This is Classical Guitar

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

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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)

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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

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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!”

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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.

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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.

Video Performances and Lessons

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

Sheet Music SamplesThe post Caprice No.1-4, Op.20 by Luigi Legnani first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

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.

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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.

What do I teach?

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.

Examples

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.

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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.

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MusiCurated, The Classical Guitar Magazine

Congratulations to editor Ben Lahring on the first edition of MusiCurated, The Classical Guitar Magazine. I was honoured to have been included in the interviews with discussions on This is Classical Guitar, developments in teaching, and the classical guitar scene’s future. It’s available in print or digitally as a pdf, and published six times a year.

Buy the first edition at MusiCurated.

The first edition includes a feature on the Canadian classical guitar scene with interviews of players, educators, and luthiers: Liona Boyd, Patrick Roux, Emma Rush, Tariq Harb, Daniel Ramjattan, Iain Morrish, Pascal Sasseville Quoquochi, myself, and more. It also includes sheet music, lessons, and other interesting articles. Check it out.

The first edition is available as a digital or physical copy, or as part of an annual (6-issue) subscription.

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Classical guitar duo Ziggy and Miles (Ziggy Johnston and Miles Johnston) perform Mosstrooper Peak by Nigel Westlake (b.1958). This comes via their YouTube channel. Recorded live at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. Brilliant performance by Ziggy and Miles with an amazing mix of beautiful phrasing along with intense and intricate ensemble work.

• Movements and Times
• I. Burning Point 00:00
• II. Mosstrooper Peak 01:46
• III. Nara Inlet 07:38
• IV. Tangalooma 11:24
• V. Butterfly Bay 13:35
• VI. Smokey Cape 17:22

About the piece: Each movement is named after a remote location on the east coast of Australia, places that hold a special meaning for me and that were visited during a huge time of upheaval in my life. They are locations of repose and meditation, and upon each site stands a shrine to the memory of my son Eli. The work begins very tentatively, reflecting as it does the building of the first shrine at Burning Point. On a pristine white beach, in the twilight of a magical tropical sunset, a family gathers shells & small flowers. In silence they arrange their offerings around a small photo of the departed, lighting incense & candles, which burn late into the night. Thus begins a practice of remembrance that will become a daily ritual over the coming months. On each occasion the shrines will become larger and more elaborate, and the places upon which they are built will become more remote & precarious. They are located within caves and crevices amongst peaceful inlets, tidal estuaries, coral beaches, and on rocky ridges upon the tropical islands overlooking the fringing reefs and deep blue waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Some of the shrines will be washed away by peak tides and cyclones, others will stand for hundreds of years. The music is sometimes reflective, as is the case for the movements Burning Point, Nara Inlet & Butterfly Bay, and at other times more extrovert, invoking a sense of energy & movement, as if marking the journey to these remote locations, a process that sometimes involved several hours of challenging bush walking through tropical rainforest and dry creek beds and the scaling of treacherous mountain peaks. – Nigel Westlake (via their YouTube description)

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Benefits of Practicing Barre Exercises Everyday on Classical Guitar

A lesson on the benefits of practicing barre exercises for classical guitar everyday. I discuss the benefits first and at the end of the video I run through a number of barre exercises to help you improve. The exercises all come from My Technique Book. Here’s the YouTube link if you want to watch the lesson there. If you want to support these free lessons visit my Support Page.

Topics and Times

• 00:00 Intro
• 1:11 Improvement and Refinement
• 1:56 – Short Practice Time with No Injury
• 3:05 – Physical Coordination
• 3:46 – Strength training (kind of)
• 4:50 – Lesson and Tips for Better Barres
• 7:14 – Barre Exercises to Practice
• 15:23 – Conclusion Some

Main Benefits

Improvement and Refinement: Actual barre exercises are designed to help you become better at the technique and they also help you to refine a barre technique that is “pretty good” but not usable. They can pinpoint problems and zero in on each string for refinement.

Short Practice Time with No Injury: Practicing short exercises EVERY DAY means you can practice it for 30 seconds to 2 minutes without causing injury as opposed to binging on the technique when you start a piece with lots of barres.

Physical Coordination: It takes time for the muscles in the finger to realize what is needed, and the muscle memory to adapt. You can’t force it quickly.

Strength training (kind of): It actually doesn’t take much strength to form a barre once you have the coordination and refinement of positioning. So strength is not needed, little kids can play barres successfully, but regular practice with good positioning and coordination can lead to a tiny amount of relaxed and directed strength training.

Join for Free

Join the free membership newsletter – It’s free and this is how you’ll receive inspirational classical guitar videos, pro performances, lessons, sheet music, and more. It’s a way to stay connected to classical guitar and get a weekly dose of quality classical guitar culture.

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Samrat Majumder performs Suite BWV 997 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) via Matthew McAllister’s Gallery of Guitar’s Youtube channel. Also see the interview below or via YouTube. Beautiful performance by Majumber with an amazing combination of forward momentum, energy, and a sense of calm and collected refinement in the phrasing. Majumber is currently studying Konzertexamen at the Robert Schumann Hochschule, Düsseldorf and a past student of the Royal Conservatoire in the Hague and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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Hello Friends and Students, here are some things I’ve created and discovered during March, 2025. Big thanks to all my supporters and subscribers for keeping me going!

Featured Artists

Krivokapić-Gavrić Play Digital Bird Suite by Yoshimatsu – Amazing piece and just fantastic ensemble work! Goran Krivokapić (guitar) and Dejan Gavrić (flute) perform Digital Bird Suite Op.15 by Takashi Yoshimatsu (b.1953) via the Omni Foundation series.

Edith Pageaud Plays Sonata 24 by Seixas – Intense and vibrant energy! French classical guitarist Edith Pageaud performs Sonata 24 in D-minor by Carlos Seixas (1704–1742) via Siccas Guitars.

Stanislav Steshenko Classical Guitar Concert (Pictured Above)- Ukrainian classical guitarist Stanislav Steshenko performs a concert of works by Weiss, Llobet, Bogdanovic, and Callahan via the excellent Siccas Guitars.

New lessons & Reviews

Practice at 3 Tempos (Never Stop Practicing Music Slowly) – A lesson on practicing music at three tempos and the need to continue to practice slowly even if you’ve brought your exercise or repertoire to a high speed. This is all framed within the idea to always practice at a high quality level.

Guitarlift Classical Guitar Support Review – These are great supports that I highly recommend. An updated video review of the Guitarlift classical guitar support with a close look at the new One for All model and a quick review of the Professional Line.

More Cool Stuff

Alan Rinehart has a new album out titled “In Parlours Past” featuring works by Sor, Giuliani, Mertz, Frank Green, Brocá, Tarrega, and Shand. Check it out via Apple, Amazon Music, or Spotify.

Daniel Ramjattan has some new videos via Siccas Guitars: Valse Vertigo by Canadian composer Patrick Roux and Sevillana by Joaquin Turina.

All the Women Were Busy – Found! This is an Instagram account of classical guitar events that exclude women or could do a lot better.

Matt Kaplan world premiere of El Mito de Sísifo para guitarra by Leo Brouwer!

Janko Rašeta has some new ensemble music which you can listen to on soundcloud or see at his site.

Check back soon for more updates and links

Feel free to add more cool stuff to the comment section below.

The post March Roundup 2025 first appeared on This is Classical Guitar.

Goran Krivokapić (guitar) and Dejan Gavrić (flute) perform Digital Bird Suite Op.15 by Takashi Yoshimatsu (b.1953) with the first movement I. Birdophobia above. This comes via the Omni Foundation series via their Youtube channel and shot in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche Soest, Germany. I love the contrasts between intensely intricate lines and beautiful spaciousness and the amazing ensemble work by Krivokapic and Gavrić. The final movement will be released in two day so check back.

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A Review of the Guitarlift, The Back Mounted Guitar Support
Guitarlift Website and Store

The Guitarlift has revolutionized classical guitar supports since its release. The back-mounted support works on a wider variety of guitars than most other supports and offers unprecedented levels of secure and stable guitar positioning. Never before has a guitar support been so quickly accepted and used by both professional and general guitarists on stage and off.When it was first released the size caused some hesitation but once you try it, that becomes a distant consideration. In this article I’ll review a few of the Guitarlift models as well as offer other considerations and comparisons at the end.

Summary: The Guitarlift is my most recommended professional level guitar support. It’s ease of use, stability, adjustability on almost any guitar or person, as well as the trusty back mounted suction cups make it a guitar support that I use and recommend without any hesitation. It simply checks all the boxes.

Models: One for All, Ultimate Black Matte Line, Premium Transparent Line, Professional Line, Young Student Line, and Silent Guitar Line.

Sizes Across Model Lines: Super Big, Big, Medium, Medium Long, Slender, Half, Crossover, Small, XS, Mini, Cutaway, Silent

Here is the YouTube review link in case you want to watch it there.

Guitarlift One for All Review

The newer One for All model is a fantastic evolution of the Guitarlift lineup. It’s made from 6mm thick transparent Perspex® which they describe as a “modern and extremely durable tempered acrylic glass, which is even more stable than the 4mm Plexiglas® of the Professional-Line models.” I found this to be true, it’s incredibly rigid and torsion resistant compared to the Professional Line which I already considered quite stable. I also appreciate the anti-reflective matte black coating which really places the guitar on display instead of the support.

How does it feel to play? The One for All model is even more stable and secure feeling than the professional line. The extra console that attaches to the side of the guitar really reduces flex from the suction cups and the new rigid material contributes to even more stability. It fits on my both my regular sized guitar and my small scale instrument without any compromise to my preferred position. I also love the leg cutout angle which I find very comfortable.

Does it stay on? I trust the Guitarlift to stay on during concerts and other situations completely. As long as I keep the suction cups clean I find they work great even on my French polish. If they get dirty and greasy I clean them with dish soap and warm water but I only do this every few months. In general, the back mounted suction cups on the professional line stay on well but with the addition of the console on the One for All model, I feel there is even more staying power as well as support from under the guitar preventing gravity from putting stress on the suction cups.

This is my now favourite Guitarlift and I’ll be using it and recommending often.

Guitarlift Professional Line Review

The Professional Line Guitarlift is an excellent guitar support.I was hesitant about the size but I was pleasantly surprised at how it felt and positioned my guitar. Keep in mind that they have many different sizes to choose from. I tried the Large but the Medium works best for me. Here’s the YouTube Video Link if you want to watch it there.

Stability and Trust: I love how stable the Guitarlift feels and how I can get the perfect playing position. Those are the two most important things for guitar supports. For those two reasons I love the Guitarlift and trust it performance far more than most guitar supports such as the Ergoplay. It also doesn’t slip on my left leg and might even keep the guitar vibrating longer and louder since the back wood of the guitar doesn’t rest on my chest. For some reason, the back mounted suction cups almost never come off compared to something like an Ergoplay. Keep them clean and they work great. I clean them every few months with dish soap and warm water.

Initial Positioning: It was a new experience to position the Guitarlift at first but once you get a good position you could work out a quick system either with your suction cup protectors or by marking the position. I don’t need to mark the position anymore, I just know where the cups go but when I started I used sticky tabs to mark the edge of the guitar for easy positioning.

Considerations: It’s bulky to travel with but it works so well that I can’t complain. I’ve used it on French polish and polyurethane finishes but I’ve been told to use caution on lacquer finishes, so ask your luthier. The leg rest shape angle (on my old model) isn’t perfect for me but I still like it. I’ve considered making it less cupped but it’s generally fine. I believe the new ones have a more relaxed angle (see the newer review video above).

Overall: A solid guitar support that feels great to play. It’s comfortable, stable, and secure. It’s on the big side but that is a small price to pay for something that works this well.

See more guitar support reviews here.

Guitarlift Promo text (guitarlift.de): “Are you searching for a perfectly adaptable, stable, reliable and good-looking guitar rest? Then look no further with Guitarlift®! The absolute novelty of the patented product is the attachment of the support to the back of the guitar. This allows you to precisely adjust the angle and height. The distinctive leg cut provides the strongest non-slip hold. Individual requirements for positioning, stability and reliability encompass a variety of solutions. You can find your own unique solution through the vast range of models from our three product lines and also in the accessories shop. Our philosophy is that we only use durable and high quality materials. We produce exclusively in Germany and offer you excellent services.”

Comparisons and Competition

Guitarlift VS Ergoplay – The Guitarlift is the clear winner with a much more secure feel, more adjustability, and way more trustworthy suction cups in performance. I actually like my Ergoplay but it comes off so much that I can’t use it on stage. The Ergoplay does fold up small enough to throw in your bag and it’s more affordable but that is not enough to compete.

Guitarlift VS Woodside Support – I find the Guitarlift feels more secure when playing, therefore making it my preferred choice. That said, the clamp system on the Woodside will appeal to many people who either don’t want to or can’t use suction cups. I’d be happy to play the Woodside both in performance or practice making it a great option.

Guitarlift VS Le Support – Overall, I recommend the Guitarlift to people more often as it’s more suitable to a wide variety of guitars and people in terms of sizes and positioning. My Le Support barely fits on my small scale guitar and I think I even compromise my position just slightly in order to use it. However, I love how Le Support makes contact on both legs making it feel super secure. I’m happy to play with either and I do use a Le Support but I’m more likely to recommend Guitarlift as a workable option for most people, especially when making recommendations online. So although I have a personal preference for Le Support, the winner in terms of usability and recommending something is the Guitarlift.

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