Week 1: Exploring New Territories
Welcome to the "Around the World in 80 Strings Challenge"! This month, we'll embark on a global musical journey, exploring classical guitar compositions from various countries. The only rule: Don’t play a composer from your home country. Let’s make this a truly international experience!
CHALLENGE TIMELINE
- Challenge Start: Kick-Off on May 15th
- Duration: May 15th - June 6th
- Watch Party: June 24th
ACTIVITIES
- Choose Your Piece: Select a new piece of music to work on. Share your choice in the thread below and inspire your fellow musicians!
- Video Submission: Submit a video of your practice this week. Highlight your favorite passage from the piece that showcases the origin of this piece!
GET INVOLVED
Let’s kick things off with enthusiasm! Share your progress, encourage others, and explore new musical horizons together. Can’t wait to see what everyone chooses!
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Gol-e-Gandome (May 20)
Here is an update on this Afshar arrangement of a Persian ballad. I am playing it without a score here, but the mistakes show that I need to work still on the memorization. I am trying to make greater contrasts in rhythmic feel, tone color, and dynamics, but I think I need to take it further (especially with dynamics). The middle section, when the melody is in the bass, is improved from my last recording, but it still feels like it lacks energy.
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Eric Phillips wow! It’s always a treat to hear you play. I love the different tones you employed with your right hand placements!
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Eric Phillips Beautifully played as always. Your selections are always thoughtful, lyrical and tell stories.
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My first submission of work from Costa Rica. Here are the first twelve measures of the Prelude from Edin Solis's Pasaje Abierto. It's nearly a quarter of the song but it serves as an introduction that leads to the piece's main key.
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Steve Price Such a beautiful introduction! Can't wait to hear the rest.
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Steve Price Really nice, Steve. It will be interesting to hear more from Costa Rica.
As an aside, Costa Rica has been become a model country for environment protection and sustainable seafood.
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Steve Price beautiful music, and very musically played, Steve. Somehow it doesn’t sound specifically Latin to me.. Lyrical, like some melancholy film music…
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Steve Price Nicely done Steve
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Steve Price cooool!
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Steve Price Beautiful, atmospheric piece. Played beautifully.
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Eric Phillips Andre Bernier Spare Machine Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.
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joosje That's interesting and I like the take as melancholy film music. That kind of thing helps me figure out how to approach a piece. I don't think it always comes through, but it helps me for sure and makes it more fun.
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Jack Stewart I didn't know that. My wife has been looking into it and I guess it's one of the better places for expats. We've always toyed with the idea of retiring someplace outside of the US.
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here's my contribution to the around the world challenge. Im playing Sueño by Tárrega the Spanish Maestro and my favourite composer for classical guitar.
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Vilio Celli by the way Martin I tried placing the mike up higher and got a crisper sound I think
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Vilio Celli Great work Vilio and you still have a lot of time to polish and shine it more.
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Vilio Celli thank you for sharing!
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Vilio Celli
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Vilio Celli Great choice! This is Tarrega at his most Chopin-esque. You seem to have all the hand movements and shifting down already.
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In case you missed it, the most current comments, etc are on the Week 2 thread of this Challenge, which you can find here: https://guitar-community.tonebase.co/t/m1y6v1s/week-2-delving-into-diverse-styles
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Mel Bay has published some titles by Lily Afshar
Currently Mel Bay has 30%
discount on pdf downloads and hard copy.
