Recuerdos de la Alhambra   Francisco Trrega (public domain) Fingered by 
Ted McKown; 
Tabledited by
michaeljoyce@hotmail.com                                                                        9               P      
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  @3*I03*I03-I0 4-I0`4-I0@5!A06
  6, 6  6  6  6  6  6   7  7  7  7   7  (7  07  87  @7  H7+ P7  X7  `7  h7  p7  x7  7*I0 8*I0`8,I08,I08,I0 9A0 @;  H;) P;	  X;	  `;	  h;	  p;	  x;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;	  ;+ ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  @<*I0<+I0<(I0 =(I0`=(I0@>*C0> ?  ?) ?	  ?	  ?	  ?I ?	  ?	   @	  @' @  @   @  (@  0@  8@  @@  H@  P@  X@  `@  h@  p@  x@  @*I0@(I0 AI0 @A!I0A(I0AI0 @D  HD' PD  XD  `D  hD  pD  xD  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  D  @E(I0E(I0E(I0 F(I0`F(I0F&A0H  H  H   H  (H  0H  8H  @H  HH  PH  XH  `H  hH  pH  xH  H  H   II0 HI$ PI  XI  `I  hI  pI  xI  I#I0II0  J%I0 J#I0@JA0 @M  HM" PM  XM  `M  hM  pM  xM  M  M  M  M  M  M  M  M  M  M$ M  M  M  M  M  M  @N#I0NI0 NC N"I0 OI0 `OI0 @P"A0Q  Q" Q  Q  Q  QB Q  Q   R  R  R  R   R  (R  0R  8R  @R  HR  PR  XR  `R  hR  pR  xR  R"I0 SI0 `S#I0SI0 SI0 TA0 @V  HV  PV  XV  `V  hV  pV  xV  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  @WI0 WI0 WI0  XI0 `XI0 @YA0 Z  Z  Z   Z  (Z  0Z  8Z  @Z  HZ  PZ  XZ  `Z  hZ  pZ  xZ  Z  Z   [#I0H[$ P[  X[  `[  h[  p[  x[   \%I0`\#I0\I0 \I0  ]A0 @_  H_# P_  X_  `_  h_  p_  x_  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _$ _  _  _  _  _  _  @`#I0`I0 `#I0 a#I0`a#I0a!A0c  c  c   c  (c  0c  8c  @c  Hc  Pc  Xc  `c  hc  pc  xc  c  c  c  c  c  c  c  c  c   d#I0@dI0 `e#I0eI0 eI0  f!A0g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g  g   h  h  h  h   h  (h  0h  8h  hI0 hI0 iI0  jI0 `jI0 j!A0 l  l# l  l   l  (l  0l  8l  @l  Hl  Pl  Xl  `l  hl  pl  xl  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l   m$I0@mI0 `n%I0nI0 nI0  o!A0p  p+ p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p  p   q  q# q  q   q  (q  0q  8q  q-I0q$I0r-I0 sI0 `s%I0s!A0 u  u# u  u   u  (uC 0u  8u  @u  Hu  Pu  Xu  `u  hu  pu  xu  u  u  u  u  u  u  u  u  u$I0 v#I0@vI0 w#I0wI0  x!A0y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y  y   z  z  z  z   z  (z  0z  8z  zI0 zI0 {I0  |I0 `|I0 |!A0 ~  ~& ~  ~   ~  (~  0~  8~  @~  H~  P~  X~  `~  h~  p~  x~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~   #I0#I0 #I0@C`%I0%I0#A0  %               Ȃ  Ђ  ؂             I0 ȃ  Ѓ  ؃          @&I0&I0C'I0`'I0@%A0  ȇ( Ї  ؇           &        (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x  'I0 I0 @C`'I0'I0I0  %A0@  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                    Ȍ  Ќ  ،           C@I0 I0 I0  I0 `I0 A0   Ȑ$ А  ؐ                      (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x  `$I0I0 !I0#I0$I0 #A0@  H# P  X  `  h  p  x                    ȕ  Е  ؕ          #I0 I0  I0 `I0 @C0 F0   ș  Й  ؙ    A        Ț# К  ؚ                      (  0  8  `#I0#I0I0 %I0'I0 A0  CȞ# О  ؞    $                 (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h% p  x  #I0%I0I0  I0 I0 %I0                  ȣ  У  أ                      (  0  8  `I0 I0 I0 I0 I0  A0 C   #        (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                  $I0 I0  I0 @I0 `I0 A0 ȫ! Ы  ث             "        (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x    #I0 #I0`$I0$I0$I0 A0                 ȯ  Я  د                      (  0  8  @  #I0#I0#I0 #I0`#I0!A0            (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                   #I0@#I0`#I0#I0#I0 A0   H& P  X  `  h  p  x                    ȹ  й  ع          'I0 I0  I0 @I0 `I0 @!A0  Ƚ$ н  ؽ             #        (  0  8  @  H! P  X  `  h  p  x  `%I0#I0#I0!I0!C0@!I0@  #        (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                  #I0 #I0 $Ip@%I0`$I0!A0@C   #                                         (  0  8  `#I0I0 I0 I0 I0  A0 C    #        (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                  $I0 I0  I0 @I0 `I0 !A0!                "        (  0  8  @  H$ P  X  `  h  p  x    #I0 #I0`$I0$I0$I0 !A0!                                         (  0  8  @  #I0#I0#I0 #I0`#I0!A0            (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x                   #I0@#I0`#I0#I0#I0 !A0  %                                         (  0  8  &I0&I0#I0 #I0`#I0@!A0   #        (  0  8  @  H! P  X  `  h  p  x     #I0H$ P  X  `  h  p  x   %I0`#I0#I0#I0!A0@  H# P  X  `  h  p  x                                  @#I0#I0C #I0 #I0@%I0!A0  #                         (  0  8  @  H  P  X  `  h  p  x  #I0`#I0 !I0$Ip%I0 !I0@  H# P  X  `  h  p  x                                  @#I0C #I0!I0 $Ip %I0@K  F  !I0A   <  !I    #I `+I #I `#I  !A0  -A @+a ,a !A 	 #A @#a  %a &A     $#%9[ C VIII....................................................................................  1/2C IX.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  C I...........................................................................................................................................  C II...........................................................................................................................................  C IV...........................................................................................................................................  1/2C II......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  1/2C II.....................................................................................................................................  1/2C II.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  rall........  1/2C II    A min. _   @OC maj. _   @? G 7          C    C?    Cd


F maj.      F maj. d    E?   7 n.   @     E 7 j. ?    <_ C# dim.  i  A 7   9_   Cd  min.    Cd    D min. d    C? D min.    Ad B    D sus2 ? $   @dF maj.  p    	  E sus4 d$   <O   E maj. 	  " 	  #   A maj. _   @?  E maj. _   @? 	  '  
  ( 
  ) D maj.        *   J? 0   -dF# min.   tP  G# maj. 0   <_ C# min. 2 `  3  B dim. _   @?   E 7 0   5_6  Updated Measures 14 and 15.  I got sloppy copying my manuscript into TE.  Please accept my apologies.

This composition by the father of modern classical guitar technique, Francisco Trrega, is perhaps the best known and most popular guitar solo ever written.  Composed while inspired by the Moorish  of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.  Here are some notes on this building:

The Alhambra Commentary

"On a hill overlooking Granada, the Alhambraa sprawling palace-citadel that comprised royal residential quarters, court complexes flanked by official chambers, a bath, and a mosquewas begun in the thirteenth century by Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, and was continued by his successors in the fourteenth century. Its most celebrated portionsa series of courtyards surrounded by roomspresent a varied repetoire of Moorish arched, columnar, and domical forms. The romantic imagination of centuries of visitors has been captivated by the special combination of the slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins found in those courtyardsthe Lion Court in particular; this combination is understood from inscriptions to be a physical realization of descriptions of Paradise in Islamic poetry."

 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: from Prehistory to Post-Modernism. p219.

Dr. Stanley Yates, guitarist and musicologist published a paper where he gives more data on the earliest known manuscript (ca. 1899):

"More recently, I have had the opportunity to examine an early manuscript version of Trrega's famous work which appears to be the first version of the piece (or, at the very least, an early one). The title is as follows:

"Improvisation !A Granada! Cantiga Arabe

It is dedicated to Sra. Da. Conchita G. de Jacoby, and is dated Malaga, December 8th, 1899, with further dedicatory prose at the end of the piece (my translation):

    "Ya que no puedo ofrecer a V. ofrenda de mas valia en el dia de su Santo, acepte esta mi pobre nota poetica, impresion que sinta mi alma ante de la grandiosa maravilla de la Alhambra de Gramada que juntos amiramos. Fran.co tarrega"

    "Since I cannot offer you a present of any worth on your birthday, accept this humble poetic impression, made on my soul by the grandiose marvel of the Alhambra of Granada we both admire."   Copyright 2000, Dr. Stanley Yates;  http://www.stanleyyates.com/articles/tarrega/recuerd.html

The version of Recuerdos de la Alhambra that maybe is best known by fingerstyle guitarists is the version recorded by Chet Atkins on his RCA "Lover's Guitar" album.  My friend Jack Baker transcribed this recording and fingered it as Chet played it.   Most classical guitarists use a different fingering that puts most of the melody of the A minor portion on the 2nd string.   This TEF represents one of the fingerings commonly used by classical guitarists.  It was taught to me by Ted McKown of Southern California.

For folks used to conventional fingerings as found in chord books, they may be taken back by some of the fingerings used as fingers sometime cross others.  However, there is a logic to it and it becomes a very accurate way of playing this piece.

Measure 2:  Note this is a common A minor chord, but fingered very differently.  This fingering is necessary to keep at least one finger on a string between position changes.

Measure 5:   Note that we play the bass notes except for the 1st one all on the third string.

Measure 6:  Same philosophy from Ms. 5.  Note how the 3rd finger reaches over the 2nd finger on the 3rd bass note.

Measure 11:  Note on the 2nd tremolo group, there is a mordent.  Tarrega wrote this differently; however, the vast majority of classical guitarists play it this way.  There are several figures like this in the composition.

Measures 14 and 15:  Updated from my previous release.

Measure 15:  Another mordent on the 2nd tremolo group.

Measure 19:  Another mordent on the 2nd tremolo group.

Measure 22:  Here's a finger crossover that you won't find in a chord book.  In actual practice it works very easily.  The 3rd finger crosses the 2nd finger which is on the C# note on the 2nd string.  Note that you only have to hold it for 1/2 of one beat, before sliding it back to the 4th fret to get a B.  Try it, you'll like it!

Measures 25 and 26:  You are transitioning between the 2nd position and the 9th.  Keep your 1st and 3rd fingers on their assigned strings and glide them to the 9th position with an audible slide.  It is very difficult in TablEdit to show this type of "glissando".

Measure 27:  Another mordent on the 2nd tremolo group.

Measure 31:  Note on the 2nd beat you have to quickly move your little finger from the F# to the C#.  As this D minor chord is a very familiar chord form and an old friend, your left hand won't have any problems with this.

Measure 35:  Another mordent on the 2nd tremolo group.

Measure 54:  If you're able to get this far, reward yourself by slowing gradually and stately.








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