-
Microestudios 01
I first heard this piece from one of the community members Dale Needles, who posted it in the community challenge a few months ago. I was fascinated by it immediately, it gave me a sense of primal Impulse in the music, especially when the melody hit and accentuated the note C#. A really beautiful piece.
-
Wai That was really nice. Great job. I always think of Bartok when I listen to that piece. Also search out Carlevaro's master lesson on Youtube where he plays the first five Microestudios.
-
Dale Needles Thank you, Dale. Yes, I found the master class on Youtube:
-
-
Microestudios 02
This one is trickier than I thought
-
Wai That is a tough one but sounding good.
-
Recorded it again after a few days of practice, this time my aim was to eliminate the strings squeaks.
-
-
Microestudios 03
-
Wai Very nice. You play this well. The only suggestion, which applies to Microestudio 2 as well, is to focus in on trying to reduce or even eliminate left hand string squeaks. I know this is hard and we all struggle with it, but Carlevaro puts a lot of emphasis on this. As I am sure you have heard when listening to him, that Carlevaro plays with no squeaks. It has to do with how he uses his arm to lift his fingers off the strings. I highly recommend getting his book, School of Guitar. It is a brilliant book on his methodology. I hope you are enjoying the Microestudios. You are doing great! When you are ready, I can recommend other Carlevaro pieces.
-
Dale Needles Thank you so much for the valuable advice, Dale. I know, Carlevaro put a lot of emphasis on eliminating the string squeaks, but I don't know if I can reach that skill level.
Zero squeaks, that's tough...in bar32, even if I played it in super slow tempo, I still couldn't eliminate the squeaks...OK, let me use Phil Goldenberg's practice method and try to re-record No.2 and No.3 next weekend! 
-
Wai Just to add, do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. You are playing these Microestudios very well. So, yes, try to continue to perfect them but know that no one can rise to Carlevaro's level. Also, know that I have been trying to employ Carlevaro's left hand method for many years, and still find those annoying string squeaks appearing. As I mentioned previously, the key is the arm and how it lifts your fingers off the fret board. However, easier said than done. In any case, I am so happy you are enjoying these pieces. They are truly a wonderful set of studies. Best, Dale
-
Dale Needles Hi Dale, I re-recorded the No.2 and No.3 last night. Some places were sloppier than the last time, but I think I could finally reduce all the major squeaks this time. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction and the generosity of sharing your insight into Carlevaro music, I really appreciate your valuable advice.
-
-
Microestudios 04
-
Wai Excellent! I am happy to see you enjoying these studies.
-
-
Microestudios 05
-
Wai These microestudios are coming along so nicely. For this study, it can be played a little freely but be sure to follow the crescendo and decrescendo markings. In any case, it is sounding very good. What do you think of these studies? I think they are good for technical exercises and also help train the ear to hear different tonalities. In addition, as sets of five or more, they make for some nice little performance pieces.
-
Dale Needles Thanks for listening and always giving me valuable advice, Dale. I really enjoyed playing this series of Microestudios. Unlike other traditional etudes which were always based on scales or arpeggios ideas, Master Carlevaro emphasized lot more on the playing mechanism (especially diagonal left-hand movements, like the picture I attached in this comment), which made these Microestudios unique and important for developing guitar techniques.
The only thing I found difficult was the non-diatonic and chromatic character of the music, I seldom played music like that, so finding the right sound was a little bit challenging for me.Reply -
Dale Needles Hi Dale, I re-recorded the no.5 today and tried to pay more attention to the crescendo and decrescendo markings, but the dynamic change in the recording was less obvious than what I heard myself playing.
-
Wai That sounds great to me, Wai. The dynamics came through and I thought it was very expressive.
-
Wai Nice job! You are really getting the feel for these Mircroestudios. Congratulations on getting the first five of the set done. I hope you keep working on them because they are great little set of studies, good for working on technical skills but also a nice performance set. Also, keep going back to Carlevaro's masterclass video on these five Microestudios and try to pick up some of his nuances of his playing and see if you can replicate.
-
-
Microestudios 06
I really like this one, sounds dreamy and peaceful, but I still don't know how to interpret the last 3 bars.
-
Wai What great harmonies he creates here in just a few measures. We’ll done!
-
Eric Phillips Thanks, Eric. Last month, the practice diary became my playground, but It's time to practice some 19th-century guitar music.
-
Wai Nice! Come join me. I look forward to hearing what you choose.
-
Wai I also love this little arpeggio study, one of my favorites. Very well done! The key to playing this Microestudio ala Carlevaro, is to pay close attention to the inner voice where he has placed accents. Carlevaro has a unique right-hand stroke which he calls "toque 5" where he uses his nail to pluck from under the string to create a clear metallic sound. He uses this stroke to bring out the inner voice through a change of timbre and not from a change in volume. It is uniquely Carlevaro which he explains in his book, School of Guitar. In any case, keep up the great work on these studies.
-
Dale Needles Thank you so much, Dale, for the generosity of sharing your insight on Carlevaro's method. After a long time searching on the internet, I finally have found a Japanese version of School of Guitar (at a reasonable price) and ordered it today, the translator was also a student of Carlevaro, so I think the content would be correctly translated. Can't wait to read this legendary book!
-
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
