Classical guitar tremolo: p-a-m-i
The classical tremolo: the thumb plays a bass note and the ring, middle and index fingers repeat one melody note three times, so the melody sounds like one long sustained line. Here it runs through E minor, A minor and B7 with the melody on the top two strings, the right-hand pattern of the most famous pieces for the instrument.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with the metronome on, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 80 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 80 bpm
- Starts at
- 48 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Advanced
- Plays with
- A metronome
How to play it
a-m-i like a quick, even roll on one string, the thumb in time on the beat: three equal notes, not a flam.
Each beat is four 16ths: the thumb plays a bass note, then the ring, middle and index fingers play one melody note three times, a, m, i. Bar 1 is E minor, the bass on the low E, D and G strings, the melody on the open high E. Bar 2 is A minor, the melody moving to C on the B string halfway. Bar 3 is B7, with the open B string, then F sharp at the 2nd fret of the top string. Bar 4 is E minor again, from G at the 3rd fret back to the open E.
Practise slowly enough that the three repeated notes are exactly even. The aim is a continuous line of melody: not three separate notes, and not a quick flam after the thumb.
The thumb's bass has a line of its own: it moves through the chord's notes while the fingers repeat theirs. Let the bass notes ring.
Mistakes to watch for
- The a finger's note louder or earlier than m and i, so the three notes come as a group rather than an even stream.
- Rushing the three melody notes and leaving a gap before the next bass note.
- Moving the whole hand with every note. The fingers move from the knuckles; the hand stays still.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 48
- 52
- 56
- 60
- 64
- 68
- 72
- 76
- 80
That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 80 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Tremolo: p-a-m-i?
The goal is 80 bpm in 16th notes, which is 5.3 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 48 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
How fast should a tremolo be?
In performance, fast enough that the melody sounds sustained, often 100 to 140 beats a minute in 16ths. But speed comes last: an even tremolo at a slow tempo is worth more than an uneven fast one.
Which pieces use the tremolo?
The most famous is Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra; Barrios and many other composers wrote tremolo pieces too. They all use this p-a-m-i pattern.
More classical exercises
All 12 classical exercises · Fretboard notes trainer · All 107 exercises