WEEK THREE Updates: Main Thread - The Golden Sound of Tárrega
Hellooo, everyone, and welcome to WEEK THREE - the final Main Thread for this challenge! 
Where is the Week 1 and Week 2 thread?
Find the Week 1 thread here and Week 2 thread here!
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Download the music here! (← click)
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
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Yeah, this is my bonus submission.
What was easy? I took a very moderate tempo and the chord progressions aren’t very complicated.
What was difficult? How to make the melodic material sound really lyrical and the bass notes soft and rhythmical. I didn’t quite live up to my goals, definitely need more than one week (Sunday-Friday in ‘tempo rubato’
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joosje thank you so much for sharing that with us Joosje. I’m familiar with the piece but had forgotten about it. You’ve inspired me to learn it. Beautiful playing as always!
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Hi everyone. As very much a novice player, I was nervous taking on this challenge, being very impressed by the quality of all the other submissions. I decided to follow Thomas Voliteau's 7-day class on Lagrima, and was very much encouraged by Martin's responses to questions that I raised elsewhere in the forum - thanks so much for that Martin.
So, after 7 days (although only about 45 mins a day), and with apologies to Senor Tarrega and music lovers everywhere, here's my effort.
1 thing I found easy - erm...eh....let me think about that...
1 thing I found difficult - only 1?? Barres! Barres!!
I think I need a few more days.
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Colin O'Regan Very good, Colin! Thanks for posting this. Your fundamental techniques look pretty sound to me, especially in the left hand. I don't know how long you've been playing, but this is no beginner piece. It is typically put at grade 4-5, so to get to the point of playing it shows quite a lot of accomplishment. Your recording setup looks top notch (although I am hardly the one to ask, as I just use my iPhone 7).
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Colin O'Regan thank you for uploading
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Colin O'Regan Good work Colin
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Colin O'Regan I forgot to mention, the really great thing about Tonebase and especially this community challenge ist, it does not matter how good you already can play a piece. The challenge is always to make progress on your ability of playing music. And you said, you play only for a short time and then I must say "really great work" ... keep on practicing ...
There are always people playing high or lower level or a long or short time.... doesn't matter !!! It is alway a big pleasure to see the progress in a longer period that every musician can achieve
When listening to the actual great and famous players there are only two possibilities : "sell the guitar or keep on practicing" ...... "Take the blue or the red pill to enter the Matrix
" Best Regards Olli -
Olli Eric Phillips Thank you Eric. I was at it for coming up on 2 years (about to do a grade 4 exam) when the pandemic shut down the class. Struggling with motivation until I saw this challenge last week.
The recording mics are basic, but having done Martin's Reaper recording course here last year, I'm handy enough at using sound effects to help with my tone!
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Colin O'Regan that’s sounds very good. I like your tone and the phrasing is very effective. well done!
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Colin O'Regan thanks for sharing your performance, you did pretty well to me.
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Colin O'Regan nicely done Colin. It’s one of my favorite pieces. Great sound.
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I'm still working on Maria and Danza Mora although I don't think Danza Mora is good enough to record yet - maybe tomorrow but probably not!
I learnt El Columpio last year but I haven't played it since so I have done some work on it to bring it out of retirement. The B section is quite tricky. I've attached a recording -There are a few pauses and glitches (possibly due to 'recording stress').
Also I have been working on Recuerdo for some time now I think my tremolo is improving it was very quiet but I think the sound has improved a lot in the last few months.
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Derek Good work, Derek! I'm always scared away by the B section of Columpio. Are those 32nd notes? 64th notes? Aah!
As for Recuerdos, that tremolo is coming along nicely. I've always said to myself, "When my tremolo is good, I'll play Recuerdos." That was probably 30 years ago that I said that, and still not there. I tip my hat to you, sir!
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Derek hello Derek, great work - thank you for uploading
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Eric Phillips Thank you Eric. It was probably about 30 years ago that I started to learn Recuerdos - It's only now that I feel fairly comfortable recording it!
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Derek so good Derek. Thank you for these submissions.
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Derek great work Derek, you're not playing easy stuff !
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Dear Community,
this is my attempt of "Rosita". I played this piece a long time ago and practiced it again because of this great challenge. In the Repetition of the first part I made the "Marizapalos-Variation" ... don't know why, but it happened
. The piece needs much more additional time to become an a concert-level. But tomorrow the challenge ends and so I decided to make a recording, as best as possible for the short practice time. And I am sure, practicing two days more won't bring that effect - need at least one whole week, better two to become it smooth and flow - One thing you found easy: find the Notepaper in my shelf
- One thing you found difficult: the slides in the last part are very tricky at speed
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Olli I love it, Olli! This really dances! I also love your facial expressions. I like it when the performer is obviously having fun and enjoying the act of playing.
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Olli pretty brilliant
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joosje
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Eric Phillips thank you very much Eric
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Olli I like the groove you put in that piece, well done Olli!
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Piece I'm playing: Chopin's Prelude No 7 (arr. Tarrega). Tarrega definitely "guitarized" this piano piece by Chopin, and so maybe all the "guitarisms" like glissandos and vibrato should be minimized. I say otherwise - if Chopin had written for guitar, would he not have included such expressive techniques? We don't play Scarlatti's sonatas without dynamics just because the harpsichord had no dynamics, do we?
What was easy: It's short and straightforward.
What was difficult: The double glissandos are tricky. The B major chord in measure 12 is not hard, but a bit unusual.
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Eric Phillips hey Eric, wow - amazing
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Olli Thanks, Olli!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
