Carcassi Etude 16 Lesson

Matteo Carcassi‘s Etude 16, from Opus 60, gives us the opportunity to work on several musical and technical elements of playing. Reminiscent of a simple song or aria with vocal accompaniment, the piece sustains a broad simple melody. Throughout Carcassi employs suspensions, repeated notes, and measured phrasing.

Carcassi Etude 16 Lesson – Fingering

It can be easy to play this piece in first position with little attention to expression in the melody. One challenge that can help with this, however, is to explore fingerings in the upper position. Beginning in fifth position automatically creates a different tone and texture. While this may create more difficulty for the left hand, the musical and expressive benefits are worth it.

Secondly, we can really add some separation between the melody and accompaniment by controlling the left-hand articulation. To do so, we need to accurately reflect the rests that are marked in the score. Doing so punctuates the accompaniment in a dramatic way. This articulation draws a sharp contrast between melody and accompaniment.

Carcassi Etude 16 Lesson – Repeated notes

The repeated notes in the melody, and indeed the andante tempo, invite us to repeat the right-hand finger used to play the melody. This can draw our focus to tone quality and consistency. So try playing the melody with the same right-hand finger.

Moreover, because the notes repeat in consistent patterns, we can also give shape and phrasing to the melody by adding dynamics. Consider adding a swell, for example to the repeated notes. This gives the line direction and shape.

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Carcassi’s Etude 16 is a wonderful piece to study and a rewarding piece of music to play. I hope you enjoyed this free classical guitar lesson. If you did, consider signing up for membership at Classical Guitar Corner Academy, which will give you many more lessons on a wide variety of topics.