Fernando Sor and his studies

[edwardcav]

Hi,

I recently acquired Matteo Carcassi's 25 Studies, Op. 60 - after having it recommended to me. I have also been recommended Fernando Sor's studies, but there are many out there. I can choose from Op.60, Op.35 and Op.31.

Has anyone used these? If so, which one is the best? Or, alternatively, what else does the same job? I am currently running through Segovia's 24 Diatonic Scales, the Pumping Nylon exercises and Warm-Up Routine, as well as tremolo practice. What technical studies do you guys do?

Thanks!

[edwardcav]

please?

[Jon Carter]

'Tarrega: The Complete Technical Studies'. In my opinion one of the best workouts for the nylon string guitar. Invaluable!

'Fernando Sor: The Complete Studies'. All the Opus's in one book with grade guidance.

'Vladimir Bobri: Complete Study of Tremolo'. Says it all really.

I also like to build technical exercises around troublesome passages of any piece that I may be studying. Afterall every piece of music that you study and complete is a technical milestone in itself, with the added benefit of expanding your repertoire.

Hope this helps
Jon

[JoeAlders]

please?

Hello Edward,
Your purchase of “Matteo Carcassi 25 Studies op. 60” is a very good one!!!. I presume you mean the ”Progressive Studies” edition (I use the “Gitarren-Archiv 2” publication, edited by Erwin Schwarz-Reiflingen, published by Schott Music Corp)? But ………. you do not say anything about your “guitar playing history”. So it is impossible to give any advice until you have told the community some more about this. If f.i you start to play the classical guitar again after years of absence, but having build up a certain guitar technique in those years, it is a splendid book to start playing again. The same about using Fernando Sor’s studies :If you have a reasonable amount of “guitar technique” and you want to develop further, the book “Twenty Studies for the Guitar” by Fernando Sor, revised, edited and fingered by Andres Segovia, is also a good starting point but only in parallel with the Carcassi 25 Studies!! So tell the community something more about your “playing history”.
Joe.

[fakestar]

Well, I would prefer the carcassi 25 progressive studies over Sor. The Sor's studies are more to train my sight-reading. But I would strongly recommend the "Tarrega Complete Guitar Studies" and studies by Aguado. I started learning Guitar, without any music background, around 1 1/2 years ago in my school guitar club. And the members there, who teach me the basics, played mainly pops and rarely do I get in touched with any CG studies until one of the graduates passed me the Tarrega book. I must say that I have improved so much that the teacher, who teaches Guitar Ensemble, thought that I have played for more than 6 years.

To warm up, I would use the Tarrega's and Guliani's. If I'm bored or have nothing to play, I would take out the Sor's and train my sight-reading.