Week 2: Delving into Diverse Styles
Welcome to the "Around the World in 80 Strings Challenge"! This month, we'll embark on a global musical journey, exploring classical guitar compositions from various countries. The only rule: Don’t play a composer from your home country. Let’s make this a truly international experience!
CHALLENGE TIMELINE
- Challenge Start: Kick-Off on May 15th
- Duration: May 15th - June 24th
- Watch Party: June 24th
ACTIVITIES
- Choose Your Piece: Select a new piece of music to work on. Share your choice in the thread below and inspire your fellow musicians!
- Video Submission: Submit a video of your practice this week. Highlight your favorite passage from the piece that showcases the origin of this piece!
GET INVOLVED
Let’s kick things off with enthusiasm! Share your progress, encourage others, and explore new musical horizons together. Can’t wait to see what everyone chooses!
-
Leila-Leila (arr. Afshar)
Here is an update on this piece. This time, I have recorded the entire piece, including the part with harmonics at the end. I had to cheat in a couple places by taking out the middle voice. I cannot find a workable way of simultaneously playing an artificial harmonic on the first string, a bass note on the fifth or sixth string, and a middle voice on the third string. Watching others do it in YT videos, it looks like they are plucking the middle voice with the RH middle finger, but I just cannot seem to make that happen, even very slowly. So as a result, I just don’t play that middle voice in those spots. I hope it doesn’t detract too much from the music.
On another (and very sad) note, I just found out today that Lily Afshar died last October. She was only 63 years old, and died of cancer. I obviously did not follow her career closely, but now that I am playing these arrangements by her, I feel a little more in touch with her musically. I have also learned a little bit more about her amazing career. Apparently, she was the first woman in the entire world to receive a doctorate in guitar performance. I'm honored to be playing something she created.
-
Eric Phillips Beautiful Eric. Great performance
-
Eric Phillips beautifully played, Eric. It’s such a sad melody. A true hommage you bring to Lily Afshar playing this so nicely. Thank you..
-
Eric Phillips Really beautiful performance and touching tribute to Lily Afshar. I was not familiar with her until this challenge. Great job, Eric, and thanks for sharing this.
-
Eric Phillips A beautiful piece Eric. You play it very well. Wonderful
-
-
Getting a weeks late start on this one. I think I'll choose a Modern Englishman for my piece. I have rotated Gardame las Vacas into my rotation, but I see some else is doing it. So I'll try the Prelude from the 'English Suite' Opus 31 by John Duarte. No way can I do the whole suite. Always loved this piece. Hope I can do it justice.
-
Ravel Trois Beaux Oiseaux du Paradis Guitar Transcription
I think I finally have a final version. I just need to play thru it to see if it is playable. I can, mostly, play it now. I just have a couple of changes that I need to confirm and hopefully post a rough draft tomorrow.
I just wanted to show I have actually been working on this. BTW, these are just the versions that I printed out. There are probably at least twice as many on my computer that never made it to the printer.
-
Jack Stewart that sure looks impressive and promising. Can’t wait to hear you play the result of this ….
-
