Introduction

Every now and again a composer is able to combine technical development with extraordinary beauty and grace. Heitor Villa Lobos belongs to this rare breed. His 12 Etudes written for guitar and dedicated to the illustrious maestro Andres Segovia are outstanding examples of stunning pieces that challenge and build upon the foundations of classical guitar technique whilst incorporating delightful melodies and enchanting compositional elements.

Performance Points

Etude No. 1 is focused primarily on developing the right-hand. Only a single pattern is used for the entire piece with the exception of an arpeggio 'run' including lower chromatic auxiliary notes and the final couple of bars. Apart from those digressions the constant pattern is this:

P, i, P, i, P, m, i, a, m, a, i, m, P, i, P, i

The best approach is to keep the hand as still as possible and relaxed. Although the pattern itself is quite simple you will need to work towards developing the stamina required to get through the piece from beginning to end.

Conclusion

Classical guitar technique is something that we're always striving to perfect. My suggestion is to make sure you purchase a copy of Villa Lobos' book for yourself and get learning.