Dionisio Aguado (April 8, 1784 — December 29, 1849) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. Born in Madrid, he studied with Miguel Garcia. In 1825, Aguado visited Paris, where he met and became friends with, and for a while lived with, Fernando Sor. Sor's duo "Les Deux Amis" ("The Two Friends") commemorated the friendship: one part is marked "Sor" and the other "Aguado." Aguado's major work Escuela de Guitarra was a guitar tutor published in 1825. It is still reprinted today (Tecla editions). In the "Escuela" Aguado describes his use of fingernails on the right hand as well as his invention of a "tripodion": a device that held the guitar and thus minimized the damping effect of the player's body on the guitar's back and sides. Aguado's other works include "Trois Rondos Brillants" (Opus 2), "Le Menuet Affandangado" (Opus 15), "Le Fandango Varie" (Opus 16), as well as numerous waltzes, minuets, and other light pieces. The more extended works require a virtuoso technique and left-hand stretches that are almost impossible on the longer string lengths of modern guitars. (see Frederick Noad, "The Classical Guitar") Aguado returned home to Madrid in 1838 and died there aged 65. Works include: 1825 Rondo Op. 1 : Douze Valses Op. 2 : Trois Rondo Brillants Op. 3 : Huit Petites Pièces Op. 4 : Six Petites Pièces Op. 5 : Quatre Andantes et Quatre Valses Op. 6 : Nuevo Método de Guitarra Op. 7 : Valses Faciles Op. 8 : Contredanses et Valses Faciles Op. 9 : Contredanses non difficiles Op. 10 : Exercices Faciles et Très Utiles Op. 11 : Les Favorites - Huit Contredanses Op. 12 : Six Menuets & Six Valses Op. 13 : Morceaux Agréables non difficiles Op. 14 : Dix Petites Pièces non difficiles Op. 15 : Le Menuet Affandangado Op. 16 : Le Fandango Varié Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.