Week 3: Fingers on Fire 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the third week of "The Transcriptions" practice challenge!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying!
- Watch the kickoff livestream!
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! ↓
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Debussy - The Girl with Flaxen Hair (Final Version)
I will make this my final recording of this piece for this challenge. With the Llobet mini-challenge, and now the Spanish Music mini-challenge, I'm not digging into this Transcription challenge with my usual gusto. Still, I'm glad to be able to add this beautiful piece of music to my repertoire.
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Eric Phillips That's gorgeous Eric. I'm glad you keeping it in your repertoire since I expect it's one of those that will get even better over time.
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Eric Phillips Wow!!! Such a professional recording, by a difficult piece! Both sound and interpretation are great, you're a very talented guy, my friend! Thank you so much for sharing!
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Moyses Lopes Thank you so much, Moyses!
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Steve Price Thank you, Steve!
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Eric Phillips Very nice, Eric, and great job working this piece up to such a high level for this challenge. Very beautiful!
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Dale Needles Thank you, Dale!
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Eric Phillips congratulations, Eric! It sounds really wonderful. I admire you for such enormous progress in this short time. The interpretation is absolutely convincing,. So musical. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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joosje This you so much, Joosje!
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Eric Phillips Bravo Eric! Magnificent! You ought to feel very proud of this accomplishment. Thanks for bringing this piece to this challenge and doing it justice.
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Steve Pederson Thank you, Steve!
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Eric Phillips This sounds great, Eric. Your command of tone and phrasing are masterful. This is quite a challenging piece, both technically and musically, but you nailed it. Bravo!
BTW, I'd suggest you get a wider range of books. You really don't need so many of the same books, even if you really like them.
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Jack Stewart Hah! I just did that to make me look learned.
Actually, I was at work, and there is a teacher workroom that nobody uses. We store sets of books there that the English teachers are no longer using in the classroom. -
Eric Phillips so beautiful Eric! I’ve played it on piano (inspired by my flaxen haired daughter) and now I’m inspired to play it on guitar.
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My favorite part of Ponce's Por Ti Mio Corazon...a very short section with quite a bit going on leading to the peak of the song.
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Steve Price Very beautiful! I really like the way the dominant chord is colored and embellished. Is this a folk song that Ponce harmonized and arranged? If so, he certainly did a lot here with a basic dominant to tonic movement.
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Eric Phillips Thanks, Eric. This is actually one that he wrote but included with his set of Mexican songs some of which were popular songs and a couple others he wrote. You're right about the progression. The more I work on his music the more I appreciate him. I think the third measure is a ii-vii half dim 7 for the peak which is a really interesting choice for this type of music. Very cool.
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Steve Price Yes! It's a bit like a jazz progression. Not what I'd expect from a Mexican composer.
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Steve Price Beautiful, Steve! Thanks!
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Moyses Lopes Thanks, Moyses!
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Steve Price Looking forward to when you put it all the parts together. It is coming along so well and such a lovely piece of music.
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Dale Needles Thanks, Dale. It really is a well-crafted piece that's been a lot of fun to figure out.
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Steve Price beautiful Steve. You control this phrase, it sounds smooth and meaningful. Looking forward to hearing the full piece. I didn’t know this one, it sounds a bit different in style than most works from Ponce that I know of.
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joosje Thanks, Joosje. He really does have a lot of variety in how he writes.
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Steve Price it's so crazy to me to see the music and then hear it played. You made it come alive, and you're right - there's a lot going on there! Nice job!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
