Tarrega actually wrote the Nokia ringtone jingle as heard in this song. In Grand Waltz, you will play along the entire neck. You will also play certain parts with the melody in a fixed barred position for multiple measures. Be sure to hold double notes suspension for a full measure (bass/treble). A waltz is in triple time and there are 4 parts to this piece-each offering their own challenge. Finally and best of all you will get to play the famous Nokia Ring Tone.

Part A
Double Note suspension. Longest Part
Bar[4]-[11] Play the melody while holding the barred chords for 8 straight measures.
Bar[14]-[17] Nokia ring tone. Ends with a harmonic. Lightly touch the string and plucK (bell like sound).

Part B
Pull offs and hammer ons. Chord slide. Hardest part
Bar[37] Barred chord pull off is a stretch. Make sure you hold the bass note at 9th fret (after the slide) while stretching your pinky to the 14th fret (pull off).
Bar[44]-[45] Chord slide. keep your 3 fingers locked and slide the chord to different frets.

Part C
Double note suspension.
Bar[50]-[60] Play the melody while holding the barred chords for 10 straight measures. Painful to wrist at first.

Part D
Easiest part.
Bar[70]-[71] 9th to 2nd fret (barred chords) jump from right to left.

Grand waltz by tarrega contains the nokia ringtone

Tips
Play the 4 parts separately until you have reached fluidity. Work on each part and piece them together at the end. Loop each part mulitple times.

Download Tab | Download Midi

This serene and beautiful piece is taken from Sonata ii of Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for unaccompanied violin. It fits on the guitar fingerboard so well that it is unnecessary to alter a single note of the original for this transcription. Only the tempo and fingerings for guitar have been added. The violin of Bach’s day had a somewhat flatter bridge and was played with a slightly more curved bow than the modern violin. These two factors made it easier for violinists of the time to play chords on two, three or four strings of the instrument. This accounts for the multi-voiced texture and full-sounding chords of this piece.

Technique
Play AAB. Repeat Part A (twice) conclude with part B (twice)
Bar[9]-[27]- 32nd Note. Slurs or cross-string fingering 29 total bars. 8th notes in all measures except Bar[9] and [25]-[26]. Bar[9] and [27] 32nd note flourishes are either performed with slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs) or cross string-fingerings. A cross-string fingering is one in which stepwise notes are fingered on different strings rather than along a single string. This is the easiest way to play fast scales.
Bar[7] and [26] I have left the optional notes in brackets (3) on the 1st E string. I opted for the g note on the open g string (4th string). I have included the original fingering. If you can reach the bass G note, go for it.

Excerpt from bach bwv 1003 andante

Tips
The most noticeable aspect of this work is the bass line in constant eighth notes, which is present for all but four measures. To avoid sounding monotonous, try to play the bass line in as musical and expressive as possible. To gain as much separation as possible between the melody and the bassline, be sure to play all the bass notes with the thumb

Download Tab | Download Midi

Further Reading
I learnt Bwv1003 Andante 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.

Johann Sebastian Bach will be forever revered for his intellectual depth, technical command and artistic beauty. In his Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, you can hear some of the greatest works ever written for solo cello. The Prelude, mainly consisting of arpeggiated chords, is probably the best known movement from the entire set of suites and is regularly heard on television and in films. I first heard this song played by the cellist yoyoma many moons ago. Preulde in D is full of arpeggios and scale runs which gives challenge to both hands.

Technique
42 unique bars. Tune down to D. Adapted from (Cello Suite No 1 in G)

To make it easier to play, I tried to maximize open strings and the use hammer on pull offs. Yep. Loads of slurs. Feel free to change. I urge you to find your own right hand fingering because I use one finger for most of the solo run. May not be technically correct but it works for me. This song may take a starting classical guitarist some time to master. Break bwv1007 prelude up into sections of 4-8 bars-practice like hell-and piece them all back together. Good luck!

Bar[1]-[22] Arpeggios (Chords after Chords)
Bar[22] Flattern Previous Chord to form a Barre Chord (5th fret)
Bar[24]-[30] Scales running up and down the fretboard. Have fun!
Bar[31]-[37] Pay attention at right hand fingering.(pi-pi-pi) it is Not always uniform. you have to change to (pi,m) when playing the bass note A.
Bar[39]-[42] last 3 bars so finish strong. Hold Barre chord for double bass notes suspension during the arpeggios! Last bar. Strum D chord downwards with thumb.

Arpeggios from bach's prelude in d bwv1007

Tips
Bar[24]-[30] took me the longest to master. The long passage of scales running up and down the fretboard. Use the Bass notes as metronome keep all notes identical in rhythm and tempo.

Full TAB in txt | Song in MIDI

Further Reading
I learnt “BWV1007 Prelude in D” from this book: Classical Guitar of Bach by Joseph Harris. 24 pieces from Intermediate onwards. A budget book of 80 pages in paperback, Creative concepts publishing corporation.

Johann Pachebel is German like Bach and is a master of the organ. Pachelbel met the Bach family in Eisenach and became the teacher of Johann Christoph Bach, the older brother of Johann Sebastian Bach. Canon in D is a Wedding classic alongside with Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Canon in D is the most famous piece of music by Johann Pachelbel. It was written in or around 1680, during the Baroque period, as a piece of chamber music for three violins and basso continuo, but has since been arranged for a wide variety of ensembles. The Canon was originally paired with a gigue in the same key. American film director Robert Redford used the piece as the main theme for his 1980 Academy Award-winning film Ordinary People.

Technique
56 unique bars. Play once.
Some barre chords. mostly Bm and F#m on the 2nd fret.
T=thumb, subsitute with 1(index) if uncomfortable.
Basic chord progression is D-A-Bm-F#m-G-D-G-A. This song has a mirror image start and end where chords at a higher octave are played. Easy to play with a duet instrument. Passages can be interchanged easily. Song can go on as long as you want provided you keep to the same chord progression. You can even play the same passage twice but always start slow. Midway thru the song Bar[25] onward, you will encounter more notes! Keep in time with the tempo by playing and holding the root chord note so you won’t get lost.

Canon in D chord progression D-A-Bm-F#m-G-D-G-A

Tips
Memorize D-A-Bm-F#m-G-D-G-A. If you mess up, remember the progression and you will be ok.

Further Reading
I learnt “Canon in D” from Classical for guitar. This is one of my first classical guitar book I ever owned. Jerry Synder, the author of the book has categorized 17 songs by grades. From grade 1 (beginner) to grade 4 (late intemediate). Each song comes with a brief introduction which is helpful and informative. In this tab book, you will find many composers’ famous works. like beethovern’s “fur elise” to wedding favorites like “Canon in D” by Pachelbel and “Jesu, Man’s joy of desiring” by Bach to excerise work by Fernando Sor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an entry level classical guitar book.

Marche in D is originally written for the harpsichord. This piece is taken from Anna Magdalena’s Notebook, Bach’s gift to his second wife. and a prized possession of the Bach household. Marche in D possess the characteristic earmarks of Bach’s music in both the catchy nature of the tune and its particular use of counterpoint (2 or more lines of melody sounding simultaneously). For the solo guitar, a counterpoint can create voices sounding like it came from multiple instrument.

Technique
Drop D tuning. First 3 bars, hold note to fill the texture. Part A Bar[9] A chord and Part B Bar[13] D chord. Correct fingering on the right hand is important to generate speed. Pluck the chord in rapid succession and end on the highnote. Part A is much easier than Part B. The latter has a long chain of melody playing bach’s signature conterpoint. 2 or more melody played at once. Suspend the bass and keep in time.

Excerpt from Marche in D (Anh122) by Johann Sebastian Bach

Tips
Part B, Bar[5]-end is the hardest section of the song. Start slow to avoid playing “catch-up” towards the end.

Full TAB in txt | Song in MIDI

Further Reading
I learnt Marche in D 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.

The girl’s name Adelita is a variant of Adela (Old German) and Alida (Latin), and the meaning of Adelita is “noble; small winged one”. This song is colorful in tone and fun to play. If you are confident in your barre chord technique, this is the song for you. Tarrega not only wrote numerous original compositions for the instrument, he also transcripted works from other composers like Chopin. I hear a little bit of Chopin’s influence in Adelita.

Technique
2 parts. Play as AABBA. 16 Bars in Total. Lots of Barre Chords, not for young ones with smaller hands. Lots of sliding, hammer ons and pull offs and a wide neck span on the guitar. The latter means you play from the open string to 13 fret in this song so a lot of neck movement. Overall a very good workout for both hands and highly enjoyable to play.

Excerpts from Tarrega's Adelita

Tip
Bar[11] and [12] have a couple of barre chords with hammer on and pull offs which I spent the longest time mastering. I would say these 2 measures are the “make or break” section of the song. If you can pull this off, the rest of the song is easy. Otherwise try tarrega other shorter preludes instead, get into the his mode and try Adelita later.

Download Tab | Download Midi

Further Reading
I learnt Francisco Tarrega’s Adelita 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

Sarabande (BWV995) is rather dark and mysterious and unlike bach’s signature sound. BWV 995 is accepted as his arrangement and not the work of a copyist. A few of Bach songs like the ones in the notebook of anna magdalena are attributed to other composers.

Technique
AABB. 20 bars totals. Play Sarabade (BWV995) Slow.
Bar [6] has a full barre chord plus Pinky hinge Barre. Use your pinky and flatten the tip joint of your pinky finger.
Bar[17] and [18] Hardest measures fo me, keep the finger moving during these measures.
On slow songs that are sparse in texture, bass notes must be held as long as possible. Every measure has at least one bass note suspended. So suspend them notes! Sarabande is left hand dominant so pay careful attention to the finger.

Excerpt for Bach's Sarabande BWV995

Tips
Bwv995 is a fairly simple song once you have learnt the finger positions. This song is quite dissonant (borderline in tune). Take care not to hit the wrong note because it will really sound bad-no pressure. : )

Full Song in TAB | Full Song in MIDI

Further Reading
I learnt Sarabande (BWV995) 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.

Gavotte is a French dance during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is part of the optional dances of the Baroque Suite. Gavotte 1 can be played either on it’s own or together with Gavotte 2 in this order: (Gavotte 1 – Gavotte 2 – Gavotte 1). To me, Gavotte 1 is harder than part 2. It is also longer of the two and features the technique of pull offs while holding a chord.

Technique
The song is filled with pull offs except for a single hammer on at Bar [13]. Make sure you hold the Barre Chord at the first fret (F). AA-BC-BC. Play Part A twice followed by (B – C) twice. Part C is a variation of Part A at the end with the closure. For Bar [16] last note “A”, the LH finger is 3. This is the best for transition for me, you can substitute if you want.

Pull offs while holding chord

Tips
As long as you keep to the chords on the left hand. Plucking the wrong string or an extra string shouldn’t sound that bad. Always hold bass as long as possible.(===) in the tab.

Full Song in TAB | Full Song in MIDI

Further Reading
Classical for guitar is one of my first classical guitar book. Jerry Synder, the author of the book has categorized 17 songs by grades. From grade 1 (beginner) to grade 4 (late intemediate). Each song comes with a brief introduction which is helpful and informative. In this tab book, you will find many composers’ famous works. like beethovern’s “fur elise” to wedding favorites like “Canon in D” by Pachelbel and “Jesu, Man’s joy of desiring” by Bach to excerise work by Fernando Sor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an entry level classical guitar book.

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. There is debate over who actually wrote this song. Bach or Chritian Petzold, a german composer and organist. Whichever the case, notebook provides a nearly unparalleled glimpse into the domestic music of the 18th century and the musical tastes of the Bach family.

Technique
AABB. Play Part A twice, then Part B twice. 64 bars in total and good news is there are no Barre Chords. Suspend bass at all times and keep the tempo andantino (moderate to fast). I have added a Thumb technique in Bar23. (Thumb curled over top of the neck to play/suspend the F# note on the top string). It is common to use this technique with the electric guitar (narrower neck). You should substitute with the index finger if you are not comfortable with it.

Excerpts from Anh115-Minute in G

Tip
If you enjoy this song, check out my previous article on Bach’s Anh114 “Minuet in G minor“. Unlike this song which sounds happy and joyous, anh 114 in a minor key sounds sad and forlorn.

Download Tab | Download Midi

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.

Matteo Carcassi (Florence, Italy, 1792 – Paris, France, January 16, 1853), was a famous Italian guitarist and composer. Carcassi wrote a method for guitar (melodic and progressive studies) that remains valuable, relevant and interesting. His most famous works are collected in his 25 Studies, op.60. This song Etude in A or Study in A is the 3rd song of his famous 25 studies.

Technique
I would say Etude in A is a left hand (chord) predominant song. Once you get the basic plucking pattern (right hand) pim-aim-aim-pim, you will spend most of the time familiarizing with the chords (left hand). Make sure the song flows and vary the volume throughout. In general, you have license to play with level of volume in all songs with a uniform plucking pattern.

pim-aim-aim-pim right hand pattern

Tip
The right hand plucking is straight forward. Watch for Bar 2 chord and chord transition from Bar20-21.

Download Tab

Further Reading
Classical for guitar is one of my first classical guitar book. Jerry Synder, the author of the book has categorized 17 songs by grades. From grade 1 (beginner) to grade 4 (late intemediate). Each song comes with a brief introduction which is helpful and informative. In this tab book, you will find many composers’ famous works. like beethovern’s “fur elise” to wedding favorites like “Canon in D” by Pachelbel and “Jesu, Man’s joy of desiring” by Bach to excerise work by Fernando Sor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an entry level classical guitar book.