🎯 The Etude Challenge: Study Pieces, Serious Progress - Week 4
Attention tonebuddies! It's time to embrace the music that was literally designed to make you a better guitarist. Welcome to The Etude Challenge — four weeks dedicated to the art of the etude!
Etudes occupy a unique place in the classical guitar repertoire. They're technical workouts disguised as beautiful music — pieces that sharpen your skills while rewarding you with something genuinely worth performing. From the elegant simplicity of Carcassi and Sor to the rhythmic brilliance of Brouwer's Etudes Simples, the virtuosic fire of Villa-Lobos's 12 Études, and everything in between — there's an etude out there for every player at every level.
This challenge is your chance to pick one (or more!), commit to it, and share your journey with the community.
🎯 Whether you choose to:
- Tackle a classic — Sor Op. 35, Carcassi Op. 60, Giuliani Op. 48
- Go for something bold — Villa-Lobos, Barrios, or Coste
- Explore the modern side — Brouwer, Carlevaro, or Bogdanovic
- Revisit an old friend — Polish a piece you learned before and bring it to a new level
…this is your moment to dig in and grow. This challenge is open to all levels — whether you're working through your very first Sor etude or preparing a Villa-Lobos for the stage, you belong here.
📅 Challenge Dates
Start: February 23
End: March 20
💡 How to Participate
- Pick your etude – Choose one that excites you and challenges you. Not sure where to start? Ask the community for suggestions!
- Share your goal – Tell us what you're working on and what you want to achieve (clean run-through, memorization, performance tempo, etc.)
- Post your progress – Upload short clips, practice notes, or reflections as you go. We want to see the process, not just the polish.
- Engage – Listen to what others are working on, leave encouragement, and trade practice tips!
103 replies
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I've never played any Regondi Etudes, so I gave this one a go. The study has not only scales, slurs, arpeggios, and some nice melodic lines, but also leaps in certain spots. I have not memorized any sections, and since I'm not used to reading the whole thing(without looking at the fretboard more ) , there are some flubs. This is a beautiful study but I would need more time to have an acceptable interpretation. I'm posting now it since I probably won't have time to do another recording.
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One last upload before the challenge ends. Couldn't find one take that was OK, so I merge 2 takes... hands are tired by now... 25 minutes before midnight.
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I'm sorry that I have little and no time to participate actively but I do want to share something with you related to how we approach Studies in general (and mostly classical period studies) and follow fingerings and standard performance when we could take it up a notch and make something musicaly special of each applying some research on articulations and fingerings and vibrato ... so I bring to you this etude n°1 op.31 by Sor, one of the simplest ones in a completely untraditional performance. https://www.facebook.com/reel/395317509109083