Paganini - Romanza

Hi there GMC :)

This is a beginning of Romanza (2nd movement of Grand Sonata) by Niccolo Paganini (1782 - 1840), Italian violinist, violist, guitarist and composer. Although he was the most famous for his violin playing, he wrote some nice tunes for classical guitar. One of them is the mentioned Grand Sonata.

This part is fairly easy from technical side, but from expression side it is not so easy. It is difficult to play this piece with taste, since only the bass notes are playing the notes in exact tempo, while the solo line varies in tempo a lot. This technique in classical music is called rubato (italian: rubare - to steal), and practically it means that we are stealing time. The bass line keeps in the strict tempo, while solo line is speeding up and slowing down. This is something that cannot be technically learned and it requires a good taste to feel when to speed up and when to slow down.

Next is the vibrato technique, which makes this piece even more emotional. Vibrato technique on classical guitar is different than on electric, on electric the string is moved up and down (vertically), while on classical is done from left to right (horizontally). To develop it press a finger to a string and move it fast left and right, applying a pressure only from knuckle joint, the thumb has to stay relaxed, you can even practice it with thumb detached from the neck.

Key signature: A Minor

Time signature: 6/8

Tempo: 50 bpm

Have fun!

Dejan