WEEK THREE: The Destination!
Welcome to the Main Thread for the third and last week of the Sergio Assad Community Challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (← click)
- Watch the Kick-Off-Livestream on July 16th to get an overview!
- Download the scores for Assad's 10 Sketches 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 the Sketch!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ Reply below with your assignments and questions! ↓
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Sorry been out of the loop for a few days but I managed to get some practice time today on Sketch 4.
What was easy? I found the B sections easier than the A sections, although balancing the bass melody with the accompaniment needs work!
What was difficult? Some of the left hand fingerings - particularly in the A sections really require a lot of precision and care to get a clean flow - the change from bar 5 to bar 6 was troublesome for some reason
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Ron Yes, the A sections need to be played right up on the fingertips.
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Hi, sorry I'm late to the party as I just joined last week. I realized today was the last day and wanted to be able to participate so I worked on Sketch #1. I hope to have more time for the next challenge and to be able to watch and comment on your videos. The few I watched were very impressive.
- Things you found easy: On paper the notes look easy and in 1st position.
- Things you found difficult: Way more difficult than it looks and hard to maintain legato. I've been learning for about a year and thought it would be easier but clearly I need more practice.
- (Optional): a video of you performing the Sketch! This is my video including mistakes but I made it through. I did see Martin's video on sketch #1 and used his shifting trick on measure 85 which was nice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxKX_HiUg1k
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Brett Gilbert That was amazing, Brett! I can’t believe that you’ve only been playing for one year! I’m so glad you found the time to post an entry.
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Eric Phillips That's very kind. I watched many of your videos and it's impressive to see how far you and many others got on these sketches. I will continue to work on the sketches at my own pace as they are great exercises.
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Hey all - I'm reposting here. I originally posted this in Week Two because I couldn't find this thread. Here ya go...
Alrighty - Here's my more polished run-through of Sketch 3. It's really interesting how much harder this seemed to get the more I played it.
One of the things I have been working on in general is my right-hand fingering. I feel like I'm having to relearn how to play - like learning to walk again. I went through and wrote in the fingering for every single note. I think this is why it was so difficult for me. In this performance I think I started out following my fingering, but eventually I gave up and just played whatever I needed to get through the song. I realized afterwards that my right hand was cut out of the frame. That was not my intention.
With that, plus those rests in the "metallic" section, there was just too much going on. Something had to give. It was the rests. I'm playing right through those, sorry.
Also, my reading skills are severely underdeveloped. I actually created my own tablature version of this sketch. (see attached)
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Im reposting this sketch 4 again too very rough but I tried.
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Hello guys! Hope you're all doing great. I'm posting here my attemp on Sketch nr. 7, which was pretty fun (and very difficult and tricky as well), sorry for some mistakes, I ended doing one wrong note, and I think some not so accurate rythms
but still is okay 
I tried keeping the same tempo throughout the piece, except when the 4 over 3 polyrythm section comes. And by the way, I think I'm understanding better how to achieve a more stable right hand, not only with Martin's advice (which has been pretty helpful, perhaps I can upload the Sketch VI after the watch party), but also without preparation 
- One thing I found easy: Hmmm enjoy playing the piece?
- One thing I found difficult: Memorizing the essence of this Etude (polyrythms and polymeter)
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Daniel Beltrán Wow! You are accomplishing those chord changes and odd rhythms so quickly! Well done, Daniel.
- One thing I found easy: Hmmm enjoy playing the piece?
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Sketch III Inverted. Just for fun, I took the two voices in Sketch III and flipped them around, sort of like Carcassi Op 60 No 6. The score is attached.
My apologies for not observing the rests in measures 9-16. I am just getting used to damping basses. Damping trebles I find even harder.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
