I created this exercise for my students to help them develop finger independence in the left hand. As I was working with some of them, an interesting question appeared: how should they work on it? I explained to them that it wasn't important that the exercise be "perfect". Instead, they need it to accomplish a level of improvement. As such, I showed them 5 different levels in which this exercise could be played (presented here). If you are closer to a beginner than to a professional guitarist, level 1 or 2 should be your goal. However, the better you are, levels 3, 4 and 5 should be your aim, and the more precise your critical evaluations regarding form and quality of sound should be. The content presented here serves only as a guide; but it is not a substitute for guided instruction. If you can't understand how to play this exercise, consult with a teacher or a more experienced player. Thanks for watching! www.jorgecaballeroguitarist.com

When your package of fresh, new Augustine Strings arrives...groovy...

For the past few weeks, I was preparing to perform Jorge Morel's beautiful Concierto Rapsodico with the Unidos Orchestra in Boston, as part of the Latin American Music Festival. While taking a break from my study, I recorded these reflexions on an excerpt from the second movement. Hopefully, this video provides you with a glimpse into the way I approach my study: I first discuss what I consider to be the intrinsic, musical and expressive value of the passage in question; then, how playing it on the guitar presents obstacles to those values, and how I provide solutions to them. Equally important is the fact that solutions, in my view, evolve over time. Thank you for watching. Please like and subscribe. www.jorgecaballeroguitarist.com

Agustín Barrios Mangoré: 1. Vals Tropical 2. Vals de Primavera (Spring Waltz) 3. Vals Op. 8, No. 4 Born in Paraguay in 1885, Agustín Barrios is widely considered to be one of the most important guitarists to emerge from the Americas at the beginning of the 20th century. He is equally known for his prolific compositional output, in which influences of the romantic era in music blend with the folk heritage of his home country. The three waltzes presented here offer a window into his compositional talent, where we see the romantic imprint of his music in the characterization of extra-musical themes (Tropical Waltz, Spring Waltz) and the use of the European waltz structure, while at the same time offering the exotic flavour of Paraguayan music in the treatment of the musical subjects he employs. The almost operatic Vals Op. 8, No. 4 is one of Barrios' best known works. In it, he seems to have sought to expand the boundaries of the waltz structure by adding an introduction –repeated later on in the piece, and by creating several parts, where a Campanella section sits at the center. www.jorgecaballeroguitarist.com

If you have been playing Classical Guitar for a bit of time, Villa-Lobos' Etude 1 is a piece sure to be in your sights. In this video, I'll give you guidelines about the piece and how to study it. I used a beginning student guitar at the end of the presentation to give you a sense of what you could expect when playing this piece with a student guitar. Good luck! © Jorge Caballero, 2023. All rights reserved. www.jorgecaballeroguitarist.com