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The Pentical of Guitarist

by Chris Chimene
(Conroe, TX. U.S.A.)

My top three guitarists are ranked more on their importance to the contribution to the guitar than their actual skill level.

3. Alonso de Mudarra
- He is noted for having the first published pieces for the guitar (or an earily version of the Vihuela). His Tres libros was published int 1546, and his famous "Fantasia" was considered by Mudarra himself as, "difficult until understood." So for jump starting the early guitar music, I give him the number three spot.

2. Andres Segovia
- The man who introduced the classical guitar to the world. He was so influential that the chances of you playing a classical guitar piece that he did not edit or arrange, is rare. He is the reason the classical guitar is where it is today.

1. Fernando Sor

- The master of technicallity. During the Golden Aged of the Guitar, he stood out and was applauded for his many studies. He was such a good guitarist and pianist that he was promoted to leutinant in the Spanish Army. He wrote mainly in the style of the Vienna School of music and wrote one of the most technically challenging masterpieces, Vartiations on a Theme of Mozart (A piece in that Segovia said, "it has every technical difficulty that you could imagine for the guitar.") Since I like technical studies and what not, I choose Fernando Sor as my number one guiartist.

Chris Chimene