🎯 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!

86 replies

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    • Retired
    • Jack_Stewart
    • 1 mth 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. 

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 1 mth 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
      • 1 mth ago
      • Reported - view

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

      • Ron.3
      • 4 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
      • 4 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
      • 2 wk 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
    • 1 mth 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
      • 4 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
    • 4 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
      • 4 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
      • 4 wk ago
      • Reported - view

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

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Very nice Ernesto. 👍

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