Unleash the hidden musician within you with the Puerto Rican Cuatro Method - Volume 2! This instructional book, a perfect follow-up to Volume 1, is designed for those who have a passion for Puerto Rican music and are ready to elevate their cuatro playing to a higher level.
Authored by the accomplished musician and educator, Samuel Ramos, this volume provides invaluable insights into the intricacies of cuatro playing. Samuel Ramos urges you to become your own creative musician, not one that plays only what's in the notes. This book is all about exploration and challenging yourself to go beyond boundaries.
The Puerto Rican Cuatro Method - Volume 2 is presented in both standard notation and tablature (TAB) format , and is completely bilingual in English and Spanish, allowing you to choose your preferred learning language. Dive into a vast repertoire of music theory, scales, and exercises, designed to challenge you and foster exploration.
Songs Covered in the Book:
- Perpetual Motion
- Seis Marumba
- Aguinaldo Jíbaro
- Seis Enramada
- El Coquí
- Aguinaldo Lamento
- The Four Seasons
- Seis Joropo
- Alma Boricua
- Seis Habanero
- Recuerdos de Borinquen
- Aguinaldo Cagüeño
- Palitos
- Aguinaldo Yumac
- Impromptu
- Seis Montuno
- Mis Amores
- Sara
- Seis Mariandá
- La Borinqueña
- Seis Montebello
- El gallo, la gallina y la guinea
- Aguinaldo Costanero
- Seis de la Campiña
- The Entertainer
- Seis Bayamonés
- Seis Chorreao
- El Vigoroso
Expanded Features:
- Easy to understand: The book utilizes both standard musical notation and tablature (TAB) for clarity. It includes detailed explanations of essential techniques such as tremolo , slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs) , and vibrato , along with fretboard diagrams.
- Wider range of topics: Beyond a varied repertoire of traditional Aguinaldos and Seises, the book delves into diverse genres like Danzas, Foxtrot, and Ragtime. It covers various musical scales, including Chromatic, Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Blues, Diminished, and Wholetone. You'll also find comprehensive sections on chords, major sevenths, arpeggios, and diminished arpeggios. Additionally, the book provides historical context and biographies of "Cuatro Masters".
- Bilingual – English and Spanish: The entire book, including instructional text, song titles, and technical terms, is presented in both English and Spanish.
- Gives tips on playing the Cuatro: The guide offers practical advice on practicing scales effectively , techniques for playing fast , tips for public performance , and essential guidance on when and how to change your strings for optimal instrument resonance.
- Allows you space to explore: Samuel Ramos encourages musicians to go beyond the notes, fostering creativity and improvisation, urging them to find unique patterns and turn them into exercises.
Get this amazing combination to lead you along the path of musical discovery and you’ll find that there’s a hidden musician somewhere inside you! All you need to do is order the Puerto Rican Cuatro Method Book – Vol 2.
Samuel Ramos, born in Newark, New Jersey, started playing the guitar with his father at the age of 12. At the age of 15, he discovered the cuatro and began taking lessons with Norton Torres. As a high school student, he joined the school's rondalla (an instrumental group) playing both guitar and cuatro. Samuel holds a BA in music education from Antillean Adventist University in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, with a major in classical guitar. He studied under the tutelage of Dr. Jacques Landre. In 1999, he recorded his first instrumental CD for solo guitar, Meditando en la Cruz (Meditating on the Cross). He joined the faculty of the Juan Morel Campos Performing Arts School in Ponce, as a strings instructor. He later became an assistant professor of guitar at the Inter-American University of San German, Puerto Rico. He also served as a public school music teacher for 6 years in Lajas, Puerto Rico Samuel resides in Orlando, Florida with his wife Brenda and two sons, and currently teaches elementary music for the Orange County Public Schools of Florida.
