Tango by Tarrega is not a difficult nor lengthy tune but it is packed with a lot of different guitar techniques-making it worthwhile to learn. Tango contains harmonics, double stop octaves, DGDGBGe tuning , rasguerdo, triplets. slide, hammer, pull offs, etc…. Although Tarrega (Spanish) is not from Argentina-where Tango originates-Tango proves to be a well composed and crafted work.

Excerpt from Francisco Tarrega's Tango

Tips
The tuning is DGDGBE. 2 strings are tuned down from EDAGBE, this gives easy access to doubls stop octaves for the left hand. Tango is in 2 keys. The song is mostly in G minor but it concludes in G major. 2/4 Time Signature.

Tango gets progressively more difficult. as you move along the song. Overal it is a fairly easy piece.

Part A — Bar[1]-[9]
Key: G Minor
Double Stops using the odd tuning Rasguerdo (strum with pima downstroke) only at the second time round

Part B — Bar[10]-[27]
Key: G Minor
High Frets playing use the open string bass notes (D,G,D) to keep tempo.
Use left hand 3rd finger (ring finger) for harmonics

Part C — Bar [28] -[39]
Key: G Major
More notes plus Triplets
High Frets playing use the open string bass notes (D,G,D) to keep tempo.

Further Reading
I learnt Francisco Tarrega’s “Tango” from the Francisco Tarrega Collection in Tabulature by Paul Henry. 14 pieces for classical guitar. Comes with a companion cd with tracks. 64 pages. Paperback

BWV 645 – 650: Schübler Chorale Preludes.

Schübler Chorales is a name commonly used for a collection of six chorale preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 645–650). They were engraved and published in the late 1740s by Johann Georg Schübler, from whom they derive their nickname. The collection is originally entitled Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (”Wake, Awake for Night is Passing“). Uniquely for Bach’s sets of organ works, five out of six chorales in this collection are transcriptions from his cantatas. BWV 645 is transcribe from: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, movement 4 (tenor chorale). The pieces are composed for a two manual organ with obligatory pedal in E♭ Major. Bach’s abilities as an organist were highly respected throughout Europe during his lifetime. Sleepers Awake tab is transcribed to the key of C making it easier to play on the guitar. This piece is played with many open strings reducing the need for barred chords.

Sleepers Awake is from Cantanta No.140 Ephesians No.5(14)
4/4 Time Signature
C Key Signature
Originally for Organ in Eb Major

Suspend notes as long as possible. Bach uses conterpoints. 2 voices-treble and bass. The 2 voices should be unbroken throughout the song. Play slowly. Add trill at the end of the 2 parts.

Bar[12] Ending of part 1. Series of semiquavers double stops(2 notes).
Bar[20] Only measure with barred chords. A pair of them on fret 3. You don’t necessaily need to barre (2 notes) but I find it easier to barre to sound the bass note.
Bar[23] Hinged Barre chord. Flatten index to rapidly barred the string below (treble e).
Bar[24] Ending of part 2. Series of semiquavers double stops(2 notes).

Excerpt from Johann Sebastian Bach's Sleepers Awake

Further Reading
I learnt Sleepers Awake from Ben Bolt’s book. Mel Bay J. S. Bach for Acoustic Guitar: 12 Solos in Notation and Tablature [Paperback]

Product Description
J. S. Bach is the most sought after composers of all time. He is everybody’s favorite! Best selling author Ben Bolt has inked 12 solos for guitar in this book. Included are moderate to advanced solos in notation and tablature. All 12 solos are recorded in order like the book. The recording can easily stand on it’s own for your listening pleasure, or can be used as an instructional tool. Professor Bolt also includes a copy of Bach’s original manuscript of Partita No. 1 for cross-reference purposes. Includes the following pieces: Sleepers Awake! (from Cantata No. 140), Gavotte, Prelude (from 3rd Cello Suite), Courante (from 3rd Cello Suite), Corrente (from 1st Violin Partita), Bourrée (from 1st Violin Parita), Prelude in D (from 1st Cello Suite), Gigue (from 1st Cello Suite), Sarabande (from 2nd Lute Suite), Gigue (from 2nd Lute Suite), Courante (from 1st Lute Suite) and Fugue.

Matteo Carcassi composed during the period when the guitar is relatively new. He devised countless exercises/songs to introduce the instrument to music lovers. In this piece, Melody in C Major, you will explore where the c major notes/chords/scale on the guitar neck. You will also improve both your left and right techniques at the same time. For the left hand, you will be covering many chords including half barre and full barre chords. For the right, there are several plucking patterns introduced. pimimimi and piaiaiai being the main ones. The ending concludes with an interplay between these 2 patterns. Make sure you save enough energy to conclude the piece in tempo.

Technique/Tips
It is crucial to suspend the bass note. 1,3 of each measure. Let the notes ring. Start slow. It’s not about speed but clarity of notes. Melody in C has no slides/pull off/hammer ons but there are some barre chords to deal with.

Bar[10]-[11] end of bar 10 at fret 7. be prepared to jump to 3 fret in position and in time to sound the bass note(F#).
Bar[2]&[22] These 2 bars are identical in tone. I included 2 different positions to play this measure.
Bar[28] The last stretch. Start with open C chord. I find this section pretty tricky in terms of right hand pattern switches. ( :

Excerpt of Melody in C major by Matteo Carcassi

Technique and Tips

Further Reading
I learnt Melody in C Major by Matteo Carcassi from Carcassi for tabulature. 128 pages going over many plucking techniques and patterns of over 100 songs. Book include an audio companion cd and is ring bound so you can lie it flat.

Etude in E Minor is a fine example of one of many Fernando Sor’s studies which focus on the right plucking hand. A study in the key of E minor at (Allegro Moderato) , played at a moderate to fast pace. This piece is 52 bars long with a 10 barre chords. Memorize the right hand pattern helps. Keep the plucking speed uniform at all time. You can undulate the volume for mood but there are certain notes that must be accented or played loudly. For example the second note of Bar[1] and [2] displayed in the tab image below.

Tips and technique
There’s a general beat between 2 adjacent measures (3 beat, 2 beat). For example: 3 beats on bar[1] and 2 bar[2] and so on. (Paimimim-Paim-Paim) (Paimimim-Paimimim). You play these beats with your thumb(P) and suspend these notes.

Bar[1]-[4] The main riff for the song. These 4 bars appears 3 times throughout Etude in E Minor.

Bar[29] reverse pattern. you have been playing one main pattern (paimimim-paim-paim) in this measure, you are introduce with another patterm (pamimimi-pami-pami). This pattern is a mirror image of the former. Make sure you flip back to the original pattern after this measure.

Bar[33]-[33] The ongoing finger plucking pattern you have been playing has be widen.

Bar[14],[20],[42] Flatten finger to form a barre on the treble string (b and e)

Bar[46]-[48] A slight variation of the main pattern with a funky backbeat on the treble e string.

excerpts from fernando sor's etude in E minor

Further Reading
I learnt “Etude in E minor (Allegro Moderato)” from this book Sor in Tabulature. The book includes 58 pieces of music as well as a recorded CD of the entire book. Ben Bolt believes these pieces are the “best of the best” for developing technique, musicianship, and exposing the guitarist to the ingenious musical world of Fernando Sor. Regardless of your current level of expertise, this music will be a joy to learn and listen to.

Randall William “Randy” Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A teacher of classical guitar, Rhoads mixed his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. “Dee” was written for Rhoad’s mother and the track can be found in Ozzy’s fine “Blizzard of Oz” album. I wish there are more classical piece by this masterful guitarist but he died tragically at the age of 25. Despite his relatively short career, Rhoads is a major influence on neo-classical metal players that emerged in the 1980s such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio and Jason Becker, and he is cited as an influence by many contemporary heavy metal guitarists.

Technique
32 Bars. Suspend the bass notes are long as possible.
Bar[3],[20],[32] There are 3 occurrence of harmonics. You can play this bell like effect by gently barring the strings and strumming the notes downwards with thumb.
Bar[24] Please listen to the midi to get the timing since the timing is odd. Make sure to slide and play the double stops or interval (2 note chord) in time before the pull off.

Excerpt taken from Randy Rhoad's Dee

Tips
If you don’t have an classical guitar, you can still play this track with an acoustic. Randy rhoads played this song on the acoustic guitar. If you listen to harmonics he played in his recording, you can clearly hear the pick downward sweep. In any case, this song works equally well on both the acoustic and classical guitar.

Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani (July 27, 1781 – May 8, 1829) was an Italian guitarist and composer, and is considered by many to be one of the leading guitar virtuosi of the early 19th century. His first instrumental training was on the cello—an instrument which he never completely abandoned—and he probably also studied the violin. Subsequently he devoted himself to the guitar, becoming a very skilled performer on it in a short time. In this song “Etude in A minor” you will play the lead with bass and treble strings.

Technique
-Lots of thumb action and finger gymnastics. Suspension of bass/treble notes.
-Bar[12]-[16] In these 4 Bars, you will enounter a series of rapid bass notes (struck with thumb).
Make sure the treble notes are suspended and heard.
-2 half barred chords at the end (first fret). 35 total bars. Played straight with no repeats.

taken from Mauro Giuliani's Etude in A minor

Tips
-The suggested Left hand fingering may be weird at first but you will soon notice the finger position sets up for the next finger placement. Sort of like looking ahead to facillate playing.

Download Tab

Further Reading
I learnt Etude in A minor by Mauro Giuliani from 50 Easy classical Guitar Pieces by Jerry Willard. Another book in my collection. Book is in tabulature. Great for beginner guitar for classical. 50 short songs introducing you to key players of the genre. Works featured in this book includes the many names that influence the classical guitar world. To name a few featured: Fernando Carulli, Napoloen Coste, Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado, Gaspar Sanz, John dowland, Robert Devisse, and Mauro Giuliani. This book comes with a companion CD plus a brief biography writeup on the aforementioned maestros.

Fernando Sor (14 February 1778 – 10 July 1839, Paris) was a Spanish guitarist and composer. He is best known for his guitar compositions, but he also composed music for opera and ballet, earning acclaim for his ballet titled Cendrillon. Sor’s works for guitar range from pieces for advanced players, such as Variations on a Theme of Mozart, to beginner pieces such as the first few of his instructional book Méthode pour la guitar (Guitar Method).

Technique
40 Bars. 3/4 Time Signature. No Barre Chords. Suspend Bass in every measure.

except from sor waltz of the robins

Tip
Play slow. waltz of the robin progressively goes faster.

Download Tab

Further Reading
I learnt “Waltz of the Robin” from this book Sor in Tabulature. The book includes 58 pieces of music as well as a recorded CD of the entire book. Ben Bolt believes these pieces are the “best of the best” for developing technique, musicianship, and exposing the guitarist to the ingenious musical world of Fernando Sor. Regardless of your current level of expertise, this music will be a joy to learn and listen to.

Caracssi has written 25 melodic studies for the guitar and this is lesson number 19. During Carcassi’s time, the guitar was fairly new. Carcassi began to wrote many lessons and exercises to introduce the guitar to musicians. He also invented a tripod to hold the guitar in place for ease of playing. However this device went out of fashion pretty quick. Carcassi played a smaller guitar. The modern guitar we are familiar with appeared during Francisco Tarrega’s era much later.

uniform arpeggios with an downstroke with (i).

Technique
Opus 60 No19 consists of uniform arpeggios with an downstroke with (i). Most songs I am familiar with uses the thumb for a downstroke. Naturally I like the latter and so I’ve learnt a new right hand pattern playing opus 60 no19.
36 bars. Play them straight through once. Keep speed at moderate tempo and focus on uniformity of rhythm (right hand). Like all uniform plucking songs such as this one or tarrega’s study in E minor or Romance de espana, varying the volume during the song will sound better. Listen to the midi for guide. Go slow first. Speed can be developed later.

Tips
There is a hinge Barre in Measure 5. Flattern you first finger to barre while keeping the rest of the fingers in same position.

Full Song in txt | Full Song in MIDI

This minuet is meant for the harpsichord and contains both the charm and the emotional depth characteristic of J.S.Bach. The Notebook for Anna Magdalena is a collection of work Johann Sebastian Bach given to his second wife Anna Magdalena. This notebook is a compilation of music by both Bach and other composers of the era. This notebook provides a nearly unparalleled glimpse into the domestic music of the 18th century and the musical tastes of the Bach family.

Technique
Minuet in D Minor is played AABB. 2 Parts. each part twice. Each part has 2 endings. If you are confident with Barre Chords, this song offers a new Barre Challenges.The closure of the song (Bar 14 onwards) required a series of 4 barre chords producing 2 voices repeating in a counterpoint structure. Bach’s trademark.

* Bar [3] Hinge Chord. Flatten your finger at note C to barre.
** Bar [13] Hold Barre chord’s (2nd fret) last note (C# AND F#) as long as possible.

Barre Hinge chord at Bar 3 and Hold Barre at Bar 13

Tips
Since it’s a dance song. Play at moderate tempo and make it jumpy and lively. You need to be able to hold a barre chord to play this song. I suggest trying “Chorale” by Bach is you are a absolute beginner. Check my previous articles.

Full Song in TAB | Full Song in MIDI

Further Reading
I learnt Minuet in D minor from this book: Bach for Guitar by Howard Wallach. 14 pieces from Easy to Intermediate introducing a brief song introduction and tab. This book comes with plenty of drawings and a full explanation of signs and symbols used in the book. 47 pages in paperpack, Alfred Publishing.

Chorale is a hymn with a strong harmonization and is a very good F Major study. Think of a choir in a church. Chorale music is a common theme for wedding. This Chorale is fairly easy to play as the tempo is slow and there are not too many barre chords. Perhaps after you have mastered this song, you may want to check out a technically more challenging Chorale by Bach. The song is “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and I have covered in my previous article.

Technique
This Chorale is played song is play AABB in a moderate pace. The harder part is Bar 6 which has a couple of finger stretches on far apart strings. Otherwise this song is one of Bach’s easier songs. Not too long. 16 Bars in total with 3 Barred chords. Bass must be suspended at all times.

Excerpts from Bach's Chorale

Tips
If you find the multiple finger plucking confusing, strum the chords with you thumb. Sweep thumbs downwards over the group of strings.

Download Tab

Further Reading
50 Easy classical Guitar Pieces by Jerry Willard.
Another book in my collection. Book is in tabulature. Great for beginner guitar for classical. 50 short songs introducing you to key players of the genre. Works featured in this book includes the many names that influence the classical guitar world. To name a few featured: Fernando Carulli, Napoloen Coste, Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado, Gaspar Sanz, John dowland, Robert Devisse, and Mauro Giuliani. This book comes with a companion CD plus a brief biography writeup on the aforementioned maestros.