WEEK 2: La Guitarra Espanola! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of our musical Journey to Spain!! This is the place to share submissions of the second 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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Sor - Cantabile Op 42 No 1
For the next few days, I'll play some pieces by Sor that are new to me. Perhaps the biggest reason I love Sor so much is that I'm always discovering more. He wrote so many very high quality pieces at every technical level. No matter where you are in your guitar journey, there is something by Sor to discover and enjoy.
In this great little piece, there is a double-slurred figure in measure 15 that I struggle with. The score is in the picture below and it occurs at 1:25 in the video. Anyone have any tips about executing this better?
If you want to hear this piece played much better on an 1835 Lacote, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNtK9Jx7TFY. But please watch that video at least an hour before or after you watch mine, so you won't compare!
Reply-
Eric Phillips That was very nice Eric. It's good to hear a longer work by Sor.
I just listened to this piece performed by Lawrence Johnson and by Marc Teicholz. Johnson seems to break the slurred figure into 3 sections, slurring in pairs, whereas Marc Teicholz breaks the figure into 2, slurring in 3's. Those might be a useful approach.
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Jack Stewart Ooh, good ideas. I'll give that a shot when I get home from work today. Thanks, Jack!
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Eric Phillips Hey dude, you are crazy, playing so much fine music....and you always play with great tone and musically.....forget 1.25 - it sounds great....for my small opinion, you do not have to change/improve anything .....really great !!!! Thank you for this fine music - I never heard before
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Olli Thanks, Dude! Just enjoying all the music, mine and others'.
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Eric Phillips that’s so beautiful, Eric. Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece. Never heard it.
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Olli Eric Phillips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IqiRY60ZDE
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David Krupka Mott the Hoople! Love it! Look at that ax!
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Eric Phillips I agree, that's one 'cool' (!?) guitar Ian Hunter is playing! Great song, though.
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David Krupka Are you working up that piece on lute?
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Eric Phillips This is fantastic! And I have NEVER seen a slur/articulation like that before. It's like they didn't have anything else to do back then but practice all day long!
I don't think there's really any other option fingering-wise than what you did, and I it seems like it has to be all hammer-ons and pull-offs. I would just say practice it very slowly and methodically over and over and I think you'll get it.
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David Krupka I showed this video to my teenage daughters and we all laughed our heads off!!!
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Steve Pederson David Krupka Was that you playing bass with the fine golden locks, Steve? I particularly dig the hot chicks at 1:23 - 1:32.
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Eric Phillips I wish!
Platform boots, a skin tight jump suit and a headstock that looks like an eagle in flight? I think I just might wear that for my next classical concert! -
Jack Stewart It needs to be lute shaped like an ax though!
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Eric Phillips beautiful Eric, and the slur in 6th sounded just great
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Eric Phillips really beautiful and so well played …
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Eric Phillips beautifull Eric!!!
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Sor - Waltz Op 32 No 2
Here is another one I hadn't played or even heard before a couple days ago. I just found it on YT and thought it might be a good choice. I particularly like when the octave Bs come in at about 1:23. It makes me think of trumpets.
I'm not too happy with my playing here. It's been one of those ones where I can play it just fine a hundred times in a row, then when I hit the record button ... blah! Oh well!
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Eric Phillips It’s a very charming piece. Thank you, Eric, for posting . The minor part is so nice. You could make it contrast, even more melancholic, by choosing more sul tasto sound. But it’s beautifully played as it is.
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joosje Thanks, Joosje, that would be a great idea.
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Eric Phillips this is fantastic! I didn't realize Sor had so much great stuff. I'm sure one could become an expert on, and make a career out of, playing only Sor pieces!
I hear you about everything going south once you hit the record button.
For an example of that, just see the videos I just posted after you! I really enjoyed your playing, though. -
Eric Phillips I know what you mean that always happen to me and that's why I usually record a session where I play around or more seriously and just keep the one that sounds good, if it ever happens.
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Eric Phillips great piece Eric. Well played
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I wanted to get a couple more pieces by Sor in before the end of the second week. One thing I really appreciate about this forum is being able to submit video takes that are “less than perfect”!
The first one is just the first half of his Op 7 Fantasie in C minor. I performed this for my senior recital back in 1992 and haven’t played it since. I’ve been resurrecting it, but after this point it gets much more difficult.
The second one is the fun little Minuet in C. I also performed this one for my senior recital, but because it’s much simpler, so I’ve kept up with it. Recently what I've been working on is various ways of executing the descending line from F in the trio section. (The C69 chord at the end is not in the original score.
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Steve Pederson Always great to hear some Sor, Steve! And those were really well done. Yes, a few missed notes, but very musical, and that’s what really counts! Did Sor really write that jazzy chord at the end?
I gave my senior recital in 1991, so apparently we’re pretty much the same age.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
