Week 1: Rhythmic Revelations 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of "Song and Dance" practice challenge!
Choose a piece that is inspired or transcribed from a song or a dance. It could be a lively south-american danza, a passionate tango, a serene romantic lied, or a poignant aria transcribed for the guitar. You're welcome to explore pieces from unfamiliar composers or challenge yourself with a complex work.
Commit to daily practice and share your journey with the community. Aim to practice every day and upload at least two videos each week to illustrate your progress. This will not only help you stay committed and encouraged but will also allow you to share your musical voyage with our tonebase family.
Share your favorite piece or recording that embodies the theme of "Song and Dance." Your submission will serve as an inspiration to others and create a vibrant pool of potential pieces for other members to delve into.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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I am in with a piece to my skill level
.I found on tonebase a course by Peter Graneis on the Piece Minuet in A minor by Johan Kreiger.
This is not spectacular but it sounds so nice and what better than a Waltz for a Song and Dance practice challenge.
I will start working on this tonight
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Andre Bernier Perfect, I'm looking forward to it!!
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Poulenc - Sarabande for Guitar (May 11)
Okay, it's a stretch to call this piece "dance" music, but I have been wanting to play it, and unless I am mistaken, I think the Sarabande is a dance.
This is a piece for which fingerings are vital to the interpretation. I found an unfingered version of the score, so that is what I am working with right now. It is attached, if you are interested.
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Eric Phillips
Yes, it is considered a dance....
https://www.britannica.com/art/sarabande
Very nice piece of music. Well done Eric.... As usual
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Andre Bernier Thank you, Andre!
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Very well played, Eric! Beautiful tone throughout, and very nice phrasing. (And bravo for making the ending work!) It's an interesting piece, but feels to me a little like an interlude: one wishes there were more! (I believe Poulenc did compose one other short piece for guitar, but nothing really substantial.) I have to think Segovia failed to give Poulenc much encouragement, which might explain why he wrote so little for an instrument that was, I think, well suited to his style (and temperament). Well of course it doesn't make sense to blame Segovia - he did, after all, do a great deal for the guitar. But it's a pity we don't have more repertoire from the early modernists.
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Eric Phillips Beautiful piece and so well played, Eric. I have the Ricordi-fingered edition and you're definitely better off with the unfingered score, lol. What I have is pretty odd. Great work as always.
David Krupka You're right about Segovia who did so much, but his particular tastes kept his repertoire pretty specific (what would a Stravinsky, Copland, Bartok, or Barber, etc. piece be like?).
I'm curious what you meant about Eric making the ending work. It's never struck me as being lacking.
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David Krupka Thank you, David. I tried to make the ending a little more interesting by plucking at the 12th fret.
Yes, wouldn't it be great to have more guitar music from Poulenc? I'm not aware of the other piece you mention, but I'll look it up.
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Steve Price Thanks, Steve. Yes, the fingering in the Ricordi version is a mixed bag. I always prefer unfingered scores, so I can add my own and not have the score be too cluttered with cross-outs. In this case, the only unfingered version I could find had TAB, so I created the attached document by cutting out the TAB staves. I'm not anti-TAB at all, it's just that, again, it reflects someone else's fingering choices.
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Steve Price I mean it's all too easy to play those six open strings without any real musical direction. Because the ending is technically easy, it's tempting to just stop thinking! But Eric makes it the logical conclusion of what has come before. I'm not criticizing Poulenc, I'm just noting that what is apparently simple still requires careful attention - which it receives here!
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Eric Phillips I could be wrong about a second piece. I might be confusing it with something by Jacques Ibert. I'll try to confirm this.
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Eric Phillips Fantastic piece and performance Eric! Never heard of this guy before. His era would explain some of the tasty harmonies/chords in this piece. Very interesting to have a dance piece in multiple meters!
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David Krupka It seems I'm mistaken about a second piece. I notice too that this Sarabande, written late in Poulenc's (rather too short) life, is dedicated to Ida Presti. So Segovia probably had no role in Poulenc's work, one way or the other. (I guess I need to think first and write later, rather than the other way around!)
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David Krupka Ahh, I see what you mean. Yes, it's definitely not a throw-away chord.
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Steve Pederson Thanks, Steve. Like I said, I think calling this a dance piece is a bit of a stretch, although it does have a definite sense of pulse. I really just wanted to work on it because I think it would pair well with the Scriabin I did in the last challenge. When I saw the title of this challenge, I thought, "Why not?" Hopefully I'll get to some more dance-like music eventually.
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Eric Phillips Beautiful, Eric. This is one of those pieces that is very difficult because there is no where to 'hide', but you gave a wonderful performance.
Sanel Redzic has a really nice performance. He gives the piece even more 'space'. His recording is quite slow (about a third longer than most) which is very haunting and effective to my sense.
I have the Antologia Para Chitarra and just played thru the Sarabande this morning before going to the computer and seeing your post. The Surinach Sonatina in that collection is quite nice. You might especially like (or not) the second movement.
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Jack Stewart Thank you, Jack. I have listened to Sanel Redzic's performance quite a lot. His attention to detail is just astounding, and I'm sure I don't even catch half of the special things he does. I do use many of his fingerings, but some I find very difficult. It's much better than the fingerings in the Ricordi edition, in my opinion.
I just downloaded that Antologia per Chitarra. What a great collection of music! As per your suggestion, I went right to the Sonatina by Surinach, and listened to it being played by Enrico Maria Barbareschi. Outstanding music! I'll try to play some of it later when I can get my guitar out. I'll probably start with that second movement, like you suggested. What is it with second movements? They're always the best! It looks difficult, but perhaps playable with a lot of work. I'll get a better sense later.
You just had to add to my list of pieces I really, really, really want to play!
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Eric Phillips I am about to record the first movement. I think, technically, the Spanish Mini is still in effect even though there hasn't been any activity in 3-4 days. Originally, I didn't care for the Sonatina - probably because I couldn't play it very well and it has some moments that sound really superficial if not played well. Much like the Poulenc (though I have always liked the Sarabande). But it has grown on me considerably. Cristiano Porqueddu has a wonderful recording on his New Sonatinas collection.
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Eric Phillips Eric, your performance was truly beautiful! I did think that your sound has improved significantly since last year's video - it now has a fuller and sweeter quality. Initially, I was concerned that my collection of Renaissance and Baroque pieces might not be suitable for this challenge. But after watching your Sarabande, I hope to find some "dance" pieces in my library that will work well.
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Wai Thanks, Wai. I think the vast majority of Renaissance and Baroque pieces could fall into the category of song and dance. Let's hear what you are working on.
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Sor - Valse Op 47 No 6
For the last several weeks, I have been working through Sor's opus 47 over in the practice diary. I am now on this last piece, and since it's a waltz, I thought it would be at home in this Song and Dance challenge.
This is just a first stab at each of the sections:
- Measures 1-16: Pretty straightforward. The slurs and occasional open string are the biggest technical challenge.
- Measures 17-24: This is the hardest part of the piece, without a doubt. The position shifts are pretty big and quick, and I want the slurs to be strong and fluid. I'm taking it quite slowly for now until I have it down. I really have to memorize this section so I can keep my eyes on the fretboard due to the shifting.
- Measures 25-32: Nothing too hard here. Slurs again always need attention. Despite the markings in the score, I think I will not slur to the open second string in measures 28-29.
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Eric Phillips
I think Sor is like Guiness Beer.... It just grows on you. The more you listen the better it becomes.
Thanks Eric for the experience. Well done again
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Andre Bernier Yes, I can’t get enough of Sor. No matter what other things I’m working on, I always have at least one piece by Sor in my daily practice.
Hmm … maybe I should start drinking Guinness while playing Sor!
Thanks for the suggestion. -
Eric Phillips these little waltzes certainly are well suited in this challenge. this will grow into another fine performance: the whole set of op. 47. This opening section sounds pure and light, as it was meant by Sor, as a waltz. The slurs sound and look pretty good to me, it’s good to have the fingers warmed up. Looking forward to hearing the complete no 6.
Great idea to have a Sor piece at hand every practice day. I have my Sor days (or weeks) , then I play through a selection of his pieces, studies, minuets, fantasies. -
joosje Thank you, Joosje!
