Week 4: Harmonic Heights 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the fourth week of "The Transcriptions" practice challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying!
- Watch the kickoff livestream!
Pick a transcription that was originally composed for another instrument, like piano or violin. Don't be afraid to choose a challenging piece or explore works from composers you haven't played before.
Commit to practicing daily and share your progress with the community. Aim to practice every day and post at least two videos per week showcasing your progress. This will help you stay motivated and accountable, and also allow you to share your transcription journey with others. Whether you're tackling a complex piece, refining your skills with a piece you already play, or experimenting with new playing techniques, the community is here to support you and celebrate your achievements.
Share your favorite piece that you would like to see transcribed or your favorite recording of a transcription. This will not only inspire others in the community but also provide a rich resource of ideas for everyone to explore. Plus, it's a great way to celebrate the creativity and artistry involved in adapting music from one instrument to another.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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I picked Sevilla for this challenge. For me, it is the most challenging piece in the Suite Espanola, OP.47. My interpretation is a combination of versions by Llobet, M. Barrueco, D. Russell, A. Diaz and Barney. This was a good opportunity to work on it for a few weeks, although it is really a long term process to get it to sound the way I want. Here is my status on it right now.
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joosje Thank you Joosje!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it ( your opinion matters a lot to me), as that's what I'm shooting for.
Like most of the challenges, the time period is too short, but at least there is some incentive to start and concentrate on a new piece and then improve upon it more later...
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Barney Man, Barney, you just nailed this! What a great performance! Great tone and great phrasing. I've been working on this piece for over a year and am nowhere near this level, so I know how difficult it can be! Congrats!
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Steve Pederson Thanks Steve!!
Yeah, this is difficult in certain places ( at least it is for me...). My left hand still hurts from it! Those quick bar chord shifts are no fun for the hand... I withstand the "pain" because I love this music.
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Barney Yes, working on Cadiz for this challenge has shown my hands a whole new level of fatigue. I've had to be very careful not to overdo it.
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Barney Bravo! That was wonderful, very expressive and such a joy to listen to. I can also see and hear the fruits of all your work on Carlevaro's LH technique. Congrats
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Dale Needles Thanks very much Dale!! I appreciate your kind words and also all your help with Carlevaro technique.
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Here is my progress for learning to play Chopin Waltz op. 69 no. 2. I will continue working on the phrasing, dynamic, and rubato.
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Khiem Nguyen I love it! Very enjoyable to listen to!
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Khiem Nguyen Very Nice!!!
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Khiem Nguyen Wow! Great job Khiem. You replying this really well and your transcription is very impressive as well.
Have you heard Roland Dyens recording of this piece? I think his interpretation is one of my favorites (though his double scordatura has scared me off from his transcription.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj2E83KWogA
Another really good performance is by Katalin Koltai (her own transcription).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk2yDR13eY8
Jerzy Koenig is a Chopin specialist on guitar, who has many transcriptions and performances of Chopin on guitar.
Sorry for all the ramblings but when I get into a piece I tend to overwhelm myself with research.
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Steve Pederson thank you very much Steve!
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Dale Needles thank you Dale!
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Jack Stewart thank you for your positive support Jack!
Yes, I heard Roland Dyens by himself playing and also Thu Le. Roland's transcription is great; it captures the Valse rythm and feel, but I agree with you, having two strings tuned differently make it quite challenging to read and nagivate the keyboards - and I am afraid of the string will stay detuned after being there for a while.
I like your thorough reseach mindset; I used to do research on power electronics in higher education; actually I did a PhD on it; so I thin it is nice to do research. Thank you for sharing inspirations from other great guitarists. I have not heard Katalin and Jerzy yet, but I will definitely check those recording out. Please keep on sharing the research since I like it a lot!
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Khiem Nguyen I am very envious that you heard Dyens in concert. I'm also glad you mentioned Thu Le. She is also a guitarist I have followed on many compositions. (She plays Dyens transcription of op. 69.2.)
I am sure my 'research' is considerably less 'disciplined' than yours. Mostly I Iisten to a lot of YT videos.
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Khiem Nguyen wow. I really love this. Great playing!
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don thank you very much Don!
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Cadiz - Isaac Albéniz - full piece
This will be my final post of this song for this challenge. I'm pleased with the progress that I've made in such a short time, but I feel like I still have a long way to go. Clearly the tempo being one of the issues.
I'm wearing a very festive shirt to celebrate!
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Steve Pederson Very nicely played. I really like the expressiveness of your playing. I can imagine myself walking the streets of Cadiz.
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Steve Pederson I like this so much Steve. Great achievement over this challenge. It was fascinating to be a witness of your work on this lovely piece. You make it sound really nice on guitar, capturing the sphere of this charming story.
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Steve Pederson Great job, Steve. Your persistence has paid off. What a major accomplishment! This piece is almost 8 minutes long and you have played it wonderfully.
I don't think I can remember 8 minutes of music much less as one piece. Bravo!.
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Dale Needles Thanks Dale. I figured, even at a slow tempo, I can still get into it and be expressive! Have you ever been to Cadiz?
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joosje Thanks so much Joosje!
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Jack Stewart Thanks Jack, and fortunately there's a lot of repetition in this piece. That helps!
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Steve Pederson Yes, I was in Cadiz back in 1978 and more recently in 2019. Definitely one of my favorite places in Spain. How about you, have visited Cadiz? Here is a photo from inside the Mesquita.
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Dale Needles Ooh! That looks amazing! Reminds me of the Alhambra. I have not been to Cadiz...yet. I'd love to go. Last year I went on a guided tour to Spain for the first time. We went to Madrid, Seville, Jerez de la Fronterra, Málaga, Granada and Valencia.
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