What is your favorite piece to play?

[TBman]

Just curious.

I bought Brad Werner's Classical Guitar Repertoire Grade 1 and 10 Classical Etudes to develop a beginner's repertoire. I also bought his easy Christmas pieces Volume I.

Those should keep me busy, but there is so much great stuff to learn.

[Ceabeceabe]

A few years ago I got very into Sylvius Leopold Weiss and still love his work. Mark Phillips has “the music of sylvius Leopold Weiss made easy for solo classical guitar.” That book has 8 sample movements - enough to put together a whole sonata of sorts. I made it through the whole book. Took a while, and I did not find it “easy” to bring some of the movements up to speed at the time.

There are a couple of examples on YouTube of people dancing to sonatas - I found those interesting.

Best of luck.

[SeanE]

For me, probably Dreams for Paul by Andrew York.

[Carey]

A couple I like a lot are Lou Harrison's brief Serenade for Guitar, with the fifth
string tuned to G, and Sor's Opus 60 number 23.

[canuck7]

This should be an interesting thread…always looking for new pieces I haven’t heard before…I’m a Bach guy, but started out on Sor and Carcassi’s studies. But I need to expand!!
I’m also have a passion for Dominic Miller and have learned three pieces from his one songbook with Tabs…I even had K Yairi build me a custom CYTM !!

[canuck7]

Now, if I could play one only, maybe:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmRAu...d=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Which is: Adagio from Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez…

[ssstewart]

favorite: Asturias (Leyenda) by Albeniz- my wife loves when i play it, so i play it for her.

2nd: Gymnopedie #1.

[TRose]

Hey Barry,
Favorite? That’s a tough question for me.
As a relative beginner Ive enjoyed playing Tarrega’s Estudio in Bminor and Lagrima. I got those arrangements from Brad Werner. Also from Werner, an arrangement of Ave Maria and The Ashgrove have been a joy to learn and play.
Leo Brouwer’s Un Dia de Noviembre has been a beautiful tune to learn and play.

When I’m in standard tuning I almost always play a version of of Summertime( from guitar Nick) and Amazing Grace( from Jerry’s Guitar Bar )as a warm up. They feel like home to me and have the added benefit to being easily recognizable to anyone within earshot.

I hope you are enjoying the New Year.
Best,
Tom

[JonWer]

Andrew York has a number of grew pieces you may enjoy. Snowflight and Chant are two examples.

[TBman]

Lots of great ideas, especially the Andrew York pieces (which I just purchased). This thread is a good resource.

I don't think my fat fingers will ever really play Asturias as a finished piece, but I have the score and I'll mess around with the beginning from time to time

So much great stuff. I wish I was 20 years old again so I could have another lifetime of playing guitar.

[SkaMar]

My all time favourite is Moreno Torroba's - Torija

[Taylor814]

My current favorite is Chega de Saudade by Jobim. It's an arrangement by Max Brenner, based closely on Francesco Buzzurro's arrangement, and it's a lot of fun to play. Bossa nova fingerstyle arrangements can be a mixed bag: sometimes they're too chordal, and other times they're too classical and don't really capture the bossa nove rhythm very well. This one is just perfect. Others that I like to play are Un Dia de Noviembre by Leo Brouwer, a few Andrew York tunes (Home, Squares Suspended, Woven World, Sunday Morning Overcast) and Cavatina by Stanley Myers. I initially learned the standard arrangement of Cavatina (more or less John Williams?), but later I got Douglas Niedt's Play Like a Pro DVD and it was quite helpful in really playing it to the best of my abilities with an enormous number of alternate fingerings and harmonizations. Lastly, I really enjoy playing Classical Gas, although I'm a little embarrassed to admit it. I think it may be the Stairway to Heaven of the classical world.

[AndreF]

Originally Posted by Taylor814

My current favorite is Chega de Saudade by Jobim. It's an arrangement by Max Brenner, based closely on Francesco Buzzurro's arrangement, and it's a lot of fun to play. Bossa nova fingerstyle arrangements can be a mixed bag: sometimes they're too chordal, and other times they're too classical and don't really capture the bossa nove rhythm very well. This one is just perfect. Others that I like to play are Un Dia de Noviembre by Leo Brouwer, a few Andrew York tunes (Home, Squares Suspended, Woven World, Sunday Morning Overcast) and Cavatina by Stanley Myers. I initially learned the standard arrangement of Cavatina (more or less John Williams?), but later I got Douglas Niedt's Play Like a Pro DVD and it was quite helpful in really playing it to the best of my abilities with an enormous number of alternate fingerings and harmonizations. Lastly, I really enjoy playing Classical Gas, although I'm a little embarrassed to admit it. I think it may be the Stairway to Heaven of the classical world.

Hi Larry,
You and I share a lot of the same tastes!
I don't know the Jobim one though. I'll have to check that out.
I also didn't know that Niedt had done such a treatise on Cavatina. I learned and memorized the Williams arrangement (and fingering) years ago. So that's my go-to for the piece. I like Niedt a lot though, so I'm sure what he produced was very good and worthwhile.

Lastly, I really enjoy playing Classical Gas, although I'm a little embarrassed to admit it.

Don't be!!!
I think that's one of the first tunes I learned on a nylon string guitar, from an old Mason Williams LP (with the touring bus on it). I also have the 45 for Classical Gas. If you're too young you won't know what I'm talking about.
But I still play it, and I like to play it. It's a great tune. A classic! Oddly enough it was only a few years ago that I incorporated the guitar arrangement of the horn section. That makes it even more fun to play. I don't know why I had never bothered before. Probably because Mason Williams also did an acoustic recording of the piece when it first came out, but left the horn section out. And that's the version I ended up learning. But adding the horn section makes it a more complete rendition for sure.

[AndreF]

Originally Posted by SkaMar

My all time favourite is Moreno Torroba's - Torija

That's beautiful Marcin. And well played!
Thanks for posting.

[Taylor814]

Andre, here is a link to Brenner's version. I've memorized about 80% so far, so I'm not completely done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwhNHJTQ0gY

and to Buzzurro's version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWWnrpIwhac