🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 4

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

  1. Pick your piece(s) – anything from the Latin American repertoire that excites you.

  2. Introduce yourself – share what you’ll be working on and why.

  3. Post updates – you can share progress videos, practice tips, or reflections.

  4. Support others – comment, encourage, and learn together.

📅 When?

  1. Start: September 29th

  2. End: October 30th

  3. 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. 💃🎶 

193 replies

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    • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
    • 5 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone, I've been learning this piece for the last few weeks. Still a lot of room for improvement. I'd love to make another attempt at this in a couple of days if time permits.

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I think I know what you mean and it makes perfect sense. I'm not very informed in harmony and musical concepts. But your wonderful advices have given me food for thought and I'll try to use them in my playing. Thanks, Blaise.

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you, Ron. Advice and feedback is always valuable and much appreciated.

      • Dale_Needles
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very nicely played. I really like your sweet tone on this piece, but I agree with Barney some variation of tone color would be nice. Also, you might want to check out Carlevaro's edition of his Guitar Masterclass on Villa-Lobos Five Preludes. It is published by Chanterelle. It has some good insights into Villa-Lobos' music. Calevaro studied directly with Villa-Lobos and owned several of Villa-Lobos' manuscripts.

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you, Dale. I'll definitely try to get hold of that masterclass. I've actually checked out Carlevaro and Bream playing this piece on YouTube. They're definitely masters and pioneers of what we follow today.

      I've been thinking about tone variation, dynamics and phrasing a lot lately. Understanding how to use them and actually using them is quite a challenge for me, but I'm working on it. Personally, I want to use timbre or tone colour very subtly and not too dramatically, especially in this piece, where the B part is very poetic and lyrical. But that's just my intuitive interpretation. 

    • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi, everyone, this is my second attempt of the prelude. I must thank Barney, Blaise, Steve, Dale, Ron and other members for their feedback, advice and suggestions. I'm not sure this is an improvement on my previous attempt. Sometimes, new issues or ideas crop up and I'll keep working on them. There are technical as well as musical issues to work on. I had little memory slips as well, but here it is for now. I really enjoyed this challenge.

    Oh, and I need advice for the thumb stroke (for the chords in bar 19, I think) where all the strings are fretted, except the B string. I was wondering how not to bring out that open string too much while also bringing out the notes on the high E. Right now, I'm using the thumb to strike only the first three upper strings and playing the lower strings with AMI and I don't like the sound too much with that technique. I like the single thumb stroke's more resonant, warmer and louder sound. How do I use the single thumb stroke better (mine isn't very good).

      • Barney
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       This is definitely an improvement.  You are responding well to our suggestions.  

      Your camera angle does not allow us to see your right hand, so not sure how you are arpeggiating the chords.  It may help to plant the thumb and ami, and then slowly "practice" playing each string listening for equal volume.  Keep hand relaxed, and use kind of a gentle rolling motion when playing the actual chord.  Also, check  the length, shape, and smoothness of your M finger nail to see if that is causing an exaggeration of the string attack.

      Hope this helps!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

        I consider myself a student, aren't we all? I've learnt so much from you all. I still remember the first advice I got from Eric from my first challenge submission a few years ago on Sor's etude in B minor.

      Learning never stops no matter what our biological age is. Your advice definitely helped me, specifically the matter of separting the thumb from AMI. I think it can be a nice contrast, but perhaps I was overdoing it. So, I used a more sweeping motion in certain chords. Listening back to the recording, my M finger isn't often active or articulate enough because of a lack of follow through. I'll work on that more.

      Sorry about the RH camera angle. I'll correct that next time. Thanks for watching and for the valuable feedback.

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very good improvement over your last post, I think you should point your microphone more upwards and maybe position it more to your left, it would help to make it less boomy. IMHO in the descent of part B you should rather put the agogic accent on the first time of the bar and not on the last sixteenth note of the previous bar. For the arpeggio I always use, or almost, p-p-p-i-m-a for the control and quality of the sound and execution (look at my Zapateado's last chord), although just with the thumb it gives a more generous sound, I personally find that it does not highlight the right elements. Good work!!!

      • Ron.3
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Definitely an improvement Nijwm - I very much enjoyed listening !

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very nice Nijwn. Great rendition of an inspiring composition. 👍

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Blaise! I've noted all the advice. I have a condenser mic, AT2020 and I think the input source of the sound is on the side, so I'm pointing it sideways. You're right about the positioning of it, I'll make a note of that. Yeah, I also prefer the PPPIMA actually and use it most times, I'll try to improve and execute it better in future.

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you, Ron. Your kinda words always inspire me to get better.

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you, Andre. I appreciate your kind words and encouragement.🙏

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

      @Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary  Excellent, Nijwm.  I think this is one of the better interpretations I have heard of this piece. Your tone and phrasing are beautiful. You effectively allow space between the notes which allow its beauty to emerge. Great job!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you, Jack. I think this has turned out to be my favourite HVL preludes, along with the 5th. I think I can do even better with this prelude and that's the exciting part for me. Thanks for all your encouragement 🙏 

      • Steve_Price
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent work on this, Nijwm. Great progress, and I've really enjoyed listening. 

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      • Palmer
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       I've always loved this piece and I can see from this version, you are getting it better and better. Worth the time for sure. Sounds good!

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