As we go further into the 21st century, more and more classical guitarists wish to play baroque and galant music in a manner reflecting stylistic understanding of those eras. We will never know precisely how the music was played then, but can come closer to understanding the priorities of the time. The common denominator of music in our chosen period is rhetorical expression. Historical Performance Practice, by bringing us closer to the essence of the music, gives us not only more understanding but - above all - more possibilities for moving our listeners. While striving to play in a stylistic manner, we must never forget the goal of performance: to communicate passions and elevate the lives of our listeners. It is with this in mind that the present book has been written. Author: Peter Croton, early music performer, and teacher at the world-renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis as well as at the Conservatories of Basel and Bern. Cover art and design: Johanna Croton Paul Galbraith writes:"This handbook is a distinguished addition to the ever-expanding body of instructional literature for guitarists. In effect, we're treated here to a guided tour through a wealth of selected historical quotations and information, under the experienced supervision of Peter Croton, who offers his considered opinion at every step. A highly stimulating, provocative and educational read!" Pablo Márquez writes:"The great Hungarian pianist György Sebök used to say that 'the first step to freedom is to make a choice. When you have only one option then you have no choice, when you have two options then you have a dilemma, when you have three or more options then you start having a choice.' This new book by Peter Croton is a wonderful tool for guitarists to become freer in negotiating Early Music's vast territory." João Carlos Victor writes:"The popularity of baroque music among guitarists today raises the question: how can we convey the deep meaning of this music to 21st century audiences? Peter Croton's book is an extremely helpful guide. He not only discusses historical sources, but also draws upon his experience as performer, researcher and teacher. I had the privilege of studying with him for two years, thus personally experiencing his incredible knowledge and true commitment to this music."

James Tyler offers a practical manual to aid guitar players and lutenists in transitioning from modern stringed instruments to the baroque guitar. He begins with the physical aspects of the instrument, addressing tuning and stringing arrangements and technique before considering the fundamentals of baroque guitar tablature. In the second part of the book Tyler provides an anthology of representative works from the repertoire. Each piece is introduced with an explanation of the idiosyncrasies of the particular manuscript or source and information regarding any performance practice issues related to the piece itself -- represented in both tablature and staff notation. Tyler's thorough yet practical approach facilitates access to this complex body of work.

Not a "method" in the traditional sense, this book explains what happens in the finest classical guitar playing and what in turn the student can do to mold his or her playing to that ideal.

The first book-length study in any language dedicated specifically to lute, guitar, and vihuela.

The fruit of a lifetime's research into baroque performing practice.

The Classical Guitar Companion is an anthology of guitar exercises, etudes, and pieces organized according to technique or musical texture. Expert author Christopher Berg, a veteran guitar instructor, bring together perspectives as an active performing artist and as a teacher who has trained hundreds of guitarists to encourages students to work based on their own strengths and weaknesses. The book opens with "Learning the Fingerboard", a large section devoted to establishing a thorough knowledge of the guitar fingerboard through a systematic and rigorous study of scales and fingerboard harmony, which will lead to ease and fluency in sight-reading and will reduce the time needed to learn a repertoire piece. The following sections "Scales and Scale Studies", "Repeated Notes", "Slurs", "Harmony", "Arpeggios", "Melody with Accompaniment", "Counterpoint" and "Florid or Virtuoso Studies" each contain text and examples that connect material to fingering practices of composers and practice strategies to open a path to interpretive freedom in performance. The Classical Guitar Companion will serve as a helpful companion for many years of guitar study.

"... a valuable book. It is an important link between the unknown of the Renaissance and the present." --The Triangle of Mu Phi Epsilon "Straightforward practicality is the most outstanding characteristic of this book." --Continuo "... a fine and very welcome book that is likely to remain the high standard of lute continuo instruction for some time to come." --Sixteenth Century Journal In this extraordinarily broad survey, Nigel North discusses the history of the lute, the archlute, and the theorbo and gives practical advice on technique, the choice of instrument for particular music, and the preparation of scores.

A substantial amount of early music for the guitar remains unknown to modern performers and audiences. In recent years, however, musicologists, scholars and performers on period instruments have provided a wealth of accessible new source materials which players can now begin to interpret in convincing and effective ways. Nevertheless, many still feel intimidated by the prospect of sorting through and learning to use these resources for the first time. for the uninitiated, just knowing where to start can be difficult.This anthology contains representative selections from the publications and manuscripts of four important Spanish Baroque guitarists: Gaspar Sanz, Antonio de Santa Cruz, Francisco Guerau, and Santiago de Murcia. In addition to being fun and entertaining music for all to enjoy, this collection is intended to help bridge the gap between scholarly editions and performance editions by providing a hands-on introduction to tablature transcription and to issues concerning historically informed performance on the modern guitar.

(Music Sales America). The pieces and etudes you need to develop your first classical guitar repertoire. This book and CD package contains delightful repertory of pieces in both standard notation and tab for the beginning or intermediate player. The selections are drawn from all periods of classical guitar literature and have been newly arranged and edited by Jerry Willard. The CD includes full-length performances. Learn pieces by Sor, Carulli, Dowland, Mozart, Tarrega, and many more.