READ ME FIRST: Rules for the Virtuosity Challenge!
Welcome, everybody to the tonebase Virtuosity Challenge! 
In this guided activity and live course, we will be working on our technique, applied not only through exercises, but also through real excerpts from standard repertoire!
The What:
- Topics to be addressed will include scales, arpeggios, preparation, coordination, fingering, and more.
- We will be applying principles from the Cuban school, championed by musicians such as my own professor Joaquin Clerch and tonebase artist Marco Tamayo.
- In week 3, you will also get to suggest excerpts from your own repertoire for me to look at. I will provide fingering suggestions, tips and a practice roadmap!
- A watch party featuring your submissions will take part at the end (date below!)
The How:
- I will be going live every Monday at 11 am Pacific / 8 pm Central Europe, providing and explaining some exercises and short repertoire excerpts for you to look at.
- You should practice these at home daily - and after a few days, submit a video update documenting your progress.
- I will then offer individualized advice to everyone posting in the weekly threads.
- If you have time, aim for at least 1-2 updates a week
- You can send in a text or audio update, but since this is all about virtuosity, video is more strongly encouraged than usual (so I can offer better advice.)
There is no expectation to play the excerpts at concert level, or to perform the exercises at a certain metronome mark! We are all here to learn - and I will be practicing all of those alongside you.
The When:
- May 3rd: Technical Foundation
- May 10th: Practicing Passages
- May 17th: Excerpt Clinic
- May 24th: Watch Party!
Challenge start: Monday, May 3rd
Watch party: 
May 24th
The Why:
- Because technique is the tool that enables us to be musical
- Because feeling secure and relaxed on stage leads to more beautiful music
- Because we want to challenge ourselves to practice every day
- Because learning together is more fun than learning alone
- Because we get to share our progress with others (whether video or just text)
- Because we want to meet our fellow tonebase community members
The Fun Part:
- At the end of this challenge, we will be hosting a Watch Party on tonebase LIVE!
- This is planned for May 24th at 11 am Pacific.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What if Monday at 11 Pacific doesn't work for me?
That's fine! All livestreams are available to be viewed as recordings. Feel free to watch them on your own time and contribute in the forums!
Can I join the challenge if I wasn't there on May 3rd?
Yes! You can do everything at your own pace and at your convenience.
Do I need any prior experience?
Nope! I will be providing all exercises and excerpts. You just need to be able to read music and willing to make the commitment to practice regularly for a few weeks!
I have a question, who do I ask?
Feel free to use this thread to ask any questions you might have about this challenge! If you would prefer to ask something in a more confidential setting, please use my email: [email protected]
Can I submit other exercises and excerpts?
But of course! The exercises and excerpts we provide here are only a place to start. If you want to take things further, feel free to apply them on whatever you are practicing. Also, in Week 3, I want your excerpt suggestions to look at! Please upload them in the relevant forum thread.
↓ Reply with other questions below ↓
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Hi Mircea,
I have sent an email to you, and another to Ashley, but I haven't heard back yet. I'm wondering if they may have been blocked somehow. If possible, could you let me know if you received it?
Thanks,
Eric
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Eric Hi Eric, I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to get back to you yet. This is finals week for both of us. You are most certainly not blocked though!
I might as well answer here - I am very happy to hear you've found so much value in Ashley's challenge and other activities here on tonebase Live! It's so great to hear you feel this way about all these different things we do on here.
Thank you for the challenge suggestion, too! It's a cool idea - quite similar to the Sor challenge we've done at the beginning of the year, but with even more freedom where everyone gets to choose what they work on. I'll see whether we can program something along these lines at some point!
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Mircea Thank you, Mircea! I'm sorry to distract you two from your final exams! While in some ways, I'd love to be able to go back to school, I'd be just fine never taking an exam again.
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Eric I would love to go back to school! It's always a refreshing feeling (especially for an unsystematic lazy like me)
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Eric No distraction at all
and Marek Tabisz lol I know the feeling
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Hi Mircea, I am new in Tonebase I'd like to participe although I already know that not always can be in lifestream. I live in south germany and the schedule is not so easy for me. Nevertheless I 'd love to try the life interaction. I am going to join you all this evening in lifestream.
See you later and congratulations for your creative and interesting workshops and topics in this site.
Nora
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Nora Torres-Nagel Welcome, Nora. I have participated in a couple challenges so far, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them! Not only are the teachers great, but the other participants are all very supportive. It's so easy to feel alone practicing the guitar, so I find the community very helpful. Personally, I'm hoping that this virtuosity challenge will give me some much-needed discipline focusing on my technique.
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Nora Torres-Nagel Thank you for joining, Nora! Hope you enjoyed today's livestream and hope to see you around these challenge forums! Eric thank you so much for your kind words about our guided activities here on tonebase Live! So happy to hear you've been enjoying them so much and encouraging others to take part in them, too. See you around the forums!
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Eric thanks for your wellcome Eric ! I also play the guitar almost only for me and I wanted to try with this community to have more fun and motivation , although the motivation is not an issue for me, it is very nice to share the music and experiencies , etc.
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I don't know how to make a video. I have tried with my phone but I have trouble trying to get my hands in the frame. Then I do not know how to send it. Is there help? I am hanging by a string over this issue.
P. Hancock
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peter hancock Hi Peter! To get your hands in frame better, try sitting further away from your phone. Rest your phone on a table, leaning it against a box, mug, or any other object - anything works, as long as you manage to make it stand up on its own, without your hands to support it.
Then, move away from the phone and go far enough away that your hands are visible on the preview you see in front of you. Try using the front camera rather than the back camera - this will allow you to see exactly what the final recording will sound like.
You can then attach it to this thread by clicking the button that says "Attach File" below:
Screenshot:
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Mircea Alternatively, once you've got the video recorded, you can simply upload it to YouTube (youtube.com), set the video privacy as "Unlisted", and then paste the link to your video in your reply.
Making it unlisted will prevent other people from watching it, but will allow us here in this thread to access it. Don't set the privacy on "Private" - if you do that, none of us will be able to see it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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Mircea I think this answer to Peter answers my question also to you. I don't know exactly where I send my mail, I was expecting to see it here. Any way, I 'will try to load directly my file here , but not today yet!!!
Thanks
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Thanks for the info. Wil try . Now to get over the nervousness.
P. Hancock
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peter hancock You can do it, Peter! We are a very supportive community here, and all levels are welcome!
hope to see you around the forum!
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Thanks
P .Hancock
