🎶 Latin American Music Challenge | Week 5

Welcome to our tonebase Guitar Community Challenge! For the next few weeks, we’ll be diving into the vibrant world of Latin American music, exploring rhythms, colors, and styles that have inspired guitarists around the globe.

This is your chance to work on masterpieces and hidden gems by some of the most iconic composers:

  • Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil) – lush, virtuosic preludes and études

  • Agustín Barrios Mangoré (Paraguay) – romantic, poetic works full of soul

  • Abel Carlevaro (Uruguay) – brilliant studies and innovative techniques

  • Leo Brouwer (Cuba) – modern masterpieces mixing folklore and avant-garde

  • Manuel M. Ponce – sonatas, and romantic masterpieces

  • Antonio Lauro – famous Venezuelan Waltzes

  • Atahualpa Yupanqui – folk-rooted pieces

  • Jorge Morel – virtuosic concert works and arrangements

  • …and many more treasures from across Latin America!


How it Works

  1. Pick your piece(s) – anything from the Latin American repertoire that excites you.

  2. Introduce yourself – share what you’ll be working on and why.

  3. Post updates – you can share progress videos, practice tips, or reflections.

  4. Support others – comment, encourage, and learn together.


📅 When?

  1. Start: September 29th

  2. End: October 30th

  3. Watch Party: October 30th 🎉


Why Join?

✅ Discover new repertoire
✅ Build consistency in practice
✅ Get feedback from peers
✅ Celebrate Latin American music with the community


💡 Whether you’re tackling a full Villa-Lobos Étude, polishing a Barrios gem, or exploring a short Brouwer piece, this challenge is for everyone — from curious beginners to advanced players.

👉 Jump in by introducing yourself below and telling us what you’ll be working on!

Let’s bring the sounds of Latin America to life together. 💃🎶 

13 replies

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    • Steve_Price
    • Yesterday
    • Reported - view

    Leo Brouwer - Preludios epigramáticos - #3 Alrededor de tu piel, ato y desato la mía

    A second take at this. I have it memorized now and understand the phrasing a little better. With so much space, it's hard not to rush, but I think I'm getting a better feel for it.  

      • Barney
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Excellent Steve!!  The memorization certainly frees your mind up to think about  musical aspects more deeply.  It shows in your playing.  Bravo!

      • Steve_Price
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Thanks a lot, Barney. I haven't actually tried to memorize anything in years (partly because my memory isn't getting any better), but this time it happened accidentally, and I'm finding that it is freeing. Do you try to memorize everything? 

      • Barney
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       I try to memorize, if there is time.  Often if the piece is too complex and long, it's not as easy, and like you, the memory is not what it used to be.😂

      • BLaflamme
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       As Barney said, it shows in your playing that you're playing from memory, a far better and introspective version!

      • Ron.3
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       Very good! I agree with Barney and Blaise that you playing it from memory gives a much better version. I know what you mean about memorising - it used  to be easy for me but these days ...!

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 13 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       Well done Steve. Bravo👍

    • Reinhard
    • 14 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi, my name is Reinhard. This is my first video that I share. For this challenge, I chose the first movement of the sonata by Maximo Diego Pujol. Unfortunately the month isn´t quite long enough for me to lear this piece from scratch and make a recording I´m really happy with. Anyways, hope this gives you at least a bit of a feel for the piece - and that you'll check out the original recording by Pujol.

      • Retired
      • Andre_Bernier
      • 13 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       Well done Reinhard. This is indeed a fairly difficult piece but you are already in good control. Bravo

      • BLaflamme
      • 13 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       That's a beautiful submission Reinhard, It doesn't seem like you learned it from scratch for a month! 💪 Also it looks like you're using an OC818, a very interesting microphone, but there's a bit too much reverb, is it your room or applied after? Thanks for sharing!!

      • matt.1
      • 12 hrs ago
      • Reported - view

       Sounds great!  I'm doing Pujol this month as well.  I'm unfamiliar with this one.  What is the name of the Sonata?

    • Dale_Needles
    • 12 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Here is Agustin Carlevaro's arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's milonga, "Soledad".  As many of you know, Agustin Carlevaro was Maestro Abel Carlevaro's older brother. Agustin was an architect by profession, but he was also an accomplished guitarist and arranger of Piazzolla's music as well as other tango composers. I was fortunate to call Agustin a friend and have fond memories visiting him in his music studio in his home in Montevideo, playing music and talking about the Tango.  Even more special was to hear Agustin and Abel play duets of Uruguayan folk music from their childhood, something that I will never forget.

    • matt.1
    • 10 hrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Here's my latest Candombatan from Maximo Diego Pujol.  Starting to come together.  I'm glad I did this challenge. I always need outside motivation to really make progress. I also did video for another Pujol piece I've been working on, Preludio Triston.

Content aside

  • 10 hrs agoLast active
  • 13Replies
  • 38Views
  • 9 Following