Week 3: Whispers of Nostalgia
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: October 30th
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Hi everyone, here's an update on the piece I posted earlier. Slightly improved, still lots of room for improvement. Missed notes, more vibrato needed.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary It sounds great! I really like the flow of your playing, very smooth and natural. Thanks for sharing!
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Wai Thank you, Wai. Those are big compliments. I get so nervous while recording, missed a few notes and fumbled a bit in a few places. Getting a good recording in one take is so difficult, but I completed it somehow.
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Eric Phillips Thank you, Eric. About the reverse video, hmm, hadn't noticed that after posting so many videos in previous forms. Thanks for pointing this out. I used a phone camera with the 'selfie' mode (if that's an accurate description). So, it looks like I'm left-handed! I'm very much a right-handed player.
Thank you for liking my phrasing. I'm trying to improve on the finer, musical aspects. Watching you and fellow members on this forum has inspired me. About the finger movements, at the risk of beating my own drums, I was actually quite surprised how they responded to some tricky shapes and transitions with relative ease. Of course, there's room for improvement there as well. Again, I've watched and marveled the fluid left hand movements of such great players on this forum, and tried to emulate them.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Very nice performance Nijwm, your previous was also great but this one flows better technically and musically! I was also surprised that you were using tabs along with the score and be able to reach that level of musicality. For sure, as you noticed yourself, a better understanding of the rhythm and harmony would inevitably bring your level even further... but don't stop, you are certainly progressing at an astonishing speed!
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Nijwm I'm really enjoying listening to you play. This certainly flows very well and yes, I thought you were left handed too
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Blaise Laflamme Thank you for the compliments, Blaise. Yeah, my reading skills are still below average, and this was a piece I had never played before this month. I used tabs to speed up the process a bit and learning about musicality from the best here on TB has helped a lot.
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Ron It's very satisfying to know that you enjoyed it, Ron. Thank you. Yeah, I might need to do something about the camera set-up
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary This is beautiful, Nijwm. You have a wonderful feel for this music. your phrasing and tone are very effective. Great job!
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Very nice Nijwm. Bravo
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Shand - Il Pensieroso
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I settled in on a more difficult piece, and this is really the first time I am able to play it straight through.
I decided to keep working on music by Ernest Shand, so there is no real autumnal connection. The title means something like "The Pensive One" or "The Thinker" so, maybe I could say that Autumn is a time for deep reflection.
I really love the melody in this piece. It obviously still needs a lot of work. The look and sound of my video is different because I have gotten a new laptop. The battery overheated in my old one.
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Eric Phillips This is sounding really good for a first straight through and while not a specific autumn work it's a very nice discovery. Your sound is also more clear and makes you even more shining IMHO, are you still using the same microphone or you're now using the laptop one? Have you restrung with a new or different set than usual?
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise. It’s my same USB microphone. I didn’t even try using the laptop microphone, since they are usually pretty bad and meant to record a voice. Strings are the same, as far as I know.
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Eric Phillips so the microphone is further away or placed in a different location? In any case it's an improvement that serves your playing well IMHO.
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Eric Phillips Another beautiful piece by Ernest Shand. You said it's more difficult but you make it look and sound so easy!
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Eric Phillips Beautifully played, Eric. Your ability to pull these pierces together in short order at such a high level never ceases to amaze me.
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Eric Phillips Bravo, Eric. The melody is indeed very sweet and catchy (especially the beginning part), and for someone like me who leans towards more melodious pieces, it's a beautiful piece. Your left hand movements and shifts look silky smooth and flawless and the outcome of that is such a beautiful, legato sound and you make the melody sing and soar high. I enjoyed this very much.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Thank you for introducing me to this gorgeous piece. You play it beautifully, with a lot of expression. As you live with it you will be able to shape your phrases with even more conviction. Well done!Eric Phillips
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Eric Phillips Another new beauty! Very singing melody and lovely tone!
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Marilyn Blodget Thank you, Marilyn. It is, indeed a beautiful piece. Still needs a lot more work.
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Marilyn Blodget Thank you, Marilyn!
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Eric Phillips Bravo Eric. Another great performance
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Schumann op. 68.38 Winterzeit rough draft
I started this challenge working on Piazzolla's Otono Porteno. However, after getting just the first section (of 5) to a point of being able to play it - sort of, I have admitted I am in over my head. (I will try to post what I have at some point).
I found a transcription of this short piece by Schumann that I have always liked. I realize that I am a bit ahead of our time but it was the closet I could find to Autumn that 1) I liked and 2) I could hope to play.
Even though it seems simple, it has proven to be quite a challenge for me. Some of the chordal shifts are not very guitaristic and its sparse setting doesn't give me many places to hide.
I will continue to work on it and try to improve my phrasing and tone. I will also continue working on the Piazzola.
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Jack Stewart The start of this piece reminded me of the beginning of Bach's Chaconne. You've started very well, Jack (I'm assuming you're just starting to work on this right? correct me if I'm wrong). I've found chordal shifts challenging myself, especially making it smooth and legato between chords. Transcriptions from other instruments can be even more challenging, I suppose. I enjoyed it, and hope to hear more in the coming days.
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Jack Stewart Not too much ahead of time Jack, it'll soon be here! It's lovely little piece but as you say some of the shifts look a little challenging. Look forward to hearing how it develops. I wish my rough drafts were as good!
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary Thanks, Nijwm. This has smoothed out some since posting this. Perhaps today or tomorrow I'l have a more polished version.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
