Martín Sánchez Allú was a Spanish composer whose works often mirrored the salon culture of the late 19th century. This piece utilizes the 'Tamboril' (tabor) motif to create a spirited, marching character.
At Henle 4 this is an intermediate piece that expects secure technique and real attention to phrasing. The main demands: precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; repeated-note passages that require controlled, springy fingerwork; and chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
Focus on the differentiation between the percussive 'drum' sounds and the melodic counter-lines.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
El Tamboril is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 3.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 El Tamboril lasts about 2 minutes.
El Tamboril is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include El peregrino by Martín Sánchez Allú, El jitano by Martín Sánchez Allú, Eisen-Bahn-Polka by Martín Sánchez Allú — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.