WEEK TWO Updates: Main Thread - Following the Path to Tárrega

LIVE
martin.3
updated 4 yrs ago
340replies

Alright, welcome to WEEK TWO of the Main Thread for this challenge! 💪

Where is the Week 1 thread?

Find the Week 1 thread here!

Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!)

One thing you found easy:
One thing you found difficult:

(Optional): a video of you performing it!

- Barney
- 4 yrs ago
- Reported - view
Here is Maria Gavota, which needs some polishing in a few spots.

On to the next piece --maybe an easy one, or more demanding one like Danza Mora. Stay tuned...
- Jaime_Zaldua
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney Beautiful interpretation Barney 👏 loved it
- Barney
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Jaime Zaldua Thank you Jaime!!
- Student at the Universidad de Los Andes in Mérida
  
  Daniel.3
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney pretty nice, Barney! very musical, lyrical playing. Congratulations!Barney
- Barney
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Daniel Thanks Daniel!
- LIVE
- martin.3
- 4 yrs ago
- Reported - view
Please tell me, how do you do execute the jump into b major 7 so effortlessly? 🙈 Struggling with etude in e minor!

One thing you found easy: Shaping the dynamics by following the harmonies! They create a natural flow of tension and relieve and it makes it really easy to follow along!

One thing you found difficult: WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK!? 🧙‍♂️🤯🥳🙈
- Dennis_Greensmith
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Martin Sounds great and a thank you for your method of solving it. In England we always use this method of solving:
  
  1. look at the problem
  
  2. try to play it
  
  3. Have a cup of tea to think about it
  
  4. go back to 1.
  
  :-)
- LIVE
  
  martin.3
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Dennis Greensmith Haha, great advice! I'd like to add the step "sleep over it" somewhere in between as well 🤓👨‍⚕️
- BLaflamme
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Martin I think you're doing it without too much effort 😂... but as Yoda says... try not, do or do not, there is no try! 🤯
- Barney
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Blaise Laflamme I love Yoda and Star Wars. The music is awesome! Just sent my son an SACD recording on Telarc, including John Williams music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc. Such a great film composer. Wish someone published a medley of some John Wiliams film pieces for Intermediate/Advanced Classical guitar.
- BLaflamme
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney You're right, John Williams is an awesome film composer and conductor! Great gift to your son, he's lucky. I remember watching him on TV conducting the Boston Pops when I was a teenager and listening to Star Wars and Indiana Jones in the car, mixed with rock music ;) You sure nothing got published?
- Eric
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney We have now worked both John Williams' (the guitarist and the film composer) into this one forum! Just an observation. 🙂
- Debbie
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Martin I enjoyed your video Martin. I like the commentary as you explain how you’re working out your process. It also makes the video more natural and relaxed and not like you’re trying to perform which I think is my problem. There’s the tendency to try to be so serious all the time and not have fun with the video. And as far as the piece goes I’ve never played it but can only imagine I would have the same challenge as you. I had surgery on my left hand a year and a half ago and those types of moves are tough for me. So I will remember your solution!
- LIVE
  
  martin.3
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney Blaise Laflamme Rafael Aguirre plays the "Star Wars Suite"
  
  , sounds like a lot of fun!
- LIVE
  
  martin.3
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Debbie thank you so much! Thankfully, I have my "tonebase livestream recording setup" always ready, I just need to switch on some buttons and I am ready to go, it helps a lot if there is no big drama in setting up everything in order to get ready! Glad you liked my honest review of a "simple" piece, haha!
- BLaflamme
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Martin wow... that Star Wars Suite is amazing... thanks for sharing!
- Barney
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Martin Thanks . I just found this one also:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXWKPosRFwc
  
  These are very cool, and fun to watch!
- Paul.8
- 4 yrs ago
- Reported - view
Here’s a week 2 update, Prlude No. 5 continues to improve slowly thanks to all the great tips and tutorials. I am also reading through Prelude No. 1 which I am really enjoying. What I am finding (relatively) easy with Prelude No.1: Finding the notes and getting a sure fingering fixed. What I find difficult: getting the right balance of volume on the descending melody line from measures 9 - 11 (with slurs) and the ascending melody line in measures 13 - 15. I have seen a few great comments that are helpful with the slurs however.
- Thomas.2
- 4 yrs ago
- Reported - view
Dear fellow members,

here is my try on the week two update.

After Adelita and Lagrima I tried working on Marieta Mazurka and Pavana .... although "the journey is not over yet for me and these pieces", I thought I should post the "status quo"😉 I hope you like them and any advice would be welcome.

Pavana 2 Marieta Mazurka
- Barney
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thomas Very musical, with good tone. Great job!!
- Thomas.2
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Barney thank you for these kind words, Barney!
- Eric
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thomas Those were spectacular, Thomas! Both were great, but I particularly enjoyed Pavana as we don't hear that one so often. The B section is pretty challenging, but you pulled it off beautifully. I could listen to that all day!
- Giuseppe
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thomas Bravo!!!👋
- Thomas.2
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Eric Phillips thanks a lot for the compliment that reddened me face😉. my wife and children are not really interested in classical guitar, so I have/had no audience in the past.....it is a great feeling to know that someone listens at
  
  least as long as this challenge may last; and in addition these listeners are great guitarists like you, Eric. Wow, thank you again!
- Eric
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thomas My wife and kids have no interest either, and get quite upset if I spend too much time practicing guitar. This forum is my only audience as well.
  
  I put your recording of Pavana on repeat this morning while I was working at my desk, and enjoyed every minute of it for a couple hours. It's just really beautiful music to me and I never tire of listening to it.
- BLaflamme
  
  4 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thomas great sound and playing Thomas! At first I haven't seen your post, the thread is becoming hard to navigate, and since there was no video I passed over without realizing it... sorry. That'd be great if you can post a video, I would like to see you play, I'm waiting for you next submission!