Week 3

LIVE
martin.3
9 days ago
80replies

Attention all tonebuddies! Are you ready to embark on a journey of musical creativity and exploration? Join our Arrangement & Transcription Challenge and discover the joy of reimagining music for the classical guitar!

Over the next four weeks, we’ll celebrate the art of transforming works from other instruments, ensembles, or even genres into stunning guitar performances. From Albéniz and Granados to Piazzolla, Bach, Scarlatti, or even your own favorite songs — everything goes!

🎯 Whether you choose to:

Work on a well-known transcription (Albéniz’s Asturias, Granados’s Danza Española, Piazzolla’s Libertango)
Create your own arrangement from scratch
Compare different versions and share your insights

…this is your chance to dive deep into the creative process and share your journey with the tonebase community.

This challenge is open to all levels — from curious beginners discovering their first transcription to experienced players refining their own arrangements. Let’s celebrate the versatility and expressive power of the guitar together!

📅 Challenge Dates

Start: November 11
End: December 11
👉 Join anytime by introducing your project in the comments below!

💡 How to Participate

Pick your piece – Choose an arrangement or transcription that excites you.
Share your goal – Are you learning, arranging, or refining?
Post your progress – Upload short clips, notes, or reflections as you go.
Engage – Encourage others, ask questions, and exchange arranging tips!

🎥 Watch Party Reminder

The Watch Party on December 11 will feature recorded submissions from this challenge!
So make sure to submit your final performance videos and showcase your creative work!

- Steve_Price
- 7 days ago
- Reported - view
Here's a complete take of the Dowland Prelude and another piece I've been working on, a sonata by Domenico Scarlatti, K34/L7. I didn't play the repeats, and I'm still trying to figure out ornaments, since I've played very little music that called for them. Any feedback is appreciated.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  7 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I just came across a recording on YT of this piece by Aniello Desiderio. He actually plays it very slow and stately with simple ornamentation which I think works very well. Here is the link:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjL1eQAFJVw
- Derek
  
  7 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I enjoyed both pieces Steve. I don't feel qualified to comment as you seem to be doing a great job. I agree with Jack about Aniello Desiderio's interpretation.
- Steve_Price
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks, Derek. I appreciate you checking it out.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  5 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  These are both such beautiful pieces which you present really well, Steve. I think the most effective (to my taste) versions I have heard of the Dowland piece build to the passage ca. :54 which is played very rhythmically before falling back to its stately feel at the end. This passage seems very 'Dowland-esque' to me (Fantasia p7 I think).
  
  The Scarlatti is a new piece to me, and a lovely one at that. I think you can push the expressive qualities of the phrasing. It is such a simple piece but really beautiful.
  
  Thanks for bringing these to our attention. They are wonderful gems.
- joosje
  
  5 days ago
  
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  very nice playing in both pieces, Steve. Great choice. Thank you for sharing.
- Steve_Price
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I like your take on the Dowland. This has been really interesting, and I'm still trying to come up with a scheme for how to interpret all of these different phrases. I read that Renaissance preludes were meant to be improvisatory, and I found the only way to make this sound bad is to play it strictly in time, so this has been a fun challenge.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  BTW I found this version of the Dowland Prelude on YT which I think is beautiful.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKeyoeRe_IY
  
  I also remember listening to Paul O'Dette playing this piece as well.
- Dale_Needles
  
  2 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Nicely done. Great to see Scarlatti being added. Another amazing composer that works so well on the guitar. Looks like you inspired Eric. BTW, Abel Carlevaro has a great recording of Scarlatti Sonatas which you can find on YouTube.
- Steve_Price
  
  16 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks, Dale. When I was researching different Scarlatti pieces, that was one of the albums I listened to on Pandora. It's a good one.
- BLaflamme
  
  11 hrs ago
  
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  Great work on these two pieces Steve. Dowland is new to me, I don't remember if I've heard it before and this is the K34 introduction who led Eric to learn it, I can see why!
- Eric
- 6 days ago
- Reported - view
Scarlatti K34

I hope you don't mind, , but since listening to you play this yesterday, I just fell in love with it and wanted to play it myself. Like you and Aniello Desiderio (thanks ), I decided to play it quite slowly.
- Steve_Price
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  That's awesome, Eric. One of my favorite things about these challenges is learning about new music, so I'm thrilled if I brought something to the table that someone liked. I'm still actually leaning towards faster, but it needs more work.
  
  I'm also glad it's being represented since my participation might be limited from here on out. We had a tree come down on our house in a windstorm yesterday, puncturing the roof and sticking out the gable. Everyone is fine, and it's livable and there's no issue with power or HVAC, but it's still a pain to deal with, and guitar time might be limited. Still lots to be thankful for today, though.
- Eric
  
  6 days ago
  
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  I am so sorry to hear about that, Steve! And on Thanksgiving too. I am thankful that everyone is OK and that you still have power in the house. Hopefully you’ll be able to have at least a few moments to play music despite all the work ahead.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  5 days ago
  
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  Beautifully played, Eric. This piece demonstrates how such simple, even mundane, phrases can achieve such profound expression.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  5 days ago
  
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  Wow, I am really sorry to hear about your house. I am glad are well. I hope repairs proceed smoothly (like that ever happens!)
  
  Thanks for introducing us to this beautiful piece.
- joosje
  
  5 days ago
  
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  so so beautiful! It’s a joy to listen to. so sorry to hear about your house. I wish you all the best in the process of getting things done.
- Steve_Price
  
  4 days ago
  
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  Thanks for the kind words. Thankfully, everything is moving along swiftly. I was worried that with the holidays, work might be slowed up, but since it's the off-season for construction, companies are competing for work. We're just thrilled it wasn't worse than it was. Thanks again, and I really appreciate this group.
- Steve_Price
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I think you're right about this. Those simple repeating lines that end both the a and b sections are really genius.
- Dale_Needles
  
  2 days ago
  
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  Looks like you have been inspired by Steve. Very nicely played.
- joosje
- 4 days ago
- Reported - view
I’m late in this challenge. And this is the shorter version of a song Jacinta Chiclana, on a poem by Jorge Luis Borges. Piazzolla wrote a set of those songs for his ensemble with solo voice.

the transcription for solo guitar is by Pino Enriquez, dedicated to Roberto Aussel, who made a brilliant recording.

I will do my best to give it a few more tries coming week, and play more secure, especially the bass rhythm.
- Reinhard
  
  4 days ago
  
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  beautiful song and beautifully played. Roberto Aussels recording of it is on my playlist but maybe next week I put yours on it instead.
- Eric
  
  4 days ago
  
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  This is wonderful, Joosje! It starts so strong that it really grabs me and pulls me in right away. And then the rhythms and harmonies keep my attention going. Great choice and beautifully played!
- Dale_Needles
  
  2 days ago
  
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  So beautifully played! This is such a gem of a piece and you play it so well. BRAVA!
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  Yesterday
  
  Reported - view
  This is beautiful, Joosje. Completely new to me. Another piece with a distinctive jazz influence (see Dale's post of part C of the Piazzola pice).
- BLaflamme
  
  13 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Beautiful Joosje! I remember when I found the Roberto Aussel version on the Knobloch Channel like 5 years ago, it was by the time I was getting back to guitar, and it got me into it... Thanks for sharing your version and bringing back this feeling!