🎯 The Etude Challenge: Study Pieces, Serious Progress - Week 3

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

  1. Pick your etude – Choose one that excites you and challenges you. Not sure where to start? Ask the community for suggestions!
  2. Share your goal – Tell us what you're working on and what you want to achieve (clean run-through, memorization, performance tempo, etc.)
  3. Post your progress – Upload short clips, practice notes, or reflections as you go. We want to see the process, not just the polish.
  4. Engage – Listen to what others are working on, leave encouragement, and trade practice tips!

74 replies

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    • Eric
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Sor Op 29 No 24 (Mar 13)

    Here it is again. I don't know if it is any better. It just seems to me like about the same quality, but with the mistakes in different places.

      • Eric
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Jack. As far as I can tell, the score has no tempo indication. McFadden does have a tendency to play Sor very fast for my taste, but I guess if you got the chops, why not flaunt them. Needless to say, my chops are quite lacking, so slower is my only option. That said, I do like this piece better on the slow side. My favorite recording is by Belmin Okanovic.

      And yes, that coda may be the longest E minor chord in all of music.

      • Eric
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Wow, thank you Blaise! You are totally correct, of course, and I wasn’t even aware. I like it much more when I play it correctly. Thank you for listening so closely and letting me know.

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       It jumped to my ears immediately since the rest is very well executed!👌💪

      • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
      • David_Krupka
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Very fine playing, Eric. As for tempo, I think that Sor's music is of sufficient quality to permit a variety of interpretative choices. I like the hint of melancholy that perfuses your own performance. (And concerning favourite professional recordings, I'm waiting to hear Patrik Kleemola play this on his 1839 Lacote!)

      • Eric
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Go to 21:05.

      • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
      • David_Krupka
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks Eric! I thought I had heard him playing this etude, but when I looked for it a week or two ago, I couldn't find it, and thought I must been mistaken. I'd forgotten it was in this short program. I'm very fond of his playing. Thanks for the link!

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

       What can I say - this is such a beautiful performance Eric! For me the tempo is perfect - I agree that (for my taste) McFadden plays Sor too fast. Even though I appreciate the ability to play at faster tempo, I feel many of the works lose some of their beauty. I was listening to Franz Halasz playing Villa-Lobos in his 2025 recording and I have the same comment (I've no idea how he plays at the tempo he does!)

      • Ernesto.1
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      Bravo!

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

       I can't say if this was better but this was certainly very enjoyable listening. Well done Eric.

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

    Gilardino Study #24.1 Prelude. 3rd posting

    This is a bit better than the previous posting. I feel the phrasing and tone have improved, though still much work to be done there. The mistakes are also somewhat less jarring. I am still spending considerable attention on remembering the sequence of phrases. I suspect this piece will need a while to really sink in. 

      • Eric
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Another big leap, Jack! I am liking this music more and more each time you post. Great job!

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks for sharing this Jack, Gilardino's studies are very interesting, you're doing a great job! 💪

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

       Thanks Eric. I am happy you are finding this piece interesting. I have liked it for quite a while but it has been a challenge (ongoing)  to actually find my footing in playing it. 

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

       Thanks Blaise. Gilardino is amazing as a composer. I place him in company with  Bogdanovic and Carlevarro, in terms of his stylistic range and voluminous output.

      • BLaflamme
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Absolutely, what I've heard of him is great!

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

       Great job Jack! I hadn't come across Gilardino until you introduced us to this study, so thank you!

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

       Thanks Ron. Gilardino is certainly worth checking out, even though most of his music is beyond me I find much of it very interesting, even the ones I don't care for. He has a huge catalog and it is quite diverse.

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

       It sounds more fluid and a lot more clarity in the high pitch notes and chords. Well done Jack. 👍

    • Amateur guitarist/lutenist
    • David_Krupka
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Well played, Jack! An interesting piece by a composer whose music I am unfamiliar with. It sure doesn't look easy!

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

       Thanks David. It is not an easy piece but there are not many real challenging parts to it. I think my real problem with the piece is age related.

      Gilardino is an interesting composer, I don always like his work but I almost always find them interesting. I hope to post the theme and 1st variation of another of his studies, which is entirely different.

    • Ernesto.1
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Sor Op 29 No 24... Section B. Hard to find "comfortable fingering" and really hard to let the basses sound when the hand is stretched.  Thanks for the tips on how to work on it!

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

        Great work, Ernesto. This is a very challenging piece but you seem to have this section well under your fingers. Looking forward to seeing how you progress.

      • michel.2
      • 3 wk ago
      • Reported - view

      @Ernesto Ça n'a pas dû être facile à jouer — bravo ! 

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

       Very nice Ernesto. 👍

Content aside

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