Sérgio Raimundo Cavaco

I’m Sérgio Raimundo Cavaco — or simply Sérgio Cavaco. I was born in Setúbal, Portugal, in 1982, and picked up the guitar for the first time at 13. There was no internet at home: just VHS tapes, CDs, a few magazines and friends who were also learning. I spent hours trying to figure out songs by ear — from classical pieces to the heaviest rock — never quite sure if I was getting it right. Without realizing it, I was training the ear that is now the foundation of all my work.

Since I couldn’t read music, I saved my lunch money until I could buy two music theory books, and taught myself. Later I played in several local bands, which gave me something no book can teach: stage experience and playing live.

Around the age of 20, fellow musicians and friends started asking me for tips: how to stay focused when practicing, how to build technique, how to read music. I realized teaching was my path, and I gave up almost everything to prepare for it. At 25 I had my first student; a few months later, I had ten. I taught guitar for over ten years, to students of all levels.

Along the way I composed music for advertising and apps, such as the commercial for Festroia — the Setúbal International Film Festival — and SAPO’s ABC app. In 2017 I independently released the album Cordas em Movimento, with classical guitar pieces and arrangements of Portuguese music. I presented it at a live recital in Setúbal and, without a record label, sold over a thousand copies.

Today I focus mainly on transcription. That childhood habit became my profession: on PaidTabs I have over 1,400 published transcriptions for guitar, bass and other instruments, rated 5/5 from more than 700 reviews by musicians all over the world. I’m also preparing online guitar courses, to help other musicians grow and enjoy the world of sound.