As far as I know you were 9 years old when you decided to play the guitar! How come you started?

My father loved music. He gave me a CD with some music played by John Williams. – I liked it and then I thought: “I can do that too!” At first, I tried to play by myself. Then I went to the local Conservatory (Caldas da Rainha) and had classical music lessons, where I had my music theory formation as well. My mother wasn´t so positive about me pursuing music due to the conventional struggles regarding a classical musician career in Portugal, nevertheless, she eventually complied with it.

As a kid and schoolboy, which other things had your interest?

I played basketball and my team won the district championship.

Do you find major differences in transcribed guitar music composed for other instruments and music composed originally for the guitar?

It’s a good question. Well, the repertoire for the classical guitar is very limited, because in some way it is a new instrument that only started being truly explored and developed in the last 100-150 years. Therefore, I have contributed by composing 10 preludes. You can find a couple of them on my webpage.

Transcriptions/arrangements can be done in various manners. What I believe to be the most important is to arrange a piece in a way that is idiomatic and adapted to the characteristics of our instrument, but without losing the authenticity and message of the original composition. Therefore, it is truly a serious intellectual investment, where each transcription takes months/years to reach the desired result.

If we interpret a piece by, for instance, J. S. Bach, it is essential that we investigate different versions of the composition in the original instrument, study it´s historical context and try to stay as completely faithful as possible to the musical message the composer wished to write for the original instrument.

Can you describe the qualities in a piece of music, that makes you select it for your concert program?

Francisco smiles …. a good question … I like the music!

What do you think is necessary to do, if you want to be able to play genuine music?

All music is genuine. You have to define genuine!

Most amateur guitarists ask:

1) How important is nail quality?

I have strong nails. It is important that you regularly take care of them with varied polishing material, and in case your nails aren´t strong, there are many techniques to strengthen them. Ping pong below nails, super glue, etc.

2) How important is long fingers on your hands?

Not at all! There are guitarists who have short hands and incredible technique and sound. It’s all about you practice your posture (right-hand and left-hand positioning) according to your physical characteristic (height, weight, etc.).

3) How important is discipline?

Very important. More than the hours you practice, it's the concentration/efficiency. Work precisely on what you need to improve. A great way to understand is to do this exercise: record yourself and listen carefully and note the things that you disliked the most. Later, focus on practicing ONLY that. Always separate tasks, work on each thing separately, and later you gather them all in one performance and you achieve perfection.

4) How important is the guitar quality?

I have got a German guitar made by Anthonio Müller. It's got big volume… However, it is also very heavy for the left hand, so not the easiest to play.

5) How important is mentality?

The guitar should respond to your sound beliefs and your playing style. And, obviously, you should feel comfortable playing it. But always keep in mind that it’s mostly you who create the sound quality, not the instrument…

6) Is it possible to lean to play guitar without a teacher?

It is, but generally I wouldn't advise it. Normally, if you can't have a teacher, you should at least have someone experienced to listen to you and give you constructive feedback on a weekly basis.

7) How important is the teacher?

The teacher brings a component of experience that no program/machine can replace. Keep in mind that the teacher is also a human being, therefore empathic, emotional, and capable of understanding your feelings (he also has been in the same situation as you, student!). Mostly, to have regular accompaniment and constructive feedback is key to improvement. That said, be wise in the teacher you choose to listen to…

Something an amateur will never know!!! In Copenhagen the audience includes a lot of skillful guitarists. In Silkeborg the audience is common people and maybe amateur guitarists. Is there a difference? 

Generally, there is no difference. Me personally, I attempt to send a musical message and experience to the audience that is the same, regardless of who is listening. That said, naturally, someone who is a professional guitarist will be more informed about the details in someone’s playing, and their standards of quality are much higher than an amateur, who is mostly looking for a moving moment, rather than technical proficiency. What maybe I would do, is to adapt my program to the type of audience (for instance, if I play for an audience which is mostly amateurs, I would not play so much repertoire from 20/21^st century…). Nevertheless, the way of expressing myself will not change because of who is sitting in front of me. The way your audience appreciates your ideas and their opinions about your musical personality is something that is mostly out of your control. What you can do is be true to yourself, and work on the direction which you personally believe to be the ideal (perfection).

Can you describe how you feel after playing the concert in Copenhagen and after playing in Silkeborg? 

I feel good. Enthusiastic audiences and respectful ones, that maintained silence and focus on the most sensitive moments of the performance.

Interviewet er udført og bearbejdet af:

Henrik Birk, formand for Silkeborg Guitarklub.