Media Type : Book Level : Beginning-Intermediate Musical Genre : Classic Number of pages : 76 Traditionally the classic guitar has been either excluded or inadequately represented in orchestration textbooks, resulting in much misinformation about its technique, its practicality in various performance contexts, and its character. The guitar's unique tuning, broad timbral variety and intimate nature pose a formidable challenge to non-guitarist composers, for whom an extensive amount of time would be required to gain even a minimal hands-on acquaintance. For most composers this is an unrealistic expectation, leading to time-consuming consultations and extensive drafting or rewriting. The purpose of this book is to provide the non-guitarist composer with the fundamental tools needed to write idiomatically for the guitar. The first of its kind for the guitar, the reference was written in consultation with dozens of composers and conceived with three types of end users in mind: - Experienced composers with a concern for writing idiomatically for the guitar. - Guitarists who are commissioning a work from a composer who has never written for the instrument. - Libraries that wish to add this essential sourcebook to their music reference section. The very structure of the book reflects the composer's own intuition by addressing such questions as: - How is the guitar constructed? - What does successful guitar music look like? - How is the guitar played? - How does the guitarist interpret music and express emotion? - Which musical elements and gestures are most effective? - How do these elements combine to create an effective pacing of idioms? By examining the parameters of successfully written pieces, The Composer's Desk Reference for the Classic Guitar provides an expedient resource of ideas and illustrations contributing to the fluency of both first-time and seasoned guitar composers.

A range of fabulous educational and concert guitar music by the UK's top guitar composers educators and performers.Rush originally started out as a study for the right hand thumb. The piece opens in five with a darting weaving bass melody and harmonic language similar to the Cuban feel of Leo Brouwer's first study. As the piece progresses I played around with some poly-rhythms and syncopations in 3/4 time with a Venezuelan flavour similar to the music of Antonio Lauro.The title Metropolis was created like many of my pieces retrospectively. It was suggested to me by Mark Eden and resonated with much of what I felt the piece conveyed essentially the non-stop hustle and bustle of a musical 'city' where influences combine from many different ages and musical cultures. The initial ideas for the piece came from trying to formulate a study for the left hand where the 4th finger jumps from the first string to the lower bass strings. As is often the case on finishing the piece I now hear many things which although not used consciously have emerged in the music to remind me of music I have listened to or studied in the past.At various points a musical quote taken from the end of the first movement of La Catedral by the Paraguayan guitarist and composer Agustin Barrios Mangore appears which I have syncopated and used as a musical junction with the music taking a different direction each time it appears.Towards the end of the piece the performer combines left hand hammered chords with right hand finger clicks and tamboura creating a visual juggling effect when performed. Something resembling the sound of a siren can then be discerned before the piece moves into the closing E major section. I did most of the work for the final version of this piece in the autumn of 2005 just after the birth of my second daughter!I think the music reflects something of the pace of my life around then!Birds Flew Over The Spire is a short lyrical piece which was also

Whether you're a beginning guitarist/songwriter or have been at it for a while, you'll find a wealth of tips and techniques for exploring and expanding your musical creativity in Guitar for Songwriters. Guitarist, composer, and teacher Leo Cavanagh is your guide on this tour of chords and chord progressions that will help you expand your use of guitar for composing and accompanying. The more you know about chords and how they go together, the stronger a songwriting tool your guitar will become. From basic chords through power chords, bar chords, and jazz chords, this book uses common progressions and good voicings to demonstrate the possibilities of the guitar. It includes the harmonized scale, chord construction, and various accompaniment styles. It also includes online access to audio examples. Whether you want to play in different keys, find a jazzy sounding progression, or just add that one special chord to a song, Guitar for Songwriters can help. / Guitare

The presentation of this album marks a special event in classic guitar publishing! This anthology contains 11 truly representative examples of the folklore of Latin America, all highly revered folk songs considered jewels of the musical traditions of: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and Mexico. Artfully arranged by the renowned Mexican composer and guitarist, Guillermo Diego, students and professionals alike will discover multiple items of interest and important technical challenges while learning some of the most popular Latin-American folk tunes. To facilitate dialog between teacher and student, rehearsal numbers have been added at key points of each arrangement - additionally, the guitarist will find a handful of pieces faithful to various Latin-American styles composed by Diego. Written in standard notation only for the intermediate to advanced classic guitarist, these arrangements will make delightful additions to recital and concert programs./ Recueil / Guitare

John Duarte was passionate about introducing English musicians to the cultural wealth of their own indigenous folk songs. Using the great collection of folk songs that were ‘run to earth’ in the early 1900’s by Cecil Sharpe and Ralph Vaughan Williams among many others Duarte has made a selection of what he considered beautiful characterful tunes set them for the Guitar student and collected them in Sixteen English Folk Songs.Duarte originally earned a degree in chemistry and worked as an industrial chemist for year before abandoning that life to devote himself to music. His life as a Guitarist composer teacher and writer was long and fulfilling. He composed 150 works mainly for Guitar ranging widely over many styles including various national idioms.

It is ironic that the creator of this uncompromising book for Guitarists was himself almost entirely self-taught. Duarte originally earned a degree in chemistry and worked as an industrial chemist for year before abandoning that life to devote himself to music. His life as a Guitarist composer teacher and writer was long and fulfilling. He composed 150 works mainly for Guitar ranging widely over many styles including various national styles. Duarte had high standards for Guitarists. ???The object of this primer is simple. It is to help Guitar players to become musicians from the outset and through this to serve Music.??? The book begins at the beginning: ???Musicconsists of both sounds and silences.??? From there the text covers every aspect of time pitch notation accents abbreviations ornamentation scales harmony and more. There are several useful glossaries as well.

Johann Sebastian Bach most likely composed the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue during his stay in Kothen between 1717 and 1723. Originally written for the harpsichord the work was duly recognized as a masterpiece within its ownera.Néstor Ausqui has taken extraordinary measures in creating a guitar transcription of this monumental piece. The fundamental tonality of D minor was retained to preserve the work?s sonority and the 6thstring of the guitar had to be lowered to D to expand the guitar?s range and adhere to the original key.The articulation of the piece often requires the use of the slur technique to maintain and enhance thelegato effect in the melodic line. As the guitar has a more percussive character than the harpsichord various inconveniences occur in the management or execution of the legato but the transcriber has done his best to preservethe character of the original piece.Ausqui admits that the most arduous task was the fingering of the piece. He had to familiarize himself with Bach?s intentions and avoid shortcuts and aberrations which wouldhave depleted the original harmonies and melodies. In the process he discovered that utilization of the open strings can subtly enhance the balance of right and left-hand duties to achieve the timbre the original scoremandates.Written in standard notation only with each line of music forming only one measure this piece is meant for the classical guitarist willing to accept an interpretive challenge to reap enormous musicalbenefits.

Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down-Eric Bibb was raised in the folk tradition the son of the folk singer Leon Bibb. Bibb?s uncle was the world-famous jazz pianist and composer John Lewis part of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Bibb was raised in a music-filled household as family friends in the 1950s and 1960s included Pete Seeger Odetta Bob Dylan and the late Paul Robeson who was named Eric?s godfather. Bibb got his first steel guitar at age seven and he got some advice from Dylan that he never forgot to ?keep it simple forget all that fancy stuff.? When he was 16 his father asked him to play guitar in the house band for his TV talent show Someone New.In 1970 Eric left New York City forParis where he met with guitarist Mickey Baker. There he began to focus on blues guitar and after moving to Stockholm he became enamored with prewar blues. A breakout performance at the 1996 London Blues Festival catapulted Eric to a higher level of visibility. Since then he has toured the world performing at concert halls and major festivals. He has toured with Robert Cray Keb Mo Corey Harris and even opened shows for Ray Charles.Eric earned a Grammy nomination for his collaboration (with Taj Mahal and others) on the children?s record SHAKIN? A TAILFEATHER. His album PAINTING SIGNS was recognized by New Age Voice as a Finalist for Best Folk Album of 2001. He joined Maria Muldaur and Rory Block to record the gospelflavored SISTERS & BROTHERS and then released FRIENDS a collection of duets with Taj Mahal Odetta and others. He has been nominated for many W.C. Handy Awards in a variety of categories. Eric?s rich and sensitive vocals and lyrics provide a perfect balance to his fine fingerpicking technique. Purveying a beautifully realized and deftly accomplished soulful folk-blues Eric has no problem blending various genres effortlessly melding a traditional rootsy American style with a subtle contemporary sensibility.