If you are ready to get lost in the jungle of Brazilian modernism, only to emerge with hands that can finally play anything you hear in your head, open the book. Play slowly. Listen deeply. And let Sergio Assad change your right hand forever.
: Assad blends his deep knowledge of popular Brazilian music with modern classical techniques and his own experience as a master improviser. This is Classical Guitar Notable Studies
Assad moves beyond the standard "p i m a" arpeggio patterns found in Giuliani or Carcassi. His studies often require the thumb to maintain an independent bass line while the fingers execute complex melodic patterns. This mimics the texture of a piano, treating the guitar as a polyphonic instrument. Students will find their ability to voice chords and separate melody from accompaniment tested and refined. Sergio Assad 24 Studies
, which are rarely explored in traditional solo guitar music due to their intricate polyrhythmic nature. Compositional Language
If you'd like to dive deeper into practicing these, I can help you with: If you are ready to get lost in
This is where Assad’s dramatic voice shines. These studies are darker, more chromatic, and harmonically adventurous. Study No. 15 (G minor) is a brutal workout for left-hand stretches and slurs, yet it sounds like a frantic, modernist dance. Study No. 20 (D minor) pushes the guitar into quasi-orchestral territory, demanding that the player execute rapid-fire shifts between harmonic and natural notes.
Sergio Assad’s 24 Studies for Guitar (Vinte e quatro estudos para violão) stands as a monumental contribution to the modern classical guitar repertoire. Released in its entirety in the late 2010s, this collection represents the culmination of decades of pedagogical thought and virtuosic performance experience from one half of the world-renowned Assad Brothers duo. And let Sergio Assad change your right hand forever
These studies are not for the casual strummer. They are for the guitarist who asks, "What else can this instrument do?" Assad answers by turning the guitar into a jazz piano, a percussion ensemble, and a singing voice, all within 24 pages of ink.
Assad successfully merges the didactic (learning a specific technique) with the artistic (making music). Each study is a performance piece. In fact, several international competitions (GFA, Tárrega) now include an Assad study in their required repertoire lists.