🎶 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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    • Barney
    • 9 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I've always enjoyed listening to this  Ponce piece in performances and recordings but have not learned it until now. 

      • Barney
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Nijwm.  Yes, using Rest strokes sometimes helps to bring out melody lines more effectively.

      • BLaflamme
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks very much Blaise!  Yes, this is a fun one😊.

      • joosje
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

       wow, great playing as always . It could be a little lighter for my taste, especially the opening chords. But overall, soo beautiful 

      • Barney
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

      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
    • 9 days 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
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       What a lovely, watery piece! You play it with such grace.

      • Barney
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       As Steve said, this piece really grows on you the more you listen it.  Beautiful!

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

       👍👍 such a beautiful piece of music.

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

       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
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Congratulations. Impressive what you can achieve and what repertoire you my have

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

      Excellent Eric. Love your phrasing - superb!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 8 days ago
      • Reported - view

       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
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

       again a great performance. I really like the way you play this piece. Romantic but not too sweet. Nice character. Well done.

    • Steve_Price
    • 9 days 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
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Well done!  Very atmospheric, a bit haunting and well presented.

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

       Very nice Steve. Bravo👍

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

       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.

Content aside

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