This is Classical Guitar

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.

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

Giovanni Masi (guitar), Elena Branno (English Horn), and Simone Solimene (flute) perform Ecloghe, Op.206 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895–1968). This comes via the Omni Foundation online series and their Youtube channel. As they mention, “Presented as part of the Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Chamber Music Project, this evocative performance features guitarist Giovanni Masi, English hornist Elena Branno, and flutist Simone Solimene. Filmed on location in the stunning Collegiata of San Michele Arcangelo in Solofra (Av), Italy, the piece captures the lyrical and pastoral spirit of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s late chamber works.”

Beautiful work and wonderful performance with such a well balanced orchestration. Excellent phrasing and musical ideas so nicely developed and presented.

Ecloghe Op. 206 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

• 0:05 – I. Andantino quieto
• 3:09 – II. Allegro con spirito (Tempo di Saltarello)
• 5:21 – III. Lento – Elegiaco
• 10:32 – IV. Allegro vivace, con spirito (Girotondo)

Torrin Williams performs Concerto for Guitar (1951) by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) via the International Guitar Competition Maurizio Biasini. Recorded live at Don Bosco Basel, Switzerland. This comes via Torrin’s YouTube channel. It’s always great to hear the Villa-Lobos concerto which is one of the best in the repertoire. Impressive performance by Williams with dramatic flourishes to expressive beautiful phrasing.

• 00:00 I. Allegro preciso – Poco meno
• 05:50 II. Andantino e Andante
• 10:26 Cadenza: Quasi allegro – Andante – Quasi allegro – Poco moderato
• 14:28 III. Allegro non troppo

Italian classical guitarist Roberta Gennuso performs Caprice No.7, Op.20 by Luigi Legnani (Italy, 1790-1877). This comes via Gennuso’s YouTube channel. Wonderfully energetic performance by Gennuso with incredible zippy lines and articulation. As she mentions via her YouTube description:

“Luigi Legnani, a virtuoso guitarist and composer, was known for his brilliant and expressive writing for the instrument. His 36 Caprices showcase a wide range of technical and musical challenges, much like Paganini’s works for violin. Capriccio No. 7 is a striking piece, full of energy, rich harmonies, and intricate passages that highlight Legnani’s mastery of the classical guitar. I hope you enjoy my interpretation!”

Canadian guitarist Emma Rush performs Evening Song by Catharina Pratten (1824-1895). This comes via Rush’s YouTube channel. As she mentions, “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.”

NEW ALBUM: This track is from Rush’s new album, The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, available soon at emma-rush.com, emmarush.bandcamp.com, and all the major streaming platforms. I’ll update this when it’s released.

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. All my gear here.

All video performances and lessons to be recorded this spring, 2025. I’ll start with No.4 which inspired me to start these.

Youtube Links: Caprice No.4

Victoria Aretinskaya (domra) and Sergei Gudelev (classical guitar) perform their arrangement of Prelude For Piano No.2 by Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (1928-2002). This comes via Guitar Salon International and their YouTube channel. Really nice performance with excellent ensemble phrasing and separation. Here’s an excerpt from the youtube description:

Svetlanov’s music is very beautiful and accessible. Deeply influenced by popular imagery, it is reminiscent of Russian folklore. For this reason, we perform these pieces in a somewhat unusual duo. The domra, a traditional Russian folk instrument, has a bright, very characteristic timbre. Its recognizable lyrical ‘legato’ sound is achieved through a tremolo technique. In this video, you will hear a three-string domra built in 1976 by Viktor Khromov (1932–2005). It sounds beautiful in a combination with a new 2025 Vladimir Druzhinin guitar, an instrument we are happy to feature at GSI.

Right hand movement when playing across the strings during scales and similar textures. When moving across all six strings there are three concepts that can be taught by instructors either exclusively or use in combination. This is for scale-like passages, not arpeggios such as Giuliani patterns or multi-voice textures. This comes via my YouTube. The exercises all come from My Technique Book. 

1) Perfect hand position with arm movement – This makes sense because the fingers can move in the exact same way on each string allowing for the ideal hand position and finger movement. The consistency in the muscle memory of this method make it very memorable and ergonomic. The main difficulty for beginners is relaxation in the arm movement.

2) Centred hand with small wrist and arm pivot – If you start with your hand set up for the 4th or 3rd string you only need a small pivot in the wrist and forearm to reach the trebles or basses from that central point. The downside is that if the movement is not subtle enough the student’s hand position can get compromised which may not be ergonomic.

3) Centred hand with small extension/contraction of the fingers – Similar to the above, if positioned for the 4th/3rd string in a static hand position, a small extension of the fingers to the trebles or contraction to the basses is possible. Again, the downside is that if the movement is not subtle enough the student’s hand position can get compromised which may not be ergonomic.

I always begin by teaching a perfect hand position that the arm moves around to different strings. Again, this is for scale-like passages across all the strings, not arpeggios such as Giuliani patterns or multi-voice textures. I believe that finding a secure and ergonomic hand and finger motion is essential and finding that position is difficult if including other concepts. So I teach this one method until the student has a strong foundation, muscle memory, and relaxation.

At later stages I believe that you can utilize all three of these elements to achieve a subtle and ergonomic playing hand that is flexible depending on the situation. In general, I’ve also found that the subtle wrist and finger extension comes very naturally when the student works on relaxation after establishing the perfect position in the right hand, to the point of me not having to usually teach it at all.

Ideally, the student will always reflex back into the perfect hand position if using the pivot or extension method. That is way I push the first method so intensely.

Playing a scale across all six strings in order – Here I often utilize Option 1 where you have a set hand position and the arm moves it around.

Melodic patterns that skip up and down the strings – Here a pivot in the arm is useful because you don’t want to be constantly moving the arm back and forth.

Multi-voice textures and more complex patterns – Here the pivot or very small over extensions can be useful to maintain a static and stable hand while making adjustments to the complexity of the music.

João Luiz performs Villalobiana from 24 Studies for Guitar by Sergio Assad (b.1952). This comes via Siccas Guitars and Siccas Media program via their amazing YouTube channel. As Siccas mentions, “These études showcase a wide range of techniques related to the Brazilian guitar and also highlight the contributions of 24 Brazilian composers to the enrichment of Brazilian music.” Amazing performance by Luiz with exciting intricate lines and a fantastic musical balance bringing melodic material out of the busy texture.