Week 1: Jumpstart Your Journey!

Todd Berry I also couldn't find the score library when I looked for it recently. I think it used to be under the heading 'Resources' but that seems to have disappeared as well. In any event, here is a pdf (in the public domain) of the Carcassi studies: https://boijefiles.musikverket.se/Boije_0094.pdf

Martin Thanks, Martin. I realize now the reason I couldn't find 'Resources' in the menu is because the heading disappears when the font is increased to a size that I find comfortable for reading. It became visible when I decreased the font. Since I'm apparently not the only one here with less than acute vision, I wonder if your design team might take this into consideration when deciding on the layout of the webpage.

Steve Price  Very nice Steve. They are very beautiful pieces. Thanks a lot for sharing your practice.

Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise. It's funny I was using his recording as a reference so it's nice to see his edits and fingerings. After you mentioned it I found the book on his page he offers in a PDF version. He makes some really smart choices on these two pieces that are very helpful so I appreciate the lead. 

Andre Bernier Thanks, Andre. I appreciate it. 

Blaise Laflamme Personally, I'm not keen on purely 'urtext' editions. I like to have the composer's fingerings, when these are known. What I don't like are modern editorial fingerings that are not necessarily in keeping with the composer's intentions, or with what is known about the style of the time. (Unless the editor is a player of Tariq's calibre, in which case it can be interesting to see how a modern performer approaches older music! Same can be said of all the old Segovia editions published by Universal.)

Steve Price Great start on these, Steve! I've long been fond of number 20, which really showcases early 19th century Italianate virtuosity (i.e. sounds impressive, but is very guitaristic). And you're quite right - getting those slides at tempo is tricky! I recently watched a Tonebase video with Scott Tennant in which he describes what he calls the 'aim and throw' approach to shifting, which I think applies here as well. (It could equally be called the 'just go for it' method!) (I would link the video, but I encountered it randomly on YT rather than here on TB, so I'm not sure where it is in the 'library'.)

Blaise Laflamme That makes good sense - it's a habit I've never developed, though; my scores are generally pristine, even after I've used them! (I just can't bring myself to deface the printed page.) On the subject of editorial input, I wonder whose fingerings we see in the Schott edition of  the opus 60 studies that Martin provided for this challenge. I suspect it was published well after Carcassi's death, but I'm unaware of any earlier edition. I doubt the fingerings are original, because they are not in keeping with the general principles Carcassi outlines in his method, opus 59. (For example, Carcassi recommends that all scale passages on the three bass strings be played with the thumb alone; but we see already in the first study that I/m alternation is indicated in the basses. Similarly, study 8 makes no use of right hand legato, a technique that Carcassi describes in detail and which is, I think, essential to his style.)

Blaise Laflamme I understand that. I'm not to the point where I want to do all the fingering myself, but when I'm combining fingerings sometimes the score can get too messy. 

David Krupka Thanks, David. I really like 20. It has the same sweeping arpeggios as the 2nd Villa Lobos but that's beyond me. This might be too, but it's certainly more approachable. 

I know the exact lesson by Scott Tennant that you're talking about since I saw a promotional clip on Instagram. I know I can track it down. I think my next step for these as I figure out the fingering will be to memorize them so I can actually watch where I'm going for that throw technique for all the jumps and glissandi. Thanks again. 

David Krupka ,Steve Price , Blaise Laflamme  I started scanning all of the music I am working on so I can print out a copy to mark up w/o cluttering the original. (Getting the score in pdf is even better.) I will then rescan the marked up score so I have both. I wish I had started that years ago because then I would have a history of fingerings and notes to refer to.

Steve Price Nicely done, Steve. You have a really good foundation to work from. Would like to see how you progress.

Jack Stewart Thanks a lot, Jack.  

Steve Price Very pleasing.

Blaise Laflamme I am interested in using my iPad for scores but just haven't learned how yet (I haven't actually tried). I've seen Dominic mention that on some of his livestreams and thought it would be great. Maybe there are still a few new tricks for this old dog.

BTW after I posted my comment I was working on the 996 Bourree and noticed I was writing my fingerings on the original score. So even the best laid plans...... I had to scan the score w/ fingerings then erase the fingerings and rescan. Maybe that will quick start my move to iPad scores. It is also why I really prefer to get my scores as pdf's.