"Folias" 350-Year-Old Music on Guitar

[@Michael-j2b7y]

I share all of your videos with my 70-something parents. It's to the point that whenever I play classical guitar or Baroque music for them, they ask me, "is this Brandon?" Thanks for sharing as always! 🤗

[@jasperjones5995]

Bro you have way too many parents

[@dabmandou1296]

@@jasperjones5995 top tier reply lol

[@SirGarthur]

America's most adoptable child

[@bvalt1]

The smile on his face at the end, he truly loves playing such beautiful music. as a fellow musician, I am in awe of his amazing talent, feel, and timing. A generational talent!!

[@JonasMollberg]

This music really deserves its place. Especially when it is interpreted so well. Many thanks!

[@DavidPerry-ui2qz]

350 years old and just as relevant today as it was then. Thank you for your mastery Brandon, you make the world a better place simply because you are in it. 🤘🎸🤘

[@amltpac]

Beautiful as always, Brandon. And happy birthday, kiddo!

[@chlo_3]

La Folia has always been one of my favorite pieces, so hearing it from you in this way is such a treat! Thank you for all the beauty you bring to the lives of people!

[@brandonacker]

That's very nice thank you!

[@108adams]

This particular piece (arr for ukulele) gave me the spark to start my journey with playing music. i know I'll never play Folias as Brandon, but I listen with tears - this is my ultimate goal, the North Star, the dream. Thanks for this beauty!

[@KarenPautz]

I'm so happy I got to see you play this live last night in Cincinnati. That live version was my favorite EVER!

[@brandonacker]

@@KarenPautz it was great to see you Karen 😊😊😊

[@Keruki]

Brandon is definitely one of my favourite guitar players on here.

[@bernardinelermite1133]

Wow !... You make it look and sound so effortless.

[@mdug7224]

Very metal. Beautiful.

[@holerick]

Folias of all sorts bring back life in me and your rendition is inspiring as always!

[@Flat8G]

Magic! I practice folias all the time and this is the level I want to get to! 💪

[@fromthenorth2]

Baroque guitar is always such a vibe

[@jenniferhamilton2291]

What a perfect way to start to start a Sunday morning!! Thank you for sharing your gifts❤

[@politan83]

Bravo! This is some of the best baroque guitar playing I've heard.

[@stoneagedjp]

It's always great to discover a new Folia🏰

[@fatmanbhkbjorn]

So beautiful, Brandon! ❤ love that strumming technique at the end there

[@spacebazooka400n6]

I just played this piece at my last recital - though on a modern guitar and not nearly as ornamented. Loved hearing it on the original instrument. Nice job!

[@brandonacker]

Thanks! Yes, when you read Sanz, Kapsberger, Geurau, and other contemporaries, it is clear that they considered it good taste to ornament whenever possible because it always adds grace and charm. "Every note without an ornament is dead" -Kapsberger 😊

[@emmakatelynsmith1301]

I just adore you! Been listening to you for years. You are not only a massive inspiration for my musical passions, but my life as a whole as well. I love to see the genuine joy you have for what you do. Thank you, continue being you! Blessings from South Carolina🩷

[@guy990]

Breathtaking performance of a beautiful composition

[@tyrannicalrex3624]

I feel like a pirate sailing the Caribbean sea listing to this. Thank you brandon.

[@thomasdequincey5811]

Amazing. I love all those Spanish guitar strumming techniques. Rasgueado I can do. I'm learning the alternating thumb/finger strum.

[@franksabatino7576]

What a beautiful limpid sound. Thanks Brandon.

[@ChaoSJino]

Man, I want this on Spotify, so it can pleasantly surprise me again. :)

[@FrancescoBarone]

Great interpretation!

[@zeknoss]

Don't think my eyes didn't catch your Steve Vai shoulder movements Brandon :) Great work as always!

[@virginielafrench3921]

Hey ! So i 'm not crazy ! There IS some Steve Vai in Brandon Acker ! 😁

[@zeknoss]

@@virginielafrench3921 at least the sneak movement he does with his shoulders indicate to that :) so, no. you're not crazy Virgine!

[@AlanMcCarthyguitar]

Well wouldn’t that make ya want to go out and buy a baroque guitar ! Brandon is da man 😀

[@dabmandou1296]

You're the reason I started playing classical guitar man, this is awesome!!!

[@brandonacker]

Wow that is so wonderful! I wish you the best with your playing 😊

[@Grizzle38]

This could easily be two instruments. How lovely.

[@LB-un5sx]

Such a cool song!!

[@jvberk3518]

I love it and the guitar.

[@OilCanHarry2U]

Gaspar Sanz as a composer rocks!!!! Wonderful playing (and interpretation) of the piece Brandon.

[@jlr3469]

Beautiful piece!

[@DanielOliveiraViolao]

Amazing!

[@claypoole702]

The first emotion I felt while hearing this was the energy of "Let's Go !!!"

[@scubajay11]

Your pure talent and dedication to craft are inspirational as well as beautiful to listen to. As always, thank you for sharing with us.

[@R3R3T]

Nice tempo feeling ❤

[@The_IRL_Bard]

Happy birthday Brandon! beautiful piece to celebrate.

[@dw7704]

I would love to try playing one of those, it wouldn’t sound as good, but it would be fun. Nice music, cool playing

[@maHaTma86]

Another great rendition with some lovely Gaspar Sanz ~ bravo Brandon!

[@algin6544]

c'est beau !!!

[@maib6307]

Fabulous thank you!

[@ignacio5819]

Magnífico rasgueo, primo.

[@wyattfreeman5190]

Phenomenal musicianship, as always!

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Wonderful. Thank you for sharing this!

[@rickderwitsch]

Terrific ! Thanks.

[@jguitar23]

A stunning discovery for me❤ Thanks from the lower hem of my bodice.

[@kathleenmusiclvr7663]

love it

[@francescodurante1684]

So good!

[@dliessmgg]

my favourite classical chord progression

[@brandonacker]

Mine too!

[@mateomikan2184]

Beautiful ❤️

[@mk14m0]

Spectacular

[@therealziphius]

Spotless.

[@anthonymumford4277]

Now I want to hear Brandon playing Bulerias.

[@KarenPautz]

This one is just fun!

I play this on classical guitar. It sounds really interesting on the baroque guitar

[@fredbogoss]

Thank's a lot for this interpretation ;) As far as I am concerned, I am very crazy of this tune, which is always captivating whatever the instrument it is played (and it is a recorder-bassoonist speaking) ;)

[@eliatmalak]

These covers should be on Spotify (if they aren't already)

[@TelwinOakenlord]

801st like! beautiful playing, Brandon!

[@brunodrumond4263]

I'd love to hear about the history of this tune and all the popular standards from the Renaissance, like Canarios, Spagnoletas and so on, which many composers used to create such great music!

[@brandonacker]

The wikipedia article is actually a perfect summary en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folia

[@brunodrumond4263]

@@brandonacker Thank you very much, Brandon, you're very generous and attentive!

[@komokolo4977]

Bravo

[@melanieopperman6688]

Hooray for today

[@hughlawson5399]

rockin!

[@IRSA1]

Almost flamenco on mandolin, absolutely love it. ❤

[@SpringBeeLH]

Fyi this isn’t a mandolin but no hate or shade it’s the music that matters! I think it’s a baroque guitar but I’m no expert.

[@Guitarist888]

Nice playing Mr. Acker! Very inspirational! By the way, do you have any videos for beginner classical guitar players on how to write their own classical piece? I don’t know where to start.

[@jean-francoisbedel8916]

Bravo Brandon... Superb playing, very inspiring as usual! Can you give me some information about your fret settings and also the two mini frets on the first fret? You're always welcome in Paris for the ‘Journées du Luth’, which will take place on 5 and 6 April 2025. Last year (at the Association's 40th anniversary, we had the honour and pleasure of a special concert by Paul O' Dette). This year, we'll have the ensemble La Nébuleuse on Saturday evening and Yuli Bayeul (an 18-year-old prodigy with an absolutely dazzling archlute) in the afternoon, followed on Sunday by Bor Zuljan's renaissance programme... And so on... A few other concerts, lectures and exhibitions by luthiers from all over the world... Always welcome !

[@bearshield7138]

exquisite

[@arnoldmmbb]

I live in the Canary Islands and the folias are the traditional folk music here, I guess they evolved from that piece

[@brandonacker]

That is so cool!

[@bigsarge2085]

✌️

[@edthewave]

I enjoy the Folia form. I've compiled a list of folias for guitar over the ages here, in roughly chronological order: Folias Alonso Mudarra Folias Francesco Corbetta Folias Angelo Michele Bartolotti (Le Cocq) Folias Gaspar Sanz Folias Francisco Guerau Folias Nicola Matteis Folías Santiago de Murcia Folias Antonio Soler Folías Fernando Ferandiere 29 Variations on Les Folies Antoine Lhoyer (A. Lemose) Follies of Spain Fernando DeFossa Les Folies D'Espangue Fernando Sor 6 Variations on Folia of Spain Mauro Giuliani Folias Julian Arcas Folías de España Miguel Llobet Folias Joaquín Turina Suite Antigua: Folia Manuel María Ponce Tres Apuntes: Folia Federico Moreno Torroba Folia Daliniana Joaquín Rodrigo Folias de Espana Vicente Asencio Folias Leo Brouwer If you have any more folias to add, please let me know!

[@kurtizakcabanilla6534]

Jacaras by Gaspar Sanz next please!

[@ramdav8950]

❤❤

[@thegeetarmann]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@MAlsherif]

❤

[@eze6285]

Yo ive got to figure out that strum technique!

[@LeeEisenstein]

Beautiful, as always! Who made the instrument?

[@brandonacker]

Thank you! Julio Castaños in Malaga, Spain

[@jeff3685]

Hair tutorial at 1mil

[@brandonacker]

🤣🤣🤣

[@sarahwithanh876]

Yuuuuuuuuus!!!

[@_uncredited]

Those flamenco rhythms sound great on that guitar. Tasteful stuff!

[@lalboitheyonko8792]

I think the molody is used in a lot of songs today

[@MelvinEdman-x6m]

🎉👍

[@virginielafrench3921]

Hello Brandon ! Ah ? It 's your bithday today , Aquaman ? 😉 ( your astrological sign ! Aquarius ) HAPPY BIRTHDAY THEN ! JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE ! 🎉🎉🎈🎈🎈🎁🎶🎶🎵🎵🥁🎸🕯 Nice playing. I have a question : can we call this aria flamenco ?

[@SebastianWestin]

gr8

[@robicool]

I'd love to try a Baroque guitar but I don't want to cut my nails... do you think it'd be possible to play one with nails, or would it sound too shrill?

[@brandonacker]

I'm playing with nails here. We know baroque guitar players played with nails (Corbetta and Pellegrini). So no problem there! The idea that instruments before the classical guitar were played only without nails is a myth. At least baroque guitar, theorbo, and archlute were often played with nails. Both techniques are valid. Likewise in the classical guitar world, many of our pioneering composers played without nails (Sor, Carcassi, Tarrega). So for the last 400 years in both classical guitar and lute, both nails and no nails were used and you don't have to do one or the other to have a historical sound or play the instrument. Good news, right!?

[@robicool]

@@brandonacker What a great reply, thank you! That's very encouraging!

[@palilai]

2:03 How to practice right hand, to get sound like you do

[@brandonacker]

The answer is 20 years of intense study of plucked instruments. Not what you wanted to hear probably but it's as honest as I can be

[@palilai]

@brandonacker Thanks to reply but I mean how to do like that? I very very need to know how

[@Patsagilitybits]

Why is one of the frets on a slant?

[@brandonacker]

With moveable tied on gut frets (the norm pre 1800) you get to play in temperaments which are more in tune by moving frets around. You can learn about it in my long temperaments video on my channel.

[@hehehohohahahihihuhu]

helloo!! :D i think youre very cool :)

[@A.B.H_da-goat]

Was that piece originally written for guitar?

[@brandonacker]

Folias is like the 12 bar blues. It's a chord progression that every composer could use and make their own version. Sanz was not the first

[@A.B.H_da-goat]

@brandonacker more things change the more the stay the same. brilliant performance

[@FlutesAndStrings]

​@@brandonacker ooo. this is my favorite sort of thing. i do this all the time. pick a chord progression and make ten thousand variations of it. some of them become fixtures/songs

[@FlutesAndStrings]

gonna learn this one

[@unamoahc]

Маэстро👻👻👻

[@markthurst9751]

I bet he gets all the fair maidens.

[@Remi-B-Goode]

🤙🎶😂

[@jeffreyp1855]

Nice work, Brandon! 🤘