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What Should I Practice To Align With My Goals
Previously, I discussed my getting rid of most of my sheet music collection in order to make room for working on the music I value most. It was by no means easy, but a necessary step for me. Now that I had limited my choices, what should I put my efforts towards? And just to…
The Minimalist Guitarist
There is a lot of music in the world. If we limit ourselves to only guitar music, then we still have more than we could ever learn or listen to in a single lifetime. When I think about this idea, I am overwhelmed. Where do I begin? What piece(s) should I work on? Which exercises…
Moonlight by ล tฤpรกn Rak
Guitarist/composer ล tฤpรกn Rak has put the Czech Republic on the world stage with his work on and for the instrument. Mostly known for his easier, student-level compositions like Moonlight. However, he is an accomplished virtuoso and has written many virtuosic pieces. He does have a page dedicated to him on Wikipedia, but I think his…
3 Things I Am Learning From Beginner Guitar Scales in Open Position
As mentioned in my previous post on playing the long game and pursuing a virtual doctorate (read this post), I am following the guidance and tenants of Christopher Berg. In doing so, the first requirement in his guide for his university students is to master the open position scales in every key and play at…
Play The Long Game With Guitar
Last year I launched a Patreon page in hopes of finding support for pursuing a doctorate in performance on the guitar. Then, the pandemic hit. A lot can change in a year. Like many, I had to put many things on hold…like pursuing a doctorate. However, most great things we achieve in life happen over…
Waltz by Jaime Mirtenbaum Zenamon
I believe the composer of this Waltz, Jamie Mirtenbaum Zenamon (here’s a link to his Wikipedia page), is not a common name in most classical guitar circles. He wasn’t in mine until finding this piece in the Royal Conservatory collection. Born in Bolivia to European parents, he studied guitar and composition in Israel, Spain, Portugal,…
Building Your Fretboard Knowledge – Part 2
In the last post on building your fretboard knowledge, I focused on using chord shapes. In this installment, I’ll focus on using the pentatonic major and minor scales. These two scales are the most popular scales throughout the world. I think they are more important than the full major and minor scales when beginning the…
Andantino By Matteo Carcassi
I do not believe Matteo Carcassi needs any introduction. If you really think you need to look him up, then here is the link for the Wikipedia page. It is worthwhile to note that he wrote 77 opuses that we know exist. There a few that are known to be lost. I don’t know about…
Building Your Fretboard Knowledge – Part 1
The guitar is an overwhelming instrument. At first, it seems that there are only a handful of chords to play most songs. However, after learning a few songs, and then a few more, and then more, our understanding of the fretboard seems completely inadequate for ongoing growth. Therefore, I’d like to share with you the…
Liner Notes: Johann Kaspar Mertz Opern -Revue Op. 8 No. 2
Liner Notes seek to bring out a bit more understanding of pieces we all love and enjoy. Todayโs piece is Sonata No. 1 by Manuel Ponce.