Week 3: Music is Music! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the last week of the transcription challenge! This is the place for the Week 3 Submissions!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ Reply below with your Progress Update and Questions! ↓
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Hello all, Here is my newest attempt at the Gershwin. Still a few rough places, but it is forcing me to isolate those places and they have been improving I think.
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Paul Kennedy Coming along nicely. I really like the bluesy feel of this piece. Maybe we can swop transcriptions.
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Dale Needles Thank you Dale, sounds good. Here’s my personal e-mail: [email protected]
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Paul Kennedy nice playing Paul. Really bluesy (don’t know if that’s a word, but it’s the feel)
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Paul Kennedy Paul that is sounding very good. BTW have you heard Matthias Lang's version? He plays the middle section quite freely to great effect.
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Paul Kennedy great to hear some bluesy music, well done! Have you recorded with the spire?
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Blaise Laflamme Hi Blaise, I have only fooled around with it, but it is just so incredible it even makes me sound like a pro.
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Paul Kennedy keep playing with this cool toy!
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Paul Kennedy Awesome! I really like your feel on the piece. It's really coming along!
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Chopin Mazurka Op 7 No 2 (Walk Thru)
I'm starting a new piece that will take me beyond the end of this challenge, I am certain. I heard a performance of it on YT by Mateus Kowalski and it really struck me. I tried finding a transcription of it, and I could only find one online by Walter Jacobs (see attached). It is quite different than what Mateus Kowalski plays, but I still like it.
This is just an initial walk thru with me talking, so I won't be offended if you'd rather not listen!
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Eric Phillips nice start on a charming piece. In this transcription the typical mazurka chords on beat 2 and 3 in the A and B sections are replaced by mainly just separate bass notes. That makes it harder to understand the harmonies. Apart from that, it sounds good, I think the transcription works nicely for guitar. Looking forward to progress recordings.
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joosje Thanks for your thoughts. Maybe I could look at the original and try to add more notes to beats 2 and 3.
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Eric Phillips
That was a really impressive read thru for such a challenging piece.
I think there are many pieces of Chopin that you would enjoy. My first Chopin was the Mazurka op. 33.1 transcribed by Tarrega. Technically it was not that demanding but the challenge was getting it to work because....well, because it was Chopin. I must warn you that once you start down the Chopin Rabbit hole it will draw you in.
BTW I responded last night with this response but in the last sentence I used a different term (instead of 'draw' I used a term that you might do to a straw) and it is still pending review. I assume that is what triggered the algorithms.
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Jack Stewart That's funny! I've had some of my posts hit similar snags.
It is already feeling a bit like a rabbit hole
, as I've started to redo the transcription of this Mazurka. It is no small challenge, let alone playing it. I'm still having fun, though, so I'll keep going a bit. -
Eric Phillips Interesting that you found a Walter Jacobs' transcription. As you may know, Jacobs was an American guitarist and music publisher from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in Ohio but settled in Boston. I actually have an original 1896 edition of his Carcassi Method, which was found at a flea market. Check out the attached cover.
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Dale Needles Wow! You would definitely win any classical guitar trivia game! I had never heard of him before.
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Here is Granada by Albeniz Trans. by Segovia. If anyone (including Nora) is working on this piece, please be careful of Left hand pain. It is rough on that hand and requires some attention and rest to prevent injury. ( I later saw a Masterclass of David Russell online, and interestingly enough, he mentioned that to his student at the end of his session).
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Barney Wow!!!! Barney that is wonderful. You performance, tone and interpretation were excellent. Bravo!!!!
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Barney Incredible, Barney! The melody, phrasing, dynamics, and color all came together beautifully. I must say, my left hand hurts just watching the video!
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Barney Excellent phrasing and tone. Really like how you interpreted this piece.
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Barney great job
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Jack Stewart Thanks Jack!!
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Eric Phillips Thanks very much Eric!!
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Dale Needles Thanks Dale!!
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Olli Thanks Olli!
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Barney such a joy hearing this wonderful piece, so well played, Barney. Your great tone and the diversity of colours, impressive. And your recording quality beats all of us.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
