Week 1 - Make It Sing 🎶

¡Hola tonebuddies! 🎸

The Lágrima Track is live, and for the next three weeks we're all learning Tárrega's little teardrop together, in the same place, at the same time. The tonebase team is going in with you, posting our own progress, questions and stumbles right next to yours.

Open the Track here: Lágrima Track

This week's theme: make it sing. Lágrima lives on its melody floating above the accompaniment. Wherever you are in the Track, listen for that top voice and tell us how it's going. There's no section quota, go at your own pace.

Start by telling us where you're coming from: brand new to the piece, coming back to it, or polishing something you already play? Then post whatever your practice throws up, a clip, a question, a small win, a barre that won't ring. No clip required.

You're among the very first players through this Track, so one question for the week: where did something click for you, and where did it trip you up? We're listening 👂

Dates: October 16 – November 6. The Watch Party on November 6 will feature recorded submissions from this challenge, a single phrase or the whole piece. 🎥

13 replies

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    • Guillermo.4
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Lágrima is one of my favorite pieces, thank you for creating this track! 

    • Retired
    • Andre_Bernier
    • 6 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Very nice challenge but way over my py grade..... However, I will enjoy following the progress of the participants. Good luck 👍

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

       Hey Andre, if you haven't checked out the Lagrima Track I think it might be helpful and encouraging. Ema presents the lessons in a way that starts from a very simple and fundamental approach. I have only skimmed over the track so I can't attest to how difficult it gets towards the end. In any event, if you are interested in the piece it is worth looking into.

      • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
      • David_Krupka
      • 5 days ago
      • Reported - view

        I'll second Jack's recommendation, Andre. Even if you don't intend to learn the piece, I think you'll find Ema's commentary useful. (And concerning the piece itself, you might consider looking at the opening theme (first four measures) which is well within your capabilities. But I do understand your reluctance to tackle repertoire you don't feel ready for. That's my practice too!)

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

       I should follow your and  's reluctance to not tackle repertoire that is too difficult. But then I am an old dog and that would be a new trick.

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

         

      I took the time to go through the track for the first section (4 bars) and I have to say that these track are so well done. Great work Martin. This is certainly a great tool for young beginners like me. Bottom line, I will give it a go and try to learn at least the first section for this challenge.

      • Retired
      • Jim_king
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Way to go Andre.  For myself, I'm going to work on other new track available, Sor Study in B Minor Op. 35 No. 22.  But I will definitely be keeping an eye on how everyone is doing with Lagrima.

    • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
    • David_Krupka
    • 5 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I've been very sceptical about the value of these learning tracks for anyone other than beginner guitarists. But as I hadn't so much as picked up my instrument for a number of months, and finding myself with some free time last night, I decided to go through the track, guitar in hand. Lagrima is a piece I've known for years, but I can't remember the last time I actually played through it. Probably a decade ago ... So I rather expected this to be a refresher rather than a novel learning experience. I was wrong! Ema is a gifted teacher, and her commentary here is insightful; much of it, moreover, is broadly applicable, extending well beyond the context of this particular piece. So this is  my 'mea culpa': I'll be spending more time with the ToneBase learning tracks than I suggested I might when I spoke with  earlier this year.

      • Steve_Price
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I agree, David. I started this and was pretty impressed. Even though I use different fingerings and might articulate things differently, I don't think anyone can argue with the systematic approach. This has given me some ideas on how to work on some pieces I've struggled with, so I'd definitely say it's a beneficial format. It's certainly better than the brute-force approach I use 90% of the time. 

    • Ron.3
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I agree this track is very well done by Ema. I have played Lagrima before (inspired by Milos Karadaglic) but not for a number of years. I've had a look through the first part of the track and I agree with David that there are many things which are applicable to a number of other pieces I've attempted.

    • tonebase_user.62
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi, I am brand new to the piece and started using rest stroke in a piece for the first time with this. Looking forward to this!

    • Brad_Cooke
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I'm learning this for my next RCM exam, so I'm stoked to check out the practice tracks!

    • Immanuel
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I have learnt to play Lagrima previously and have decided to brush off the dust. Have just worked thought this track. What an incredible job Ema has done. Firstly the instruction, tips and demonstrations are first class. Secondly what an incredibly thorough approach, encouraging you to consolidate every single step along the way. If the other tracks are like this tonebase has created an incredible learning resource.

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