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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Hi, friends! I'm a bit late in this challenge. I would like to bring you a piece called Paulistana, from the Brazilian composer Claudio Santoro. The piece is originally for piano, and I did a transcription last year, in April. For this challenge, I have decided to review the transcription with better documentation, step by step. The result is in the PDF I upload.
Page 1 is the original score for piano, page 2 is the version I did in 2022. To start the review I wrote down the F clef transposed an augmented second up to put in a better region for our instrument.
The result is on page 3. After that, I wrote de G clef with the same transposition. The result is on page 4. As you can see there were some problems to solve, and I did a revision that results in the score on page 5. A fresh new version, with some changes, done with MuseScore, is on page 6.
My first attempt to record this piece in 2023 is below. I'll try a duo version, I guess, and another recording of this solo version too. Thank you, Tonebudies!
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Steve Pederson I'm smiling while reading your message!
In fact, I'm trying the Knobloch strings, the carbon set called Double Silver (I guess). For me, at least for my guitar and my hands, it's more brilliant than I would like. To worsen, I had some problems with my nails and the sound is a bit metallic for now. As you heard, this thing together sounds like a steel-string guitar...
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Moyses Lopes This is great, Moyses. I don't know this composer at all but this piece is beautiful. Thanks, for the intro.
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Moyses Lopes a very successful transcription! It really retains full harmony and clarity! Great choice of register! Good job Moyses!
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Moyses Lopes beautiful arrangement and playing Moyses, thank you for sharing this with us. I read your comment about your strings, and I was about to tell you about your brighter tone this time! Carbon strings are particular to play on and to record, far different from nylon ones.
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Moyses Lopes Lovely piece, beautifully played. New to me. Thank you.
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Thank you, Jack Stewart , Khiem Nguyen , Blaise Laflamme , Marilyn Blodget for your nice words!
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Hello everyone. Like Moyses, I’m late in this challenge,
The score I discovered 3 weeks ago, looked doable but I had so little time to practice. And it needs time to find the nuances and colour variation., and feel secure enough for a recording.
I took the score from https://bibliotecaabelcarlevaro.blogspot.com/ with the fingerings and (some minor) alterations by maestro Carlevaro. I had the orchestral version in mind (1 of my mum’s favourites). But for my interpretation I referred to Svjatoslav Richter’s piano interpretation, rather than Segovia.
what I found still difficult after a few practice sessions is to keep the pulse , while playing some rubato between the phrases. Also to keep the repeated D in the bass soft, rhythmic and even., while going up in sound and beat at some chord passages. I must remind myself to breathe with the phrases, not stop. Try to add crescendo/decrescendo, but keep them gradual and no accents. I will continue work on this one. O yes, arpeggiated chords ?
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joosje That is so wonderful, Joosje! What a bold undertaking. Hearing those rich chords over the drone bass is just mesmerizing.
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joosje Thank you so much for this!!!!!
You had an amazing recording! keep breathing, you don't need anything to play better! Grazie tante! -
joosje Yes Joosje! The Old Castle--what a great piece as part of "Pictures". It's been a long time, but I used to play the Segovia version. I agree the challenge is overall shaping of the piece, along with balance, maintenance of drone, dynamics, color, and texture. It looks easier on paper than is really is, but you are already on your way. Nice work so far.
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joosje I really enjoyed that, Joosje. To have the melody with the little accompanying lines and those building chords over a steady bass line is really impressive. I was messing around with a piece by Castelnuovo-Tedesco that had a similar droning bass that I thought would make the piece easier, but was so much harder since there's so little room for error. Well done.
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joosje Brava! Wow, you got this piece. I love the dynamics, rich chords and that droning bass line. I can definitely see some of Carlevaro's fingering which I assume makes it fall on the fingers a little better. You inspire to want to learn this piece and will definitely put it on my list for the future. Thanks!
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joosje Very nice Joosje! what an undertaking! You may be "late" to the challenge, but you've come in like you haven't missed a beat! Nice work!
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joosje This is such a stately performance, Joosje. This brings me back to my late teens when I first began listening to classical. Mussorgsky's Pictures was monumental for me. I loved hearing it on guitar. Your control of dynamics was excellent.
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joosje so elegant! Very fluid phrasing. The guitar is singing beautifully!
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joosje that was beautiful Joosje, you already provide with confidence what it needs... bravo!
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thank you Eric Phillips Moyses Lopes Barney Steve Price Dale Needles Jack Stewart for listening and encouraging. I am mostly enjoying so much listening to your submissions and the amazing variety of pieces and styles. Inspiring challenge…
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joosje Beautiful Joosje! And it works so well on the guitar. I really enjoyed your dynamics! Pictures at an Expedition was one of the first works I played on the first piano that my husband and I purchased over 50 years ago. So moody. Thanks for the memories!
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The complete song by Ponce minus the repeat. It's not 100% but I'm happy with how it's going.
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Steve Price Very nice to hear the whole piece. It is such a lovely piece and you are playing it well with a nice interpretive feel. I close my eyes and see the beautiful countryside of Mexico!
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Steve Price Lovely piece Steve! Very enjoyable to listen to. Beautiful tone variations. That's a nice one to have in your "bag of tricks" so to speak. Bravo!
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Steve Price That is really beautiful, Steve! Great work!
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Steve Price romantic melody! Great work Steve!
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Steve Price well played Steve, Ponce's music is so beautiful and not so easy at the same time, bravo!
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Scriabin - Prelude Op 16 No 4
Dale Needles posted his wonderful performance of this piece above. It really made me want to try it myself. I had never played any Scriabin before, nor I had really listened to his music. Now, however, I have become infatuated with this whole opus, listening to it over and over again on YT (on piano). If I ever learn the piano, I know I want to play these incredible preludes.
After experimenting with a few different keys, I settled in on A minor. I even toyed around with using a drop-D tuning, but decided against it.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
