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PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE

Introduction

Cuban guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer (b.1939) haswritten some of the most popular pieces of the 20th centuryguitar repertoire. The composer's output can be divided intothree distinct creative periods. In the nationalism period,influenced by Cuban popular music, we have works like thePreludes and Fugues, the 'Piezas Sin Titulo' and others. Theavant-guard period is influenced by atonalism. Pieces like 'LaEspiral Eterna' and 'Canticum' are representative of thisperiod. The world-music-like period, his current phase, is amixture of everything he has done. 'El Decameron Negro' andhis 'Sonata' are good examples of his latest pieces.

His Simple Studies for guitar are among his first works,influenced by Cuban Nationalism. They feature a verypersonal style of writing and cover a wide variety of musicaltextures, idioms and basic guitar techniques.

They have great pedagogical use for the beginner and theintermediate student, for they work with all the basics ofguitar playing. They also serve as an introduction tocontemporary music for students who are most likely playingstudies by Carcassi, Sor, Carulli and Giuliani, which arerepresentative of the classical period. The Brouwer Studiesintroduce different harmonic, rhythmic and melodicstructures, for students who are used to playing tonalharmonies and square forms, in a way that connects theclassical guitar tradition to the music of our day. Therefore,they fill a gap in the guitar repertoire, also being useful forconcert performance.

Following, study notes are given for each study.

STUDY IStudy I introduces the series in a very rhythmic way. The texture isbased on a melody on the bass strings and the accompaniment onthe open strings. The syncopated melody is a little complex for thebeginner student so it is important to understand the rhythm withthe metronome. The use of the right hand and thumb to bring outthe melody ('cantado el bajo' - singing the bass) and keeping theaccompaniment in the background are the main goals of the study,along with the realization of the dynamic contrasts. The contrastsare musically essential to the study - without them it would soundboring - so the student should follow the dynamic marks exactly asthey are written.

On the third and fourth lines of the score, there is a 'conversation'between the accompaniment and the bass melody. It is the time forthe accompaniment to be accented equally to the bass melody.

It is important to know exactly where the high point of the piece is.In this study it is clearly in the end of the fourth line (fortissimo andmarcatto marks), lending the energy to the next bar with therelaxation on the E and C#. It is appropriate to do a little 'ritardando'there while keeping the syncope and the 'decrescendo' and'crescendo' on the relaxation that follows.

The piece also works with the alternation of 'p' and 'i-m' and thepositioning of 'i-m' on different strings (for the different open stringaccompaniments).

It is important to note the distinction between the C and C# in therepetition of the first and last sections. They may sound a littleweird at first but it makes sense once you get to the relaxation withthe accents on the C# (fifth line).

The form is a clear |A|B|A| and the piece is concluded simply, doingthe 'rallentando' and the 'decrescendo' ('morendo' - dying).

One minute is the approximate time of the piece, suggesting amoderately fast tempo. The student should always practice indifferent tempos to have a better understanding of the piece.

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STUDY II Study II is a very slow 'Coral' (choir). This is a four-voice harmony.Therefore, the challenge here is the balance of voices. The studentshould practice each voice individually to be able to listen to allvoices together when performing.

The articulation is very important here. The legato sound isessential. It is going to be obtained by the precise movements of theleft and right hands. The shifts should be practiced slowly for thedevelopment of the left-hand finger independence. It is important topractice the vertical notes being played simultaneously. It is veryidiomatic for the guitar to roll the notes and it is musical to do thatbut not in throughout the entire piece. The student should be able toplay all the notes at the same time as well as roll them - always forinterpretative reasons.

The rhythm is, like Study I, syncopated, but in a much slowertempo. The student should pay attention to the rests (as in thesecond measure). They define the pick-ups to the next measures.Also, the basses are supposed to last the entire measure throughoutthe piece.

The fingerings as well as the tempo and dynamic marks should befollowed exactly as the composer wrote them. The high point of thepiece (the accents on the first and second measures of the secondline) should be emphasized.

This is also a good study to practice the vibrato. It perfectly suitsthe slow tempo and helps the 'legato'. The approximate duration oftwo minutes indicates how slow Brouwer wants it to be.

STUDY III This study is about the fast coordination of 'p-m-i', one of the mostcommon and useful right-hand formulas for guitar playing. Thethumb plays the legato bass lines and 'm-i' play the fast answernotes. The 12/8 time signature has the subdivision in three that isvery appropriate to the 'p-m-i' formula.

Again, the finger independence of the left hand is worked here.Brouwer uses the same left-hand patterns to build this study.

Slow practice is highly recommended to help the coordinationbetween right and left hands. Students should increase speed(around 10 bpm a day) to see how fast can they coordinate theexercise.

As in the other studies, the composer's marks should be respectedhere.

STUDY IV Study IV is very similar in texture to the first one, so most of thestudy notes of Study I apply to Study IV. The differences are thetime signatures, harmonic variety and the slower tempo.

Here we have a 5/4 time signature (2 + 3), that is quite unusual for abeginner's piece. The accompaniment moves a lot more than inStudy I, mostly in the upbeats here.

On the third line, the upbeat figures change faster than before. Thispassage should be practiced slowly, following the exact fingerings.

The high point and also transition to the repetition of the A section(end of fifth line) should be emphasized.

Like all the previous studies, this one is concluded by gettingquieter until silent.

Legato and vibrato should be exercised in the entire study. Besidesbeing rhythmic, this is a very lyrical study.

STUDY V Number V is like a song accompaniment with some different chordsand rhythms. It starts with a C chord moving to unpredictableharmonies. The use of the bass on the second subdivision of thebeat and the repeated notes create a different groove.

It is the first one in the series to work systematically with the 'a'finger. The 'p-i-a-m' and 'p-m-i' patterns are used but always in asyncopated rhythm. The metronome should help in understandingthe rhythms and making the syncope clear.

On the third line, on the modulation and transition to the B section,the crescendo should be clear in order to stress the new tonal(modal) center Eb.

In the transition to the repetition of A, the finger substitution shouldmake the passage easier.

In the conclusion, the accents on the minor second should be

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noticed; it is a very dissonant interval that is emphasized two timeshere. Also in the conclusion, the articulation of the syncope shouldbe clear even though the tempo is slowing down.

STUDY VI Similarly to Villa-Lobos's Study I, Brouwer's VI is a right handformula study. It is based on the 'a-m-i' and 'p-a-m-i' movementsand the placement of 'a' on the first and second strings. Speed,balance and steadiness should be the goals here.

The harmony is based on a beautiful chord progression centered inA. It starts in A Lydian, moves to A Dorian, A Aeolian, then to adominant region and finishes in A major. The shifts can be tricky sothe student should practice them slowly, making sure to prepare thefirst notes on the right hand first, taking time to get the rest of thenotes in their due time.

On the last two lines of the score, the time signature and the righthand formula change. The shift to the 10th position of the left handhas to be done carefully, making sure to mute the E string whenplaying the A on the first measure of the second to last line of thescore. Otherwise, the E will ring over the A making the resolutionunclear.

This is the only study where the composer didn't specify anydynamic or tempo markings. It is a very free study, so the studentshould be encouraged to experiment. Brouwer also suggests tryingdifferent right-hand formulas over the same chord progression.

STUDY VII The indication on the beginning of this study shows that it is goingto be something unusual. It says Lo mas rapido posible, (As fast aspossible). This is the funniest sounding of the studies. But thatdoesn't mean it is going to be easy; the technical aspects are quitechallenging.

The fast coordination between the slurs on the left-hand and theplucked notes on the right, along with the sudden dynamic contrastsare the main objectives.

On the first line, the student should be careful to mute the first fournotes (right hand thumb) before placing finger 1 on the D andmaking the slurs to the F. The rest that follows has a very importantmusical value, so it is important to do it accurately.

The contrast between the short accented fortissimo note on the Ebass string and the long pianissimo major seventh interval on thetrebles should be clear. The muting of the E bass can be done withthe right hand thumb.

The left hand '4-1' and '1-2, 2-3, 3-4' slurs are worked here.Students should practice in different tempos to obtain balancebetween the two hands.

STUDY VIII Study VIII starts with an early music feel. It is divided into twodistinct sections. The first one is an imitative two-voicecounterpoint. The distinction between the voices should be clearand the sound legatissimo. The student should play a little accent onthe tied notes to make the syncope clearer. This is the slow section.

Next, we have a faster (piu mosso) section. The texture is totallydifferent but the theme, played on the bass strings here, is the sameas the slow section.

The objective is to control fast 'p-i-m' and accents with the 'a' fingerwith the right-hand. On the left-hand, there is a constant note (A#)that works as a pivot to all the movements around it.

In the end of this section, the transition to the repeat of the slowsection is done by 'rallentando' and 'decrescendo'.

In the conclusion, there is a fermata on the last notes. After thedecrescendo, the student should make sure to let notes ring untilthey die completely.

STUDY IX IX is a fun study that resembles a country music guitarist or banjoplayer. The technical goal is to control the slurs on the left hand andto mute the bass notes when it is necessary.

The slurs have to be clear but these are note melodic slurs. They arerhythmic slurs. That is, they don't have to be as stressed as a slur ona 'cantabile' line; they can be done faster.

The study is clearly divided into three small sections. The form is AB C, but there are elements of A in all sections. The slurs on the Bsection (third line of the score) have a different character. They aremore like melodic (cantabile) slurs.

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The high point of the piece can be considered the D # on the sixthline of the score. It should be stressed because it is a surpriseelement in the harmonic structure of the study.

The ending is also surprising. It is the first time in the series ofstudies that Brouwer ends with forte accents.

The approximate time suggests a moderately fast tempo.

STUDY X Study X is a fast rhythmic piece that works with fingerindependence of the left-hand, dynamic contrasts, slurs andright-hand 'a-m-i' formula.

On the first line of the score, we have accented syncopated chordsthat should be played staccato. The rhythm here is quiet-unusual, soit should be learned with the metronome to make the downbeatsclear in the student's mind.

There are three left-hand patterns used by the composer: '4-3-2-1' ,'1-2-3-4' and '1-3-2-4'. They are done on different strings with thefollowing slurs: '1-2' ,

'0-1', '3-4' and '2-4'. That means the student should be able tocoordinate plucked notes and slurs and a variety of combinations.

The dynamic contrasts are very important to the music. As in mostof the studies, they are essential. It is important to observe that mostof the phrases start on the upbeats. The comprehension of therhythm is also fundamental for the realization of the study.

The tempo is not determined but the approximate time suggests,like in Study IX, a fast tempo.

Tucson, AZ - May, 2003

Glossary of Musical Terms

-Syncopated Rhythm: Notes are attacked after the down-beats andare tied to the next note, common in Brazilian and Latin rhythms.-Dynamics: Related to volume, how loud or soft the sounds areplayed. -Marcatto: Accented, marked. -Ritardando: Slowing down the tempo-Accelerando: Speeding up the tempo-Crescendo: Getting louder-Decrescendo: Getting quieter-Rallentando: Same as ritardando-Articulation: The way notes are played (e.g. accented, slured,pizzicato, etc) -Legato: No gap between the notes of a melodic line. Notes lastuntil the moment the next one comes. -Staccato: Gaps between the notes of a melodic line. Very shortnotes. -Fermata: the notes with a fermata can last for as long as you want. -Cantabile: Singing like