WEEK 2: Let It Snow!

Eric Phillips very nice setting. Refreshing sound for this traditional music 

joosje Thank you, Joosje!

Eric Phillips Nicely done and a great arrangement.  I found the background of the piece and details of the lyrics fascinating as well.

Brett Gilbert I agree. He has a very interesting website.

Eric Phillips EXCELLENT!   (

Have you heard his arrangement of "Sleigh Ride"?)

Paul Kennedy I have not. I’ll see if I can find it.

Eric Phillips Thanks for sharing the pdf with us.  I like all of the background info and the annotations on the last page.  I'm working on a simple version of Greensleeves.  I'll think I'll try this version next. 

Elizabeth Uyehara Thanks, Elizabeth. I like all the little variations on the harmonies.

Derek Nice arrangements! I particularly like the counterpoint in the First Nowell.

Derek nice arrangements indeed. Bringing me in  Christmas mood

Derek Thanks for posting the videos.  Very nicely played and interesting arrangements.

Derek Very nice arrangement Derek of Holly and the Ivy.  Sounds great.  I also think you did a nice job on The First Nowell

ivan paolo You are so methodical, Ivan. I wish I had your discipline.

ivan paolo your music is always interesting Paolo! these progressions belong also to those armonics you have sent once (I can not find them now!) ? I want to hear the whole piece!!!!! thanks for sharing!

Nora Torres-Nagel

Thanks for your kind words. You can find the armonics in the WEEK 1 forum ... See you tomorrow night at the concert ;-)

Derek This is so incredible, Gokce and Derek! I am blown away by the beauty of the music and the video! Were you two together or did you record separately? I'm just speechless! 

Eric Phillips Thanks you very much Eric. We recorded separately, Gokce is 2000 miles away in Turkey so I recorded the lower part and sent it to Gokce. She then recorded her part and did the audio editing. Then I put the video together. It's been a few weeks of hard work - I think I recorded my part in October and then Gokce sent her part and the audio back sometime in November. I nearly tore my hair out doing it as I'm a bit of a novice on Da Vinci Resolve. I was originally planning to put it in the general forum but when the Christmas Challenge came up I thought it would be great to put it in here

Derek It is just stunning! I would have no clue how to do any of that. Kudos to you for all that hard work. Sit back now and enjoy your laurels! That one should be seen by everyone.

Martin Vielen Danke Martin. It's a long story which I'll tell later :-)

Derek and Gokce, sooo nice! Great. Thank you so much for sharing . It was surely worth the efforts, Derek.

Derek Holy Cow!!  Beautiful!

Derek What a great idea!  Someone just posted a duet in piano challenge (which I'm sure will be shown at Watch Party).  The video production here is really something special in addition to the wonderful playing.  Thank you for sharing.

Derek Wow!!! This is amazing and beautiful!!! Congrats to Derek and Gokce for a wonderful job putting this together and terrific playing.  Loved watching it, thanks!!

Barney guauuuuu that was great!!! thank you so much for your wishes and your music ! Feliz Navidad and happy new year for you both also!

Eric Phillips thank you Eric! 

joosje thanks Joosje! 

Barney thank you Barney :) 

Martin thanks Martin. I am sorry for not coming to the challenges and forums anymore. I have been busy with lots of other things, and less time for practising. I miss you all. 

Martin hi Martin. Thank you for sharing this with Laura. Would you mind repeating what she said so I can share with Gokce (I think she has a few problems at the moment and hasn't had chance to log onto Tonebase). How this came about - you may remember that Gokce and I did another short piece together in the summer and so after a while Gokce got back in touch and we decided to do this (I tried to do it myself last Christmas but couldn't get the timing right). The technical details: I recorded my part using the metronome in the DAW and sent the video and audio onto Gokce. She then recorded her part and she edited the audio to make sure both parts were in sync and then sent me her video together with the separate audio file. I wasn't happy with my video so I rerecorded it using the metronome to make sure it synchronised with the original audio. I took a picture of the globe and the picture of the village was from a holiday in France in the Happy days just before the pandemic. I then put it all together in Da Vinci Resolve.  It's actually a bit simpler than my original plan (I wanted the globe to be to the right of the picture originally and then pan and zoom into the full picture but I couldn't get it to look good so after a lot of time I came up with the final version).

Frohe Weinachten und Vielen Gluckwunsche Zum Neues Jahre

Eric Phillips Beautiful Eric. You must sight read very well. I love that 'tenuto' near the end just fits the music so well

Derek Thank you, Derek. The arrangement actually has a fermata on the Am chord, if that's what you are referring to. I like it too!

Eric Phillips Nice job with this Eric.  Sounds great!  Doug Niedt is a good resource; he is very detailed and analytical and had great teachers.

Barney Thanks, Barney. His website has a lot to explore.

Eric Phillips Fantastic piece Eric and you really do it justice. Really good tone and very clean. Well played

Derek Thank you, Derek. Apparently we're both hanging out on TB right now!

Eric Phillips beautiful. This is how I like to hear it. Great job.

joosje Thank you, Joosje. It felt better when playing it too.

Eric Phillips Sound great Eric, I always learn just watching you play.  I was wondering if you were going to post a piece with your new lute for this challenge.  Not sure how different that is to play than guitar.

Brett Gilbert Thanks, Brett. I noodle around a bit with the lute, but to play it correctly will require learning a whole different way of playing with my right hand, including cutting my nails. I could maybe post a “faker” piece, but it would make real lute players cringe I’m sure. I’ll think about it.

Eric Phillips Bravo Eric

Vilio Celli Thank you, Vilio!

Eric Phillips very nice Eric! I will post it today also. The last armonic....sounds beautifully with the last accord at the end...isn`t it? I discover that sound with my "leona" here....(I didn´t in BA with la "porteña" because she had not that sound...)

Nora Torres-Nagel Thank you, Nora! Yes, I like the final resolution of G to F#. I tried a few different ways of doing it, and settled on the way suggested in the score I used. I look forward to hearing you play it, whatever guitar you use!

Barney nice arrangement Barney. It's coming along nicely

Derek Thanks Derek!

Barney Good to hear from you, Barney. Well done! I looked up Kevin Gallagher and found several of his arrangements. I'll give them a try when I have the chance.

Eric Phillips Thanks Eric!  Yeah, it looks like he has some nice arrangements (not virtuoso level) from his Christmas album, that are probably fun to play (and free).  Enjoy!

Barney Very nice Barney! your guitar sounds beautifully. Thanks for sharing...

Nora Torres-Nagel Thank you Nora!!

Barney So beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

Elizabeth Uyehara Thanks Elizabeth!!

Vilio Celli Sounds good, Vilio!

Eric Phillips Nice Eric!  Nice sound and well balanced harmonies.  Sometimes the simple stuff really does the job and communicates the message, like you just did.  Glad to enjoyed them.  I certainly did, thanks!!

Barney Thanks, Barney!

Eric Phillips Thanks so much for sharing the link to Kevin Gallagher’s Christmas carols.  I look forward to playing them!  I really enjoyed your performance!

Marilyn Thank you, Marilyn!

Eric Phillips You make these familiar songs sound so lovely!

Elizabeth Uyehara Thank you, Elizabeth!

Eric Phillips great, as always, Eric. I don't know how you have the time to practise all of the pieces you play and do them so well

Derek Thanks, Derek. I have been fortunate to have this entire week (and all of next week) off of work.

Brett Gilbert it looks difficult really ! for me also. It is great you can play the same piece in two instruments!! thanks for sharing that.

I am also happy with this group of amateurs musicians, very nice people and to share music with you all is a pleasure. Thanks to Tonebase, a great initiative!

Feliz Navidad and happy 2022!

Brett Gilbert Really good playing,  Brett! All that counterpoint is very difficult to pull off. Your playing has improved so much and so quickly.

 I’m very grateful to be part of this community as well, to have the opportunity to share our love of the guitar and its music.

Thanks Nora Torres-Nagel , been enjoying your videos as well.  I always learn something from watching more experienced guitarists like you.  The Villancico you are working on sounds lovely. 

Eric Phillips Thanks Eric, I know I wouldn't feel motivated to practice as much without the community here and a "goal/deadline" set with the challenges.  I'm still amazed at how you find the time to post so many videos but I always enjoy them and appreciate your comments.  Merry Christmas to you and your family and looking forward to 2022.

thanks Martin I was inspired to work on this by your video a few weeks ago of the David Russell arrangement of Jesu... just didn't realize how hard it was! The piano version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY1eybtvDok

Brett Gilbert 

Congratulations on the job done. The piece is challenging. Playing with short nails is not easy but I like the sound it can makes. I suggest trying to "enter" a little deeper "between the strings" with the fingers and articulate the movement of the fingers from the knuckles (and not from the last phalanx by looking for the string with your fingernail.)

Happy Holidays

Thank you ivan paolo , I appreciate the advice and have enjoyed your videos of the Roland Dyans piece .  Nails are always a challenge for me when switching between 2 instruments and I've always struggled to get nice tone from short nails.  I'll give your suggestions a try!

Brett Gilbert Unbelievable, Brett! Are you improvising some of the embellishment? Your musicianship is so outstanding!

Eric Phillips Wow, thanks!  I'm pretty much following the arrangement which is by pianist/composer Ferruccio Busoni from the late-Romantic period who is especially well-known for Bach transcriptions, the most famous and my favorite being his transcription of the Bach Chaconne!  Playing a transcription of the Chaconne on guitar is one of my very long-term/way-in-the-future goals.

Brett Gilbert Well Busoni certainly wrote a beautiful arrangement. I know some don't like "romanticizing" Bach (or other earlier composers), but I think it's wonderful. I honestly cannot imagine Bach only wanting his music frozen in one time period. If he had somehow lived into the romantic era, he certainly would have written his music like this.

Brett Gilbert Wow, that's so cool that you are working on this piece on piano too! Both sound really nice.

Brett Gilbert great work Brett

Brett Gilbert beautiful Brett

Nora Torres-Nagel sorry, no idea why it is twice now!!!!!

Nora Torres-Nagel Well done. I like your elegant way of playing guitar.

Nora Torres-Nagel Really good work, Nora! It has so much musicality!

Martin gracias Martin!

Eric Phillips thanks a lot Eric...

ivan paolo gracias Paolo.... I think I put always strange faces....

Nora Torres-Nagel Very nice playing and tone quality, Nora!.  Thanks for sharing it with us!

Nora Torres-Nagel very nice Nora. You have a lovely tone.

Barney thanks for your comentary

Derek thanks for hearing me Derek !

Elizabeth Uyehara Wonderful video, sounds great!  Beautiful tree as well.  Happy holidays!

Elizabeth Uyehara Beautiful Elizabeth!  Happy Holidays!

Elizabeth Uyehara You play with such calm and tranquility, and that is passed on to us.

Elizabeth Uyehara very nice Elizabeth

Martin Barney Brett Gilbert Derek Eric Phillips Thanks for all of the encouragement!  I wish I had more time to practice (don't we all), but I will try to at least post something for the challenges.  I enjoy watching and learning from all of you.  Happy Hollidays to you!

Elizabeth Uyehara this is absoultely beautifull Elizabeth and very touching for me to see and hear people around the world doing music in this difficult world plein of violence. We will do a duet Elizabeth. I contact you with your chat. Thanks for sharing this!