Week 1: Etude Entrée!
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of "Etude Extravaganza" practice challenge!
- Choose an etude from a composer that captures your interest. It could be a soothing Sor etude, a technical Giuliani masterpiece, a Carcassi finger exercise, a harmonically rich Brouwer composition, or a rhythmically challenging Villa-Lobos piece. You're encouraged to experiment with pieces from composers you're not accustomed to or push your boundaries with a technically demanding work.
- Commit to regular practice and share your journey with the community. Aim to practice daily and upload at least two videos per week to showcase your progress. This will not only aid in keeping you dedicated and motivated but also enables you to share your musical journey with our tonebase family.
- Share your favorite etude or recording that epitomizes the concept of "Etude Extravaganza." Your submission will serve as inspiration for others and construct a vibrant repertoire of potential pieces for fellow members to explore.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
-
When you start at the bottom, you've got nowhere to go but up, am I right?
Two very common/popular pieces that have been on my radar for a while are the Sor Study in D (I'm sure there's a more proper name for it - anyone?) and Carcassi's Etude No. 7, Opus 60.
I've worked on these pieces a LONG time ago and have been wanting to get back to them and do them justice. Here's where I'm at with them at this point...
For the Sor, I actually skip to the end about half-way through. Also, wondering - if anyone else has played the Sor piece - if you play the melody notes with free or rest stroke?
(Not sure why I still had my AirPods in!)
-
Steve Pederson Nice start, and playing them slowly first is the smart thing to do. I practically never use rest strokes, and definitely not when playing Sor. I would just bring the melody out with free stroke.
-
Eric Phillips sounds good. Thanks Eric!
-
Steve Pederson I tried them once but gave up on both pieces.
I watched a lesson on Sor Study about using rest stroke for the melody and another advocating using a combination stroke called top stroke - a rest stroke that goes through the full length of the nail if it make sense.
Maybe is so easier for you that you were listening to some other stuffs while you play them, that's why you had your airpods on.
-
Steve Pederson Great work Steve and two good choices. My preference is for the Sor study but the Carcassi seems more challenging. Thanks for sharing
-
-
Garcia de Leon - Luciernagas (June 8)
Here is today's update. The slurs are a bit better, I think. The repeated figure, however, is more inconsistent today, I think.
-
Eric Phillips It's starting to seem like there are actually two or three etudes in one with this piece Eric. One is like a tremolo study, then you have an arpeggiation study and also a pull-off study. So, I must commend you on your ability to choose an etude that gives you the most bang for the buck!
What's interesting is that the repeated note figures are actually reminding me of a flamenco-style tremolo. What's even more interesting is that, of all the fingering options given, none of them are actually flamenco-style tremolo fingerings!
If you're up for it, I can suggest a couple more options to try for those repeated note figures. One option would be i-a-m-i-p. That is the most flamenco-like. I've been working on that pattern, so that one comes most naturally to me. You could also try i-a-m-i-a or even i-m-a-m-i.
In any case, I look forward to the next iteration.
-
Eric Phillips That was really interesting, Eric! It sounded pretty modern, which is not something I've heard you play often. Thanks so much for sharing it.
-
Eric Phillips It is very harp like, have you tried it on the lute? It was already great before and now its even better!
-
don Thanks, Don. I have not tried it on lute. I'm not certain it would be possible as the lute is tuned a little differently, and this piece makes use of so many open strings.
-
Wai Yes, I do mostly play much older music, but I enjoy modern as well.
-
Steve Pederson Thanks, Steve. This morning I was practicing a little, and I think I will start practicing this piece a little differently, taking more advantage of the "study" aspect of it and really concentrate on how I can use it to develop my technique. One of the things I want to do is use the fingering alternations, so I can maybe give your suggestion a try. In William Kanengiser's video lesson on this piece, I know he also suggested a fingering coming from the flamenco tradition. I'd have to watch it again to see if it's the same one you suggested.
-
-
Garcia de Leon - Luciernagas (June 9)
Today, I decided that I want to do some more technical work with this study.
- This morning, I played through the entire piece several times, very slowly, paying close attention to the small details of movement in my fingers, hands, and arms.
- This afternoon, I practiced each of the RH permutations suggested by the composer for the repeated figure in measures 1-8 (see the first video below). Without a doubt, I feel most comfortable with pipip, and second best with pamip, which is the traditional tremolo pattern. Watching the video, I now see that I made many unconscious mistakes with the miami pattern. I guess I should never visit the city of Miami!
- Next, I practiced the slurred figures in measures 16-26, trying my best to make them fluid and consistent (see the second video below). Still not 100%, but getting better, I hope!
-
Eric Phillips Thanks Eric for this video on the permutations of the right hand. Very useful for me as I am not sure yet on the proper RH fingering on my first piece. Now I know that I just have to practice different ones and find which one is more effective or comfortable for me. More work to do but very interesting work.
-
Lección 15 in G major - Dionisio Aguado
This year, I challenged myself to learn some longer and more challenging pieces, but I still love returning to simpler and easier pieces like this one because they are enjoyable to play and allow me to really focus on the music.
I recorded this piece a while ago (I hope that sharing old videos is allowed in this challenge), and now I'm currently practicing another etude, hope that I will be able to record it around week 3.
-
Wai I love the Aguado lessons! They are bite-sized, fun to play, and there is always something we can learn from them no matter how many times we play them.
-
Wai this is sounding great Wai! I don't think there is any problem posting old stuff and for sure working on easier pieces ensure a better control over many aspects.
-
Wai Very nice and enjoyable piece Wai. Well done
-
Wai very nice! There always this sense of ease in your playing. It always look so effortless.
-
Eric Phillips Blaise Laflamme Andre Bernier don Thanks, everyone! It's my pleasure to share music with you all.
-
Wai I love these sort of challenges as I get to experience so many different type of beautfiul music that I otherwise will never get expose to.
-
-
Here is my first recording for this challenge.
This is the last piece (exercise 15) of the TB Beginning guitar course 1 - Daniel De Arakal
Andantino in C Major Op. 59 - Matteo Carcassi
I worked on that piece early May so it was not difficult to remember.
-
Andre Bernier this already pretty good. Thanks for sharing!
-
-
Here is my second recording for this challenge.
Fernando Sor - OP. 60 No. 1
Still need some work to polish up and get a good sound and better flow between the sections but this is a good start.
I will start now working on the no.2 which is a bit longer but i still have plenty of time this month to learn it.
-
Andre Bernier Well done, Andre! Your playing is definitely improving - it seems much more 'confident' and. controlled these days. I do have a comment about the Sor piece, though: you appear to be plucking the strings quite close to the bridge, which results in a rather 'thin' sound. I presume you are doing this deliberately, since you don't normally play in this manner. If so, I would say it doesn't quite work as an effect here: I think the music would be better served with a warmer tone, produced nearer to the sound hole.
-
David Krupka
Thanks a lot David for your comments.
You have good ears and eyes. I noticed the ''Thin'' almost metallic sound. This was not deliberate and I had no idea where this was coming from. Something I will have to pay attention to. I will try another recording tonight or tomorrow.
Thanks again, this was very helpful.
-
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
