Week 1 - A New Hope 🌟

Hello tonebuddies! 🎶

A long time ago, in a practice room far, far away... you picked up a piece. You were excited. You cracked it open, worked through the first page, maybe the second — and then something happened. Life struck back. A new piece caught your eye. The fingering felt impossible. The score quietly migrated to the bottom of a stack where it's been sitting ever since. 🎸

This May, we're bringing back the Unfinished Business Challenge — and we're kicking things off on May the 4th, because what better day to summon the Force and finally finish what you started? Every guitarist has an abandoned piece (or three). This is your chance to rescue one from the Sarlacc pit of your music folder and bring it home.

This challenge is open to all levels. Whether you left off at bar 8 or bar 80, whether it's a Bach fugue or a beginner study that got away — if there's a piece waiting for its return, it belongs here.


🌟 The Challenge

Revisit a composition you started but never finished — and this time, see it through. It might be:

  • 🎯 A piece you abandoned because it felt too hard
  • 🎯 Something you got halfway through before a new obsession took over
  • 🎯 A passage or section you never quite nailed
  • 🎯 A piece you learned years ago but never polished or performed

Share the story of why it got left behind and what it means to finally complete it. That's half the magic of this challenge.


📅 Challenge Dates

Start: May 4
End: June 12
Watch Party: June 12


🎥 How to Participate

  1. Pick your piece – Choose the piece (or section) that's been haunting you. The one you've been avoiding. That's the one.
  2. Share your goal – Post in the forum thread and tell us what you're finishing and why it got abandoned in the first place.
  3. Post your progress – Share updates along the way — rough takes, slow-tempo run-throughs, the gnarly passage you finally cracked.
  4. Engage with your fellow rebels – Cheer each other on, leave constructive feedback, and celebrate every piece that makes it across the finish line.

Bonus points: Share a recording of your favorite performance of the piece you're revisiting — the version that first made you fall in love with it.


🎬 Watch Party — June 12

The Watch Party on June 12 will feature recorded submissions from everyone who completed their Unfinished Business. Make sure to submit your final performance videos so we can celebrate your finished piece together! 🎉


💡 Need a Little Help from a Jedi Master?

If the reason you left the piece unfinished is still giving you trouble, tonebase is full of lessons, masterclasses, and courses from world-class guitarists ready to help you through the tricky parts. Search for the piece, the composer, or the technique — chances are, there's a Master ready to help.


May the 4th be with you, tonebuddies. Let's finish what we started. 🎸⚔️

303 replies

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    • Eric
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Ponce - Chanson

    • 'Vivo' section before and after practice
    • Entire piece
      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Amaizing the progress you made in just few days of practice. Bravo Eric 👍

    • Jonathan_Lozoya
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    I love it! Great topic. I will look for Pavana from Francisco Tarrega.

    • Dale_Needles
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    For the Unfinished Business Challenge, my goal is to complete the final five Microestudios No. 16-20 by Abel Carlevaro.  The 20 Microestudios were published in the 1990s and are an excellent set of compositions that both challenge the player musically and technically.  As many of you know, I have been working on a project over the past five years to learn and record as many of Carlevaro's 70 plus solo compositions as I can. To date, I have worked on approximately 50 of his compositions.  When these five Microestudios are completed, I will have approximately 15 more compositions to go.  Here is Microestudio No. 16. 

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Great submission Dale, you're almost done with the full set of Microestudios! That's amazing how much you've worked on and shared with us in the last years, what's the next one after these studies? 👌💪

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Great job, Dale. This is a very interesting study. It packs a lot into 42".

      • joosje
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       this is again a very nice and exciting study. Really well played. Thank you for sharing the whole set of micro studies with us.

      • Dale_Needles
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

         Thanks. These studies are indeed very interesting both musically and technically. The last three are particularly difficult so let's see how I will proceed. As for what I will work on after the Microestudios, it may depend on the next Challenge or not. 

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Great work, Dale. Your dedication to Carlevaro's work is unmatched and so admirable. I'm cheering you on to finish the rest of the 15!

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks for sharing. These pieces from Carlevaro are so interesting. Well done

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

      Great work Dale - you make it look so easy!

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

         Thanks! Yes, these Microestudios are really interesting, although some can be very challenging.  If you are ever interested in trying some of Carlevaro's music, the first set of five Microestudios are a good choice. Carlevaro also wrote several short studies that he calls "Estudios Pequenos" which can be found in the Carlevaro Online Biblioteca. 

      • Reinhard
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

        you are a great Ambassador for Carlevaro. Thanks to you i bought the german translation of his escuela de la guitarra. 

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I would be interested to begin working on some of Carlevaro work but, I am a bit lost in all the material on the online Bibilioteca. Could you post for me or other beginners like me , the link of some easy pieces at my level that I could potentially try to learn

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I am currently traveling until Thursday but will send you a list of pieces and a link where you can find them. Also, if you give me your email, I will email you a couple of pieces.

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, what a great compliment.  Feel free to reach out with any questions. 

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Thanks a lot Dale. My email is [email protected]

      • Steve_Price
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent, Dale. This is such a great set with so much range. 

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Thanks, Steve. BTW, the Azores were fantastic and we really loved Terceira.  

      • Steve_Price
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       That's great to hear. My wife and I were talking about our future trips, and stopping through there again is on our list. The people, food, coffee, etc. were the best. 

      • Dale_Needles
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Angra do Heroismo 

      • Steve_Price
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I remember that. We lived outside of Praia, but we had to go to Angra a lot, since at the time, it had the only Modelo's supermarket. 

    • Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
    • Lars_KjollerHansen
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Well, well..  Unfinished business could be an endless recital..

    I m a little ambivalent about the pressure of these challenges .. but this pressure may give me the opportunity to reconnect with this Bach Gavotte I never really got through it in the challenge 3 years  ago and haven’t played it since .

    For 2023 In a new year Martins newyear resolution post I wrote I might go got Gerhards fantasia .. and now I will finally go for it .. it really contrasts with Bach. I have primarily concentrated on getting the notes right .. rhythm sure need some consideration.….
    .. Yes , I memorize pieces fast around 2% in ..both good and bad .. I am a bad sight reader.. also hate to wear glasses when I play

    There are so many elegant videos up already..so a little embarrassing with these early takes .. runthrus ..but isn’t. that really the true deal with the challenges. 
    ‘I hope.. and there is a chance .. with 5 more weeks that I will improve.. if I can keep away from pieces that I would rather play.!

      • Dale_Needles
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

        Great choice with the Roberto Gerhard Fantasia. This will be quite the undertaking and I am looking foward to following your progress. 

      • Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
      • Lars_KjollerHansen
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       yes it is somewhat in the style of the Carlevaro pieces. Now I just hope to master it as well as your excellence in Carlevaros music

      • joosje
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       yes, as  said, great choice. And a true adventure. Will be inspiring to follow. You made a great start. The allegro part is quite demanding. You have a good technique and energy to attack this intriguing piece.

      In September I started working on Gerhard, but couldn’t follow up. So, maybe next year’s unfinished business challenge…

Content aside

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