🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 4

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martin.3
2 wk ago
193replies

Welcome to our tonebase Guitar Community Challenge! For the next few weeks, we’ll be diving into the vibrant world of Latin American music, exploring rhythms, colors, and styles that have inspired guitarists around the globe.

This is your chance to work on masterpieces and hidden gems by some of the most iconic composers:

Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil) – lush, virtuosic preludes and études
Agustín Barrios Mangoré (Paraguay) – romantic, poetic works full of soul
Abel Carlevaro (Uruguay) – brilliant studies and innovative techniques
Leo Brouwer (Cuba) – modern masterpieces mixing folklore and avant-garde
Manuel M. Ponce – sonatas, and romantic masterpieces
Antonio Lauro – famous Venezuelan Waltzes
Atahualpa Yupanqui – folk-rooted pieces
Jorge Morel – virtuosic concert works and arrangements
…and many more treasures from across Latin America!

How it Works

Pick your piece(s) – anything from the Latin American repertoire that excites you.
Introduce yourself – share what you’ll be working on and why.
Post updates – you can share progress videos, practice tips, or reflections.
Support others – comment, encourage, and learn together.

📅 When?

Start: September 29th
End: October 30th
Watch Party: October 30th 🎉

Why Join?

✅ Discover new repertoire
✅ Build consistency in practice
✅ Get feedback from peers
✅ Celebrate Latin American music with the community

💡 Whether you’re tackling a full Villa-Lobos Étude, polishing a Barrios gem, or exploring a short Brouwer piece, this challenge is for everyone — from curious beginners to advanced players.

👉 Jump in by introducing yourself below and telling us what you’ll be working on!

Let’s bring the sounds of Latin America to life together. 💃🎶

- Barney
- 2 wk ago
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I've always enjoyed listening to this Ponce piece in performances and recordings but have not learned it until now.
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Thanks Dale! My left hand CMC thumb joint tendonitis is "slowly" healing. I've been wearing the brace when playing to stabilize the thumb. It still hurts and pain radiates into the palm when playing difficult stretches and tricky bars, or lengthy pieces where there may be unusually increased tension.
  
  Thanks for your good wishes!
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  I viewed a few videos of Evangelos. His right hand is positioned like Segovia. Ida Presti also played with that right hand position.
  
  Yes, he later studied with Segovia and Presti.
  
  It looks like he is using rest strokes with an amazing vibrato in those "sweet spots". However, maybe Segovia shared a special secret to achieve that sound, which Evangelos has.
- Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
  
  Lars_KjollerHansen
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  As I know you , like me, are a big fan of Albeniz , you should listen to his early YouTube versions of Granada and Rumores de Caleta.. This inspiredme to take up classical or Spanish guitar 17 years ago.
- Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  wonderful performance as always, Barney. I agree with other members about your tone colours, they're great and sweet and I love you're using a lot of rest strokes, something I need to use more.
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  I will listen to those Albeniz pieces performed by Evangelos. I listened earlier today to his Mallorca and Seranata Espanola. He is a wonderful guitarist!
  
  Yes , I love the Albeniz, Granados, Torroba, Turina, Ponce, Rodrigo, Falla, etc masterpieces. Thanks!
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Thanks Nijwm. Yes, using Rest strokes sometimes helps to bring out melody lines more effectively.
- BLaflamme
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Wow, what a great performance Barney! It's clear that you have a lot of fun playing this work, and so we have to listen to you, Bravo! 👋💪
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Thanks very much Blaise! Yes, this is a fun one😊.
- joosje
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  wow, great playing as always . It could be a little lighter for my taste, especially the opening chords. But overall, soo beautiful
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Thanks Joosje! I always appreciate your suggestions,
  
  The score indicates Fortissimo in those opening chord sections so I thought I was respecting the composer's dynamics markings. However, this is all relative and subject to interpretation, as you indicated your preference.
- Eric
- 2 wk ago
- Reported - view
Assad- Valseana (Oct 22)

Here's another go at this after another week of practice. It's maybe incrementally better. My slurs still need work. I am trying to memorize it, but it's just not there yet.
- Palmer
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  What a lovely, watery piece! You play it with such grace.
- Barney
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Beautiful Eric!! When it's memorized, it will give you even more freedom to bring it to the next level. You will be able to glance at fretborad for some of the large leaps to insure accuracy every time.
- Steve_Price
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Excellent as always, Eric. I love hearing it again since it's really growing on me. It's really lovely, but it is clearly modern. Very nice.
- Dale_Needles
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  As Steve said, this piece really grows on you the more you listen it. Beautiful!
- Retired
  
  Andre_Bernier
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  👍👍 such a beautiful piece of music.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Great work Eric. As good as your first recording was, this seems more confident and with more emotional depth.
  
  Dale and I attended Meng Su's concert in San Francisco last week. She concluded the concert with the 3 movement Aquarelle. Her performance was beautiful. If you can find a recording of her performing it I highly recommend.
- Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
  
  Lars_KjollerHansen
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Congratulations. Impressive what you can achieve and what repertoire you my have
- Ron.3
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Excellent Eric. Love your phrasing - superb!
- Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Very tender piece, played with such care and love poured into it. Almost like teenaged romance, but in a great way that goes all the way to old age and beyond 😀. Bravo.
- joosje
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  again a great performance. I really like the way you play this piece. Romantic but not too sweet. Nice character. Well done.
- Steve_Price
- 2 wk ago
- Reported - view
Leo Brouwer - Preludios epigramáticos - #3 Alrededor de tu piel, ato y desato la mía

Leo Brouwer wrote this set of preludes based on the poetry of Miguel Hernández. This one is based on a love poem he wrote for his wife, written while he was in prison for opposing Franco. He died in prison a couple of years later, before the book was published.
- Dale_Needles
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Well done! Very atmospheric, a bit haunting and well presented.
- Retired
  
  Andre_Bernier
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  Very nice Steve. Bravo👍
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  2 wk ago
  
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  This is really interesting, Steve. I am aware of these preludes but I don't know them. You have done a great job with the phrasing and tone. Thanks for sharing this.