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. 🎸⚔️

212 replies

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    • Retired
    • mgshirk
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    As I said at the start of this challenge, I have so much to work on. After thinking about it for some time, I decided to narrow the list to 4.  

    1. Letters from Home - Pat Metheny arranged Jason Vieaux (already in my rotation, but this will force me to finish it)
    2. English Suite - John Duarte (Prelude only) (was in my rotation but fell off the wagon a while ago)
    3. Caprice Arabe - Francisco Tarrega (Somewhat know this but need to brush off the cobwebs)
    4. Claude Gagnon - Douze Preludes en Forme d'Etudes, VIII (somewhat read through the piece but new to fingers), this is a very cool piece though

     

    I guess I'll choose by opening day tomorrow, maybe attempt 2 of them since some are somewhat already under the fingers. 

      • Retired
      • mgshirk
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Blaise, your comment helps narrow it down.👍

      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

        Quite the lineup, Michael — whichever you pick, can't wait to hear it!

    • joosje
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I have 2 projects for this challenge.

    first my problem with really finalising a piece and get it to a level where I can really control and feel confident and free. So, most of my pieces are ‘unfinished business ‘

    I worked quite hard on this Passacaglia by Weiss for a while. I will play this for my exam in May. There are still some moments where a little miss, brings confusion. It seems impossible for me to play flawlessly until the end.

    I had a long brake in recording my playing. It’s the best way to learn what you really want with a piece. This challenge will be good for me…

      • Retired
      • mgshirk
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

      Exam? Are you studying guitar? Thats fun.

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       That was beautiful Joosje, you play this with a beautiful sound and music flow. May I ask you for which exam you're preparing this and with who you're studying (or alone)?

      • joosje
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

        exam… yeah, my own doing. We settled in Belgium after retirement and I really wanted some regular quality teaching after years of lonely self study. Belgium has a great system of state supported music education. Basically for youth, alongside general education, but open also for adults. (Downside is you must pass the exams.) My teacher Antoon Vandeborght is a very sincere musician and teacher, studied with Raphaella Smits. Some of his students reach very high levels of playing. Very demanding teaching, and a confrontation with my limitations. But I enjoyed every moment.  

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

       well played and very musical. The minor flaws don’t disturb the atmosphere of the piece. I lived listening to it! I wish you success on your exam and will be listening in.

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Great to read you have found a way to improve and evolve, and also with someone that works for you. I once was in Belgium, around 2010, I very like the week I was there... but it was totally non-music related!

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       This is sounding really good Joosje. You have a very good grasp of the music. I am sure you will have this 'tuned in' by the time of your exam. I am very much looking forward to seeing you progress for this challenge.

      I had worked on this piece years ago but let it lapse because I could never seem to get it to the finished stage. "....;most of my pieces are ‘unfinished business ‘". That pretty much sums up my entire repertoire, past and present.

      • Eric
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I love this Passacaglia! I first heard it on a recording by Christopher Parkening, and so I always associate it with him. Maybe after this challenge, though, I will associate it with you!

      Like you, I find going away from a piece of music for a while and then coming back to be very helpful. It seems to bring clarity and perspective. It also allows me to fall in love with it again. I can tell by the way you play here that you love it deeply.

      I really admire that you are returning to a formal study of guitar again. I admit that I am a bit jealous.

      • Ron.3
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       This is such a lovely Passacaille. I haven't listened to it for a long while and I'm really pleased you chose it for the challenge. It's already sounding very good - best of luck with the exam!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       well played on what looks like a challenging piece to me. All the best for your exams. Based on your playing, you'll pass the exams with flying colours!

      • Derek
      • 20 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

      This is a wonderful piece Joosje and you're already playing it very well. Looking forward to hearing some more recordings of this

      • Debbie
      • 30 min ago
      • Reported - view

       Nice playing Joosje. This one is big in the hands (meaning stretches) so your connecting everything really well with nice tone and legato. I’m looking forward to your ongoing work with this one.

    • joosje
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I decided not to wait till Monday because this week promises to be very busy.

    My 2nd project is Philipp Houghton’s “Ophelia, a haunted Sonata”. I started this last year in Schotland, where I had a lesson with Thomas Villauteau at CGR. His performance of this piece is so ‘hauntingly’ beautiful. But then (after practicing the 5 parts) I let it rest.

    Here is my chance to pick it up again. starting with a slow movement (III, Chant of the flower moon). notes: “of the heart….innocence….singing”

      • Retired
      • mgshirk
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Nice piece of music. Well played, I find it hard to maintain tempo and thought through long, slow-tempo pieces.  You produce very nice sound.  

      • BLaflamme
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       This is sounding very good Joosje, I know this work by title and probably have heard some parts here and there, but it's mostly unknown to me, thanks for sharing this with us!

      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

        Two great picks — and beautiful stories behind both. The Weiss for your May exam is a serious undertaking, and the Houghton sounds like a wonderful one to come back to. Rooting for you on the exam!

      • Eric
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       So beautiful! It sounds like a special tuning.

      • Ron.3
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       This is totally new to me - a very appropriate choice as the I believe the Flower Moon was visible on May 1st.  Thanks for sharing - beautifully played - I look forward to the other parts!

      • Nijwm_Bwiswmuthiary
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       stellar work, Joosje. The interplay between the bass and treble strings and the sombre tone of the piece is so beautiful.

      • Dale_Needles
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Very beautiful and haunting piece. Well played! Good luck with your exams. 

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 19 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       This is really nice, Joosje. You very effectively capture the mood of the music. Excellent work. I have a vague awareness of Houghton's music and have heard this piece before though I don't remember it -  it is saved in one of my 'modern guitar' playlists.

      You have inspired me to reacquaint myself with this work. Thanks.

      • Debbie
      • 23 min ago
      • Reported - view

       Beautiful! I love those kinds of haunting pieces. I’m unfamiliar with these compositions so I’m really looking forward to hearing the rest. Thomas is such a great teacher and I’m glad you got a chance to take a lesson with him. A few years ago I did a month  lessons with him here on tonebase and loved it. I don’t know why they stopped that format. I found it really valuable. I’m also happy to hear you’re studying formally again. Those conservatory programs I are really great. Nothing beats working with a great teacher/mentor and getting immediate feedback.

    • Debbie
    • 2 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello everyone! I'm in the middle of painting my house so please excuse me for not contributing a first video. I'll be going back to Capricho Arabe that I started a couple of years ago but then had to abandon when my left hand started its problems. I got through it but never quite polished it, so that's the one! I'll be back next week with a contribution and in the meantime I'll try to find some time to listen what you've all contributed so far. From the looks of it you all are off to a rip-roaring start!

Content aside

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