Week 2: What's on your music stand? 🎶

The Summer Sessions thread rolls on. Share whatever you've got in progress: a clip, a rough take, or just a note on what's clicking and what's fighting you.

New here? No catching up required. Tell us what you're playing and dive in. Stuck on a spot? Post it and let the community weigh in.

15 replies

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    • Eric
    • 2 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    Holy Cow  🐄 , I just noticed this Week 2 thread sitting here!

    So, here's a rough version of Granados' Spanish Dance No 5 (Andaluza). I was working on it earlier in the summer. It is still connected to the Llobet I have been posting, since I mostly used Llobet's arrangement of the piece. I did make a few changes, though.

    Please tell me what you think needs improvement!

      • Ron.3
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Such a beautiful piece - I'll leave it to others to suggest any improvements - for me I just really enjoyed listening to you play it!

      • Retired
      • Jim_king
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I have to agree with  in that this is such a beautiful piece and you are playing it well as far as I am concerned.  I will also leave it to others to make any suggestions for improvements.

      • Steve_Price
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       That's really good. This has always been my favorite Granados piece. I like that you played A# and B in the intro as hammer-ons. It was the rage for a while, like John Williams and Segovia, to play them as a dyad, and as much as I love some good dissonance, I didn't think it fit. The only thing that stood out to me was that the little phrase around 1:09/4:39 might sound cleaner and more dramatic as single notes instead of octaves. I hear it both ways, but to my ear, it seems to lose some energy going into that section. Just my two cents, and I'm really impressed with this. 

      • Eric
      • 13 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks, Steve. That’s good feedback. Llobet’s arrangement is with just single notes in those spots, but I heard a few players (ex. Pepe Romero) who went with the octaves. I thought octaves matched the power of the subsequent dramatic chords better, but I’ll play around again with single notes, maybe by recording it both ways.

      Like you, I do prefer the A#-B played as a hammer-on. The other way is a bit closer to the piano original, but I think the hammer-on sounds better on the guitar. It might just be because I’ve heard it played that way much more than with the dyad, though.

      • joosje
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

       very well played. Such a pleasure to listen to your interpretation. 

      • Barney
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Beautiful Eric!  In this Spanish Dance No. 5, one suggestion I have when doing the dramatic crescendo of block chords up to the 7th fret, is to play the B Major chord with more arpeggiation ( and a bit more thumb nail) for a bigger climax.

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Nicely played, Eric. this sounds so nice on the guitar - Granados was actually a guitar composer though he might not have known it (as was Albeniz). 

    • Steve_Price
    • 11 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Leo Brouwer - Nuevos Estudios Sencillos, III. Omaggio a Caturla

    Alejandro García Caturla was an early 20th-century Cuban composer. He was also a judge, and sadly, he was killed by a defendant in a trial he was presiding over at only 34.

    This study is a mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms, syncopation, and dynamics. 

      • Eric
      • 11 days ago
      • Reported - view

       That was wonderful, Steve! I love that Brouwer has preserved the musical memory and contribution of a person who probably would be largely forgotten. Thank you for researching Caturla and sharing the music with us.

      • Ron.3
      • 11 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Very good Steve! Thanks for sharing the background info too - very interesting 

      • Retired
      • Jim_king
      • 11 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Well done Steve.  Also thank you for the additional information.

      • joosje
      • 7 days ago
      • Reported - view

       that was very beautiful,  Steve. Thank you for sharing this 

      • Barney
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Excellent Steve!   Nice steady rhythm and tone.  Thanks for sharing this piece, along with it's background.

      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       this is great, Steve. I was not familiar with this Brouwer piece. I must look it up, It has a wonderful rhythmic quality. Thanks

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