Week 5: Onward and Upward!
Welcome to the "Around the World in 80 Strings Challenge"! This month, we'll embark on a global musical journey, exploring classical guitar compositions from various countries. The only rule: Don’t play a composer from your home country. Let’s make this a truly international experience!
CHALLENGE TIMELINE
- Challenge Start: Kick-Off on May 15th
- Duration: May 15th - June 24th
- Watch Party: June 24th
ACTIVITIES
- Choose Your Piece: Select a new piece of music to work on. Share your choice in the thread below and inspire your fellow musicians!
- Video Submission: Submit a video of your practice this week. Highlight your favorite passage from the piece that showcases the origin of this piece!
GET INVOLVED
Let’s kick things off with enthusiasm! Share your progress, encourage others, and explore new musical horizons together. Can’t wait to see what everyone chooses!
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I missed posting a video last week, but I hope to post this week! It's been so great to hear everyone's playing!
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Sor Op 60 No 12 and 13
Sorry for not posting in a while. We have a bit of chaos going on in our house right now involving our dog and a skunk. I have eight loud, industrial-sized fans that have been blowing in my house for a few days now, making it nearly impossible to practice anywhere but in the basement (which is where I shot this video).
I continue with my no nails experiment. In order to free up the use of my right-hand ring finger more, I am playing around with not putting my pinky down on the soundboard. It definitely frees up the ring finger and feels more “natural” to me, since it is basically returning to my old hand position. It does, however, make it more difficult to get under the strings enough to avoid having my nail hit them. Putting the pinky down really does help me to get the right placement on the string and get a good, consistent, “flesh-only” sound. So … I’m not sure where this is all going, but for better or worse, it’s where I am at.
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Eric Phillips It sounds great, Eric. Playing without nails makes you sound warmer and rounder, I really like it!
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Eric Phillips Those are sounding great, Eric.There is a certain intimacy with nailless sound which works really well Sor's etudes. BTW I really like those particular etudes. I haven't played much Sor lately. I am in a Drop D period since I decided to work on BWV 998. I am trying get a small collection of Drop D pieces to make it worthwhile to detune,
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Eric Phillips Great performance Eric. Bravo
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The Last Rose of Summer - Mauro Giuliani
I thought I would not be able to join this month's challenge, but thank God there is a week 5. Thanks to David Krupka for showing me this beautiful tune, I really enjoy practicing it. This is a traditional Irish song arranged by Mauro Giuliani, although it doesn't sound like the vocal version I heard on Youtube, but it's still a very nice version.
The arrangement itself is very simple, theme and variations with the main melody on top and the arpeggiated accompaniment on the back. On a piano, I think it would be a child's play, but on a guitar it was quite a challenge for me! Keeping the arpeggiated chords even and smooth was challenging enough, not to mention that the player also has to keep the flow of the melody smooth and clear.
I haven't finished practicing it yet, but I'm worried that I won't be able to catch up before the end of this challenge. So I decided to go ahead and make a recording, even though I haven't fully completed the practice yet. I hope to present a better version in the future challenge. Thanks for listening!
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Wai Great selection, Wai! The theme could not sound less like Giuliani, but then the variations come along with all the Giuliani–isms. Love it!
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Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. I really like that you used the word "Giuliani-isms" to describe his music, because his music really does have a strong signature of his style. Also, thanks to one of our Tonebase buddies for helping me figure out that I was playing some wrong notes in this recording.
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Wai Really well played, Wai. You seem to have a feel for Giuliani's music. You always play his music so well. As I recall, Giuliani had an opus of several Irish songs that he arranged. Is this from such collection?
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I really like Giuliani's music, but I didn't play it very well, I even played some wrong notes in the video to make a minor chord major
. I think the music I used was from the collection you mentioned. It's Op. 125, which I downloaded from Imslp.:
6 Arie nazionale irlandesi, Op.125 (Giuliani, Mauro) - IMSLP -
Wai Very nice piece of music and very well done
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Andre Bernier Thanks, Andre!
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Wai The music of Giuliani was (along with Sor, Carcassi, and Tarrega) among the earliest music I studied when first learning classical guitar. Even though this piece is not composed by Giuliani, this arrangement certainly reveals his exceptional compositional skills. In your hands, Wai, the melody is brought out beautifully in nice balance with accompaniment. Thanks for sharing it.
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Ravel and Lutoslawsky updates
These are probably my last postings for this challenge. I feel these are a significant improvement over the previous postings.
I am getting much more comfortable with Ravel's Trois Beaux Oiseaux du Paradis. My phrasing and dynamics have improved, as has my tone. I am still playing this piece too fast. If I do make another recording that will be a primary focus.
Lutoslawsky's Folk Melody #3 (There is a Path) feels much more coherent. I modeled this on Julian Bream's version (not that that is remotely recognizable). The voice separation is much clearer as is the phrasing. I also slowed it down a bit which also improved the phrasing.
I just re-listened to this recording again. Like the Ravel, I am still playing this too fast.
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Jack Stewart That Ravel is sounding great, Jack! Your left hand work is really impressive. In the Lutoslawsky, I really like the dynamics.
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Jack Stewart You are definitely getting more comfortable playing both pieces. Well done Jack
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Jack Stewart These are coming along very nicely. They both grow on you the more you listen to them, the beauty of Ravel's impressionistic tonal pallet and the haunting and dark dissonance of Ludokowski. And very well played! Are you back from GFA?
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Jack Stewart I love the music of Ravel, so thanks for sharing this. Sounds beautiful Jack!
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Gol-e-Gandome and Estudio Sencillio No 2
I thought I would try some pieces other than Sor with no nails. I am starting to see that the most important thing about this switch in my technique is getting the finger planted in the correct spot. As with nails, being off by just a tiny little bit can make a world of difference in the quality of the sound. Right now, I am struggling most with the ring finger, which I often plant just a little too close to the nail, making the sound too thin and bright.
As you may remember, Gol-e-Gandome is an arrangement by Lily Afshar of a traditional Persian melody. I was playing it in the first few weeks of this challenge (but with nails). I also wanted to work on the Brouwer study because it gives me practice with planting three fingers at once a lot, trying to achieve an even, balanced, warm sound. I am not always successful, but I hope I am making progress.
And yes, I am still recording in my basement. The recording quality is rather poor, but it's the best I can manage right now.
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Eric Phillips With or without nail; beautiful music remains beautiful. Well done Eric.
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Eric Phillips The Gol-e-Gadome sounds great without nails, not so sure about the Brouwer Etude. I think it needs more color variations which seems hard to do without nails.
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