Fernando Sor was a composer and guitarist who lived from 1778-1839. He is often regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of the guitar and is responsible for the development of modern classical guitar technique. Sor’s compositions are considered some of the best guitar music for its time, with some scholars describing him as “the Beethoven of the guitar”.
Sor’s studies, also called etudes, have built the backbone of classical guitar instruction and offer a lifetime of enjoyment and learning. These studies are some of the most commonly played and effective studies for beginner and intermediate classical guitarists. They provide a strong foundation in technique, reading skills, different playing styles, and a wide variety of repertoire.
Many of Sor's studies turn out to be perfectly suited for the ukulele when adapted for the low G GCEA tuning. These arrangements create a very valuable resource for learning fingerstyle ukulele while also adding wonderful repertoire which broadens the scope of what is possible on the instrument.
I have arranged these studies in a progressive order that will challenge you to develop and build upon a variety of musical and technical concepts. Divisions of "beginner", "intermediate", and "advanced" have been made to give you a general idea of where each study belongs on a spectrum of difficulty.
Just as Fernando Sor’s studies have played a crucial role in shaping classical guitar instruction and technique it is my hope that they can now lead ukulele students and performers down a similar path of learning, understanding, enjoyment, and musical expression.