THE LEFT HAND THUMB REVOLUTION

By YEHUDA SCHRYER
 Through the course of history, musical Standard technique, here, offers
instruments and playing techniques nothing but musical compromise.
have constantly evolved, reflecting the High positions Within the bounds of
ever changing aesthetic values and traditional technique, some discomfort
technological developments of each age. is commonly to be expected above the
The pistons of the trumpet and the keys XIIth position: the LH thumb, in its
of the flute, for instance, are a relatively traditional position, is precariously left
recent development, and even the with a narrow strip to clench on to
venerated Stradivarius instruments, while the fingerboard and the sides of
were modified several times through the the instrument tend to get in the hand’s
centuries. way.
Before the Baroque era, keyboard On the other hand, when used on the
players used their thumbs sporadically, fingerboard, the LH thumb stabilizes
and never in scale passages (strange, the hand, while the rest of the fingers
but true), and it was Bach himself who enjoy an unobstructed angle of
introduced this for the first time. And presentation; and besides, one enjoys
before Casals no one ever thought it the benefits of an extra finger (see
could be possible to use the LH thumb example N. 1).
like the rest of the fingers on a High Positions shifts Once mastered,
Violoncello. the LH thumb revolution can make
While traditional guitar technique only position shifts smoother: the quality of
allows the use of four LH fingers, some the legato achieved in this fashion is
players nowadays have already begun to better than the one accomplished with
revolute the LH thumb over the traditional position shifts (see examples
fingerboard, but only on isolated N. 1 & 7).
occasions. Its extensive use has been High Positions “non-shifts” Since the LH
excluded so far from standard Th. can easily move sideways (or
technique, probably, since it appears inversely, it can remain in the same
awkward and unmanageable at first. place, while the fingers move away), it is
Paradoxically, the greater the player’s often convenient to leave it as an
experience, the greater his doubts about anchor on a fixed position, while the
this technique, for he has already other fingers play everything else. The
achieved a facility with his other fingers same passage would otherwise require
which his untrained thumb will find frequent position changes (see examples
hard to match. N. 1, 8 & 9).
On the other hand, a beginner will find Let’s check this with an example: Etude
the LH thumb technique far easier than N. 2 by H. Villa-Lobos mm. 10 – 12
a common full bar... (from now on the LH Thumb shall be
Once mastered, it will gratify the player referred as T):
with an extended palette of
instrumental applications:
Stretches The most obvious advantage
of this technique is that it facilitates Example N. 1
wide stretches. Furthermore, new
possibilities arise: for example, in J S. Note the smooth position shift achieved
Bach’s Sarabande from Lute suite by the “T slide” in combination with two
No. 3, bar 22 can be now played or three descending notes produced on
30 according to the Lute original: F# on the adjacent strings.
6th string with the LH thumb and C on
the 1st string with the 4th finger. The “campanella” effect
 Example N. 2
The short motive of the previous In some cases the LH th. technique
example (three subsequent notes on enables editions ( provided he has the
three different strings), is multiplied chance to see the original manuscript).
here, within the frame of a descending This unedited the player to disregard
sequence. some of the revisions that appear in the
Something like the “campanella” effect printed passage was previously it is now
of the Fantasia “que contrahaze la playable: (mm. 9 –12 in the 4 th
harpa en la manera de Ludovico” by Movement regarded as too difficult or
Mudarra, can now be achieved without impossible, but of A. Piazzolla’s
the aid of the open strings. A “Histoire du Tango”).
harpsichord’s ornamented scale
passage can now be effectively The LH thumb as a full bar.
simulated, as in the following example: This may be needed only on rare
mm. 37-39 in the 1st Guitar in the occasions, where nothing else seems to
Italian Concerto by J. S. Bach, 1st work. Difficult as it may seem at first, it
movement, (arr. by R. Seroussi & Y. can provide, like in the previous
Schryer): example, a solution to an impossible
situation. For example the almost
inhuman stretch at the beginning of the
theme of the Mazurka Appassionata by
A. Barrios (mm. 9-12), that only few
lucky players are able to manage:
Example N. 4
Example N. 3
New Chord Patterns
New chord patterns can be formed:
future compositions and arrangements
will benefit from a wider spectrum of
instrumental options.
New trills
A cross-string trill (on two adjacent
strings, with a slurred ending), that
could only be accomplished when an
open string is involved, can now be
executed in its entirety without the help
of the open strings, almost anywhere on
the fingerboard:
Example N. 6
LEARNING THE TECHNIQUE
Since the thumb’s anatomy is
considerably different to that of the rest
of the fingers, a few points should be
considered at first:
Placing the LH thumb on the string

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 The LH th. should be used more or less at first, and yet this is precisely the
like a half bar: it should meet the string freedom the fingers need, in order to
at its middle joint (or a little below it), incline on their side, encouraging the
on its outer side. LH th. to assume its new role. Note that
Finger alignment Some changes will the fingers should not change their
take place in the usual finger position, normal angle of playing until the LH th.
for the sake of the “newcomer”. will have crossed the back of the neck
The fingers 1, 2, 3, 4 should not be in its entirety, for otherwise the LH th.
expected to meet the string in the usual is likely to get stuck behind it.
way: they should be allowed to incline 6) One note before its turn to play, the
sideways, presenting the right edge of LH th. should be already above its
the fingertip to the string. target, at first lightly brushing the
Compare the same chromatic passage, string, gradually increasing pressure,
played with the aid of the LH th. and achieving full hold at the precise
later without it: moment the tone is produced, in perfect
1st time: with the LH Th.: [XIIth timing with the RH. This will require
position, 1st string] Th, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, Th good coordination, since at the same
2nd time: without the LH Th.: [ “ “ “ “ ] 1, time the LH th. will be barely touching
2, 3, 4, 3 ,2, 1 the string, one of the other fingers will
The LH th. shift from behind the neck to be holding down a sounding note.
the fingerboard
This is the most critical aspect of the
technique, and, indeed, the most BASIC EXERCISES
difficult to master
The step-by-step analysis that follows is Alternate T with the 1st finger
meant to induce elegance of movement,
even within a fast passage. Needless to Ex. N. 8
say, a quick or sudden shift is to be
avoided 1) Unlike in common position Then alternate T with the 2 nd finger,
shifts, it is better not to have an open then with the 3rd, and finally with the
string right before the LH th. shift. 4th. Change a little the notes of the
Instead, use the 3rd or the 4th finger as a exercise, adapting them to the different
pivot, pretty much as in a piano scale. fingerings.
2) Whenever possible, the shift should 2. T on the XVth pos. on the 1st string:
be prepared ahead of time, a few notes T,1,T,2,T3,T4,T,3,T,2,T,1,T,0 ’ –
before the LH th. will actually reach the Continue one position below, and so on
fingerboard. down to the 1st position, and up again,
3) At first, one should lean slightly step by step to the XV th pos. Repeat on
forward, encouraging the LH th. to the 2nd string, the 3rd and all the other
release its grip with ease. strings.
4) Once free, the LH th. will begin to
advance across the back of the neck, 3. “T” on the XII pos. on the 1 st string:
moving smoothly and steadily, careful the formula is T,1,2,1,T,0; the fingers
not to reach its destination ahead of 1,2,1 move away from T, widening the
time. gap between them and T.
5) During this transitional stage, the
fingers will have to keep playing without Ex. N. 9
the support of the LH th., that will now Continue one position below, and so on
be detached from the back of the neck. down to the 1st position, and up again,
This lack of support is likely to feel odd

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 step by step to the XV pos. Repeat on Yehuda Schryer was born in Argentina
the 2nd string, the 3rd and all the others. and grew up in Italy. He studied at the
Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music with
Repeat the same exercise with a Joseph Urshalmi, and later with Charles
different fingering, changing a31little the Ramirez in London. While he was a
note formula: student, he boldly introduced himself to
3a) T,1,3,1,T,0 the late Andres Segovia, asking him if he
3b) T,1,4,1,T,0 would agree to hear him play.
3c) T,2,3,2,T,0 Unexpectedly, Segovia agreed, and after
3d) T,2,4,2,T,0 he had heard him, he invited him to
3e) T,3,4,3,T,0 attend a series of individual lessons.
Encouraged by the Maestro’s approval, a
4. Perform a similar exercise with few weeks later Yehuda Schryer was
formulas of five fingers: unanimously awarded the first prize in
4a) T,1,2,3,4,3,2,1,T,0 the François Shapira interdisciplinary
4b) T,4,3,2,1,2,3,4,T,0 music competition, and a few months
4c) T,2,1,4,3,1,4,2,T,0 later he was performing the Guitar
4d) etc. Concerto by Villa-Lobos with the Israel
Philarmonic orchestra, and was
32 5. Moving the thumb out and back: subsequently invited by the Beer Sheba
At the beginning the thumb should be Sinfonietta to play Rodrigo's Concierto de
in its normal position, behind the neck. Aranjuez for a series of concerts.
As the fingers begin to move along the
strings, it should gradually come out. In addition to several recordings for the
After playing on the 1st string, it should radio and television, Yehuda Schryer
return behind the neck in the similar regularly performs in recitals and
way. chamber music concerts in Israel and
abroad, including musical centers such
Ex. N. 8 as Salzburg, Berlin, Münich, Bruxelles,
Continue one position lower, and so on, Milan, Zürich etc; he was also invited to
down to the 1st position, and climb back give masterclasses in France, Germany
to the VII. and England.
He is the founder and Head of the
Repeat the same exercise with different Classical Guitar Department at the Israel
finger combinations, adapting and Rubin Academy of Music at the Tel-Aviv
changing the note formula: University. His recently released CD
5a) 1,3,1,3 ...... T 1,3,13 etc. dedicated to the guitar works of Villa-
5b) 2,42,4 ....... T 2,4,2,4 etc. Lobos has been highly praised.
Add another finger to the formula:
5c) 1,2,3, - 1,2,3, - ....... T - 1,2,3, -
1,2,3, etc.
5d) 1,3,4........... T ......... etc.
Use all LH fingers
5e) 1,2,3,4 -1,2,3,4 - ...... T - 1,2,3,4 etc

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