Fernando Sor 16 Easiest Pieces 1 to 4

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Comment by Rob MacKillop on May 4, 2012 at 7:05

And they are far from easy...

Comment by Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen on May 3, 2012 at 22:29

Stuart, You're absolutly right. The modern players I know do sneer at these pieces. They find it to easy and therefor amateurish and not worth playing, but what they dont know is that when playing these small easy pieces one learns how to play the 19th century music in the right way.

Comment by Rob MacKillop on May 3, 2012 at 21:20

Thanks. I'm a great fan of 19h-century guitar studies, especially those of Sor. Nice to play them on a Lacote-style guitar.

Comment by Stuart Walsh on May 3, 2012 at 21:10

A really nice idea. I like little pieces like this from the early 19th century repertoire (and can imagine many modern classical guitarists being really sneery about them) - they deserve respect!
Your sound set-up (not to mention your technique and the guitar) is very impressive.

Comment by Rob MacKillop on May 2, 2012 at 20:24

No, not a gift, though I wouldn't say no if it were ;-) 

Michael was looking for feedback on his work, and I am happy to help a good luthier where I can. I'll have the instrument for a while, so will hopefully find time to play and record more pieces. 

Sor had a fairly unique technique, and I love experimenting with it in his works. But, like you, Lars, I like to be flexible, so I've just been reading through some Diabelli, and found many places where it seemed natural to play with the LH thumb on the sixth string. That is something Sor would not have tolerated. Horses for courses...

Comment by Lars Hedelius-Strikkertsen on May 2, 2012 at 20:14

is the guitar a gift. In that case what a lucky guy You are Rob. Nice video. I too play a lot of thumb on the treble strings trying to play like Sor. When I play his music of course.

cheers

Comment by Rob MacKillop on May 2, 2012 at 8:44

I really like this collection of 16 of Sor's easier pieces - great didactic material, and sensitively edited by Brian Jeffrey of Tecla Editions. 

Michael N. - a member here - sent me this Lacote copy for my appreciation, and appreciate it I do! Very nice guitar, Michael! See more at Michael's website www.historicalguitars.co.uk Recommended. 

I have tried to play with Sor's technique - however we might try to define that - so you will see the thumb on the treble strings quite frequently, thumb and index alternation, and repeated use of the middle finger on the first string, even on consecutive notes, and the index on the second string, likewise. Sometimes these two fingers move to the third and second strings. 

I don't always, in the heat of the moment, get it right, so please don't criticise me for not being 100 per cent consistent... this is work in progress. I have a couple of students working through this material, so the videos are to help them and any other students.

I recorded all 16 pieces in four videos, and all can be seen and heard on my website. Direct link (but scroll down for the videos) http://robmackillop.net/guitar/fernando-sor/ 

It's so nice to be playing a 19th-century guitar again, especially a modern copy! Sor was a great advocate of new guitars ;-)