Apanhei-te, cavaquinho is a quintessential choro by Ernesto Nazareth, blending European salon music with Brazilian rhythms and melodies. Its charm lies in its infectious rhythm and appealing, often melancholic, melodic lines.
Mastering the syncopated accompaniment while maintaining a fluid and expressive melody requires significant rhythmic precision and independence.
Apanhei-te, cavaquinho is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Apanhei-te, cavaquinho lasts about 2 minutes.
Apanhei-te, cavaquinho is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.