Week 4: Serenade Showcase

Jack Stewart This is definitely better, Jack!  Relax and enjoy it...it sounds great.  If you change the strings,  you may have frustration with tuning  instability if you are rushing to record.

Jack Stewart Sounding really good.  I agree this flows a little smoother than the previous version, although I must say, I like the tempo better in the previous.  This is such a great study that I think you can live with it for some time, and it will only grow on you and get even better.  I also think that this pairs well with the Brouwer Apunta that you play.  

Barney Thanks Barney. I am taking a day off from working on it. If I can get a good performance at a bit faster tempo I'll post that, otherwise this will be my last post for this challenge.

Dale Needles Thanks Dale. I agree that this sounds better a bit faster. However, I still don't have the consistent control at a faster tempo. If I achieve that over the next couple of days I'll post a revision, otherwise this will conclude my efforts for this challenge.

joosje Thanks Joosjie. I think the first time I learned this (about a year ago) I played it pretty straight forward, pretty drab. I then heard Tilman Hoppstock's version and was blown away by what he did with it. The was my model for what I am trying to do here, though I am very far away from achieving that goal. I have gotten a bit better at separating the voices but I am not very consistent. But then ... that 's why we practice.

I am glad to hear from you. I hope you are doing well.

Calin Lupa Very nicely played, Calin. Loved the tone colour, sounds warm and mellow. HVL pieces are very squeak prone, especially at fast sections (at least for amateur players like me). I didn't perceive any issue in audio-video sync, it looks and sounds fine to me.

Calin Lupa Very beautiful performance, Calin!  Nice expression --dynamics, color, rubato, etc.  I really enjoyed it.

Calin Lupa Very well played! This Prelude really flows under your fingers and you have such a great tone for it.  Congrats!

Calin Lupa This was excellent, Cailin. You have made a lot of improvement. Great work.

Thank you  Barney Dale Needles Jack Stewart Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary   for your kind comments, I fell like this is one of the pieces that I can work on for a lifetime to polish and change, as my techniques and understanding of the piece evolve...   :)  

Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Excellent Nijwm!  Best performance so far..

Just a suggestion about the harmonics at the very end of the piece--  I believe the sequence of harmonics should be played more quickly, if you can ;( try to start the sequence more quickly and "gradually" slow down the harmonics till the end.)  Also, the very last harmonic of the piece should not have that long space between it and the previous note.

You are now in a refining stage, so you can concentrate on more details.  Try to listen to some recordings of artists you like for ideas for interpretation.  Great job!

Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary I agree with Barney, excellent performance and you really showed great progress with this great Study.  You really have a strong command of the arpeggio, just remember to relax a little as you descend down the fret board with those diminished chords.  That may help you with those shifts.  In any case, I am very impressed with the work you have done on this Study and it will serve you well into the future.  

Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary That was great, Nijwm. What an improvement! you have such a relaxed command of the technique and a good interpretative sense. Your performance works wonderfully.

Barney Thank you Barney, you're all so kind. I'm kind of aware of the harmonics section, although tbh, I have been neglecting those sections a bit as they were slowing me down for the challenge. But I'm slowly trying to build up the tempo for that sequence. Thanks for the suggestions, I really appreciate it.

Dale Needles Thank you Dale. Yeah, I'm still learning relaxation while building stamina at the same time. I tend to tense up and it's noticeable in my playing sometimes. Is it good technique that allows you to relax more or, is it relaxation that helps in playing with good technique, I wonder. I guess it's both ways.

Jack Stewart Thank you very much, Jack.

Dale Needles Amazing Dale!  This piece is hard enough to play with reading.  How would you even approach trying to memorize it?  It usually helps me if there is a "singable" melody... but I can't hear it for this .  Is the trick through repetition-measure by measure to establish muscle memory?

Excellent performance.  Bravo!!!

Barney Thanks, Barney.  As far as memorizing, I break it down into phrases and memorize them phrase by phrase.  As you get into a modern piece like this, there are patterns that emerge which helps in memorization. In the past, I had memorized the first two movements, but have let them go a little and will need to revisit. As for the Finale, I have parts memorized and will continue working on it. However, I am going on an 8-week trip to Portugal and Spain, departing October 9th, so I will need to put off memorizing the whole piece until next year.