Rasgueado

Technique

Rasgueado Technique
These days it isnt just for flamenco
By Neil Smith
Although traditionally associated with
flamenco music, rasgueado technique has
been a feature of classical playing for many
years now and is often employed in mod-
ern compositions. It seems useful to re-
view these techniques here and see how
they are applied, because I have frequently
found that a traditional classical training
sometimes avoids this feature, and con-
sequently many classical players do not
practice this action and have no exercises
to back the theory and demonstration of
rasgueado.
In the most basic forms of rasgueado,
we will only consider using strokes in a
downward direction, i.e. towards the floor
and with the back of the nails; later, the
Rasgueado Technique
thumb and fingers will become involved
playing in both directions. Consequently,
you should observe the hand working away
from the guitar. Close the fingers into the
palm (not so much as to make a fist) and
open the fingers. Most people find that it is
natural to open the fingers from the small-
est along to the index and often the lettering
given in the fingering is confusing: xami (x
for the little finger) 5ami (5 for the little fin-
ger), pami (p for pequeo in this case), etc.
I will use x for convenience here. (The oth-
ers are p for thumb, i for index finger, m for
middle finger, and a for ring finger.) And the
most basic strokes would include i alone,
the mi, then ami, and finally xami producing
single, double, triple, and quadruple stroke.
To make sure you can hear each sound
clearly, try this exercise: Rest your thumb
on the second string and play only on
the first string; this will silence the other
strings. Later, rest on the third and the
fourth, and so on, to build up clarity on all
six strings. Do not leave a string grouping
until you can activate all strings in the cor-
rect way. Be extra careful to make the three
and four stroke very clear, (before going on
to include any backstroke playing) slowly
for many minutes. As the rasgueado covers
more and more strings, I often find that the
whole hand moves in a downward direc-
tion and that the arm rotates too. This is
perhaps natural to cover the wider string
span; the curve of the finger arc would
normally carry the nail tips away from the
treble strings, and this flexing action allows
the hand to reach the trebles and to com-
pensate.
The strokes described so far all work in
basic situations where a chord is marked
Rasg. It is important to notice whether
a chord so marked is an on-beat or an-
ticipatory rasgueado. Often the actual roll
will begin before the beat (ami, with i tak-
ing the accent, or a triplet xam with i again
taking the accent). A modification of this
occurs when the thumb follows through
downwards (ami, then p taking the accent).
Since here the thumb is not playing with
the back of the nail, it now opens up the
discussion to include playing in either di-
rection. The thumb, having moved through
downwards, can also make a quick reverse
action here (amip down, p up) and this is a
good introduction to continuous rasguea-
do playing. Be patient now; some of this
will take weeks, even months to perfect,
and you should not be surprised if at the
outset you frequently stumble as you try
to incorporate this action into your natural
technique.
Although a number of players find no
problem playing in either direction, if you
are starting from scratch you might find it
difficult to strike across several strings us-
ing what is really a multiple-apoyando (rest
stroke) action. As before, begin on a single
string, then two, and so on, using down or
up strokes. Dont hook the fingers on the
inward strokes; this will cause a stalling
effect, so collapse the distal joint until it
leaves the string area. Remember, too, that
if the curve is too great, each finger will
have a more limited stroke area and might
only catch one or two strings on the return.
(This is not all badoften only a light,
brushing stroke is needed on the upward.)
HERNN PIERA PHOTO
Rapid reverse strokes are used for continu-
ous roll-playing, and I find the index finger
most useful here. I have often seen classi-
cal players using the index only back and
forth for this type of work, but really, alone,
this finger cannot cope with rhythmic flex-
ibility. Using fingers in both directions has
a similar effect to a plectrum, where the
down/up combination is used to develop
flexibility.
First you should try mi (down) i
(up). This produces a good triplet feel
with the accent on m. Another alter-
native is shown in the John Williams
version of Crdoba by Isaac Alb-
niz, beginning with the index (i down,
mi up). You should try to hear which direc-
tion gives you the most secure attack.
There are four points to think about
here: First, if the chord has a melodic idea
in the upper parts, it might be best to be-
gin with upstrokes, so the trebles are heard
first and are prominent; the reverse applies
if the bass has a melodic idea. Second,
the thumb can often anchor on a string
or a group of strings to support and block
sounds, even though that string might actu-
ally be struck in the roll. Examples include
Rfaga, by Joaqun Turina, where the
bass E can be used for this dual purpose,
and also in Garotn by Turina, where it
can stabilize. Third, notice that it is usu-
ally easier to force louder sounds from the
downward strokes, acting with gravity, and
this action is a deciding factor when you
have a choice in multiple rolls. Four, some
fingers are stronger; therefore use these for
accentuation. More complex and continu-
ous rolls can use either all fingers or can
include the thumb in some way. Try ami
(down), i up for a triplet anticipation or
four-stroke roll. Notice that the return of
the index is so rapid in order to maintain
the rhythm, and the other fingers return
into the palm at this time to anticipate the
continuing roll. Using the little finger can
add on one more sound (xami down, i up)
or the thumb can follow through as it did
earlier.
Extended techniques include begin-
ning with the thumb upwards and fingers
down (p up, xami down)this produces a
very acceptable continuous roll if you find
it is too difficult to make the fingers alone
do the work. And you can add on this yet
another thumb stroke, as the thumb goes
down to prepare the upstroke; this produc-
es a six beat roll: p up, xami down, p down.
Still using the thumb upwards, I often find it
good to use just the finger with the thumb
Rasgueado Technique
There is a general spin-off
effect when you play
rasgueado regularlyyour
right hand becomes more secure,
stronger in every way.
A few minutes of continuous
roll-playing can warm up your
hand and make it ready for action
like few other normal exercises.
in a triplet roll (p up, mp down); this again three units of three fingers. Three down,
returns the thumb to the start position. For three up, three down certainly make nine
a much louder attack I use im or am bond- in all; however the frequency of the chord
ed as one finger in oppostion to the thumb. changes plus the accentuation must be tak-
It is most important here to realize the ver- en into account, since the final result of 3
satility of the thumbit can even do most x 3 can seem a little labored. The thumb is
of the work, as in this example: p down, p usually the strongest overall and I find this
up, m down. And of course any finger (or can (in either direction) be the most valu-
group) can replace m in this unit. able controller in such situations.
To work out what type of fingering you To sum up briefly, if you are interested
need for a given situation, you have to play in the art of rasgueado playing, you should
the mathematics game a little. Looking at a study the flamenco methods generally
triplet, you may feel inclined to use three available and, in the classical sense, the
fingers, or two fingers and thumb, yet many works of Nikita Koshkin, tepn Rak, and
professionals would use two fingers only, the arrangements of Kazuhito Yamashita.
or a finger and thumb. If reverse directions There is also a general spin-off effect when
are used, this works out very well. Just re- you play rasgueado regularlyyour right
member to get the order correct and have hand becomes more secure, stronger in
your rolling action set so that when the roll every way. Certainly a few minutes of
begins again the correct digit is in place continuous roll-playing can warm up your
above or below the strings. A four-note roll hand and make it ready for action like few
might seem obvious with four fingers, yet other exercises. In normal work, we only
three will work, or two fingers and a thumb play towards the palm of the hand, and
(mip down, p up). Tremolando effects often the outward action is ignored, perhaps at
work best this way since they fall mostly our detriment. If you have soft nails, try to
in to three- and four-note groups. In John begin playing over the fingerboard around
W. Duartes Catalan Variations, I play fret 17 to avoid wear on the nails, and dont
the closing section as follows: ai down, i play too loud at first. Even though we use
up. I feel this gives a better spacing of the rasgueado sparingly in classical work, I feel
rhythm. (Other players use a variety of that a player cannot ignore the technique
ideas here, each best suited to the player.) these days. An increasing number of pieces
For the most advanced effects, the demand it, and Im certain that over time
math and the digital possibilities must it will become quite common on all levels.
combine in a way to produce the exact ef-
fect required. If a situation demands, say,
nine continuous strokes, although 3 x 3 = 9, (This article originally appeared in the
it might not be wise to automatically go for September 1989 issue of Classical Guitar)