I, Guitarist

I, GUITARIST

Thura Ko, 49

He Expresses His Feelings With
The Guitar

TEXT BY IVAN LIM
Dec 5 2023

I hope to have a chance to become a musician who appreciates classical music and be able to express this music with my guitar. As an advanced student, I would tell anyone who is thinking of picking up the classical guitar that it is by no means a boring instrument but one which is a lot of fun to play and explore.

My journey with the guitar began with the acoustic guitar when I was 13. I am a mechanical engineer from Myanmar, currently stationed in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a service inspector for a heavy equipment company.

I started learning the classical guitar at the age of 38 with a private instructor in Singapore for three years. I moved to Indonesia five years ago.

Classical music is something I enjoy very much and I like playing the classical guitar because it is a standalone instrument that does not require any backing instruments. I am also learning the violin now.

I love playing the guitar because you can easily express your feelings with it. I don’t have a fixed schedule for practising the guitar and I play whenever I am in the mood.

My favourite piece for the classical guitar is Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tárrega, who also happens to be my favourite composer. I have made a recording of my playing of this piece, but I don’t like it very much!

There are many classical guitarists I admire but Xuefei Yang and John Williams are my favourites.

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A post shared by Xuefei Yang 杨雪霏 (@xuefeiyang_guitar)

John Williams · 01. La Ciudad de las Columnas

The Australian virtuosic classical guitarist renowned for his ensemble playing as well as his interpretation and promotion of the modern classical guitar repertoire. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award in the Best Chamber Music Performance category with fellow guitarist Julian Bream for Together (released in the US as Julian and John (Works by Lawes, Carulli, Albéniz, Granados)). Guitar historian Graham Wade has said that "John is perhaps the most technically accomplished guitarist the world has seen."

I have many classical guitars but none are truly luthier made. My favourites are a Manuel Adalid model Adalid and an Alhambra Linear Pro. I like them because they are responsive and clear, with volume and lots of overtones. Among my collection is a Yamaha SLG130NW – I like it because of its portability and sweet tone.

Yamaha SLG130NW Image: Yamaha