Week 2: Let us play Transcriptions and Arrangements 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of the transcription challenge! This is the place for the Week 2 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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So, let me post the first submission this new week.
Another movie, this one French: le fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain’. Charming music score composed by Yann Tiersen. Very popular with pianists, and It works well on guitar, at least this tune does. It is a transcription by Joshua Rogers. I adopted some alterations and fingerings from Matthew McAllister.
It’s a tiny bit frustrating, this one. Such a simple structure: 4-chord progression: ‘em, G, bm, D, repeated in different combinations. Yet it took me 2 practice sessions to memorize!!! (and some time away from the guitar to analyze and drill the finger patterns.)
What’s so ´complicating’ ? some unfamiliar and uncomfortable R/L coordination! But I worked on that, it’s nice, and a relaxing step away from my more serious guitar repertoire. This is it for now - with some moments of hesitation, but for me this is also a memory training…
I borrowed a Zoom camera to record. Is it different from the smartphone sound?
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joosje Very nice, Joosje! It reminds me of Andrew York's compositions.
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joosje wow - great piece . "Wunderbare Welt Der Amelie" ... Where can I get the scores ? I want to play this piece too
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Olli Joshua Rogers shared the score at his website. https://nbnguitar.com/free-tabs-page. Have fun!
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joosje thank you very much
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joosje Thanks for introducing us to this nice arrangement and to the composer Yann Tiersen. I was only slightly familiar with his music from the film Amelie, but I checked him out on Youtube and really like his piano music. I can see some other possible guitar arrangements in the future.
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joosje that was my favorite movie in my teens, thank you for bringing back some sweet memories with the nostalgic music by Yann Tiersen!
I do like the sound with the Zoom Camera a lot it sounds very natural, but I'd recommend to place it in front of the guitar as the guitar resonates stronger from the bridge!
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Martin thank you Martin I’ll experiment with it a bit more.
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joosje Thank you for this, Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulin is one of my favorite movie :) Good job on memorizing it. I know it is only 4 chords, but there is a lot of variations!
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joosje Joosje - I've just seen this -I normally view the Tonebase stuff on my tablet but I've just logged onto my laptop and this was one of the tabs open on my browser. It's wonderful and from one of my favourite films! I'm going to have to play this. Thank you very much for sharing - I've only seen it played as a guitar duet before (apart from the original version).
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Schumann’s Traumerei (in sections) Jan 10
This piece is in AABA’ form. Here’s the breakdown:
· A: measures 1-8
· B: measures 9-16
· A’: measures 17-24
The phrases all seem to be four measures in length, giving each section two phrases.
I will be working on it in sections, with a video below for each section. I worked a lot on finding fingerings that make the melody as expressive and legato as possible. I do use quite a few glissandi, which are obviously not very piano-like, but I think they work well for this piece and are definitely characteristic of Tarrega’s transcriptions.
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Eric Phillips hey Eric, this sounds great. Its "Träumerei". "Troi"+"Mari"
. You guitar is always singing - may you tell us what guitar you play ? Thanks
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Olli Thanks, Olli. I don’t know what you mean by Troi + Mari. My guitar is a Hernandez. It cost me $600 in 1989 and is the only classical guitar I have ever owned. I know it’s nothing great, but it’s very special to me. Whenever I play another guitar it just doesn’t feel right. If I ever win the lottery, maybe I’ll get a luthier-made concert instrument.
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Eric Phillips very nice. All the parts are there. Just need to piece them together.
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Eric Phillips Very sweet sound, Eric. It sounds the way I like to hear it. I’m playing this on the piano, which is not much easier, taking into account that my guitar technique is a bit more advanced than my piano skills.
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joosje I had no idea you played piano. I'd love to hear you play it!
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Eric Phillips Ohoh, you would be sooo disappointed . No, I do play a bit, because we have a piano. And I can read the 2 keys, but it’s frustrating because I can’t do, musically, what I want to. The finger movements are very different from the guitar technique. Demand more weight on the keys. I don’t have a teacher. I was considering a Tonebase piano subscription, but it would have too much of an impact on my guitar practice.
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Eric Phillips brilliant as always! I used to play this on the piano and have always loved it. Did I understand you to say this is a Tarrega transcription?
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Paul Kennedy Thanks, Paul. I'm using the Tarrega transcription in the files Martin gave us, as well as a transcription I have of it by Frederick Noad. I'm taking bits from each, and using fingering that I like which, at times, is different than both of theirs. So, it's a big hodge podge I guess!
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Eric Phillips of course, it is a beautiful arrangement. I may have to give it a go. I have another transcription but I am away from home and cannot check the name. I will provide an update Sunday or Monday when I return
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Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence: week 2 update
Technically been working on this over 3 weeks.
- Things you found easy: Not exactly easy but less challenging I suppose. It would be that there isn't any tricky rhythm in the music. Not too complicated to read through or understand.
- Things you found difficult: Quite a few jumps 1st positions to 8th positions. Jumping from 1st to 8th is much easier than going backwards from 8th to 1st. There are also a couple of big stretches. The biggest challenge is overcoming all these and play at a nice tempo.
Will try to post another update end of this week.
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don Great job, looking forward to your next update! It's fascinating how a "little" jump can cause us so much trouble!
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As I mentioned last week, I have been working on two movements from Astor Piazzolla's Tango Opera, Maria de Buenos Aires, freely arranged by Agustin Carlevaro. The opera is the surreal story of Maria and tells of her depravity, redemption and rebirth in Buenos Aires underbelly. The Opera is in 17 movements and Agustin Carlevaro arranged six of those movements into a suite for solo guitar. The first movement is entitled Alevare, means to begin a tango, and is set at midnight in Buenos Aires with the spirit of the night evoking the voice of Maria. The piece is designated to be played "slow and mysterious." The challenge playing this short little piece is capturing the tango rhythm and conveying the mysterious atmosphere that the music evokes. Here is an audio recording of my progress to date.
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Dale Needles that’s sounds great, Dale. Good sound, good rhythm.
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joosje Thanks!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
