Playing the guitar is a hobby of mine ever since I started scratching the steel-strung guitar, trying my hand at "American Pie" when it came out.
I began to prefer the nylon-string version some 5 years later, wanting to hear a different sound from the instrument. I also quickly found out that nylon strings are easier on the fingers and nails than their steel counterparts.

After a stretch of guitar-synthesizer playing (Shadow GTM6), and an "artistic pause" for a handful of years, I have rediscovered the joy of playing classic guitar in 2000. [see also: GTM-6 MIDI Converter quick instructions card]

Then one February morning in 2006 my old student guitar looked like this:

  

Turns out the glue holding the bridge had crystallised over the instrument's 26 year life, and thus the bridge had come loose overnight, and was just hanging by the pickup wires.



Of course, I tried to have her repaired, but I made the "mistake" of asking what new guitars are available ... and yes -cutting a long story short- I walked out of the "Spanish Guitar Centre" near Leicester Square tube station (well worth recommending BTW!) with a P-49 made by Antonio Picado near Barcelona, having quite simply fallen in love with its sound.

I'm resigned to the fact that I'll never be a great guitarist, but I find that playing relaxes me from the stresses of a hectic day. For your entertainment (and delectation ???), I am making some new recordings available here. They are all straight takes, the odd duff notes included, with just a touch of reverb added. Marlies says I play them better when I'm not recording, but there you are ...



Francisco Tarrega: Lagrima - recorded April 2006
[2 min 10 sec - 2064 Kb]


Fernando Sor: Study in D - recorded April 2006
[1 min 21 sec - 1272 Kb]

Do get in touch if you'd like to hear more ...

 

last update
August 2006