Fingerstyle Studies

When to read this: after Session 14 (optional), “Giuliani’s Andantino, Whole”, “Studies in Reserve” (10 minutes). None of this reading is part of a session’s 50 minutes.

How to Use This Handout

This handout prints the whole of the one fingerstyle study of this course, Giuliani’s “Andantino”, Op. 50 no. 1, in one place. Its four blocks are copies of the blocks of Sessions 11 and 14. After it, the handout names the studies the course holds in reserve for after the course.

Nothing here is new to practise, nothing is added to the study, and no row of a practice plan points here.

• Complete piece — A piece printed whole, which you play from your own count-in to its written ending. An exercise, or a part of a song, is not a complete piece. (Session 1)

Giuliani’s Andantino, Whole

Giuliani: “Andantino”, Op. 50 no. 1

Credits: Composed by Mauro Giuliani (1781 to 1829): the first piece of Le Papillon, Op. 50, marked Andantino. The music is in the public domain. The notes follow the Mutopia Project’s typeset no. 1329 by Stephen Rhen (licence: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0), except in three places, where they were changed to agree with a Paris print published by Henry Lemoine & Cie (plate numbers V. D. et D. 523 and 13758 H.): the lower note on beat 3 of measure 5, the lower note on beat 3 of measure 14, and the last eighth note of measure 30. The TAB and the fingering were made for this course.

What this is: A complete piece: 32 measures in 3/4, in C major, all within the first three frets. In measures 1 to 16 two parts move together, so almost every note is two strings plucked at once. Each plucking finger keeps its own string (the thumb on strings 6, 5 and 4, i on string 3, m on string 2, a on string 1), so most of these pairs are two fingers plucking together: i with m on strings 3 and 2, or m with a on strings 2 and 1. Six pairs are a pinch: the thumb on string 4 with m on string 2. Measures 17 to 32 are the same tune, with its three phrase endings filled in, over an accompaniment in eighth notes. There the thumb plays the bass notes on strings 6, 5 and 4, i repeats the notes on string 3, and m and a play the tune on strings 2 and 1, usually as a pinch with a bass note from the thumb. In the three filled-in endings the tune runs across the other strings too, each note still plucked by its own string’s finger. Not yet play-tested.

Key: C major

Time: 3/4

Techniques: two strings plucked together; pinch

The tempo of measures 1 to 16 is in Session 11, and the tempo of measures 17 to 32 in Session 14, each under the same heading.

The plucking fingertips may be tender this week: the pain rule covers this hand too. If they sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

Copy of Session 11: Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 1 to 8

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 1 to 8
e|------------------|---------------|---0---1---0---|---------------|
B|------1-------1---|---3-------3---|---1---3---1---|---3-----------|
G|------------------|---0-------0---|---------------|---0-----------|
D|------2-------2---|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1   2   3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: pm      pm      im      im      ma  ma  ma      im

e|------1-------3---|---0-----------|---------------|---------------|
B|--------------0---|---1-------1---|---3-------0---|---1-----------|
G|------2-----------|-----------2---|-----------0---|---------------|
D|------------------|---------------|---3-----------|---2-----------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: ia      ma      ma      im      pm      im      pm

A count in round brackets, such as (2), is a count on which you play nothing new: keep counting and let the note or chord ring on.

Where no & is written after a number, the note on that number lasts until the next number.

A count in square brackets, such as [4], is a rest: stop the strings on that count and keep counting. The silence lasts through every count in square brackets after it.

In the Finger row, the letters are the fingers of the picking hand: p (thumb), i (index), m (middle), a (ring).

Letters written together in the Finger row, such as im or pm, are plucked at the same moment. The letters keep the order p i m a.

Copy of Session 11: Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 9 to 16

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 9 to 16
e|--------------0---|---------------|-------1---0---|---------------|
B|------3-------1---|---3-----------|---3-------1---|---3-----------|
G|------0-----------|---0-----------|---0-----------|---0-----------|
D|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]      1   2   3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: im      ma      im              im  a   ma      im

e|------0-----------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
B|------1-------3---|---1-------3---|---1-------0---|---1-----------|
G|--------------1---|---2-----------|---0-------0---|---------------|
D|------------------|-----------3---|---------------|---2-----------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: ma      im      im      pm      im      im      pm

Copy of Session 14: Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 17 to 24

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 17 to 24
e|------------------------------|---------------------------|
B|------1---------------1-------|---3---------------3-------|
G|----------0---0---0-------0---|-------0---0---0-------0---|
D|------2---------------2-------|---------------------------|
A|------------------------------|---2---------------2-------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pm  i   i   i   pm  i       pm  i   i   i   pm  i

e|------0-------1-------0-------|---------------------------|
B|------------------------------|---3-----------------------|
G|----------0-------0-------0---|-------0---0---0---0---0---|
D|--------------0---------------|---------------------------|
A|------3---------------3-------|---2-----------------------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pa  i   pa  i   pa  i       pm  i   i   i   i   i

e|------1---------------3-------|---0-----------------------|
B|------------------------------|-------------------1-------|
G|----------0---0---0-------0---|-------0---0---0-------0---|
D|------0-----------------------|-------------------2-------|
A|----------------------2-------|---3-----------------------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pa  i   i   i   pa  i       pa  i   i   i   pm  i

e|------------------------------|---------------------------|
B|------3---------------0-------|-------1-------------------|
G|----------2---2---2-------0---|-----------0---------------|
D|------3---------------0-------|---------------2-----------|
A|------------------------------|---3---------------3-------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3
Finger: pm  i   i   i   pm  i       p   m   i   p   p

Copy of Session 14: Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 25 to 32

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 25 to 32
e|----------------------0-------|---------------------------|
B|------3-----------------------|---3-----------------------|
G|----------0---0---0-------0---|-------0---0---0---0---0---|
D|------------------------------|---------------------------|
A|------2---------------3-------|---2-----------------------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pm  i   i   i   pa  i       pm  i   i   i   i   i

e|--------------1-------0-------|---------------------------|
B|------3-----------------------|---3-----------0---1---3---|
G|----------0-------0-------0---|-------0---2---------------|
D|--------------0---------------|---------------------------|
A|------2---------------3-------|---2-----------------------|
E|------------------------------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pm  i   pa  i   pa  i       pm  i   i   m   m   m

e|------0-----------------------|---------------------------|
B|----------------------3-------|---1---------------3-------|
G|----------0---0---0-------1---|-------2---2---2-------2---|
D|------------------------------|---------------------------|
A|------3---------------2-------|---0-----------------------|
E|------------------------------|-------------------1-------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3   &
Finger: pa  i   i   i   pm  i       pm  i   i   i   pm  i

e|------------------------------|---------------------------|
B|------1---------------0-------|---------------1-----------|
G|------------------------------|-----------0---------------|
D|----------2---2---2-------0---|-------2-------------------|
A|------------------------------|---3---------------3-------|
E|------3---------------3-------|---------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &       1   &   2   &   3
Finger: pm  p   p   p   pm  p       p   p   i   m   p

The TAB cannot show where one part rests while the other plays. The tune rests on beat 3 of measures 20 and 26 while the accompaniment goes on. The tune begins measures 24 and 32 with an eighth rest over the bass note. The lower part rests on beats 2 and 3 of measure 28, under the tune’s run.

Nor can the TAB show how long the tune’s notes last: in measures 17 to 32 the tune’s half notes last through three or four notes of the accompaniment.

For the fretting hand, fret 1 is finger 1, fret 2 finger 2 and fret 3 finger 3. There are three places where two strings are held at fret 3 together: beat 1 of measure 7, beat 3 of measure 14 and beat 1 of measure 23, each time F on string 4 with D on string 2. There finger 3 takes string 4 and finger 4 takes string 2. This is not a new reach: finger 4 is placed at fret 3 beside finger 3, with no stretch.

The form is measures 1 to 16, then measures 17 to 32, once through, with no repeat. The last C, on beat 3 of measure 32, is left to ring.

Where the Notes Come From

• The composer: Mauro Giuliani (1781 to 1829).
• The piece: the first piece of Le Papillon, Op. 50, marked Andantino.
• The music is in the public domain.
• The notes follow the Mutopia Project’s typeset no. 1329, by Stephen Rhen (licence: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0).
• In three places the notes follow a Paris print published by Henry Lemoine & Cie instead: the lower note on beat 3 of measure 5, the lower note on beat 3 of measure 14, and the last eighth note of measure 30.

The TAB and both fingerings, of the fretting hand and of the picking hand, were made for this course. Each finger of the picking hand keeps its home string: the thumb (p) on strings 6, 5 and 4, i on string 3, m on string 2 and a on string 1. Neither source prints a fingering for the picking hand.

Both sources give the tempo word Andantino and no metronome mark, so every tempo figure the sessions give for the piece is the course’s own.

The composer, the piece and its sources also stand in Credits And Sources, under “The Study by Giuliani”.

Studies in Reserve

A study in reserve is one that the course considered and left out. It is named here for after the course. None of the four below is printed in this course, in notes, TAB or part, and no session assigns one. The course has not yet read any of them against a first edition, so this section gives no opinion of their difficulty.

Composer	Study	Why it is in reserve
Carulli	”Andantino in G”, Op. 241	For want of room
Sor	”Leçon no. 1 in C”, Op. 60 no. 1	As a staff-reading piece, once strings 4 to 6, rests and a sharp have been read
Sor	”Petite pièce in C”, Op. 44 no. 2	A second two-part study: in 2/4, it reaches fret 4 on string 4 and starts on string 5 fret 3
Aguado	”Study in A minor”	Not placed until its simultaneous notes have been counted

By Session 14 this course has taught you the two forms of two strings plucked together and the pinch over an eighth-note accompaniment, and Whats Next names the studies to take up after the course.