WEEK 1: Exploring Carcassi's Etudes
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of the composition challenge! This is the place to post updates for the first week.
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
- Get the Scores here! (<- click)
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ Reply below with your updates and questions! ↓
379 replies
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Study 14.
Here's another take at this piece, a bit faster and with (I hope) a bit more musicality. I'm not sure, but I think this may be my last submission of this piece!
I apologize for the beeping sound at 1:08. I received a notification on my laptop at that moment!
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Study 2 update.
I'm still playing it very slowly, but now I'm trying to add what Tengyue Zhang called micro dynamic shapes in his video lesson. Basically, I'm trying to give each arpeggio a hairpin dynamic. Let me know if it works!
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I have started on no 2, 3, 7 and 16. I played 3 many years ago, but I see that I have problems with the barres. For 16 I am using an arrangement in higher position, which gives the piece a dark and introvert character. However I think it adds quite a few technical difficulties. However I am glad to escape the barre in first position.
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Yes, exactly, I have thought about what you suggested about the repeat
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Martin, love the Carcassi Challenge. These are a wonderful set of Etudes and working on them again is like reuniting with old friends. I plan to work on three Etudes per week and am working off the Llobet edition with edits and fingering by Abel Carlevaro.
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Study 9.
I've worked on a scale etude (14) and an arpeggio etude (2), so now I'm going to try a slur etude. I really like number 9, and I've never played it before, so that's what I'm choosing. The video is just an initial reading of the piece. I will continue to work on it and post my progress. I apologize for the mistaken G natural in measure 26.
What was easy: It has a very clear form and phrasing and it is very guitaristic, generally fitting well under the fingers.
What was difficult:
- Measure 2 - The slur from G# to F# in the second beat requires a quick position shift (at least the way I'm playing it).
- Measure 19 - The pull-off from the twelfth fret to the open string could be hard to execute cleanly. I might just play it without a pull-off.
- Measure 23 - The transition from measure 22 to 23 will need work.