Week 1: Let there be Music! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of "The Transcriptions" practice challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying!
- Watch the kickoff livestream!
Pick a transcription that was originally composed for another instrument, like piano or violin. Don't be afraid to choose a challenging piece or explore works from composers you haven't played before.
Commit to practicing daily and share your progress with the community. Aim to practice every day and post at least two videos per week showcasing your progress. This will help you stay motivated and accountable, and also allow you to share your transcription journey with others. Whether you're tackling a complex piece, refining your skills with a piece you already play, or experimenting with new playing techniques, the community is here to support you and celebrate your achievements.
Share your favorite piece that you would like to see transcribed or your favorite recording of a transcription. This will not only inspire others in the community but also provide a rich resource of ideas for everyone to explore. Plus, it's a great way to celebrate the creativity and artistry involved in adapting music from one instrument to another.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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Bach Violin Partita No. 2 - Gigue
I have always loved and wanted to do this piece since I first heard it on violin many years ago. I didn't know that you could even do transcriptions back then. My first transcription was actually for the electric guitar, which I know now has been done multiple times.
The piece is written in Dm, however, I noticed the lowest note is only a C#, and the highest note is a high Bb up on the 18th fret. It's doable, I guess, but I wondered what the piece might sound like if it was transposed down to Am, making the highest note a manageable F on the 13th fret.
So I created a version in Am - at least the first half of the piece.
This is a VERY rough run-through of the first half in Am. I am mainly trying to see if it could sound good in this key. I know, when you get things down in the lower registers they tend to sound a little muddy. We shall see. Interested to know what you think.
Also, this is a note-for-note transcription. No harmonies or accompaniment notes as I've seen other transcriptions do. Why make it more complicated than it has to be for cryin' out loud?
One thing I found very interesting - to the point I thought it was a mistake - was that measure 11 is an exact repeat of measure 10. I had to check the original violin score. Sure enough. Strange, huh?
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Jack Stewart Thanks Jack. Ha, I don't think I will ever get around to trying the Chaconne. Maybe in another lifetime, because that's probably how long it would take me to learn it!
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joosje Thanks Joosje. I am going to stick with the D minor.
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Bravo! Transcriptions are a great exercise as we can find many problems to solve, and it's great for desperate creativity! Great job! Thanks for sharing!
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Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin (Apr 13)
Here is today's update. Without even trying to memorize it, I seem to have it memorized now. I have changed several of my fingering since yesterday (and maybe will change more as I continue on). Several spots still need work. I'm really not very happy with the section from measures 24-27, which really need to be light, legato, and flowing. It seems like that part really works better for piano than guitar.
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Eric Phillips Nice, Eric. It's funny how some things lend themselves to remembering while others don't ever seem to sink in. That sounds better in just a day. M24-27 sounds a lot lighter and it's flowing really well.
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Eric Phillips Great progress Eric! I like the ending, and clearly you have no problem doing harmonics!
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Eric Phillips nice work in so short amount of time, bravo Eric, not an easy task to play Debussy on the guitar, you're more reckless than me!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise. I'm known for being reckless! Caution is for cowards!
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Eric Phillips As the song says 'what a difference a day makes'! Very big improvement over the first take, in all respects, Eric. In particular, I find the second phrase works better here, without the harmonics. (In the first take, I found these tended to interrupt/obscure the melodic line.) I agree with your final statement about certain passages not quite working on guitar - and it's one reason I've generally steered clear of transcriptions, although in the right hands (not mine!) they can be magical. I suppose the solution (apart from overcoming the technical obstacles) is to look for something in the music that is particularly suited to expression through the guitar. It probably doesn't make sense to simply 'compete' head on with the original instrument.
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David Krupka Thanks, David. It makes me wonder if I could find a way to play that difficult section that might not be as accurate to the original, but is more suited to the guitar. I'll have to give that some thought/experimentation.
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Eric Phillips That is very impressive, Eric. You have really taken on a very challenging piece and have mastered to a high level in a short time. Your performance is very effective in capturing the music of Debussy.
Bravo!
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I know how you feel about Romantic era music (Chopin aside). How do you feel about impressionism?
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Eric Phillips I like impressionism. I have some music of Poulenc and Ravel that I might consider for this challenge. (Typically I make a massive list of pieces to work on - then they fall by the wayside as reality sets in.)
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Jack Stewart So, it sounds like impressionism has made a good impression upon you.
And yes, my list of pieces I want to work on rarely materializes into reality. I'm a little embarrassed by how many "practice diary" entries I have begun, but never followed through on.
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Eric Phillips wow, that is quite an impressive progress you make, in such short time! It sure sounds also more impressionistic than the day before.
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Eric Phillips That's really coming along! Beautiful.
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This seems like a good occasion to start working the transcription of Mussorgsky’s ‘vieux chateau’ (viejo castillo). A transcription by Tomas Pomilio, which I found at the Bibliotheca Abel Carlevaro
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMhfz42lPe6VLHG68rQfGOC8gFHUzsus/view
anyone familiar with this score?
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joosje I could not be less familiar with it, but you have definitely piqued my interest!
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joosje So glad you found this score, really looking forward to hearing it.
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joosje Kazuhito Yamashita arranged all of the "Pictures" for guitar and there are a few videos on youtube of it. Of the entire set, I thought this one fit best on the guitar so I'm looking forward to hearing you take this on.
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joosje I really like Mussorgsky, so I am anxiously awaiting your progress on this piece.
I don't know this transcription. Are there recordings of it? It would be interesting to compare it with Segovia and Yamashita.I began listening to classical music shortly after starting classical guitar when I was about 20 (very much a late starter). 'Pictures' was a real eye opener for me.
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Jack Stewart I had no idea Segovia transcribed and played this. I'll have to check that out.
'Pictures' was one of the earliest classical pieces I was exposed to, but it was ELP's live version that got me curious, and then the orchestral version. That was among the gateway music like Glass's 'Koyaanisqatsi' and Holst's 'Mars' that got me into it ever since.
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Steve Price I think I heard the orchestral version first before I heard ELP. However, ELP's was an eye opener, as well, for me. Actually, I also had a friend in college who played it for his senior recital (piano). So I heard all 3 versions around the same time.
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joosje I do recognize the score, Joosje - in fact I am certain I own it! (Which is not to say I can locate it - I think it's sitting in a box of old music somewhere.) But I remember learning this piece once upon a time, though never to 'performance' standard. It was in a volume of mostly well-known pieces, the majority of which were transcriptions. I remember it also included an arrangement of 'Cadiz' by Tarrega and a Scarlatti sonata that Segovia had recorded. I seem to recall that Pomilio was also the general editor of the publication. I am quite certain that the front cover was mostly green, although why such a detail would remain with me I can't say.
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Satie's Gymnopedie #1
For the practice challenge I'm submitting Satie's Gymnopedie #1. I found a guitar transcription somewhere on the internet (perhaps classclef) and then changed it quite a bit. I found Angel Romero's recording in my collection and adapted that version to reflect what I'm hearing on that recording.
I've been playing it considerably slower while getting used to it. Today, it is perhaps too fast for me.
- I'm going to make some changes to the left hand fingering to help with legato
- Work on dynamics
- Explore different approach to phrasing and rubato
I attached a pdf of the arrangement which has tab and music notation. I've given this to some of my fingerstyle students and most don't read for guitar.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
