John Williams answers the question: "...is the guitar an intrinsically harder instrument to play than the major classical instruments, the piano and violin"

John Williams answers the question: "...is the guitar an intrinsically harder instrument to play than the major classical instruments, the piano and violin"

Australian Guitar Journal 1990 - John Williams cover

Australian Guitar Journal 1990 - John Williams cover

From the "Australian Guitar Journal" interview by Austin Prichard-Levy
(early 1990's).

AP-L: That leads almost directly to my next question - in your opinion, is the guitar an intrinsically harder instrument to play than the major classical instruments, the piano and violin, given that there is a relative shortage of established virtuosos?

JW: The answer is no, on two counts. No instrument is more difficult than another, because we have to establish by what standards we are making the judgment.

Even if we take all three instruments playing the same piece, say the Bach G Minor fiddle fugue, it won't help because if we compare it to the Liszt B Minor Piano Sonata, is it more or less difficult? Obviously, on the guitar the Liszt is going to be impossible, so we have to look at the total repertoire available to each instrument. Yet a 6 month old baby could probably hammer out a middle C on a piano whereas it couldn't do that on a guitar until it was a few years old, but that doesn't make it a candidate to play Chopin and Liszt!

The second point, regarding a true comparison involving note preparation, is also no.

In basic respects, note preparation on the guitar is no harder than the fiddle, maybe even easier, but there may be certain aspects that are harder playing certain types of music. Personally, I don't think that fingering or sight-reading is any harder on the guitar than on the violin. Some people don't find holding down notes on the guitar very difficult at all, because they have great natural strength in their hands.

John Williams playing the Giuliani Opus 30 Guitar Concerto on a 19th century guitar

A-P-L: You obviously are one of those people...

JW : Funnily enough, I'm not! But that may be because I don't practise a lot. Contrary to popular belief, I do practise, but not in vast amounts. If I practised five hours a day, I'd have stronger hands, but I don't. Obviously some chord shapes are difficult to get because of the position and angle on the neck, but learning the first scale on the violin is also very awkward to do. Frankly, I think it's a big cop-out on the part of guitarists; deliberate or not, its still a cop-out.

So in summary, guitarists are bad technicians, bad sight-readers, bad at playing ensemble, bad listeners and don't know their instrument as well as they should.

These things are all changing, as I have indicated, but still apply regarding sight-reading, as any student at a music college knows. I have been giving master classes in ensemble at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the Royal College of Music in London for just that reason. It's the history of the instrument that has given us this awful legacy, but we are learning from it and we are changing it. The guitar, in my opinion, is also becoming a more acceptable concert instrument because we are making the change.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

Up till now, those works which allow the guitar to play in a chamber ensemble, such as the Bocherini Quintet, are a relative rarity and always make allowances for the guitar. As it is, a guitar student will often spend six months just learning the guitar part in order to play it at the end of year recital, which is ridiculous! The whole point of chamber music is its accessibility, and any student string player would be able to sight-read a dozen Mozart or Haydn Quartets before deciding which one to learn.

Here in Australia and elsewhere, as I have indicated, this is changing, particularly in Melbourne with Jochen Schubert, and Tim Kain in Canberra and previously in Manchester, as well as Trinity College and Paco Pena's summer school in Spain.

The answer at all levels is quite simple, irrespective of the standard, is to use existing chamber ensemble for other instruments from the enormous catalogue of music available; for example, the renaissance consort repertoire, the Terpsichore dances, the Mozart and Haydn Quartets, all in single line form.

Most of the parts are playable directly, except perhaps for the viola clef, but even that is no great job to transcribe. In the cello part, it isn't very often that you have to play its lowest note, C, but that isn't a real problem.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

I'm not suggesting that we should start hearing Mozart Quartets for four guitars at the Opera House, but this music is invaluable in developing all the skills I have been talking about. Another thing is that it also helps to widen the guitarist's musical horizons.

Fernando Sor's music is pleasant enough, and Carulli's, but if you play even an early Haydn Quartet, brother, you know you're playing great music! Most of guitarists I meet who play in competitions still belong to the older school of guitar playing where ensemble work is rare, but a couple of the young ones, especially from Germany, are very good all-round musicians.

John Williams performing the Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo in 2005 at the Prom Concerts

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