stop printing them after a few bars as standard.

[Martin Jonas]

That sounds great, Ramsey!

I agree with Ramsey's interpretation of the slashed notes on the second example: these are single slashes which is simply an abbreviated way of saying "play eighth notes with the same pitch for the full duration". So, there are not tremolo markings at all and as the rest of the exercise is in eighths anyway it means keeping the triplet rhythm going throughout the entire piece. No tremolo.

I also agree with the downstrokes in the first example (p. 72). On my reading, what Calace's text says is that both notes are plucked separately, but with a single downward movement of the pick: you hit the lower string then without stopping the picking action continue to the next string and pick the next note. That's how Ramsey has played it.

As others have said, 12/8 is a compound rhythm with four beats to the bar and a triplet played on each beat. Set the metronome to four beats to the bar.

Martin

[Beanzy]

Agree Martin I just saw the little x) referring to the note to play them as a treble at the bottom of the page..... saves page space, but not too clear on the iPhone screen.

[David L]

Not looked at this with the mandolin in hand yet & can't watch a YT until later so not heard Jordans vids yet.

The explanation indicates that the notes are grouped as if they were 4/4 triplets, but that in 12/8 they can be written simply.
He has arranged the exercise so you begin practicing basic arpeggio technique for the triplets. Pushing through the string change, teo notes on one stroke and a return, but the timing has to remain even between all notes in a triplet. The triplets are arranged as four to a bar, being done at the tempo indicated. ie: 126 triplets/min. You should hear a separation between the four sets of three but no 'rest', just a pulse as if it were 1,2,3,4.
The slashed stems are done as a tremolo for the full value of each of the four to a bar & will be marked by the note change rather than any dud / udu grouping, however the 4 to a bar feel should be felt. The picking directions are assumed to carry on for each set of triplets until something else is indicated, they just stop printing them after a few bars as standard.

The slashed stems mean to play three eighth notes, NOT TREMOLO. A single slash means eighth notes, a double slash means sixteenth notes. A triple slash actually means thirty-second notes, but has come to mean "playing very fast notes" or "tremolo". This is standard notation in orchestral music.

[Martin Jonas]

That sounds great, Ramsey!

I agree with Ramsey's interpretation
(...)
That's how Ramsey has played it.
(...)

Apologies, Jordan -- I've just noticed I've switched your first and second name throughout my reply. Embarrassing, as we have actually met and I should know better...

Martin

[Jordan Ramsey]

Apologies, Jordan -- I've just noticed I've switched your first and second name throughout my reply. Embarrassing, as we have actually met and I should know better...

Funny, we both have names that can be inverted and still work. Hope you're well, Martin!

[Jairo Ramos]

Thanks to you all!

I understand now the exercises, and Jordan's videos are a master class to me!

I think that the Cristofaro method explains better this kind of exercises, and Cristofaro explanations agree with all your views.