Analyzing the Guitar Technique of Pepe Romero

Links to the full videos:

GSI compilation

Suite Castellana

Malagueña

Scale video

Apoyando lesson 1

Apoyando lesson 2

Scale exercise video

Bach prelude close up

Jota Aragonesa

Malats

Alegrias

Vivaldi

Torroba

Torroba/Sabicas concerto

Aranjuez

Tremolo lesson 1

Pepe talks about music and the guitar

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[heidi]

Oh wonderful! I was hoping for an analysis video on Pepe. I love these, thank you so much for making them. 🤗

[matreynolds]

I love your technique analysis videos. Thank you for making them.

[anneli]

32:00 “relaxed” is the keyword talking about his finger positions 3+4! That’s exactly how my fingers “work” as well, always struggling with what teachers tried to force me into. My fingers won’t work that way resulting in a constant crampy soreing position and that way always pressing too hard when cramping this hurting my fingertips like hell - finally giving up playing like I’m just incapable of using my left hand properly 🤷‍♀️ This video made me aware of what to be changed to giving it another try finding my own way. Thanks so much for your analysis of Pepe’s technique ❣️I’m a big fan of his music and his family’s since decades btw ❤

[guitarmysoul]

You are welcome for the footage, I chased them around for 15 years to get that all that slow motion stuff was from my HD camera at his house

[mx]

Amazing video. Thanks for posting this.

[DavidDayMusic]

Just got done with your Segovia video! Perfect timing

[douglasgoodhartmusic]

I learned from Celin, who taught Pepe. Great video. Romero technique is the technique, for the guitar. The hand is not "tilted" toward the ring finger. It is the end result of gravity, on his hand. He is not holding, or tilting, but rather is relaxed, in a field of gravity...

[_conchobhar_]

lol i have a lesson with him tomorrow, wild that you posted this in time.

[TomBunn]

pleaaaase can you do baden powell !!
Thanks for these videos it's great

[anneli]

43:00 to me it looks like his 2. is a little more bend compared to 1. and 3. and that’s why they seem to be same length and yes that’s being ready and relaxed 😉

[ruggerobelloni]

I found that resting the guitar
on two points instead of the
thigh and the chest lets the
back and sides vibrate freely
and improves volume and tone
The traditional sound involves
the whole instrument and I do think heavy back and sides
(4mm, double the old standard)
to let the top do all the work
rob the guitar of the slightly
melancholic tone which is part
of its charm.
I'd like to add a few details I
learned from Fred Benedetti who studied with Pepe (btw.
bless you for not calling him
Peppy like many do in San
Diego). Left hand: PR told Fred
that his father started him by
asking to fret a note, then
release the pressure until it was muffled and renew it just
enough to get a clear tone and
repeat until he used only the least possible effort not to
waste any energy. Luthier Yuris
Zeltin who worked on all his
Guitars told me Pepe's frets lasted Forever. Right hand:Fred
showed me the I drag on slow
passages like 2nd to 3rd string
in Adelita for a sweeter, liquid tone and a move I never really
mastered, plucking a string in
a sweet spot and releasing it just a little to the right for a
velvety sound. These "tricks"
allowed me to fool other good
teachers at Grossmont into
thinking I was a real concert
player until a mistake gave me
away as an old lazy Blues guy.
I only met Pepe and Angel at
the Blue Guitar shop and we
said hello, if I were a shrewd
politician I'd make up a John Lovitz SNL story....yeah that's
the ticket!

[elbelnini]

- his fingers & wrist movements look very much like Sabicas.

[merred]

With all respect for this great master, who is one of my main sources of inspiration, he is not a doctor. His body position can be more ergonomical. For instance, don't lift your left leg so high, ideally not at all. Second: his back is bent, you need to sit more upright. Etc. ... . He is not to blame: at the time he was a boy and learned everything from his father, medical knowledge was not so widely known. He was just following the tradition of that time. But times have changed, and so is our view concerning the use of our body in a healthy way.

[selfTaughtGirl]

I've always wondered how he manages to get his tuner in amongst the rollers - I can't!

[Chanpanpapi]

Please do Manuel Parrilla nephew, it’s hard to find info on him, he’s a hidden gem! If not try Diego del Morao!!!

[johnalbright]

Pepe has the best thumb in the buisness.

[douglasgoodhartmusic]

One more thing. Your admiration of Pepe's technique and performance skills is normal; we are all in admiration. But it's important to understand that this technique is available to everyone. I play with this technique, as does any Romero deciple. This is the technique I have disseminated for 30 years. Guitar technique has degraded, over the past 20 years, with the false concepts of "straight wrist". Romero technique is The technique.

[anthonyvasquezmusicalis]

Sorry, I trained under Celin, there is not rule to not follow through beyond the next string, unless you mean the rest stroke. This is not a part of Romero method, period.

[romaric]

His right hand is perfect. But the entire body is so bad…. Ok it work for him but you couldn’t teach that way. It’s too risky for the back. That’s the price to have a good presentation of the right hand. You can do without this body position, especialy with a guitar support. In the same order scott tenant or ze paolo becker have the same tendancie to hold the guitar.

[AM-esup]

Would be better to stop talking for a while and let us listen to him???