The Spanish Pavin – Anonymous Lute Work Arranged for Classical Guitar. PDF sheet music or tab with free video lesson. This comes from my Classical Guitar Repertoire Lessons Grade 1 – Eight pieces at the grade one level with dedicated lessons preparing you for each piece. Includes both a notation-only edition and tab edition.
This piece is the The Spanish Pavin, an anonymous lute work from the Renaissance. This is a melody-focused dance and should be played fairly slowly. A Pavin is a dance of Italian origin and popular in Europe in the 16th Century. Although it was originally faster, by the late 16th Century it had become a slower processional dance. Practice the melody on its own and some of the chord shapes to prepare the piece. YouTube Lesson Link (4k)
Please note regard right hand fingering: In first and last line it is also acceptable to break the alternation rule and just use i-m fingering in the upper voice with repeated fingers around the chords. The given fingering in the score shows ideal alternating fingers but at this tempo repeated fingers are acceptable and, depending on your level, could be much easier. Alternating fingers is an important concept but not a strict rule and this is a good example where either can be acceptable.
You can also listen to this lute recording of The Spanish Pavin by Jacob Heringman on his album Blame Not My Lute. It’s ornamented more and repeated.
