🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 1

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. 💃🎶 

166 replies

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    • Dale_Needles
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Thanks for launching the Latin America Music Challenge.  Let's get this Challenge started!  Here are two Microestudios #12 & #13 by Abel Carelvaro.  The Uruguayan Maestro published a set of 20 Microestudios in the 1990s, and several additional unpublished Microestudios which can be found on the Abel Carlevaro Online Library. These Miscroestudios not only tackle technical issues but also are meant to be performed in concert alone or as part of a set.  

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       So great to see you back here for the Challenge, I remember reading through Orbon many years ago, as you said not an easy one for the time allowed!

      • Dale_Needles
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

        Thanks all. As many of you know, I have a personal connection to Maestro Carlevaro and in his honor I have been methodically going through his large body of works for solo guitar. To date, I have worked on approximately 50 of his 60 solo works. These Microestudios which are among his later works are a good entre into Carlevaro's musical palette.

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Dale for being part of this Challenge and Community with all your experience and expertise in addition to having known Carlevaro well! 👌

      • Barney
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Dale for igniting the Challenges again.  Much appreciated!!

      • Civil law notary with a passion for music
      • Bart_Versteeg
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Nice! I never heard these before. You play them beautifully! Thanks for sharing!

      • Steve_Price
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent work, Dale. Well-played. And thanks for the push to have the challenges back.

      • Dale_Needles
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Thanks, Steve. Looking forward to your Ponce and Brouwer pieces. 

      • Dale_Needles
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Bart. If you are interested in learning more about Carlevaro, check out the Abel Carlevaro School of Guitar Group in the Tonebase Forum. 

      • joosje
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       thank for this. Really wonderful material. You gave a good example of pure playing so you can hear both the technical aspects and the musical quality of these studies. I admire your perfect Carlevaro thumb. I’m not able to move my thumb so fluently and securely. 

      • Dale_Needles
      • 9 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Joosje. Glad you like these Microestudios by Carlevaro and that you noticed my thumb technique which I learned from Maestro Carlevaro. I plan to post another Microestudio next week and then on to a late Milonga by Carlevaro and a piece by Piazzolla.  Looking forward to your Brouwer posting.  

    • matt.1
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Cool! It's been a while since I've participated in these. I need some external motivators to keep me focused.  I'll be working on Candombatan by Maximo Diego Pujol.

    • Palmer
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    I'm working on Recuerdos by Eduardo Diaz. He's from Mexico. It's a sweet piece I discovered on youtube.

      • Ron.3
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I hadn't heard this piece before, so I found a YouTube recording. Great choice. I always discover new gems in these community challenges. Look forward to hearing you play it!

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       A beautiful choice for this Challenge, Eduardo's music is always charming.

      • Palmer
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Ron! If you like it, I got the sheet music from Irina Kulikova's website. I think Diaz has it too (since he wrote it!).

      • Palmer
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Blaise, I agree! He has a lot of beautiful pieces. 

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Which one do you plan to play?

      • Palmer
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I'm working on Recuerdos. I first heard Irina Kulikova play it on youtube, and have since found a number of people playing it. It's very sweet and nostalgic.

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       It's indeed a beautiful work, and if I recall correctly he wrote it for the loss of his parents.

      • Civil law notary with a passion for music
      • Bart_Versteeg
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       That is one of my favorites! Do you know the version of Tatyana Ryzhkova?

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

       Thanks Palmer, I found it on Diaz's website

      • BLaflamme
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Eduardo's music is available on Sheet Music Plus and the engraving is done by my friend Scott Ouellette!

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

      Thanks Blaise!

      • magmasystems
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

       No relation to Caroline Ouellette, I assume?

      • Steve_Price
      • 12 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Lovely piece. And Irina Kulikova is probably my favorite guitarist right now. What she puts into a piece is amazing. Her latest YouTube video of Las Abejas is remarkable.

Content aside

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