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Song List: Estudio 2* Romanza* Malagueña* Étude* Estudio 6* Gymnopédie
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• Transcription plus 2 breakdowns

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) was a prolific composer. Aside from the numerous solos for guitar, he composed a great deal of studies for guitar. For classical guitarists, these studies are essential: They are not only used for developing technique but also for developing musical-interpretation skills. Andris Segovia, the famous Spanish classical guitarist and composer, compiled twenty studies from Sor. Estudio 2, an exercise for the right hand, is one of them. The melody is in the top voice, while the accompaniment has an Alberti bass figure. From measure 26 through the end of the piece, the shifts are rather difficult and must be practiced slowly and as relaxed as possible in order to achieve a legato feel when the passage is brought up to tempo.

• Transcription plus 1 breakdown

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Not much is known about this piece. It is a popular folk melody that appeared in the nineteenth century. Many arrangements and variations from triplets to tremolo exist today. The piece was also made into a popular song and featured in the movie Forbidden Games.The song's melody lies on the first note of every beat. The melody must be emphasized in order to separate it from the accompaniment. Care should be taken in measures 9-10, 25-26, and 73-74 because of the stretch with the fourth finger in the left hand. Stretching of the left-hand fingers occurs more in the E-major section. Practice the stretches slowly, and do not overexert the left hand.

• Transcription plus 1 breakdown

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Malagueña is named after Malaga, the great city in Spain. The term malagueña is applied to several Spanish folk tunes or dances and is derived from traditional fandangos. This malagueña needs no introduction. It is a widely popular piece, and there are many arrangements of it. The distinguishable theme of Malagueña appears immediately in the beginning. Two variations of the accompaniment in measures 15 and 60 exist. The section beginning in measures 29 requires special attention: It is difficult to figure out rhythmically, but this section looks more formidable than it actually is.

• Transcription plus 2 breakdowns

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Born in Florence, Italy, Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853) became one of the leading guitar figures of the nineteenth century. After a career as a concert guitarist, Carcassi settled in Paris, where the Neapolitan guitarist-composer Ferdinando Carulli rivaled him. Carcassi rose to fame incorporating catchy melodies into his compositions and composing beautiful technical studies. Matteo Carcassi is best known today for his Complete Method for guitar and for his numerous étude. Among the itudes is his 25 Melodic and Progressive Études, Opus 60, in which Carcassi takes the student from easy to difficult studies. This étude is taken from that book (number three of the twenty-five). There are three voices in the piece: the melody on top, the accompaniment in the middle, and the bass on the lower voice. There are some difficult passages. In measures 7 and 15, the bar is challenging to the left hand. With slow practice, it is possible to finger it without any struggle. Other passages that present similar difficu lty are in measures 18, 19, 34, and 35. Stretching of the fourth finger in the left hand is found in measures 3, 11, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29, 36, 37, 38, 42, and 45. Finally, there are two leaps — measures 30-31 and 16-47 — with the left hand that must be played at a slower tempo for ease of learning.

• Transcription plus 1 breakdown

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) was a prolific composer. Aside from the numerous solos for guitar, he composed a great deal of studies for guitar. For classical guitarists, these studies are essential: They are not only used for developing technique but also for developing musical-interpretation skills. Estudio 6 is another of Sor's studies compiled by Segovia. It is another study of the right hand. Few demands are placed on the left hand, which makes establishing a legato feel fairly simple. The top part is the prominent voice. The bottom part, however, should not be neglected because it produces part of the harmony. This piece has a limited range: the highest note is an A above the staff and the lowest note is an E below the staff. In measures 30 and 31, there are sixteenth-note rhythms with slurs. These should not be rushed, but rather practiced at a slow tempo to achieve the correct rhythmic feel.

• Transcription plus 1 breakdown

• Right-Hand and Left-Hand Performance Video of transcription

Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a composer who became intrigued with the art movements of cubism, surrealism, and neoclassicism. During his youth, he sought to change his style of composition by applying principles from these visual styles. In contrast to the complex Romantic compositions of older contemporaries like Wagner and Brahms, Satie composed pieces that were thin and had simple musical lines. In 1888, Satie composed his Trois Gymnopédies for piano. Gymnopédie refers to ceremonial dances in ancient Sparta. Here we have the first of the three dances. Stretches of the left hand could be a problem if they are not worked out individually. Since this is a slow piece, accuracy of finger placement should not be much of a problem.