Spanish Romance (Romance Anónimo)
Anonymous · 19th century, origin uncertain · solo guitar
Techniques
Triplet arpeggio with the melody on top
bars 1–16 →Every beat is three notes: the melody on the first string with the ring finger, then the open B and G strings with the middle and index fingers. The thumb plays the bass on beat one. Keep the right hand still and let the fingers do the work.
Melody up to the 12th fret
bars 5–6 →The melody climbs along the first string to the 12th fret. Slide the first finger lightly along the string as a guide instead of lifting the hand.
A minor in the fifth position
bars 7–8 →The A minor bars are played in the fifth position, with the melody on the first string above the chord.
E major and the barres at VII and IX
bars 37–44 →Part B moves to E major and up the neck, with barres at the 7th and 9th fret. Press the barre only as hard as needed and release it between chords to save the hand.
Key and harmony
E minor, with Part B in the parallel major, E major. The shading on the circle of fifths shows how many of the 64 bars use each chord.
Chords and positions
Practice plan
Four steps, about a week each at 15 minutes a day. Each link opens the player at that bar and tempo.
-
STEP 150 BPM
The right hand on open strings
Play the triplet pattern of the first bars until every note of the triplet is equally loud.
Open bars 1–4 at 50 BPM → -
STEP 260 BPM
Part A
Add the melody and the shifts to the 12th and 5th fret.
Open bars 1–16 at 60 BPM → -
STEP 360 BPM
Part B
Learn the E major section and its barres one chord at a time.
Open bars 33–48 at 60 BPM → -
STEP 490 BPM
The whole piece
Play both parts with their repeats, raising the tempo a little each day.
Open bars 1–64 at 90 BPM →
Related pieces
Tab by easytabs.studio from the Mutopia Project edition #795, typeset by Jeff Covey (CC BY-SA 2.5). Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.