This month we return to the technical treasure trove that is the 25 Progressive Studies (Opus 60) by Florentine composer Matteo Carcassi. In issue GT331 we explored Study No.1 which improved our confidence in dealing with a continuous scale-based melody. This month we explore Study No.23; equally fiery but with the addition of melodies based around descending slurs and complex cross-string arpeggiation. The relative complexity within each two-bar phrase means that every pair of bars can almost be treated as its own ‘sub-etude’ when learning. Its structure is ABCA so once small phrases are comfortable the three main sections can be practised separately. It is always useful to have a practice strategy when picking up a new piece, and mastering the material
