Song List:

1. Songe d'une nuit de printemps

2. Nostalgie

3. Tres guitarras

4. Jeu froid (étude rock)

5. Le dernier souffle

6. Manhattan

7. Baile de la passion

8. Corsaires

9. Cerisier Japonais

ISBN 9781609746797. This book is a collection of studies and exercises designed to help the student develop right-hand technique. The first sections deal with the basic skills of rest and free stroke, finger alternation, and arpeggios; developing flexibility and efficiency in right-hand movements. Later sections deal with the more advanced techniques of timbre production, pizzicato, right-hand harmonics, and tremolo. Most of the study pieces have been selected from the great body of classical guitar music. A few have been adapted from other sources such as keyboard and cello.

ISBN 9781619118249.

Johann Sebastian Bach most likely composed the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue during his stay in Kothen between 1717 and 1723. Originally written for the harpsichord, the work was duly recognized as a masterpiece within its own era.Nestor Ausqui has taken extraordinary measures in creating a guitar transcription of this monumental piece. The fundamental tonality of D minor was retained to preserve the workas sonority, and the 6th string of the guitar had to be lowered to D to expand the guitaras range and adhere to the original key.The articulation of the piece often requires the use of the slur technique to maintain and enhance the legato effect in the melodic line. As the guitar has a more percussive character than the harpsichord, various inconveniences occur in the management or execution of the legato, but the transcriber has done his best to preserve the character of the original piece.Ausqui admits that the most arduous task was the fingering of the piece. He had to familiarize himself with Bachas intentions and avoid shortcuts and aberrations which would have depleted the original harmonies and melodies. In the process, he discovered that utilization of the open strings can subtly enhance the balance of right and left-hand duties to achieve the timbre the original score mandates.Written in standard notation only, with each line of music forming only one measure, this piece is meant for the classical guitarist willing to accept an interpretive challenge to reap enormous musical benefits.

There is plenty of music sheet for classical guitar of various styles, directions and levels of difficulty. There is also enough methodical literature for all tastes. However, every year there are appearing new schools, methodical collections and exercises. That?s why the art of playing classical guitar is not standing still.

During my pedagogical activity rather often I faced the problem of searching or creating small exercises for a particular technique and solution of a particular problem. What didn?t suit me in the existing studies? First of all, the monotony of technical material (the accent only on the left hand technique of a performer, while the concentration of sound control is mostly in the right hand; a limited quantity of technical methods: arpeggios, chords, passagework technique). Secondly, it?s an amount of musical material. As a rule, the main efforts were aimed to memorize the text, which distracted from the very purpose of etudes, the work on a certain type of technical difficulties.
That is how the collection «Unusual Studies» appeared.
What is their «singularity»?
The collection is conditionally divided into several sections in the order of increasing the complexity of material, and it concludes with three «Concert Studies». They are distinguished by a more developed emotional atmosphere and rather high level of complexity and size. These studies require a certain level of preparation and can diversify a performer?s concert program. Nevertheless, they are only an addition to the basic material, which is focused primarily on the elementary and intermediate levels of training.
When it comes to the ?singularity?, focus is shifted to the right hand, with the detailed fingering of the right hand. The fingers «p» and «a» are introduced more actively, paying attention to the alignment of their sound, attack power. It is necessary to strive for full equality of all fingers of the right hand, using fingers «p» and «a» not only when playing bass and melody, but also in arpeggio, passaggio technique (in the middle of an arpeggio or passaggio).
- learning to use touches in a high contrast while playing: staccato/legato. This, in my opinion, is extremely necessary to already assimilate at the initial stage of training.
- active use of the alternation in the musical material of open and closed strings. Control over the strength of the sound of open strings, timbre ratio.
- using the high positions of the guitar?s fingerboard with open strings without excessive physical effort .
- rather small size of studies. This allows to concentrate directly on the technical difficulties, rather than on memorizing.

I hope that this collection will help you to achieve the desired result faster and more effectively, will bring not only methodical benefit, but also aesthetic pleasure.