After World War II Almeida relocated to the United States and became an important member of the Stan Kenton orchestra. In the sixties he was one of the first to introduce the Brazilian bossa-nova sound. He led a quartet with saxophonist Bud Shank, and together they made a number of highly successful records for the Pacifica label. In addition, he recorded many classical guitar works, including the debut recording of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s guitar concerto. Later in his life, Almeida gave recitals with his wife, soprano Deltra Eamon. A musician of extraordinary versatility, he composed more than 200 works. His death in 1996 was a great loss to the guitar world.

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The rhythmic function has two components: the rhythm with which the chords are produced and the percussive attack (usually produced by a pick) on the guitar strings. Both aspects are important for solo performers accompanying themselves on the guitar. Guitarists working with a rhythm section or recording with a variety of instruments need to realize, though, that they no longer have to carry the whole of the rhythm with their strumming.

Good strumming patterns balance tempo against sustain. At a slow tempo, you hit the strings more frequently because the chords die away. At faster tempos, you might not need to hit them so often, unless like Jimmy Nolan or Nile Rodgers your guitar part is at least as significant for its percussive effect as for its harmonic effect.

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The only significant difference was the pairing of strings to produce a stronger sound, comparable to the 12-string guitar of today. The vihuela was played with the fingers, and a considerable repertoire of music existed for it in the notation form known as “tablature.” The tuning was like that of the Renaissance lute, which in the rest of Europe was considered the “King of Instruments” and whose music is now a fertile source for guitarists.

At the same time, a smaller guitar, first with four and then with five sets of strings (known as courses), developed as a less sophisticated instrument for chording and the strumming style known as rasgueado used as accompaniment for the dance.

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Hold the pick in your right hand between the index finger and thumb. The point of the pick sticks out perpendicularly from your thumbnail, and only the top third of the pick shows. Don’t grip the pick too hard when playing lead, but don’t let the string push it loose from your fingers either. Play the notes lightly at first to get the hang of playing notes with a pick.

Picks come in different gauges or thicknesses, so if playing with a pick is awkward for you at first, play around with different gauges until you get a feel
that doesn’t fight back as much (thinner or medium gauge picks are more flexible). As your playing develops, try to play with a stiffer (heavier gauge) pick for the fastest response from the string and for the strongest sound.

When starting out with a pick for single-string playing, many people wonder whether they’re exerting too much effort, going too far past the string, or not going far enough. Really, these problems work themselves out without  thinking about them too much.

Generally, as long as you don’t accidentally hit the adjacent string in your single-string picking, you’re not going too far. And after you clear the string and it rings out clearly, you’ve gone far enough. However, your pick strokes do become smaller and your wrist motions more efficient the more you play. Also, the tempo dictates how closely you need to restrict your strokes: Fast songs require a small range, but slow songs don’t require you to turn-aroundon- a-dime, so you can be a little more expansive.

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