The Sixteen Easiest Pieces
especially composed for absolute beginners on the guitar
edited by Brian Jeffery
Technique
Teachers may care to note that while it is today considered perfectly permissible to make frequent use of the ring finger (a) of the right hand, Sor himself seldom used that finger except in four-note chords, as he explained at length in his method. So, when playing the pieces in this book, I personally find it easiest to follow Sor’s example and to use the ring finger only in chords, not in melodic passages.
It is also clear from his method that he used the right hand thumb proportionately a great deal more, and on higher strings, than we are used to today, something which lutenists are accustomed to. So, you could play melodic passages like those in no. 11 in this book with the right hand thumb and index finger in alternation. Its easy: try it!
Ornaments and slurs
There are only a couple of ornaments in the pieces in this book, and they can be considered as optional. Slurs also, at this early stage, can be considered as optional.
Editing
I have corrected some misprints and standardized some repeats. I have translated titles into English from the original French. Tempo indications at the beginning of pieces (such as Andante, Allegretto, etc.) are all original, but indications in brackets (such as rit., mf etc.) are editorial and should be regarded as suggestions only.
More
Anyone who likes the music in this collection of Sor’s Sixteen Easiest Pieces and would like to see more, will find all Sor’s music for students (121 pieces in all) in his Complete Studies, Lessons, and Exercises for guitar published by Tecla, with only Sor’s fingering (no added fingering).
content:
1. Lesson – Op. 60 no.1
2. Lesson – Op. 60 no.2
3. Andante – Op. 44 no.1
4. Allegretto – Op. 44 no.2
5. Lesson – Op. 60 no.13
6. Andante – Op. 31 no.1
7. Andante – Op. 35 no.1
8. Waltz – Op. 35 no.2
9. Lesson – Op. 60 no.10
10. Waltz – Op. 51 no.1
11. Lesson – Op. 60 no.3
12. Lesson – Op. 60 no.5
13. Andantino – Op. 44 no.3
14. Minuet – Op. 44 no.14
15. Lesson – Op. 60 no.6
16. Allegretto moderato – Op. 31 no.3
