WEEK 1: Vamos, Compañeros 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of our musical Journey to Spain!! This is the place to share submissions of the first week! 
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
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
↓ HAPPY PRACTICING, HAPPY SHARING ↓
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So hello everyone. As promised here's the Danza, that still needs more practice
I find it quite challenging currently, the most difficult things for me are the right hand pattern and the scales. I still need to find the control of the piece. And perhaps something a tad easy could be the left hand. -
Eric Phillips Thanks a lot, Eric! I'm still working on having a steady rhythm at higher tempos
and I think my neighbors must be tired of the rasgueados 
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Dale Needles Thanks a lot for those comments, Dale! Best regards
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Jack Stewart thanks, Jack! The piece is pretty fun!
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So I'm setting myself up for a rough ride I think with Soleá for Buleria by Tomatito and Concerto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo (adagio) for a more classical approach.
Things I'm finding easy; Not too much but I have at least spent some time with these pieces before so structure is vaguely there along with I good idea of how it is supposed to sound.
Things I'm finding tricky;
Soleá por Bulería
Evenness and definition on rasgueados (whilst keeping little finger in/relaxed), tempo, ensuring golpes are audible, cleanliness of ligados especially whilst barring and stamina!
Also keeping in time with the flamenco metronome and the accents is a pain compared to a regular one and no accents. I'm ignoring this and aiming to get the music to an even metronome first and work on some separate rhythm exercises for Buleria and hopefully marrying the two together later shouldn't be too difficult.
Concierto de Aranjuez
The music hasn't arrived yet so this has mostly been noodling in Bm and practicing ligados. There's a nasty barre section in this if I remember so any tips on strengthening the left hand or keeping it relaxed throughout this would be appreciated.
general
Left hand shape has developed a habit of collapsing a little at the fist finger which needs addressing as it's making some chord changes tougher.
I'm really enjoying playing lots of Spanish music and listening to everybody's beautiful renditions.
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Dionisio Aguado - Lesson 39
This again comes from the first part of Aguado's method. It's one of several lessons on how to make one voice sustain properly while other voices move around it. As Aguado says it: "Modo de sostener las notas de una parte mientras se mueven las de otra."
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Eric Phillips Really nice, Eric. The importance of Sor's pedagogical work is widely recognized, but Aguado's contribution to this area of repertoire tends to be overlooked. As your recordings make evident, he too had a gift for composing charming exercises that focus on particular elements of technique. Thanks for posting!
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David Krupka I could not agree more. As I'm playing through these lessons, I'm realizing just how good they are both didactically and musically.
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Eric Phillips so nice, Eric. Thanks a lot for posting this. I agree fully to what is said here. Aguado has made wonderful didactical stuff, really worth studying. Quite demanding actually, some of it. Especially on modern guitars. Would be nice to have a period instrument like Helene’s.
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Eric Phillips
Nice Eric. I don't know Aguado other than by name. I'm not ready yet to place him with Sor, but that piece was nice.
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Is anyone else still struggling with their pieces? I most definitely am
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
