Guitar technique manual

No, it is not a "compendium", i.e. a brief outline, the fundamental work on guitar technique by the renowned German guitarist and guitar teacher Hubert Käppel - even if it is described as such in the subtitle. The technique of the modern concert guitar describes the current playing techniques in detail and comprehensively and provides corresponding practice material. Käppel refers to the standard works by Pujol and Carlevaro, among others, but until now there has been nothing comparable in the (original) German language.

The first part begins with some thoughts on systematic practicing, then the posture and movement sequences of the left and right hand are discussed in detail, with clear positions on individual questions and yet undogmatically. Even though not every guitarist may agree with every detail, the detailed instructions are very informative. The extensive second part deals with technique exercises. At the beginning, all possible arpeggios are laid out on over 40 pages. Ties are also given a lot of space, while flamenco techniques are dealt with in passing. The final third part deals with fingerings and a few other topics such as playing by heart and stage fright. It is somewhat surprising that tuning the guitar is covered here and not in the basics at the beginning. The practice plans, which are based on technique training times of three-quarters to three hours, show that the book is aimed at students and professionals, but that it is hardly suitable as a textbook for music schools (as it is also suggested in the foreword).

Despite the systematic approach, Käppel's decades of practical experience as a guitarist and teacher shine through time and again. The "principle of the four hand frames", in which all movements of the left hand are traced back to four basic positions, is interesting. When it comes to the fingering of the right hand, Käppel is not afraid to propagate the use of the same finger several times in succession. Despite the striving for completeness, there are also individual aspects that are not taken into account. For example, the possibility of using the thumb for artificial harmonics is missing, and the handling of background noise when changing positions on low strings is also not addressed. 250-page A4 book will probably be used more as a reference work than as a course. We will only be able to judge in a few years whether it will develop into a standard guitar work of the 21st century.

Hubert Käppel, Die Technik der modernen Konzertgitarre, Detailed compendium on the basics and playing techniques of the guitar in the 21st century with a comprehensive, progressively structured practice section, € 26.95, Art. No. 610425, AMA-Verlag, Brühl 2011