120 Open-String Exercises for the Right Hand, Based on Mauro Giuliani's Opus 1a

Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) was a highly influential Italian guitarist and a prolific composer. His exceptional technical and musical accomplishments allowed him to perform with some of the most important musical figures of his time, and he is credited with helping the guitar to gain acceptance as a serious instrument throughout 19th-century Europe. To this day, his 120 Right-Hand Studies are considered an essential step in the development of proper right-hand guitar technique. Over the span of 120 exercises, guitarists will encounter most of the arpeggiations found in current classical guitar repertoire. Early introduction of these studies into a daily practice regimen can help students prepare for any technical challenges they may face.

Giuliani's original 1812 edition of these studies harmonize the exercises with C and G7 chords in the left hand, giving the guitarist a musical sense of what the pieces might sound like if they were performed. However, prolonged repetition of these chords can place unnecessary stress on the thumb of the left hand and can lead to serious damage.

For A 21st Century Approach, all 120 of the exercises have been transcribed to open strings, allowing the guitarist to benefit from their diversity without subjecting the left hand to strain and discomfort. The goal of this book is to develop technical ability in the right hand without causing damage to the left. Many teachers already adhere to this open-string approach, but no earlier printed edition has taken the logical step to transcribe them. If more advanced students find they are missing musicality by playing open strings in standard tuning, they might consider tuning down to an open D-G-D-G-B-D tuning while working through these exercises (strings 1 and 6 are tuned down to D, string 5 is tuned down to G. Strings 2, 3 and 4 remain in standard tuning).

Revised and fingered by Stephen F. Jones. Engraved by Robert W. Oriol. ISBN: 978-0578112350. Paperback, 24 pages,Spiral bound. Size: 12" by 9".