Sor was a supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte and thus had to live in exile from his native Spain after 1813, spending the remainder of his life mostly in Paris, but with significant stints in London and Russia. In the Parisian capital he gave many guitar concerts and attracted quite a number of followers, many becoming students. Sor composed most of his duo-guitar compositions for his pupils there, and thus fashioned writing for the second (student) guitar part that was generally not too difficult. "L'encouragement" is an exception in this respect, however, offering significant challenge to both performers, at least in the second and third of the three movements here.

The first movement, titled Cantabile, features a fairly simple melody and accompaniment in chords. Later the melody varies a bit and the accompaniment turns to fast runs. The theme has a sentimental, salon-like character and while it makes little attempt at profundity or passion, it is instantly catchy.

The second movement, Theme and Variations, is livelier and brighter, opening with a chipper theme, again simply constructed, and bouncy accompaniment. Next is a series of variations, the first, more energetic and only slightly changing the character of the melody. The next variation is slow and melancholy, presenting, if not dark music, then the most nocturnal in mood in the entire piece. A fast variant follows, with numerous repeated notes pushing the tempo along at breakneck speed. It serves as the coda and leads to the final panel, the waltz, wherein a lively, festive theme of playful Spanish character is the dominant element. This colorful melody also yields several variants of its own, but the mood throughout this section is one of celebration and high spirits, with guitar writing that taxes the skills of both performers.

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