Week 1: Etude Entrée!

Fernando Ruiz Diaz Great start Fernando! I've had the same challenge with many pieces - sometimes I can play them fine from memory when practicing, but then I hit the record button and it all goes out the window!  It's definitely fine to play along with the score. I've seen many professionals do that in concert. Keep up the good work! 

Posting a take 2 after a couple of days practicing Sor's Etude op.35 n.18
I was able to improve a lot on memorizing the piece. The sequence of bars came out exactly as the score.
I have to work on some jumps and also on the string noise when moving my fingers.

I ran into the same issue Steve Pederson mentioned when I started recording the execution was way worse when comparing when I play to myself only (with no pressure). I need to get better at that.

Hopefully take 3 will be more rhythmic and musical without some of the hesitation, better jumps and less squiky noises when moving fingers 

Fernando Ruiz Diaz Excellent work on the difficult and beautiful Etude 1 by Villalobos.  I think you are playing this well and it will only improve with time as you gain more fluidity and comfort with it.  Nevertheless, it already sounds really good.  One small suggestion which I humbly put forward.  It might be nice, when playing the arpeggio, to alter the timbre or dynamics on the repeat.  For example, maybe play the first time a little dolce and the second time more claro or play the first a little mezzo forte and the repeat piano.  This creates a nice echo effect.  This is something that Maestro Carlevaro suggested when he taught this etude.  

Fernando Ruiz Diaz Hola, I just realized that previous comment was posted to the Sor Estudio and it was meant for the Villabos Etude.  Sorry for any confusion. Saludos. 

Fernando Ruiz Diaz This is a beautiful piece. Cant wait to listen to your completed version. 

Dale Needles Thank you for the suggestion. I remember David Leisner mentioned it in his class on tonebase. I definitely need to work on accentuating these cadences more! I was away last week, but hope to post progress soon!

Blaise Laflamme Eric Phillips thank you both! I'll post a follow up in a couple fo days after working on some of the difficulties. I'll probably record the next one with a slower tempo.

Eric Phillips I totally agree, it requires a lot of patience and specially when you move down the frets chromatically with the diminished chords it takes a long time. That's why I have a patience issue when trying to play it slower haha I think this one is so worth playing as a good exercise for the right hand and if you play electric guitar it is so interesting with play it for a pick exercise. 

It can be also explored in different ways. My favorite interpretation of this song is Raphael Rabello's (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIK3CTYiBwQ) samba touch to it!

Fernando Ruiz Diaz well done! Ive always wanted to learn this but always been put off by how difficult it is. This is sounding great already. 

don Thanks! If you like this piece I would highly recommend trying to play it. The next video I'll post will be slow. It started playing it extremely slow until I got the hang of it.

Lazhar Cherouana has a great lesson about this Etude in Tonebase

Fernando Ruiz Diaz First of all, I will say BRAVO for having this piece to the level you already do! I'm sure, if you already have the piece to this level, you will have no problem overcoming the hurdles you mentioned. You know what you're doing. 

I have tried this piece, and I just can't get past the E major chord with the G# in the bass in m. 6. For some reason my hand just refuses to cooperate with that stretch.

May I offer one suggestion? I noticed you have a bit of string squeak noise when doing the descending diminished chord pattern. What I’ve found helpful for eliminating that is to lift the second and third fingers off the fourth and fifth strings when making the shift, or even just the second finger off the 5th string as that seems to be the biggest culprit. Hope that helps, but disregard if it doesn't. 

Steve Pederson Thanks for the tip! I'll start training lifting my 2nd and 3rd finger. I find the squeak so annoying. I'll try to apply it to my next video.

The pinky stretch in the E/G# is really a challenge . I don't always get it right. Most time either the index finger or pinky fail  I watched David Leisner's lesson on this Etude, in which he suggests starting with the pinky, as you start playing strings 6 -> 4 -> 5 and then only when you get to that G# in the 3rd string you place the first finger to do the stretch and at that point if I lose the sounds on the pinky it is not too horrible...

Fernando Ruiz Diaz that makes sense to not worry about getting the first finger down right away for that E major chord. Cool, you've inspired me to give this one another chance! 

Uploading my take 2

I am not so reliable. Every time I record something else comes out. But in this one I was able to play with less mistakes. I am trying something else to tackle the squeak, I am placing my fingers closer to the fret and have more flesh contact and when I shift there is no squeak. Alternatively I'll follow the advise of lifting fingers 2 and 3.

In the video you can see I can't keep the same speed throughout. I start slow but I think every chord I am comfortable with it gets faster.

I got better at the slurs and connecting it to the F#7. 

I need to work better at keeping the same speed throughout the song.

I realized in the video that I should probably work on the position of my elbow on the formation of the chords and specially moving across the neck. Will keep that in mind for my take 3.

Eric Phillips thank you! I really believe that we’re our greatest critics. I don’t have a teacher either so I have to rely on self criticism to improve. I appreciate the feedback. Hopefully by the end of this challenge I’ll have two studies to perform at a high level