Things to consider before starting Recuerdos

Difficulty of the piece

This piece is recommended for the advanced intermediate student. It requires a knowledge of the entire fingerboard, careful planning of left-hand movement, and fluency with the specialized right-hand technique known as tremolo. In addition, successful performance of this piece demands a high level of endurance and concentration.

Road Map to the Piece

The piece is divided into three broad sections. The first section, in the key of A minor ends at measure 20. There is a key change to A major in measure 21, and a coda which appears in for the third occurrence of measure 36. The first two sections are each repeated, then there is a “D.C. al Coda,” which instructs the performer to return to the beginning, playing through measure 35 (without taking the sectional repeats), then going to the coda. The entirety of the piece is presented using the tremolo. Tremolo is a right hand technique which features a rapid a-m-i repetition of the melody notes. Over extended passages, a well-executed tremolo gives the impression of sustained notes, and gives the guitarist dynamic control through a single pitch, in imitation of singing. Receurdos is in 3/4 time and should be performed at a tempo sufficiently fast enough to complete the illusion of melody and accompaniment. I suggest a tempo of around 80 beats per minute for the quarter note.