Humoresque

Agustín Barrios Mangoré · Level 5 (Advanced) · Romantic · Guitar, sheet music and tablature

A solo guitar piece by the Paraguayan Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885–1944), one of the few works he had printed in his lifetime (Montevideo, Carlos U. Trápani, c. 1921). Andante mosso in A major, 3/4 time: a theme sung in thirds and sixths, linked by short slides, then a repeated “Brillante” section in F sharp minor that ends with a free ascending run (ad libitum); the theme then returns (Da capo al Fine). 48 bars, with the repeats and the return of the theme as in the original edition.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Slides (line between two chords): keep both fingers pressed on their strings and slide one fret into the arrival chord without releasing; the starting sixteenth is very short and the arrival lands on the beat. Follow the strings shown in the tab (the circled numbers of the edition): the melody stays on strings 2 and 3, or 1 and 3, to keep the same tone colour; the half note after each slide is replayed on strings 3 and 4. “Brillante” section: barre at the 2nd fret (C2) for the first bars; the final run (bar 31) is played freely, slowing down towards the top. First practise the melody alone in its chords, slowly, then add the thumb bass.

Source : Transcription Note after Note d’après l’édition originale (Montevideo, Carlos U. Trápani, vers 1921), IMSLP n° 277180 · Public Domain