Week 2: Vibrations and Virtuosos 
WELCOME TO THE MAIN THREAD FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF "THE TRANSCRIPTIONS" PRACTICE CHALLENGE!
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! ↓
-
I recently had a conversation with our recurring livestream guest Steve Goss about the art of transcription (which we didn't stream though, we just had a normal talk, can you imagine?), and during the conversation I rediscovered the music of Paul Galbraith. Whenever I had a guitar with more than six strings, I felt completely overwhelmed. However, Paul's playing in this position is just mind-blowing (especially the clarity in the higher registers).
Anyway, since it's a bit quiet in here, I plan to dive into some little miniature transcriptions as well, what would you recommend?
-
martin Wow, I have never seen guitar being played this way, that was eye-opening!!! I am working on my own transcription (or arrangement?) right now, hope I can share it here with Tonebase buddies soon, thanks for sharing this amazing video, Martin!
-
martin You know I love the music of Albeniz, and Paul's performance and sound is amazing on this unusual guitar and playing position. Thanks for sharing it.
I hope to work on and record La Maja de Goya by Granados for this challenge.
-
martin I’ve been following him for sometime but it seems this has not really taken off. Perhaps less revolutionary and no less impressive, have you seen the Nibori Guitar orchestra and the 11 strings guitar? They sound quite awesome too.
-
don Thanks for sharing these cool videos! The orchestra played the first movement of Vivaldi's concerto in D. This was fun for me to listen to, as it brought back memories of me playing it with my guitar, cello, violin and viola at my high school concert. BTW, one of my classmates- Andre-Michel Schub ( now a concert pianist) played the 3rd movement of Grieg's piano concerto in A minor at this same concert. Great memories!!
-
Barney That is so awesome! What wonderful memories participation in the arts as high school students can evoke—for the rest of our lives!
-
Barney Wow! Playing Vivaldi in high school is pretty impressive - especially on 4 different instruments!
-
Barney Glad that you like it. I hope we get to see more these Nibori concerts. Or maybe a mixture of some a section of Nibori guitar with a more traditional orchestra.
-
Jack Stewart Yep. My two hands and two feet covered it
-
martin A guitar cello! Amazing! Such a great performance! Thanks for sharing, Martin.
-
martin Martin thank you for sharing this. Beautiful performance. I think 6 strings is enough for me though!
-
-
Chopin op. 33.1 Mazurka #22 (Tarrega)
This is my second posting of this Tarrega transcription of Chopin's op. 33.1 Mazurka. I think this is much better than the previous version. Aside from a couple of small stumbles I think this comes pretty close to what I want from this piece. There is still some work to be done in the phasing - but mostly refinement.
I almost gave up on this transcription. There were several points that I had trouble getting sound right, especially in the upper registers. But then it seemed to come together. I now much prefer this version to the Aron transcription that I had played in the last Transcription Challenge. I'm glad I stuck it out.
-
Jack Stewart I'm glad you stuck it out Jack. I love Chopin and you are doing an excellent job with this transcription. I enjoyed listening to your performance. Thanks for sharing this with us!
-
Barney Thanks Barney. I am also glad I persevered on this transcription. I am (slowly) developing a small repertoire of Chopin's works. I tend to prefer his smaller character pieces. But then I am not that familiar with his larger works like his sonatas. Time to do some more exploring!
-
Jack Stewart What a great project, Jack! I really enjoyed your performance. I’ve never played a Mazurka. This is a fun one!
-
Marilyn Blodget This is a beautiful Mazurka but its simplicity is its real challenge. This piece is much newer to me than the Sarabande, a couple of years - again off and on. But this transcription is new to me. This is a piece that will take much exploring to settle in.
-
-
Bach BWV 1002 Sarabande and Double redux
I have posted this in a previous challenge but I wanted to revise it to get my playing back after a month of no guitar. I am pretty happy with how it has come back. It only took 2 takes which is exceedingly rare for me (double digits being the norm). I have some refinements I would like to make, perhaps adding more ornamentation. I have been listening to some baroque violinist for influence and ideas. If I can successfully implement any I will post a revision.
-
Jack Stewart Wow! Great playing Jack. I looks like you have memorized these Bach pieces, which is difficult, as the lines are not easily singable melodies to remember.
I agree with your approach to hear how other instrumentalists interpret the music.
-
Barney Thanks Barney. I have played these BWV 1002 pieces off an on for years. I always found them difficult to memorize. But they seem to be holding up now. I find it insightful to hear listen to how instruments perform the pieces that were written for them. I think it helps avoid creating phrasing that is idiomatic to the guitar.
-
Jack Stewart You played it very well, Jack! The secret of Bach's music: It is more enjoyable when you listen to other people playing it than playing it yourself.
-
Jack Stewart That was wonderful, Jack.
-
Dale Needles Thanks Dale. Hope you and Suzanne are having a great time in England and Wales et al.
-
Jack Stewart Really lovely playing, Jack! Your phrasing flowed with such ease and beauty. I can tell you’ve lived with this engaging Sarabande for some time. The comfort of familiarity— no stress! (At least I didn’t feel any.)
-
Marilyn Blodget Thanks Marilyn. Yes this piece has been with me off and on for many years. I have been enjoying listening to and being influenced (trying to be) by many different performances on guitar as well as violin.
-
It’s always interesting to listen to other’s interpretations. When we live with a piece long enough we relax into our own voice.
Jack Stewart
-
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
