Month: September 2025

Beyond the Basics: Repertoire Recommendations for Late Beginners and Young Classical Guitarists

Published on by Leo GarciaLeave a comment

Beyond the Basics: Repertoire Recommendations for Late Beginners and Young Classical Guitarists

As children move beyond the initial stages of learning the classical guitar, the world of repertoire opens up in beautiful and inspiring ways. At this transitional phase—when students are comfortable with foundational techniques and literacy—it’s crucial to provide them with material that both challenges and delights.

Over the years, I’ve found a handful of works that resonate especially well with late beginners and young players. These pieces not only support technical development but also deepen musical understanding and ignite artistic curiosity.

A few of my go-to resources include

  • Shawn Bell’s engaging pieces and literacy supplements, which help reinforce reading skills in a musically satisfying context.
  • Nikita Koshkin’s Etudes, which offer a special combination of imagination, texture, and humor—perfect for students ready to explore more expressive possibilities.
  • Tilman Hoppstock’s “Duets for Children and Teachers,” which are not only musically rich but also foster ensemble awareness and mentorship.
  • Carlo Domeniconi’s Preludes and Klangbild are shorter works that combine evocative soundscapes with accessible technique.
  • Simone Ianarelli’s Etudes, which are approachable yet musically rewarding, often introduce more contemporary harmonic language.
  • Leo Brouwer’s Etudes Simples and Nuevos Estudios Sencillos achieve a near-perfect balance between musical depth and technical growth.
  • The Royal Conservatory Series has carefully curated music that is organized by musical period and meticulously fingered.
  • And of course, Fernando Sor’s Etudes, timeless gems, remain some of the best pedagogical pieces in the classical guitar canon.

All of these resources are wonderful—but only after the student has developed strong foundational skills.

That’s where structured early pedagogy is so essential.

Over the last two and a half decades, I’ve dedicated myself to developing KinderGuitar, a child-centered curriculum specifically designed for young guitarists. It’s built around intentional scaffolding, sequencing, and musical engagement to set students up for long-term success—not just technically, but musically and emotionally.

Once students complete the core levels of the KinderGuitar curriculum, they’re remarkably well-equipped to approach the repertoire listed above with confidence. Their literacy is solid and their fingers are trained, but more importantly, they possess the building blocks for being musicians.

If you’re an educator who loves teaching children and is passionate about shaping the next generation of musicians, feel free to reach out to learn more about KinderGuitar program. KinderGuitar is slowly growing a small network of licensed teachers who believe that early guitar education can be as structured and joyful as early piano or violin instruction.

Gear Review: The Soundfile

Published on by Leo Garcia1 Comment

The Nail File I Didn’t Know I Needed

by Leonardo Garcia

Last Christmas, while hunting for stocking stuffers for my sons, I stumbled across a website called The Soundfile. I wasn’t expecting much—after all, a nail file is about as straightforward as it gets. But The Soundfile’s Next Generation Glass Nail File is one of those small but game-changing tools that makes you wonder how you could’ve gone so long without it.

From the very first use of the Next Generation Nail File, I realized its existence wasn’t just a marginal upgrade. The file creates such a fine, polished ramp that I felt using fine sandpaper out of sheer habit afterwards was unnecessary.

What sets this file apart are two things:

  • Thickness & Rigidity: Unlike the flimsy feel of the standard sapphire file, this one is thick and completely rigid. That stability translates directly into a straighter, more controlled ramp.
  • Transparency: You can literally see through the file as you work, which provides a unique level of precision. It’s like having an X-ray view of what you’re doing.

For over 35 years, I had been using traditional sapphire nail files. They did the job, but never perfectly. The thinness and slight flexibility of sapphire files meant that achieving a truly straight, polished ramp was always a compromise. If you are wedded to the use of a sapphire metal file, The Soundfile also has a thicker sapphire file, which is a step above the usual.

It’s rare to find a tool this simple that so clearly outperforms what came before it. Sometimes the best discoveries come when you’re not expecting them. For me, the Next Generation Nail File was one of those discoveries.

Use the code SIXSTRING for a 25% discount off of The Soundfile website.

Leonardo García plays Federico Moreno Torroba’s Nocturno

Published on by Leo GarciaLeave a comment

Here is the first of several new videos featuring the music of Spanish composer Federico Moreno Torroba. I first fell in love with his Nocturno after hearing it on John Williams’s Spanish Favorites album nearly 40 years ago. Enjoy.