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The purpose of this study is to understand the principles of the “School of Tárrega” by analyzing Tárrega’s thirty elementary-level studies and twenty-five intermediate- and advanced- level studies according to books written by Pujol and Roch. Tárrega set the modern sitting position based on the guitar of luthier Antonio Torres’, and two of Tárrega’s outstanding pupils, Roch and Pujol, wrote three volumes of methods, which are the foundations of the “School of Tárrega.” Therefore, the principles of the School of Tárrega, such as sitting and playing positions, right- and left-hand playing positions, right- and lefthand finger movements, and sound quality are first discussed in this study. Then, the fiftyfive guitar studies are discussed and analyzed in groups according to their different technical purposes, such as scale playing, arpeggio playing, blocked chords, barré technique, slur technique, and special sound effects. When applicable, the modern technique will also be visited and compared for understanding the similarities and differences between the modern approach and the School of Tárrega. / School of Music

The 10 Etudes for Guitar by Giulio Regondi represent the pinnacle of technical achievement for nineteenth century guitar performance. Dense textures, large stretches, fast scales and arpeggios, and obscure modulations are used in combinations that were unrivalled among his contemporaries. The etudes were not published until the late twentieth century and have not had generations of guitarists solving their challenges and teaching them to younger generations of students. Right-hand fingerings are virtually non-existent in published versions, but a thorough study of period sources yields several strategies; examples from each etude are provided. Modern right-hand scale philosophy, such as playing scales with "a," "m," and "i" in the right-hand are addressed and further example provided to give players several solutions to choose from. Right-hand fingering implies articulation and several interpretations are analyzed for each etude where they exist. Left-hand fingerings are sporadically present in modern editions but are often lacking in the most difficult passages. Stretching techniques from other string instruments can be applied to the guitar and one technique in particular can be applied to the most difficult stretches in Regondi in numerous instances. For some of the most challenging textures several solutions are given. The etudes of Regondi can prepare the guitarist for challenges found in playing music that is not written for the guitar or even by guitarists which consists of a substantial portion of the modern concert guitarist's repertoire. His music pushes what is possible on the guitar and borderlines what many would call idiomatic. This paper establishes a small number of techniques that will allow players to solve any challenge presented in the etudes from multiple technical viewpoints.