Matthew McAllister plays Galliard by Francis Cutting (c.1550–1596). This comes via his amazing YouTube channel. Excellent playing by McAllister with a nice bounce to the rhythm and some beautiful tapered phrasing. Cutting is one of the great Elizabethan lute players and composers but little…
Kaira, traditional music from Mali, performed on the n’goni by Mussa Diabaté. Filmed in the André Mertens Galleries for Musical Instruments of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This comes via their Youtube channel. The Ngoni or “n’goni” is a string instrument, traditional to…
In this lesson I cover how to practice difficult parts, sections, or passages in music. Here’s a breakdown of my tips: Stay calm, spot practice, break down the movements, break down the music, focus on specific issues, practice related technique,…
Beginner Lesson: First Notes on the 1st & 2nd Strings (B, C, D, E, F, G), Sight Reading and Review. – From my free PDF Method: Classical Guitar Method Vol. 1. All the lessons for the book are listed at the…
Can you play classical guitar without nails? Yes, it’s perfectly fine to play without nails on classical guitar but you might get a little less volume, clarity, and control. That said, you’ll get a nice warm and consistent sound and…
JIJI performs Dynjandi by Gulli Björnsson (b.1991). This comes via her fantastic YouTube channel. I’ve featured JIJI a few times and in every performance I really appreciate her creativity and daring performances of new music commissions. You might have seen her mentioned in the recent article…
Nights Transfigured – Vol.2 of the New Lullaby Project Aaron Larget-Caplan, 2020.New Lullaby Project Buy or Listen to Samples: Aaron Larget-Caplan, bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes Nights Transfigured by Aaron Larget-Caplan Great to hear the second instalment of the New Lullaby Project…
Rosita by Antonio Jiménez Manjón (1866-1919). PDF Sheet Music or tab for classical guitar. The PDF comes with both a notation-only edition and a tab edition. Intermediate level (grade 4-5). Free video lesson and performance. Sheet Music or Tab Edition…
Marta Paklar (soprano), Sofia Gvirts (alto), João Moreira (tenor), Matthew Baker (bass), and Mike Fentross (theorbo) perform the chorale ‘Christus der ist mein Leben’ from BWV 282 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). This comes from the absolutely amazing Netherlands Bach Society and…
Sarabande from Suite in E Minor, BWV 996 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Performance, Lesson, Sheet Music. Sheet Music, Tab, or Free Unfingered Edition (PDF) Here’s the sarabande lesson for my edition of the Suite in E Minor, BWV 996.…
Johan Smith performs his own arrangement of the song Der Erlkönig by Franz Schubert (1787–1828). This comes via his YouTube channel. Recorded at Alfred Cortot Hall in Nyon, Switzerland. Originally a lieder (German artsong) for voice and piano. I don’t…
Kanahi Yamashita plays Quatre Pièces Brèves by Frank Martin (1890–1974). This comes via her YouTube channel. The four movements are: I. Prelude; II. Air; III. Plainte; IV. Comme une Gigue. Still one of my favourite pieces with a tasteful mix of the serialism of the…