Carcassi – Op.60 Etude No.1: Allegro

Matteo Carcassi’s Op.60 is one of the most well-known and widely studied collections in the classical guitar repertoire. This etude (#1 of 25) is an exciting and inventive work in C major. The piece utilizes upper positions of the neck, and makes use of various scales such as the major, minor, and melodic minor scale.

Etude No.1 introduces staccato, various scale positions, and even arpeggiated chord progressions up the neck.

The right hand fingerings are my own interpretation based on personal preference and ease of play, but others may find it more beneficial to utilize i-m more consistently than p, which I rely on heavily for the bass line of this etude. You could solely use i-m alternation in measure one following the initial bass note, for instance. However, I feel using the thumb where indicated is helpful for phrasing, and separating the bass line from the melody.

Matteo Carcassi guitar composer

You can learn more about Matteo Carcassi and hear examples of his work here.

Matteo Carcassi's Op.60, No.1: Allegro classical guitar sheet music