Final Week: Music of the Fall
As the air gets crisper and the days grow shorter, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the beauty and transition that autumn brings. We're excited to introduce our newest community challenge: "Music of the Fall"! This is your chance to explore pieces that capture the essence of this season – whether they evoke the feeling of change, a fresh beginning, or the quiet nostalgia of falling leaves.
What’s the Challenge?
Select a guitar piece that you personally associate with the change of seasons or the idea of starting anew. This could be a work that resonates with autumnal moods, melodies that conjure up images of falling leaves, or pieces that mark a new chapter in your musical journey.
Suggested Themes:
- Transition: Pieces that reflect change or transformation.
- New Beginnings: Works that symbolize starting something new, like a new season in life or music.
- Autumnal Mood: Music that captures the essence of fall – perhaps something contemplative, warm, or even bittersweet.
Timeline:
- Start: October 1st
- End: November 13th
-
"El Puerto" (The Port) describes the joyful agitation that you may find in an Andalusian harbour on a sunny early Fall morning. This is the second piece in Book One of the work Iberia. The inspiration for it came from the town of Santa Maria which is on the Bay of Cadiz, Spain. It was composed for piano in a way where the sound of the guitar is emulated and in the style of the lively dance called the Zapateado, which requires intricate footwork when it is performed. It has been noted that the influences of a French style, and in particular Debussy, are present in the harmonic subtlety of this piece. I first heard the piece performed by Alicia de Larrocha. This is an arrangement for guitar by Jorge Caballero that was transcribed from his live video performance.
-
Barney This is awesome, Barney! This is definitely one we don't hear very often (or at least I don't). It has a real "groove" to it, and you have nailed it. Your slurs are so crisp and clean. The ending (last minute or so) is particularly lovely!
-
Eric Phillips Thanks Eric!!
This is still a work in process, and I would like to work more on the articulations and play it a bit faster. The piece is 7 pages long and not memorized, so I have the pages spread on two music stands. Sometimes I lose track of my place, causing mistakes, which is frustrating.
-
Barney Wow! This is a very moorish influenced piece., I love the harmonies and rhythms. Definitely a premier for my ears. It’s coming along beautifully.
-
Barney Very nice to listen to you capture the sounds of Andalucia as I sit here in an apartment in Granada. I will keep your music in my mind when I visit Cadiz later this month.
-
Marilyn Blodget Thanks Marilyn!
-
Dale Needles Thanks Dale! Sounds like you are thoroughly enjoying the beauty and sounds of Spain's culture. If you have not already done so, take a listen to Alicia de Larrocha's full performance of Albeniz' Iberia Suite. Safe Travels!
-
Barney What an amazing work you've done on this!
Did you transcribed from the video yourself? For whatever reason, or it's on my side, the volume is far louder on the right side. 
-
Blaise Laflamme Alvaro Tejerina transcribed the piece from Caballero's video. I've always loved this suite for piano by Albeniz. Very few guitarists have attempted selections of it on guitar and after searching and searching, I finally found this one based on the performance by virtuoso Jorge Caballero.
I've been having some recording issues ( ie. with it stopping prematurely before the performance is completed, some crackling, sounds, etc.). I will be changing from a PC to a MacBook Pro soon. I hope the increased speed and power will help solve some problems.
I did change my sitting position and angle relative to the mics to accommodate many pages of sheet music sitting on two levels of music stands and the camera, so wondering if that is what you are hearing about the volume difference.
-
Barney For sure Jorge Caballero is an amazing performer! I hope the computer speed will resolve your bug, I just do hope it's not a cable or audio interface problem. Yeah I saw your setup with multiple pages, I really like how it's easy with an iPad in this kind of situation, and it makes sense your position has an effect on the mics position.
-
Barney This piece doesn’t get enough attention in my view, so thank you for this excellent performance. It immediately captured my attention. Your pace is spot on and I agree with Eric that there is crisp and clean articulations in your playing. Really great to see and hear!
-
Rick Lord Thanks very much Rick!!
-
Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise! Which Audio Interface are you using these days?
I'm still on the Focusrite 2i2.
-
Barney Since I started recording in 2021 I'm using a MixPre6-II as my recorder, I find it more easy and convenient than printing to the computer. But when I do it, or when mixing and mastering, I'm using an RME Babyface Pro FS, and I think your Focusrite is more than capable!
-
Blaise Laflamme Got it! Thanks Blaise!
-
Barney This is a very impressive performance, Barney. This is a very interesting and demanding piece, both technically and musically, which you have a really good grasp of. Thanks for presenting this work.
-
Jack Stewart Thanks Jack!
-
-
A beautiful and simple piece by Eduardo Diaz, while I'm currently testing a Mid/Side (MS) recording setup. Not directly related to Autumn but at least we have sunsets (Atardecer) during this season too!
-
Blaise Laflamme Very beautiful, Blaise. Your music helps to heal the pain that the world is feeling.
-
Dale Needles Thank you Dale, your comment touches me and makes sense by extension because for the last few years I've been playing music to help me heal my own pain.
-
Blaise Laflamme Beautiful, Blaise! Your playing and guitar tone are wonderful and sound is excellent with the MS recording setup.
Thanks for sharing this.
-
Barney Thank you Barney!
-
Blaise Laflamme Just beautiful!
-
Eric Phillips Thanks Eric, Eduardo writes simple but beautiful music.
-
Blaise A musical and moving performance from one of my favorite guitarists.
-
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
