Guitar News

Making a Rosette for Classical Guitar – Great to see this video of luthier Evan Kingma making a rosette for classical guitars via his YouTube channel. Such intricate and beautiful work! He’s what he had to say via his description:

In this video you can see the design and creation of one of my rosettes. For my Model 1 guitars, all of my rosettes are personalized for each client, and every single one is totally unique. The client for this guitar requested a rosette inspired by Japanese Gold Folding Screens and this was the design I came up with. I don’t normally put spacers in between the mosaic tiles of my rosettes, but I felt it worked quite well with the theme and the spacers here are meant to represent the seams where the screens fold up.

Émilie Fend performs a concert including repertoire by Giulio Regondi, Manuel Ponce, Dilermando Reis, and Silvestre Fonseca. This comes via Siccas Guitars and their YouTube channel where you can also see which guitars are being played in the description. I’m so impressed with Fend’s playing which has a wide variety of expressive abilities, tonal palette, and natural phrasing. A joy to hear.

• Repertoire and Times
• 00:00 Nocturne “Rêverie” Op.19 by Giulio Regondi
• 09:54 Melodia de uma noite by Silvestre Fonseca
• 14:06 Sonata III (Allegro Moderato) by Manuel M. Ponce
• 19:55 Sonata III (Chanson) by Manuel M. Ponce
• 23:21 Sonata III (Allegro non troppo) by Manuel M. Ponce
• 28:50 Se ela Perguntar by Dilermando Reis

Congratulations to these amazing young guitarists whose skill and artistry were nothing short of astounding in their final round performances for the 21st edition of the GFA’s International Youth Competition. Our esteemed judges had the difficult task of whittling it down to only four per division, and then ranking them by their final round videos. Thanks to all who participated for their preparation and courage in sharing their music with us, this was a stunning final round!

Rose Augustine Grand Prize:
Virgile Barthe (France)

2nd Place:
Muxin Li (China)

3rd Place:
Manuel Toucinho (Portugal)

4th Place:
Andrzej Grygier (Poland)

Congratulations to all of the incredible finalists for their hard work, perseverance, and masterful artistry. You have truly risen the bar of what can be achieved.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Denver at the 2026 GFA convention!

In this video I discuss the reason why I don’t make ‘play along’ videos but make context lessons instead. This is a question I get asked all the time online. You’ve all seen play-along videos, they show the score and where to put your fingers for each measure of the piece. They don’t have much value to me or my students, especially in regards to long term development. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being critical of along-along videos, some people love them, they just don’t hold the same educational value to my students. This comes via my YouTube channel.

➔ Need a curriculum to follow? See my Curriculum Page.

➔ You can start with my free beginner method.

➔ How to create a balanced practice sessions.

Topics in this Video

• 00:00 Intro
• 0:51 Play-Along versus Context Lessons
• 2:32 The Benefits of Context Lessons
• 4:54 What if a student doesn’t know where to put their fingers?
• 6:07 What if a student doesn’t have an educational background?
• 7:37 Conclusion

Ukrainian classical guitarist Marko Topchii performs Zahir by Francesco Sgambati (b.1990) which was the winning entry of the DGF’s 4th composition contest. Performed Live at the 2024 Groningen Guitar Festival. The score for ‘Zahir’ will be published soon at Donemus. This comes via the Dutch Guitar Foundation via their Youtube channel. Great piece with plenty of contrast, motivic interest, and explorations of the guitar’s soundscape.

The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten
Emma Rush
Write-up and Liner Notes

Emma Rush has an interesting new album out with a repertoire theme centred around Catharina Pratten. As she mentions, “The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten includes seven previously unrecorded tracks by the Victorian guitar icon, first recordings of works by her father Ferdinand Pelzer, her husband Robert Sidney Pratten, her colleague Leonard Shulz, and her student Frank Mott Harrison, and music by Francisco Tárrega, Giulio Regondi, and Ernest Shand…Pratten was a composer, guitarist, educator, publisher, conductor, and instrument inventor based in London. She was incredibly influential and was the most important guitar figure in Britain in the 19th century…Visit my store for hard copies, bandcamp for digital copies, or stream on all the major platforms!” You can also listen to the album via Spotify.

The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten includes beautiful playing by Rush and repertoire that weaves a story of Pratten’s life, inspirations, and influence on the era. A must listen!

Also check out this video of a work from the album. This comes via Rush’s YouTube channel. 

Repertoire

• 1 Daisy by Catharina Josepha Pratten (1824-1895)
• 2 A Lost Love
• 3 Variations sur un Thème Russe by Ferdinand Pelzer (1801 -1860)
• 4 Étude No.1 Allegretto Moderato by Giulio Regondi (1822-1872)
• 5 Absence by Catharina Josepha Pratten
• 6 The Duke of Cambridge’s Grand March by Robert Sidney Pratten (1824-1873)
• 7-8 The Last Compositions of Mr. Leonard Schulz by Leonard Schulz (1814-1860)
• No.8 Cantabile
• No.3 Allegretto a l’Espagnole
• 9 Lágrima Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909)
• 10 Capricho Árabe
• 11 Evening Song by Catharina Josepha Pratten
• 12 Dreaming of Thee
• 13 Coquette
• 14 Le Ruisseau Frank by Mott Harrison (d.1945)
• 15 Danse Capriccio Op. 28 by Ernest Shand (1868-1924)
• 16 Funeral March Op.89
• 17 Lucia di Lammermoor by Catharina Josepha Pratten

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 1o, 11, 12, 13, and 14 were recorded on a guitar from
the 185os that was likely made in London. The luthier is not known.
It has a handwritten label inside that states: Madame R. Sidney Pratten,
38 Welbeck St., London Cavendish Sq.

The amazing Liying Zhu performs the first movement Allegro from Five Bagatelles for Guitar by English composer Sir William Walton (1902-1983). This video comes from the amazing GuitarCoop and their fantastic YouTube Channel. I am always impressed by Zhu’s playing with beautiful phrasing and the contrast between her silky legato lines and clear articulation and virtuosity. One of the best players of our time.

What Chair Do I Use for Classical Guitar? In this video I look at the best two chairs for classical guitar that I’ve found so far. One is a drum throne and the other an antique piano stool.

The Drum Throne I use via Amazon – Keep in mind that I hate how this one squeaks, but maybe all of them do? I should order a different brand to see if there is one that is silent.

Antique piano stool with talons – These were super common and they are readily available via ebay, etsy or your local antique store. I found mine at an antique store randomly while paying for some furniture, it was right there and newly refinished so I grabbed it at a great price.

Canadian guitarist Ben Diamond performs Collectici Intim by Spanish composer Vicente Asencio (1908–1979). This comes via Diamond’s YouTube channel (go subscribe now). Movements: I. La Serenor; II. La Joia; III. La Calma; IV. La Gaubança; V. La Frisança. Great performance by Diamond with nice elegant melodic playing in the first movement and clarity in the voicing in the busier movements.

Ariel Abramovich (vihuela de mano) and Inés Alonso (soprano) perform Bella de vos son amorós – Anónimo (Cancionero de Uppsala, S. XVI). This comes via Edoardo Lambertenghi’s excellent YouTube channel. Such a charming performance with so much rhythmic interest.

“From: “Villancicos de diversos autores, a dos, y a tres, y a quatro, y a cinco bozes, agora nuevamente corregidos. Ay mas ocho tonos de Canto llano, y ocho tonos de Canto de Organo para que puedam aprovechar los que a cantar començaren.” Venecia, 1556. Intabulation by Ariel Abramovich. Vihuela de mano built by Alfonso Marín (Seville) in 2024. Recorded in Bernate Ticino (Italy) April 12, 2025″

Six Misconceptions About Grade Levels in Music Studies and Classical Guitar. In this video I cover 6 major misconceptions about grade levels in music.

I don’t really believe in grades in music. Higher grade music isn’t better music and doesn’t mean you are a better player. However, I nevertheless use them on the site, so WHY? There are no grades in music itself but they are helpful for indicating whether a work is beyond someone’s technical or musical abilities. Pros play from all levels, a grade 3 work in the hands of a professional might as well be a masterwork. See the list of misconceptions below. This comes via my YouTube. The exercises all come from My Technique Book. 

All the music you practice should be within your grade. False. You should be playing a wide variety of music at your level and BELOW. When I teach a grade 4 student I will assign a ton of grade 1-2 pieces for them while they work on just a few challenging grade 4 works. The more often they play well, the more that becomes their normal playing style.

Students Playing Higher Grades are Better Than Students at Lower Grades. False. I’ve adjudicated students in festivals and competitions where I assign a winner who is playing lower grade works. BUT, they were prepared and played musicality with good technique. I’d rather hear an excellent performance of a grade 2 work than a terrible performance of a grade 4 work. 

Pros only play advanced works. False. Professionals play good music regardless of the level. This is especially seen in suites and larger form works where many movements might be at lower levels. But, they play them at very very very high quality levels.

When you “complete” a grade it’s time to move onto the next grade. False. I will often pause a student from moving to the next grade and just have them play music at or, more often, below their level. This might be to work on musicality, technique, relaxation, or for their enjoyment and enthusiasm. A higher grade level may not accomplish any good results if the student is not ready. 

Passing an exam or completing all the works in a book means you’ve passed the grade. False. I’ve had students receive 90% passing grade in an exam (which is very very high and rare) and on occasion I will not let them proceed to the next grade book. Maybe I want to work on that 10% that is missing, or maybe I think the student needs more time to digest and acclimate to the level. Or, maybe I think they are’t enjoying themselves enough and need to discover new aspects of their own playing, fretboard knowledge, theory or some other aspect.

Playing higher grade levels will make you a better player. Mainly False. I’m talking about playing quite beyond their level. If the student isn’t set up for success they will most likely fail and possibly destroy part of their development and foundation. In rare cases, if a student has a very strong foundation (positioning, technique, musicality, ergonomics, relaxation) a difficult work can shape their technique to new heights. This highly depends on the teacher’s assessment of the student and the strength of their foundational technique and musicality.

MAIN ADVICE: Find great music that just happens to be at your level or below and play that. Make sure to play tons of music below your grade so you can play at a very high quality level. Imagine playing as well as your favourite pro (within reason), what level of work would you need to be playing in order to play that well? The more often you play at a high quality level, the more likely that will become your normal way of playing. Plus, you’ll find it enjoyable and encouraging too. 

Hao Yang performs Canzonetta from String Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 12 by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). This comes via Guitars International via their YouTube channel with video and recording by Drew Henderson. Amazing performance once again from Hao Yang with such controlled articulations and beautiful directional phrasing. I continue to be shocked by Yang’s playing with the second section including some rapid lines that sound perfectly at home on guitar.

SoloDuo (Lorenzo Micheli & Matteo Mela) perform Notturno (1904), from Six Piano Pieces by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936). Arranged for two guitars by Lorenzo Micheli. This comes via Micheli and SoloDuo’s YouTube channel with filming in Toronto, Ontario by Drew Henderson. Always beautiful playing by SoloDuo but this work was a particularly tranquil and expressive performance. Gorgeous recording quality and sound as well. I’ve included the original piano music below just out of interest.

Caprice No.1-4, Op.20 by Luigi Legnani (1790-1877). PDF sheet music for classical guitar. Comes with both a notation edition with left hand fingering and a separate tab edition. The level is late-intermediate (grade 6-8) depending on your desired tempo and level of refinement. PDF Download.

My pdf sheet music edition

• Caprice No.1-4 by Legnani (PDF) from Werner Guitar Editions

Luigi Rinaldo Legnani was an Italian guitarist, singer, composer and luthier. He is best known for his 36 Caprices Op.20 which cover all the major and minor keys, likely inspired by Paganini’s 24 Caprices for the violin. 

Subscribe to the free membership newsletter and if you’re just watching for free you can consider supporting the site. This video was performed on a Douglass Scott classical guitar with Augustine Regal Red strings and a Guitarlift One for All support as well as a Le Support rest. All my gear here.

Youtube Links: Caprice No.1, Caprice No.2, Caprice No.3, Caprice No.4

Michael Váscones performs Étude No.5 by Mark Delpriora (b.1959) on a 2000 Daryl Perry classical guitar via Guitar Salon International and their YouTube channel. Energetic and well thought-out performance by Váscones with great contrasts and dynamic range. I don’t know the etudes by American composer Mark Delpriora but will explore them. You can find the sheet music at Les Productions d’Oz.

Positive Music Practice when Injured. I cut my fingertip on my left hand this week and this is how I’ve been dealing with it and still practicing is a positive way and getting good work done. This comes via my YouTube. The 100 open string exercises I mention are from My Technique Book. 

From the physical standpoint – I cleaned and bandaged the wound. Then I looked for a rubber thimble but couldn’t find one so I ended up with a Visco-Gel toe cap which is okay but not perfect. I can play with it but its cumbersome.

Psychologically – You want to think of the injury as an opportunity in disguise to work on stuff you normally wouldn’t focus on. You can always get good solid work done even if it’s not what you wanted to work on.

For practicing I’ve been focusing on right hand open string exercises and left hand exercises that leave out that finger. I’ve also been going through small passages that mainly avoid that finger. And for some new repertoire I’ve just been going over the fingering in half-playing fashion.

Additional – You can also consider working on music theory and history as well as musicianship and listening skills.

If you want to support these free lessons visit my Support Page.

Émilie Fend (guitar) and Andreas Hermanski (clarinet) perform Duo-Sonata (2021) by Roberto Sierra (b.1953). This comes via Fend’s YouTube channel. Émilie Fend, one of my favourite new guitarists to listen to, performs this very challenging work with an amazing mix of extroverted virtuosity and beautifully phrased spacious moments. The playing and ensemble work here is intricate but blends so well. This work is on thier Naxos album titled, 21st Century Clarinet and Guitar Works. Here’s an exceprt of the programme notes from the album that they posted in their YouTube description:

The final contribution to the album is given by Roberto Sierra (1953). The Puerto Rican composer has written a large number of works for the most diverse array of instruments, ranging from solo pieces to large orchestral projects. His output is nowadays received internationally with great enthusiasm and has been recognised by prestigious awards. Duo-Sonata, like many other items of this album, was commissioned by Émilie Fend and Andreas Hermanski. In the words of the composer, the piece “conforms to the classical form concept. Not only does the first movement conform with the allegro-sonata scheme, but it also keeps the four movements of many works from the early nineteenth century.” If the listeners can easily recognise such formal plan, they might also experience a sense of slight contrast with the qualities of Sierra’s musical language. This is, as a matter of fact, quite modernist, yet expressive, all managed within a very balanced and thought-out approach to writing. His use of symmetric scales makes the style of this work structural, plastic and compact: it gives a noble, almost austere identity to this Sonata, which presents itself as a serious and mature work. Sudden outbursts of dynamics and gestures keep the narration alive and the four movements highly contrasting in character. On the other hand, the various episodes of the music always maintain a strong identity which remains recognisable throughout the whole gestation of the piece. This album not only displays the diverse landscape of the world of creativity in music today, by fostering the work of present day composers, but it also successfully promotes the guitar and clarinet ensemble, which, thanks to Émilie and Andreas, emerges as a beautiful and exciting duo, which hopefully will continue generating new repertoire in the future. – Giacomo Susani, Milan, June 2024