Free Online Classical Guitar Lessons from LAGA

Not a difficult piece to play, but a difficult piece to play well. You may wonder why we say that. The original, for full orchestra, has such an emotional intensity that can be difficult to convey on a solo instrument. The trick to transcribing such a work for solo guitar is to play it as a piece for the guitar, not as the poor stepdaughter of the orchestral version. The sheer intimacy of the solo guitar can be an advantage in conveying the sense of tragedy that pervades this movement.

Ludvig von Beethoven (1770-1827) came upon the music scene at at time when the winds of musical taste were beginning to shift from the Classical to the Romantic. This symphony clearly demonstrates Beethoven's mastery of the Romantic style. In fact, when it was premiered in 1813, the Allegretto so overwhelmed the audience with its depth of emotion that they demanded an encore of it before the orchestra could move on to the third movement!

Spot Practice Clip:

Keep the melodic line well connected. Play the piece in legato throughout. It is especially crucial to emphasize the legato when you arrive at the bar on the seventh fret. Here you must pay attention to the melodic line (F#, F#, G#, A). Do not release the 4 during the pull-off on the third string.

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