Guitar News

Start your classical guitar journey with essential tips on choosing an instrument, practice techniques, and overcoming common beginner challenges.

Finnish guitarist Patrik Kleemola performs Minuetto from Sonata Op. 25 by Fernando Sor (1778–1839) on an original René Lacote from 1839. This comes via Kleemola’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Great performance by Kleemola with an excellent balance of crisp rhythm with beautiful phrasing and pacing. He has some nice info on the work via his YouTube description:

“You have announced a new collection of my works in which there is a grand sonata, in four movements, of which I know nothing unless a book which is at Málaga, among those I left there, has been brought to light. Since this book is only my private record of ideas I never had any intention to publish it and I cannot imagine how it came into your hands. I had started there a grand sonata in B-flat, another in C and another in F minor and another in G. ” Fernando Sor’s letter to Antoine Meissonnier, (his publisher in Paris) 1st of April 1827 (St. Petersburg, Russia)…The letter was published in the article by Erik Stenstadvold in Soundboard Scholar No. 3 (2017)…

This charming Minuetto by Sor, an encore favourite by both Segovia and Bream during the 20th century, is from “a Grand Sonata” which was, as the above letter shows, published under suspicious circumstances. It seems clear that the famous four-movement Sonata Op. 25 wasn’t published under the supervision of Sor at all and was probably compiled out of different sources handed to the publisher. As suggested by Sor himself, the publisher Meissonnier didn’t hesitate to sell anything with the name of Sor on the manuscript (whenever the composer was away from Paris). In the letter Sor remembers that he started a grand Sonata in C back in Spain, meaning that he didn’t finish any of the Sonatas…

Read the rest of his excellent writeup at his Youtube here.

The post Patrik Kleemola Plays Minuetto, Op.25 by Sor first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

The amazing Liying Zhu performs 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.

The post Liying Zhu Plays Five Bagatelles by Walton first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Enhance your classical guitar skills with a structured practice checklist, focusing on technique, consistency, and overcoming challenges.

Study No.5, Op.40 by Leonard Schulz (1813-1860) from Exercises and Studies for the Guitar, “The Indispensable”. PDF sheet music for classical guitar with performance and lesson video. Comes with both a notation edition with left hand fingering and a separate tab edition. The level is mid-intermediate (grade 6) depending on your technique, desired tempo, and level of refinement. 

My pdf sheet music edition

• Study No.5, Op.40 by Schulz (PDF) from Werner Guitar Editions

This is an excellent etude for upper voice finger alternation, musical balance, and even left hand finger clearance work. It’s also a interesting musical work where the upper line slowly takes on more and more melodic material as the work progresses offering a nice study in controlling the texture. Here’s the YouTube link if you want to watch it there.

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 strings and a One for All Guitarlift support. All my gear here.

Sheet Music SamplesThe post Study No.5, Op.40 by Schulz first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

The Woodside Support is a highly adjustable guitar support with an excellent design and quality craftsmanship. It feels secure, stable, and comfortable. It also has varying degrees of guitar mobility while attached. It uses a reliable clamp system making it a secure option for important sessions or live performance. The pivoting clamp system even fits on raised fingerboard guitars. Many people will enjoy the support right out of the box but various accessories allow for higher or lower guitar positions and the angle block adjustment for a steeper guitar angle and closer proximity.

The above YouTube video is for the GS4-Lev Pro but see past reviews below.

More info, specs, and purchasing: Visit Woodside Guitars

Also see their list of international dealers where you can purchase the support.

The Pros of the Woodside Support

• Quality craftsmanship
• Feels secure and solid
• Trustworthy in performance compared to suction cups
• Adjustable custom height, angles, and positioning of the guitar
• Good maneuverability when attached if desired
• Quick to put on or take off
• Pivoting clamp system compensates for various guitars and raised fingerboards
• Easy hand adjustments for tightening and angles
• Even works on the right leg position for those who need it
• Works on matte finished guitars

Accessories

• Various Length Accessories – A number of longer or shorter collars and pieces allow for a very high or very low guitar position ensuring you will find the correct position.
• Angle Block (15º or 25º angle) – The additional Angle Block is excellent. I’ don’t need it ‘m happy with the standard 15º block but the 25º option really opens up possibilities for steeper angles and closer proximity. I talk about this in the video. It’s not just the steeper angle that I was impressed with but also that it moves the guitar body closer to one’s centre (or the lower bout closer to the left leg). This is amazing because it can help equalize and drop of the shoulders for relaxation depending on your body type and preferences.

Concerns and Discussions

Will the clamp come off? They shouldn’t if you’re playing in a healthy, normal, and responsible way. If it came off I think that would be due to irresponsible expectations and unhealthy playing habits. If it was not tightened enough or tightened too much and the player exerted direct force it could come off but…don’t do that. Don’t do that with any guitar support or even a footstool. I test this in the video GS3 review below.

The Clamp – Some people have concerns about attaching a clamp to their guitar. Remember that clamps are used in the making of guitars and the side of the instrument is pretty safe for this. Of course, you want to only tighten it enough to securely hold it in place. I’m completely comfortable with the clamp system on my expensive guitar. I played with the old Murata clamp for years and I’d say this system is even more safe due to the pivoting clamp that will more equally distribute the pressure.

In regards to your polish – If you have a bullet proof finish on a factory guitar I think you’re totally fine. For French polish, anything that comes in repeated contact with your guitar will have some wear and tear over the years. Even my leg, chest, and arm contact points eventually make their scuff marks in my French polish, not to mention nail marks on the top. I use a clear non-adhesive protective vinyl material to protect my guitar at the clamp contact point but I don’t think it’s even necessary. I use a non-guitar cling called Grafix ClingVinyl but there are guitar-specific products that are similar such as the brand Kling-on. I’ve used Vinyl on French polish and polyurethane finishes but I’ve been told not to use on lacquer finishes. There can be discolouration after removing the vinyl since it has protected the guitar from light and scuff marks. Regardless, use vinyl at your own risk, ask your luthier or guitar maker first. Like I said, I think the support is totally safe to use but I’m picky in this regard.

Conclusion

The Woodside Guitar Support is a highly adjustable, secure, and comfortable guitar support. I trust it in performance and love how the support and accessories enable the player to achieve a perfect custom guitar position.

For more info, models, specifications, and purchasing please visit Woodside Guitars.

Past Review of the GS3

Photos of the GS4-Lev ProPhotos of the GS3 The post Woodside Guitar Support Review first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Classical guitarist Andrew Wilder performs Partita for Guitar, Op. 34 by Finish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016). This comes via Wilder’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Amazing performance by Wilder with everything from rapid virtuosity to beautiful phrasing. I really appreciated his sense of balance and handling of the texture in the thicker second movement.

Einojuhani Rautavaara was one of the most notable Finnish composers since Jean Sibelius. I’ll try to find out more about this work and who it was composed for. The partita was originally written for guitar, and was later transcribed for piano by the composer. There is a small description by Rautavaara of the piano arrangement via this Naxos album:

The first sketches for the minor set of variations, Partita, were written in New York in 1956. I was working on a composition for a guitarist, and there are still traces of guitar texture detectable in the piano work, for instance in the accompanying chords of the second movement. The guitar piece was never completed, but two years later I fashioned the material into a partita for piano. This work has three movements of differing character, variations on the same motif.

The post Andrew Wilder Plays Partita for Guitar, Op. 34 by Rautavaara first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

La Rêveuse with Benjamin Perrot (archlute) and Florence Bolton (viola da gamba) perform Adagio in D minor (Drexel manuscript) by Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787). This comes via La Rêveuse on YouTube (go subscribe). La Rêveuse is a French chamber group, founded in 2004 by lutenist Benjamin Perrot and violist Florence Bolton, that specializes in performing and recording 17th and 18th-century music.

Beautiful performance and wonderful to hear a duo of lute and viol creating such a resonant and rich texture for only two performers. He’s a small description of their album London circa 1760:

London, 1760. Handel had just died and George III acceded to the throne. During the reign of this monarch and his queen Charlotte, both discerning musicians, musical life in the British capital was to enjoy an exceptional revival. Virtuosos and composers from all over Europe flocked there, vying with each other in originality and modernity. Now La Rêveuse invites us to sample the creative whirlwind of the age, spinning from viol concertos to airs for musical glasses . . .

The post La Rêveuse Play Adagio by Carl Friedrich Abel (archlute and viol) first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Hungarian classical guitarist Zsombor Sidoo performs Partita No.1, BWV 1002 for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). This comes via Sidoo’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Fantastic performance with a crisp and clear rhythmic cohesion. Each movement showcases his excellent phrasing in different tempos and control over the form of the movement. I also absolutely love his amazing bell-like cross string trills. This is the first time I’ve featured Sidoo and I can’t wait to hear more.

Movements and Times

• Allemanda 00:00
• Double 02:51
• Corrente 04:40
• Double Presto 06:21
• Sarabande 08:31
• Double 10:59
• Tempo di Borea 12:57
• Double 15:06

The post Zsombor Sidoo Plays Partita No.1, BWV 1002 by Bach first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Technique endurance or looping exercises for classical guitar are an excellent way to add a challenge to a technique you feel confident with. However, do not add endurance exercises to a technique you are still learning as you do not want to incorporate or add bad habits or tension. Instead, once you’ve established a solid confidence with an exercise you can expand that exercise to test your skills in a more challenging setting.

All the examples are from my technique book but feel free to use any of your own exercises or repertoire to accomplish the task. Here’s the YouTube link if you want to watch it there.

When you first learn a technique you want to do it in small fragments and in isolation in order to learn the technique with proper alignment and without tension and to have maximum concentration while executing the movements. 

Benefits: Once you feel like you have the technique under control, endurance training can help inform you about factors that might still exist in your playing such as:

• Fatigue and tension
• Lazy and sloppy technique the further I progress
• Compromised hand positions after continuous shifts
• Lack of concentration
• Less refinement

Endurance can teach you how the body reacts to “in context” playing. You might find that you add tension when you should be adding increased refinement, relaxation, and alignment. 

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 Le Support guitar rest. All my gear here.

The post Technique Endurance Exercises for Classical Guitar first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.