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6 | ʻUkulele Project No. 2

Andante Opus 31 No. 4

Peter Kun Frary

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Today's tutorial premieres a new rhythmic combination, a repeat symbol, and a piece by Fernando Sor.

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) | Spanish guitarist-composer | Gallica Digital Library

fernando sor image

Fernando Sor

The Spanish composer, Fernando Sor (1778-1839), enjoyed a productive musical life, composing in the major genres of the day: ballet, opera, chamber music, symphony and solo song. His broad experiences imbued his guitar music with a sophistication unmatched by his guitarist-composer contemporaries.

Sor's Andante Op. 31 No. 4 | Video tutorial by Professor Peter

Today's piece is an arrangement of Sor's guitar solo, Andante Opus 31 No. 1.

Study Tips

Melody

Learn the melody of Andante Opus 31 No. 4 first. It's straightforward and should fall under the fingers easily with practice. Take care to count out the whole notes (4 beats) at phrase endings.

D.C. al Fine

Andante Opus 31 No. 1 contains a new repeat symbol: D.C. al fine. D.C. al fine is an abbreviation of Da Capo al fine, an Italian phrase meaning return to the beginning and play until you see the word "fine." In the case of Andante, after you complete the fourth line, return to the beginning (Da Capo) and play until the end of the second line (fine).

D.C. al Fine | Fourth line of Andante Opus 31 No. 4 with repeat

repeat example

Listen to the Track

Andante Op. 31 No. 4 was recorded with a Kremona Coco tenor. The melody was embellished slightly and improvised fills were added here and there. Percussion was provided with two frogs (guiro) and a casaba.

Andante Op. 31 No. 4 | Peter Kun Frary, ʻukulele

Click for a direct link to the audio track.

Play the Melody Now!

Practice the melody of Andante until smooth and aligned with the beat. Read the music—don't just copy the finger movements in the video. Play along with the audio track or video to help shore up your rhythm.

Andante_op31_4_uke_tabb

Once the melody flows smoothly, begin working on the chords.

Chords

You've played all the chords in prior pieces so you should be on familiar ground harmonically.

Arpeggio

An arpeggio accompaniment complements the slow and lyrical melody of Andante perfectly. We recommend playing the chords of Andante with the P-i-m-a 2X arpeggio you learned in Betty Lou of '52 (see video for demonstration).

p-i-m-a (2X)

Here's what P-i-m-a 2X looks and sounds like when applied to the chords in the first line of Andante Opus 31 No. 4:

pima 2X

Click for a direct link to the audio track.

Strum

If you prefer strumming, a down strum every two beats—Down 2x—blends nicely with an arpeggio and/or melody playing partner (see video for demonstration). You can even mix the P-i-m-a 2X pattern and strumming!

Andante Opus 31 No. 4 | Peter Kun Frary, ʻukulele

Click for a direct link to the audio track.

Andante_op31_4_uke_tabb

Download | Andante Opus 31 No. 4

Lacôte Guitar | Pierre-René Lacôte, 1785–1855 | 19th century guitars were small, about the size of a baritone 'ukulele. | Metropolitan Museum of Art

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