Recuerdos de la Alhambra for Classical Ukulele

Recuerdos de la Alhambra for Classical Ukulele

In this video Jeff plays his arrangement of Recuerdos de la Alhambra for Classical Ukulele. Recuerdos is a piece first written by Spanish classical guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega in the late nineteenth century.

Recuerdos de la Alhambra

This is one of the most iconic pieces in the classical guitar repertoire, and also one of the most beautiful. It uses a unique technique called tremolo, where melodic notes are plucked repeatedly in rapid succession to mimic the sustain of the sung voice. This is a technique that was first popularized on the mandolin in the Baroque era. However, on the classical guitar, the technique adds accompaniment played by the thumb. This gives the impression of a singer being accompanied by an instrument.

The piece evokes the beauty of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, with all its fountains, gardens and Moorish architecture. It is split into two sections, one in A minor, the other in A Major. The contrast between the two sections creates longing and hope and helps to further evoke the “memories” of the Alhambra palace. The piece exudes a sense of nostalgia and longing, capturing the essence of Spanish romanticism with its emotive phrasing and delicate ornamentation.

Tremolo

The tremolo technique comes across as almost magical when wielded well, but it is quite difficult to pull it off. It is built off of the following right-hand approach: the thumb plays bass note arpeggios while the fingers repeat the pattern “ring, middle, index,” or “a,m,i” over and over. Thus, the pattern will be: p,a,m,i all the way throughout. In order to make the melody notes sound like one sustained note (rather than a grouping of triplets), speed is very important for a good tremolo. Thus, to play a well-executed tremolo, you need speed, finger independence in the right hand, and rhythmic precision. This makes it a very difficult technique, but the final effect is certainly worth it.

Recuerdos on Ukulele

In this arrangement for Low G Ukulele by Jeff Peterson, the beauty of “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” is brought to life in a new and captivating way. The ukulele’s warm tones and unique timbre add a fresh perspective to the composition, creating a hauntingly beautiful rendition that evokes a sense of wonder and awe. This arrangement is in the key of D minor.

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