M O N T E S S O R I

G U I T A R

an introduction to classical guitar

New Cape

SELF STUDY

DEREK

GRIPPER

 Derek Gripper 2012

www.derekgripper.com
Montessori Guitar
Cover photo by Gorm Helfjord
Photos by Christine Nachmann and Klaus Wildner

Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She was Italys first woman doctor and began working in education in the
early 1900s.
Montessori Guitar is based on Montessoris method, applied to the guitar for the first time. The method is simple: it is
the teachers task to remove obstacles, to present the material as simply as possible, and to allow space for the learners
own spontaneous discoveries. A lesson is called a presentation and it should be simple and clear and present one
thing at a time.
So, take it easy. Return to early presentations. Jump forward to later ones. See what happens. Be interested in what your
fingers can do.
Derek Gripper

presentation one: TREBLE STRING MELODIES

presentation two: TREBLE STRING CHORDS
presentation three: MELODIES WITH RHYTHMIC NOTATION
presentation four: MELODIES WITH BASS ACCOMPANIMENT
presentation five: CHORDS AND PATTERNS

presentation one
TREBLE STRING MELODIES
...an introduction to playing and reading simple melodies on the first three strings of the guitar.
Introducing the basic concepts of guitar tablature, the use of the left and right hands, and the names of
the treble strings.

The Treble Strings

Tablatures use a line to represent a string.

Tablature

This tablature represents the three treble strings

The Treble String Tablature

The e string is the top line because it makes the highest sound.

The Treble String Tablature

Gently pluck the strings with the right hand thumb.

Plucking the String

The position of the 0 shows which string should be played by the right hand thumb.
Read from left to right:

0
0
0

0
0
0

Open Strings

A cycle is a melody that is played over and over again

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

0
0

Open String Patterns

Frets

The Left Hand Fingers

Left Hand Numbers on the Tablature

on the e string

on the b string

0 2 3

2 3 0

3 0 2

0 2 3

0 2 3

2 3 0

3 0 2

0 2 3

0 2 3

2 3 0

3 0 2

0 2 3

on the g string

Left Hand Numbers on Dierent Strings

0
2

Melodies on the Treble String Tablature

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

0
2

2
end

0
2

0
3

start at the beginning again

Ode to Joy
Ludwig van Beethoven

0
3

0
1

0
3

0
3

0
1

Little Hans

0
2

2
2

Happy Birthday

0 0

0 0

0
1 1

0 0
1 1

2
0
1

Peas Pudding Hot

0
0

0 2

1 1

0 0 0
0

0 2

London Bridge

0
3

0
0

0
3

0
0

2
2

Dinosaurs: Part 1

0
2
1

0
2

0
0

Dinosaurs: Part 2

0
2
1

0
2

0
2

presentation two
TREBLE STRING CHORDS
...an introduction to playing and reading harmonic accompaniments on the first three strings of the
guitar. Introducing the names of the right hand fingers, three string chord diagrams and the use of right
hand patterns with simple chord progressions. The musical examples are accompaniments to the songs
from the first part.

The Right Hand Letters

The Right Hand Fingers on the Strings

Each of the treble strings is played by one of the right hand fingers:

Right Hand Letters on the Tablature

p
i

m
p

m
p

m
p

m
p

Right Hand Patterns

m m
i i

m m
i i

m m

i i
p p

m
p

m
p

i
p

i
p

Right Hand Patterns with Fingers Together

A chord is a three or more notes sounding together.

Sometimes the notes of a chord are played one after the other.
This is called a broken chord.
The accompaniments in this part of the book use broken chords.

A chord diagram shows the strings of the guitar vertically

g b e

Three String Chord Diagram: Strings

1st Fret
2nd Fret
3rd Fret

Three String Chord Diagram: Frets

The Left Hand Fingers

The numbers for the left hand second finger can be placed anywhere on the chord diagram

1
1
1

Placing the Left Hand Fingers on the Chord Diagram

Before playing the following right hand pattern...

...place 2 on the second fret of the g string as below:

Combining Right Hand Patterns with Chord Diagrams

A chord progression is a series of chords or broken chords played one after the other.

Play this right hand pattern twice

for each of the chord diagrams

1
3

Combining Right Hand Patterns with Left Hand Numbers

The first and the second fingers at the same time.

1 2

A Chord with Two Fingers

The first, second and third fingers at the same time.

2
3

A Chord chord with Three Fingers

Play the following pattern once for each of the chord diagrams below.

1
1 2

1 2

Playing a Chord Progression with a Right Hand Pattern

You are now ready to accompany melodies and songs.

Play the right hand pattern once for each of the chord diagrams.

Accompanying Ode to Joy

1
3

i
1

1
3

Accompanying Twinkle

1 2

1 2

1 2

3
twinkle

1
1 2

star

little

twinkle

how I

1 2

wonder

what you

are

1
1 2

1 2

3
up a-

-bove the

world so

high

1
1 2

1 2

3
like a

diamond

in the

sky

Accompanying Little Hans

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

1 2

m
i
1 2

1 2

1
1 2

Accompanying Happy Birthday - Part 1

Happy

birth-

day

to

you

3
Happy-

birth

day

to

you

happy

Accompanying Happy Birthday - Part 2

birth-

day

to

1 2
3

you

1 2

1 2

Happy

1
3

birth

day

to

you

Accompanying Peas Pudding Hot

3
peas pudding

3
hot

3
peas pudding

cold

3
peas pudding

3
in the pot

2
3

3
nine days

old

Accompanying London Bridge

1 2
London Bridge is

1 2
falling down

1 2
i

falling down

1 2
London Bridge is

falling down

1 2
falling down

1
1 2
My fair

lady

Accompanying Dinosaurs

1
2

1
2

1
2

3
dinosaurs lived

long ago

when the world was

new

they were very

big and strong

very scary

1
2

too

1
2

3
some of them liked

plants to eat

from the fertile

floor

2
some would rather

eat another

2
di-no-

saur

presentation three
MELODIES WITH RHYTHMIC NOTATION
...introduces the most common divisions of a crotchet or eighth rhythm, including examples of melodic
pieces using these divisions. The notations use three string tablatures with rhythmic notation and the
pieces are folk tunes or childrens songs from around the world.

There are two aspects to rhythm:

beat: when you tap your foot or clap along to music.
rhythm: what happens inside the beat; the little rhythmic patterns that make every song sound dierent.

Beats are always the same length.

Here are three boxes representing three beats.
You can keep the beat by saying Ta for each box in a regular rhythm.

Ta

Ta

Ta

Crotchet Rhythms

Go Tell Aunt
Rhody
Go
Tell
Au
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
The rhythms are placed inside the beats.

tr

Ta

22 3 2

2
2

0 0 0
0 0

3Ta fa2 te fi2

3

Each of these boxes represents one clap of the hand.

The clap always happens on Ta

0 20 02 30 2
Ta te 2
2

22

2 23

30

0 2
2 0 0 2 2
3

23 2

02

0 20 0
22

0
2

Crotchet Rhythms

Go Tell Aunt
Go
Rhody
TellGo
Aun
Te

Aunt Rhody

Say the following rhythms keeping the beat with a regular Ta.

Go
Tell
Aunt
traditional
0 0Rhody
0
0
Go
Tell
Aunt
Go
Te

Go Tell
Aunt
2
2 0 Rhody
0
2
2 0
3 2
2

2 2 2 0 2

2
2
3
23
32
2
3
2
22
Go
Tell
Aunt
Go
Rho
Tell
0 0 traditional
0
0
Go
Te

2 0
2
2
0
2
2 0
3 2
2
Aunt
2 Rhody

2
2
3
2
2
32
2
3
0

3
3

2
3

0 0 0
2

0 0
2

0
2
2
2

2 3 32
2
2

0
2 0 3 20
2

0
32 23

02

02

2
2
traditional
0 0
0 00 20 0

2 2 2 0 2
2
3
2

0 0 0
0 0
2
2
0
0
22 3

22

0
2

2
2

32 23

02 0 2 0
020 3 3 2

2 0

3 2
2
20 20
32
2
2
3
2
0
0 3
2
20 3 0
2
2
0
0
02
02
02 0 2 0
2 3
2
2 3 2
32 23
2
2 3 3 2
0

0
0

02
2

32

02
3
3
0 Saying2Rhythms
0 2 0

Go Tell Au
The rhythms are written above the tablature to show when each notes is played:

Placing Rhythms Above the Tablature

Go Tell Aunt Rho

Barlines are used to divide music into sections.

This makes it easier to read.

2
Barlines

l Aunt Rhody
2 2 0
2

0
2 2

0
3

03

20

2 2

02

00

traditional
2

0
22

Go tell Aunt Rhody

3
0

0
0

0
This final barline shows where the end of the piece is.

Final Barline

Repeat Sign

Everything in between the two repeat signs is played twice

Repeat Signs

traditional

Go TellGo
Aunt
Tell Rho
Aun

This note is held for the length of Ta Ta:

2
2

2
2

32

0 0
2
3

0
3 2

Rhythms Without Notes

Go Tell Aunt Rhody

traditional

Minuet in G
J.S.Bach

3
0

0
2

Little Hans
traditional

0
2

0
2

Fox, You've Stolen the Goose

Traditional

0
2

o on the Bare Branch

The following rhythm is similar to Tafatefi, butSwiss
one of theChildren's
sounds is silent

0
0

tr

Song

0 0 00
2

0 0
2

he Cuckoo
Ta(fa)te fi on the Bare Branch
Ta fa te fi
3

0
0

3
0

Once you are used to the sound you can call it Ta.tefi
1
1
3
0
0

Swiss Chi

3
0

2
1

0
1

Ta . te fi
Ta.tefi

The Cuckoo on the Bare Branch

Swiss Children's Song

3
0

3
0

0
3
The
Butterfly
2
0

tr

The following rhythm is similar to Tafatefi, but two of the middle sounds are silent

3
0

1
3
0

0
1

Ta(fa
te)fi
1
3

2
1

3
3

0
2
0

0
0 0 30
2

10 0 0 2
2

Ta fa te fi

Once you are used to the sound you can call it Ta..fi

0
3

2
1

3
0

2
0

0
0

Ta . . fi
The Dotted Rhythm

The Butterfly

traditional

0
2

0
2

View From Rattvik

Swedish Traditional

0
0

3
0

0
2

instead of playing with the right hand thumb, one can walk with the index and middle fingers.

Walking with i and m

you can use this walking pattern

i
i

m
to play the first line of Twinkle

0
2

Playing Twinkle with i and m

Return to all the melodies in the first and second parts of this book and play them with i and m.

presentation four
MELODIES WITH BASS ACCOMPANIMENT

...playing treble string melodies with bass accompaniment. The musical examples are taken from the first
and second parts of this book.

The Bass Strings

Up until now the right hand thumb and the right hand fingers have been playing
separately. In order to accompany a melody with a bass part, one must be able to
play the fingers and the thumb of the right hand at the same time.
Use the thumb (p) to play the following bass notes.

Playing Open Bass Strings

while playing the i and m parts on treble strings, the thumb plays the bass strings indicated below the tablature.

i
E

i
A

i
A

i
D

Playing Treble and Bass Together

While playing the melody with i and m, the bass strings are played by p.

0
2
A

2
A

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

0
2

0
A

end

2
A

0
2

2
A

0
E

0
3

0
E

0
3

0
E
start at the beginning again

Little Hans

0
2

0
0

2
A

0
2

2
2
A

London Bridge

0
3

0
0

0
3

2
A

0
0
E

2
A

Dinosaurs: Part 1

0
2

1
3

0
A

0
2

0
0
E

0
E

Dinosaurs: Part 2

0
2

1
3

0
A

1
A

0
2

0
2

Go Tell Aunt Rhody

traditional

The third fret on the E and the A strings gives us two more possibilities for bass accompaniments

When the third finger of the left hand is playing the bass G, the fourth finger must play the melody note.

left hand 4th finger

3
3
G

G
left hand 3rd finger

Minuet in G
J.S.Bach

0
0

3
0

0
2

The Cuckoo on the Bare Branch

Swiss Children's Song

3
0

3
0

C
0

The Butterfly

traditional

G
0

C
0

presentation five
CHORDS AND PATTERNS

...introduces the playing and reading of chord diagrams and right hand patterns, providing an
introduction to playing classical guitar pieces with constant right hand patterns and changing chords.

Chord diagrams are usually used in songbooks above the song lyrics. They remain the
clearest means of showing the position of the fingers on the fretboard.
Chord diagrams are used here to introduce music where the guitarist must place more
than one left hand finger onto the fretboard at one time.

A right hand pattern is one way to create rhythm in guitar music. These patterns use
a combination of the four fingers of the right hand to pluck the strings of the guitar.
The patterns in this book are written using a combination of the traditional
Spanish guitars right hand letters and the tablature often used to write guitar music.

This tablature represents all six strings of the guitar

Six String Tablature

Six String Tablature: Treble Strings

Six String Tablature: Bass Strings

p
i

i
m
a

The Right Hand

For the following musical examples p plays the bass strings

and i,m and a play the treble strings.

Position of the Right Hand Fingers

m
p

a
i

m
p

m
p

a
i

a
i

Right Hand Patterns

m
i

m
i

m
i

m
i

a
m
i

a
m
i

m
i

a
p

m
i

m
i

m
i

Right Hand Patterns with the Fingers Playing Together

treble strings

bass strings

Chord Diagrams

Chord Diagrams: String Names

1st fret

3rd fret
5th fret

Chord Diagrams: The Frets

Left Hand Fingers

The left hand fingers can be placed on any fret.

e
1st finger
1st fret

e
1st finger
2nd fret

1
e
first finger
4th fret

e
first finger
3rd fret

2
2
g
2nd finger
2nd fret

D
2nd finger
4th fret

2
e
2nd finger
2nd fret

e
2nd finger
5th fret

Chord Diagrams with the Left Hand Numbers

Before playing the right hand pattern above, place the left hand fingers as follows:

Combining a Right Hand Pattern and a Chord Diagram

p
Play the right hand pattern once for each of the following chords.
Repeat as a cycle.

Playing a Chord Progression with a Right Hand Pattern

Sometimes the position of the thumb will change from chord to chord.
We indicate this change by placing the p over the bass string on the chord diagram.

p
p

For this chord the right hand thumb

plays the E string

For this chord the right hand thumb

plays the A string

i
p

i
p

From Etude in e minor by Dionisio Aguado

From Etude in A minor by Dionisio Aguado

1
3

From Etude in A minor by Dionisio Aguado

x2

play the right hand pattern twice for this chord

x2
play this chord progression twice with one right hand pattern for each chord
Repeats

p
p

1
2

4
x2

1
x2

1
3

3
x2

x2

x2

From Study No. 19, Opus 60 by Fernando Sor

p
p

1
2

1
2

From Study No. 18, Opus 60 by Fernando Sor

p
p

1
2

1
4

From Study No. 18, Opus 60 by Fernando Sor

m
p

p
p

1
2

1 2

23

From Study No. 24, Opus 29 by Fernando Sor

Sometimes the position of the fingers i and m changes from one chord diagram to the next.
This is indicated on the chord diagram.

p
The Right Hand Pattern remains the same,
but the position of i and m changes.
i m

i m

Changing the Position of the Right Hand Fingers in a Chord Progression

p i m

3 4

p i m

i m

3 4

i m

p i m

1
3

p i m

3 4
p i m

p i m

12

From Etude in B minor by Fernando Sor

p i m

3 4

i m

i m

p i m

1
1

2
3

p i m

p i m

2
3 4

p i m

p i m

1
3 4

Part 2 from Etude in B minor by Fernando Sor

i
p

1 2

i
p

2
3

m
p

12

a
i

variation of Estudio No. I by Heitor Villa Lobos

i
p

1 2

i
p

m
p

2
3

a
i

12

a
i

m
p

i
p

variation of Estudio No. I by Heitor Villa Lobos

I II III IV V

one

two

three

four

five

Roman Numerals

1st Fret

II

2nd fret

III

3rd Fret

Positions

First Position

1st Finger
1st Fret

Second Position

II 1

1st Finger
2nd Fret

Third Position

III 1

1st Finger
3rd Fret

Playing Chord Diagrams in Dierent Positions

III

2 3

III

VI

II

IV

III

1
3
Variation of Estudio VI by Leo Brouwer

IV

1
4

II

IV

1
3

IV

III

2
4
From Estudio VI by Leo Brouwer

Heitor Villa-Lobos

Heitor Villa Lobos was born in Brazil in 1887. When he was eighteen years old he started to explore Brazilian
music by travelling widely throughout the country. These journeys inspired him so much that he gave up the
idea of a formal training in European music and started composing pieces by improvising on the guitar. From
here on his career as a composer started to take shape with many works being written for many dierent
instruments. In the 1920s he met the Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia who asked him to write a guitar study.
Villa Lobos wrote twelve which he called Douze tudes (12 studies) which took little bits of pieces by
Brazilian musicians and created challenging pieces for the classical guitar. He went on to write a number of
other works for the guitar inspired by the music of street musicians. Many years later he even composed a
piece for guitar and orchestra. Villa-Lobos died in 1959. He is considered to be one of the most important
figures in Brazilian music.

Fernando Sor

Fernando Sor was a Spanish guitarist and composer born in 1778. When Sor was young the guitar was not
considered a very serious instrument and certainly not an instrument for performances in concert halls. Sors
many compositions and performances throughout Europe gave him the reputation as the best guitarist in the
world as well as making people realise that concert msuic could also be played on the guitar. Because Sor was
well known and because the guitar was a popular instrument he wrote many works for beginners to play as
well as an important instruction manual, The Method for the Spanish Guitar. There were very few guitarists who
were able to play his more dicult works so he was forced to compose many simple pieces that other people
could play.

Dionisio Aguado

Aguado was born in Spain in 1784 and learnt to play the guitar there. Late in his life Aguado met Sor and the
two became friends and even played duets together. Aguado wrote a method on the guitar called Escuela de
Guitarra. In this book he describes how to play the guitar using the nails of the right hand which diered from
players like Sor who used only the flesh. He also described his invention of a special stand for playing the
guitar which is pictured above.

Leo Brouwer

Leo Brouwer is a Cuban guitarist, composer and conductor. He was born in 1939 in Havana, Cuba. He has
written many very original works for guitar influenced by classical music, Afro-Cuban music, jazz and
modern composition. He has written many pieces for solo guitar including a big collection of short studies
which he wrote during the 1960s. These pieces explore many new techniques and styles of guitar playing.
Brouwer also wrote larger concert pieces for guitar as well as a number of concertos for guitar and orchestra.

The presentations, musical examples, and pieces in this book represent the lessons given with the Montessori Guitar
materials by Derek Gripper.
The book can be used to teach oneself, or as a guide for the teachers use of the Montessori Guitar materials.
For complete scores of the notations in this book, or for more information on Montessori Guitar and to download
recordings and scores by Derek Gripper visit www.derekgripper.com