Snohomish County Music School
I recently began teaching at Snohomish County Music School. The school is located in the town of Snohomish (in Snohomish County, Washington) and offers lessons for students studying violin, viola, cello, piano, voice, and of course, guitar. I have been familiar with the school for over a year because my wife, Stella Kosim, has been teaching guitar there for about that long. To meet the growing demand for guitar lessons at the school, I will teach there one or two nights per week, and a third guitar teacher, Greg Garcia, has also recently joined the school’s guitar faculty. You can read about all three of us on the Snohomish County Music School web site: https://www.snocomusic.com/
The Secret Life of Trees: Suite for lead guitar and guitar quartet by Oleg Boyco was commissioned in 2022 by The Seattle Classic Guitar Society and the Seattle Guitar Orchestra. There are four movements: I. The Beginning, II. The Growth, III. The First Bloom, and IV. Surviving.
The world premiere of The Secret Life of Trees was given by the Seattle Guitar Orchestra led by Mark Wilson on April 2, 2023, at the 2023 Northwest Guitar Festival at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Lucas Victor was the featured soloist, and the guitar quartet parts were each played by multiple guitarists that included members of the Seattle Guitar Orchestra as well as other NW Guitar Festival participants.
Here is a video of the premiere performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSS8bNppa9U&t=623s
The Seattle Guitar Orchestra will be performing The Secret Life of Trees on the radio program Northwest Focus Live! On 98.1 Classical King FM, on Friday May 19th, at 7 p.m. You can also tune in at https://www.king.org
For more information about Oleg Boyco, go to http://www.boyko.cn.ua/about.html
Alba nera by Roland Dyens (1955-2016) is written in ternary form, and ternary form is used for many other compositions in Les 100 des Roland Dyens. Alba nera is the last composition in volume 1 of the two-volume set, and it is also available as an individual composition. In this post, I’ll mention a few things about repetition and variation in the opening and closing A sections of Alba nera. Of course, so much more could be said about not only the two A sections, but also the contrasting B section.
Here is a quick overview of the form of Alba nera: A section (measures 1-28), followed by a contrasting B section (measures 29-52), which is followed by a varied repeat of the A section (measures 53-80). While this form is very common, Dyens’ unique creativity is expressed in the music that he presents in this typical form. As I mentioned in a previous blog post on Alba nera, the fifth string, which is usually tuned to A, is instead tuned a whole step higher to B.
Example 1 shows the first note of the melody in measure 3 and a varied repeat of the beginning of the melody in measure 15. The variation of the beginning of the melody is actually an anticipation that begins in measure 14 and is tied into measure 15.
Example 2 shows a few melody notes that are changed in the repeat (measures 16 and 20). These changed notes are striking to alert listeners and provide a little interest in what is otherwise clearly repeated material.
Measure 66 has not only the first example of rasqueado (strumming), but it is also where eight measures are omitted in the varied repeat. The missing measures are measures 15-18 in the opening A section.
Example 3 shows the final measures of the composition (measures 77-80), which are a varied repeat measures 75 and 76. At the end of the composition, they are played as harmonics for the first time, the notes from both the melody and accompaniment are combined into one line that fades into triple pianissimo.
This video of Elina Chekan performing Alba nera is part a playlist of all the compositions in Les 100 des Roland Dyens on the Productions d’OZ YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1siTfrrm1qI
I had the privilege of performing on a concert last night with Filipp Shabalov, Lucas Victor, and Stella Kosim in Lake Stevens, Washington. They are all accomplished musicians and I particularly enjoyed ending the concert with a quartet performance of a composition by Antonio Vivaldi arranged for guitar quartet. Most of the concert was made of solo sets by each of the four guitarists. Some of the composers represented on the program were Fernando Sor, Jorge Morel, Joseph Kaspar Mertz, and Julio Sagreras. I also performed three of my Contrafact Studies on the program.
Lucas Victor: https://www.lucasvictor.com/
Stella Kosim: https://www.stellakosim.com/
Chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are standard repertoire for analysis by music students all over the world. For many composers, the study and enjoyment of Bach chorales is a lifelong activity. The chorales are short and demonstrate many aspects of harmony in artistic and expressive settings. While the chorales were originally written for SATB chorus, they are presented to most music students in arrangements for solo piano. There are several well-known collections of the Bach chorales, and I usually refer to the edition by Albert Riemenschneider. I also refer to the website https://bach-chorales.com/
In this post, I’ll present my transcription for guitar of chorale which is numbered 179 in the Riemenschneider edition. It is sometimes titled Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, and is from Bach’s Cantata 140. More information about the chorale can be found at https://bach-chorales.com/BWV0140_7.htm
While the keyboard edition is in four voices, my transcription is usually in three voices, though sometimes I include four voices, especially at cadences. Additionally, I changed the key from E flat major to C major. The left-hand fingerings are challenging, though the reward for mastering them is playing music by Bach. You can download the transcription for free at the end of this post.
Click the button below to download a copy of my transcription of Chorale R179
Alba nera by Roland Dyens (1955-2016) is number 50 in the collection Les 100 des Roland Dyens, and the last composition in volume 1 of the two-volume set. It is also available as an individual composition. Dyens enjoyed playing with words, and while the Italian words “alba nera” translate to English as “the dark dawn,” the sound of the words is a pun on the name of the Cuban dance habanera, and the composition is indeed marked “Tempo di habanera.”
In addition to a creative title, Alba nera, employs a creative tuning on the guitar. The fifth string, which is usually tuned to the note A, is instead tuned a whole step higher to the note B. The composition is idiomatic to the guitar and the unique tuning, the open string B is used in several passages as a pedal tone, and the composition is in the key of B minor.
Example 1 shows the opening figure, which is both characteristic of a habanera, and makes use of the open fifth string tuned to a B. The melody and accompaniment are all playable in first and second position, though the open fifth string B facilitates additional resonance from the guitar and ease of playing for the left hand.
Example 2 shows the opening of the contrasting middle section, beginning with measure 29. In this passage the left-hand plays in upper positions while the open fifths string continues to ring as the note B. This passage would be extremely difficult or impossible in standard tuning.
This video is a performance of Roland Dyens playing Alba nera (and El ultimo recuerdo). It also includes a brief explanation of the composition, and a brief adjustment to the tuning of the fifth string to the note B before he begins playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOHbgXDYAfs
In beginning music theory classes, students are usually taught to write their harmony assignments in chorale style (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) and/or keyboard style. In addition, students are encouraged to sing the notes they are writing and play them on the piano keyboard. This is to learn to hear the sounds of the theory they are learning and to have the tactile and visual experience of the sounds on the piano.
Guitarists can add to their experience of understanding and feeling harmony by playing their assignments on the guitar. Assignments need to be modified from chorale style (SATB) to be playable in keyboard style, and even more changes need to be made to have the assignments become playable on guitar. I’ll briefly describe the ways in which I modify theory assignments so that they are playable on guitar.
First, I play assignments in a comfortable register on the guitar, especially in first position whenever possible. Addressing details about the grand staff and the octave transposition by guitar when reading treble clef are beyond the scope of this blog post, though guitarists benefit greatly from understanding the basics of clefs and how they relate to the guitar.
Second, I modify assignments in four-voice choral or keyboard style to three-voice guitar style. Some assignments can be played with all four voices on the guitar, though most cannot (or cannot be played easily). When adapting a four-voice exercise to three voices I always keep the top voice exactly as presented. I keep the bass exactly as presented whenever possible, though I will occasionally make octave adjustments or change pitches in the bass. I rewrite the two middle voices into one voice, making sure I have all the necessary notes to complete the chords. The resulting middle voice is usually not as smooth as the middle voices in chorale or keyboard style.
Third, I bring the two outer voices closer together by an octave. The range of SATB choral style and keyboard style is far wider than the range easily available on guitar.
Fourth, I write and play the assignment on guitar in the same key as choral or keyboard style whenever possible, though I will transpose the exercise to a key that is more playable when necessary.
Below is a page of examples of a I IV V I progression in C major presented three times, each with a different chord tone in the soprano. Each voicing of the progression is presented in chorale, keyboard, and guitar style. Each chord in both chorale style and keyboard style includes all three notes of each chord with the root doubled. Most of the chords in the guitar examples include only the doubled root and the third.
Example 1 begins with the third of the chord in the soprano, and in the guitar style arrangement only the V chord includes all three notes.
In example 2, with the root in the soprano, only the IV chord includes all three notes. I also made an octave adjustment to the bass line for the IV and V chords.
In example 3, with the fifth in the soprano, the I and IV chords include all three notes. However, a three-voice guitar style arrangement of example 3 eludes an elegant solution. The solution I present in example three includes a fourth note in the final chord.
Example 4 presents three additional guitar style solutions for example 3, each with its own shortcomings. The first solution in example 4 has the leading tone in the middle voice leaping up a fourth rather than resolving up by half step. The second solution in example 4 alters the original bass line, while the third solution in example 4 alters the top voice. An unacceptable solution would be to double the root and include the fifth instead of the third.
Most importantly, remember that the goal is to learn to better hear and understand harmony, and not just write the correct notes on a piece of paper or place the fingers in the correct place on the piano or guitar.
Click the button below to download a copy of Guitar Style Chord Progressions
In this post, I’ll focus on Opus 60, Number 5 by Fernando Sor as an example of a composition featuring parallel major and minor keys. Opus 60, Number 5 in A minor is written in ternary form. The A section (in A minor) is measures 1-16, while the B section (in A major, the parallel major) is measures 17-40. Measures 1-16 are then played again as the repeat of the A section. While just playing the study with this understanding is helpful, there are a few exercises a guitarist can play to better hear the relationship between parallel major and minor keys.
Exercise 1 consists of the first three notes of the A minor scale, followed by the first three notes of the A major scale. The next part of exercise 1 is the first five notes of the A minor scale, followed by the first five notes of the A major scale. This is not technical exercises to develop guitar playing ability, rather, it is an exercise to develop hearing major and minor thirds.
Exercise 2 is an adaptation exercise 1 using the opening figure from Op. 60, No. 5.
Exercise 3 is based on the arpeggiated figure introduced in measure 17. It begins with arpeggiated major and minor triads that follow the root, third, fifth presentation usually found in music theory textbooks. It is followed by arpeggio figure that Sor uses in measure 17, and a minor variation of this arpeggiated figure.
Even musicians who understand parallel major and minor keys can deepen their ability to hear parallel major and minor keys by practicing these exercises and playing Sor’s study.
Click the button below to download a copy of these three exercises.
Capricho Árabe is a popular classical guitar composition that has been performed and recorded by many guitarists. Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) composed it sometime in the 1880s, and it was first published in 1902.
The full title is Capricho Árabe: Serenata para Guitarra and it is dedicated to Tomás Bretón. Bretón was a composer whose output included opera, orchestral music, and Zarzuela (Spanish light opera).
Capricho Árabe is written in a European style meant to evoke images and sounds of the Arabic world and the Andalucian region of Spain. Two other well-known compositions by Tarrega in this style are Danza Mora and Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
Serenada
While it is a stretch of the imagination to think of the melody to Capricho Árabe being performed by a singer on the stage of a Zarzuela performance, complete with costumes and scenery, the melody should be approached as a vocal melody and the guitarist must coax the guitar to sing the melody. Personally, I find the image of costumed singers performing the melodies helpful to bring out the expressive vocal qualities.
In more technical terms, it is important to play the melodic notes with a clear a beautiful tone, to play the melody legato most of the time, and to play the accompanying notes softer so that they are heard clearly as background. A guitarist can then use dynamics, rubato, and articulation to give the melody expressive and singing qualities.
Capricho
The form of the composition justifies the word Capricho in the title. Usually found in the Italian spelling Capriccio, both spellings describe music that is both lively and loosely structured.
While the term Capricho implies an animated and lively tempo, in this composition the subtitle Serenata implies a calmness that trumps the liveliness implied by the first word in the title. Capricho Árabe lives up to the expectation that a Capricho (or Capriccio) be written in a formal structure that is a not sonata, nor a fugue, nor a stylized dance, etc. Rather the form is unique to the composition and gives the impression that the structure is whimsical and fanciful, although it does have its own logic and order.
The most striking formal feature of Capricho Árabe is that the melody keeps returning in new guises, and in different keys. The melody is presented first in a minor key (D minor, measure 15) and it returns in both the relative major (F major, measure 35) and parallel major (D major, measure 45) before returning in the original minor key (D minor, measure 63).
Árabe
The compositional devices used in Capricho Árabe to evoke images Arabic world and Andalucía include modal inflections such as the use of the flatted second scale degree (E flat) in measures 20 and 23, and figures in an arabesque style. The arabesque style is exemplified by the ornamental figures in the melody, such as at the end of each measure in measures 15 through 20, and an extended ornamental figure at the end of measure 21.
Josefina Robledo Recording
Robledo was a student of Tarrega and recorded a number of his compositions in the 1940s and 1950s. While the recordings were made many years after her studies with Tarrega and after her prime performing years, they nonetheless offer in glimpse into how Tarrega instructed his students to play his music. Here is her recording of Capricho Árabe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyJxe0V6cqg
While seventh chords may seem complicated, they are only triads with one additional note. Before studying seventh chords in minor keys, it is best to have a solid understanding of triads in minor keys. My previous blog post was about minor key triadic harmony and included the composite minor scale in addition to the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales.
The focus of this blog post is on the wide variety of choices that minor key harmony offers to composers. More specifically, the focus is on the complete set of seventh chords that can be found in the composite minor scale, which is made of the full set of notes found in the combined natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales.
The page of examples begins with seventh chords in natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales. While the seventh chords are presented first in close position, they are more playable on the guitar using drop 2 voicings. Drop 2 voicings with the root in the bass are spelled (from the bottom up) root, 5th, 7th, and 3rd. Drop 2 voicings can also be spelled with other parts of the chord in the bass. The page of examples has the melodic minor scale used by jazz guitarists, because the melodic minor scale used by classical guitarists is a combination of the melodic minor scale used by jazz guitarists and the natural minor scale.
Most importantly, the page of examples has all the seventh chords in the composite minor scale. The composite minor scale yields sixteen seventh chords. The close position chords are analyzed with Roman numerals, and the drop 2 voicings are labeled with chord symbols. Both Roman numerals and chord symbols are presented because both are commonly used, and they each convey different information about the chords. There is no reason that the Roman numerals are used for the close position chords and chord symbols are used for the drop 2 voicings, they could just as easily have been presented the opposite way (that is, chord symbols for the close position chords, and Roman numerals for the drop 2 voicings).
The page of examples can be downloaded. There is also a shortened version of the download with the seventh chords in the composite minor scale in drop 2 voicings, in both standard notation and tablature.
Click the button below to download a copy of Minor Key Harmony: Seventh Chords
Click the button below to download a copy of Minor Key Harmony: Seventh Chords TAB
There are a number of good reasons to practice scales, including minor scales. Scales can help a guitarist develop a solid instrumental technique, develop a beautiful tone, learn where notes are on the fingerboard, and understanding scales is an important foundational skill for understanding music theory. This blog post is about minor key triadic harmony, and it focuses on the wide variety of harmonic choices minor harmony offers to composers.
Any scale can be used as a starting point for building triads (three-note chords). Minor key harmony is a little complicated because there are three types of minor scales commonly referred to in music theory: natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor. To complicate matters further, classical music theory and jazz music theory present the melodic minor scale differently.
While knowing all three forms of the minor scale are beneficial for instrumental practice and understanding music theory, composers rarely write entire compositions using just one form of the minor scale. Rather, composers choose freely from the notes and chords contained in all three forms of the minor scale. For this reason, composers should know the composite minor scale, and the chords built from the composite minor scale. The composite minor scale is not a useful scale for instrumental practice, however.
The page of examples begins with the natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales. It has the melodic minor scale used by jazz guitarists, because the melodic minor scale used by classical guitarists is a combination of the melodic minor scale used by jazz guitarists and the natural minor scale. These are the minor scales that are useful for instrumental practice. The page of examples can be downloaded as a version with standard music notation only, or as a version with standard music notation and tablature.
Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales all begin with the same five notes, scale degrees 1, 2, flat 3, 4 and 5. They differ in which form of scale degrees 6 and 7 they use. Natural minor has flat 6 and flat 7, harmonic minor has only flat 6, and melodic minor uses the same notes for scale degrees 6 and 7 as a major scale.
The composite minor scale begins with the first five notes that all three forms of the minor scale have in common, scale degrees 1, 2, flat 3, 4 and 5. The composite minor scale then has both forms of scale degrees 6 and 7, thus making it a nine-note scale. More importantly, the composite minor scale offers the composer a total of thirteen triads, and includes major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads.
A composer can become skilled in writing music in minor keys by studying compositions in minor keys by great composers, studying music theory, and by writing a lot of music using minor harmony.
Click the button below to download a copy of Minor Key Triadic Harmony
Click the button below to download a copy of Minor Key Triadic Harmony with TAB.
Click the button below to download a copy of Winter Breeze.
]]>Here is a short composition for classical guitar that I wrote this week called Lundeen Creek. Lundeen Creek is a slow-moving creek that flows into Lake Stevens, and both are near to my home in Snohomish County, Washington. I’ll add an audio file to this blog post at a later date. In the meantime, you can see the score below, and there is a link to download a PDF of the score, too.
Click the button below to download a copy of Lundeen Creek.
MuseScore 4 is a free open-source music notation program that I use when teaching students composition for classical guitar, and topics related to composition such as counterpoint and harmony. I send students Compressed MuseScore files and they can open them and not only read what I wrote, they can also add to it and send the file back to me in advance of their next lesson. We then discuss their work in the lesson while I have the file open and share my screen with them.
Scores made in MuseScore 4 can also be saved as MusicXML files, which is an XML-based file format that can be read by hundreds of music notation programs, including Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, and MuseScore. While it is a little cumbersome, it is possible to make a score in one program and open it in a different program. When sending a MusicXML file to someone, I also send a PDF file of the score so they can double check that the file looks as intended, because different programs can make the MusicXML files look a little different when they are opened.
There are strong feelings on both sides of the debate as to whether MuseScore 4 should be considered alongside other programs such as Finale, Sibelius, and Dorico. There are those who believe that MuseScore 4 does not produce the same quality of a score as the other three programs, each of which has a respectable price tag. I have found that MuseScore 4 is great for most tasks most of the time, and for most people most of the time. If someone is in a situation, professional or other, for which they need to use a different notation/engraving program, I certainly respect their situation, and I can work with any file sent to me as a MusicXML file, especially if it is accompanied by a PDF. I have also been a Sibelius user for many years, though I have found myself using MuseScore 4 more and more in lessons.
For students who have not used a music notation program, there is a learning curve to learning MuseScore 4, as there is for learning any software. MuseScore 4 is a “what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG)” style program, and the user interface is no more complicated than learning a word processing or spreadsheet program. Because MuseScore 4 is free, a potential user can download the program and try it without worrying that they are spending hundreds of dollars on a program that they might ultimately decide not to use.
Students can learn how to use MuseScore 4 several ways including:
Watching videos made by MuseScore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZtlJ57AheA),
reading the collaboratively written handbook (https://musescore.org/en/handbook/4), and
I share advice about using the program in lessons with students, and students often share their discoveries about how to use the program with me.
MuseScore was first released in 2002, and MuseScore 2 was not released until 2011. MuseScore 3 was released in 2013. This is the version with which I first became acquainted because I had several students using it, and it was easier to send files back and forth if we were both using the same program. MuseScore 4 was released at the end of 2022, and I immediately upgraded and have been pleased that I did. Here are some videos about the upgrade from version 3 to version 4.
Announcing MuseScore4 – a gigantic overhaul! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc08RhOQDR4&t=42s
Open Music Theory Version 2 (https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/) and Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom (https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/MusicTheory.html) are free online music theory textbooks that focus on topics typically covered in undergraduate music theory courses. Both sites are easy to navigate and have excellent content. I refer students to both websites when teaching classical guitar and composing for classical guitar. If a topic in music theory comes up in a lesson about which a student has questions, I can explain the topic in the lesson, and then refer the student to the appropriate pages on one of the two free online textbooks for additional explanation.
I generally refer students to pages on both websites that are about music fundamentals, harmony, or form. Both websites have many more pages than I have used in lessons. I use both websites as supplemental resources, and I have not led students through either text section by section or used them as primary texts in lessons or for teaching a class. However, when I give students handouts that I make using music notation software along with my in-person explanations (or over-Zoom/over-Skype explanations), they have enough understanding to go pages to which I refer them and benefit from the supplemental reading.
Open Music Theory Version 2 (OMT) is collaboratively authored by Mark Gotham, Kyle Gullings, Chelsey Hamm, Bryn Hughes, Brian Jarvis, Megan Lavengood, and John Petersonhas. OMT has both a textbook and a workbook, and, according to the website, “is an open educational resource intended to be used as the primary text and workbook for undergraduate music courses.” Open Music Theory Version 1 is also available online (http://openmusictheory.github.io/).
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom is written by Robert Hutchison at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Music Theory for the 21st–Century Classroom is an “openly–licensed online four–semester college music theory textbook”. Each of the 35 chapters concludes with a short section of practice exercises.
Paris-Ciné is the eighth composition in Les 100 des Roland Dyens by Roland Dyens (1955-2016), and it is also available as an individual composition. Paris-Ciné is an excellent example of a composition in short ternary form that has a retransition from the end of the B section to the beginning of the repeat of the A section.
The basic student model of ternary form (ABA) consists of an eight-measure phrase (A) with a conclusive cadence, followed by a contrasting eight-measure phrase with a conclusive cadence (B), and ending with an exact repeat of the opening eight-measure phrase (A). Both Adelita and Lagrima by Tarrega are examples of compositions written in short ternary form.
After a student has learned the basic model of short ternary form, they can expand on it by making the phrases longer or shorter, by adding transitions and/or retransitions, varying the repeat of the A section, and by adding introductions and/or codas. Of course, students can develop their compositional skills by trying differing levels of contrast in B sections.
In Paris-Ciné, the different sections of the short ternary form with a retransition are as follows: A section (measures 1-8), B section (measures 9-17), retransition from B to the repeat of A (measures 18-21), and the varied repeat of the A section (measures 22-31).
The A section (measures 1-8) is a period made of two four-measure two phrases. The B section (measures 9-17) is a different period, made of a four-measure phrase followed by a five-measure phrase. The additional measure in the five-measure phrase (measure 17) is a varied repeat measure 15.
The B section is followed by a four-measure retransition (measures 18-21) that leads into the repeat of the A section (See example 1). The ultimate measure of the retransition (measure 21) is an F# major chord that functions as a dominant chord leading to the B minor chord that begins the return of the A section in measure 22. The retransition begins with an F# in the bass, which is the beginning of a chromatic line that goes down to a C#, at which point it leaps down a fifth to an F# in measure 21. Simultaneously, the retransition begins with a C# in the upper voice, which is the beginning of an ascending chromatic line (which is missing a D#) that ends on an F#. The middle voice provides an A# to form and incomplete F# major chord in measure 21.
The repeat of the A section (measures 22-31) has a number of variations from the first occurrence of the A section (measures 1-8). Additionally, there is a two-measure extension at the end of the repeat of the A section that gives the section and the composition a conclusive ending.
Here is a link to a performance of Paris-Ciné (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyMFMEQOXo).
You can download a .pdf of the example page by clicking on the button below.
Les 100 de Roland Dyens by Roland Dyens (1955-2016) is an excellent source of repertoire for beginning composers to study artistic applications of a number of compositional techniques. This post will focus on varied repetition in On Joe’s Deck, which is of the first compositions in Volume 1 of Les 100 de Roland Dyens. It is also available as an individual composition.
On Joe’s Deck is written in ternary form (ABA’). The sections can easily be identified and labeled in the score: the opening A section is measures 1-8, the B section is measures 9-16, and the repeat of the A section is measures 17-24. Examples 1 and 2 show variation in the repeat of the A section.
In Example 1, the original figure in measure 2 of the A section (and also in measure 6) is varied in measures 18 and measure 22, both of which are in the repeat of the A section. The variation in measure 18 consists of the changing of only one note (E to G). However, measure 22 is a more elaborate variation that includes a figure that places the high G directly on a beat with a fermata and accompanied by the expressively dissonant bass note Eb.
In Example 2, an inconclusive cadence in measure 4 (A section) is varied in measure 20 (repeat of the A section) to include a new figure that has more forward energy than the figure in measure 4.
The B section (measures 9-16) is a period made of two phrases. The first phrase is measures 9-12 and the second phrase is measures 13-16. The second phrase is a variation of the first phrase. Examples 3 and 4 show variation in the second phrase.
In Example 3, the upper voice remains mostly on the high note E in measures 9 and 10, rising to an F# one time. Additionally, the B and G are beamed as part of the upper voice. When the figure is presented again in measures 13 and 14, the upper voice rises to a G, and the B and G are beamed as an inner voice, separating them from the ascending E, F#, G line.
In Example 4, the ending of the first phrase (measures 11-12) is varied when it is repeated (measures 15-16). The pitches in measure 16 work in tandem with the marking “rit. poco a poco” to create a seamless transition from the ending of the B section into the repeat of the A section.
Here is a link to a performance of On Joes Deck (with an optional cello part) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndEqNjnmNfo)
You can download a .pdf of the example page by clicking on the button below.
Roland Dyens (1955-2016) was an imaginative and creative classical guitarist and composer who studied composition with Désiré Dondeyne at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris alongside his guitar studies with Alberto Ponce. Dyens’ scores contain detailed instructions regarding dynamics, rubato, and articulation, and they demonstrate refined use of numerous compositional techniques. Three of his most popular compositions are Tango en Skaï, Waltz en Skaï, and Libra Sonatine.
Les 100 de Roland Dyens is a two-volume set that contains 100 intermediate level compositions by Roland Dyens for student and amateur guitarists. Professional guitarists might also find a place for some of the 100 short compositions in their repertoire. Additionally, Les 100 de Roland Dyens is an excellent resource for aspiring composers to study Dyens’ innovative and artistic approach to composing for guitar.
This post will focus on phrase structure in the opening sections of the first two compositions in Volume 1 of Les 100 de Roland Dyens: On Joe’s Deck and P’tit daydream. In addition to being the first two pieces in the collection, both compositions are available individually.
On Joe’s Deck begins with an eight-measure period. This eight-measures period is made of two four-measure phrases: an antecedent phrase (question) and a consequent phrase (answer), much like the opening two phrases of Tarrega’s Adelita. The two phrases are identical with the exception of two bass notes. The anacrusis of the first phrase does not have a bass note (example 1), while anacrusis of the second phrase has a D in the bass (example 2). Also, the first phrase ends inconclusively on the second beat of measure 4 on the note C (example 2), while the second phrase ends conclusively in measure 8 on the bass note G (example 3). Notice that On Joe’s Deck is written with a 2/2 time signature, which is often referred to as cut time. I refer to beats one and two in each measure with reference to this time signature.
Here is a link to a performance of On Joes Deck (with an optional cello part) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndEqNjnmNfo)
P’tit daydream opens with ten measure period that is made of two sentences. A period that is made of two sentences is called a compound form. P’tit daydream begins with a four-measure sentence (measures 1-4) followed by another four-measure sentence (measures 5-8) with a two-measure extension (measures 9-10). The presentation in the first sentence (measures 1 and 2) is made of a one measure motive in measure 1 that is repeated in measure 2 (example 4). The two-measure continuation (measures 3 and 4) ends inconclusively on an inversion of a B7 chord. The second period begins with a two-measure presentation (measures 5 and 6) that is a varied repetition of the presentation of the first period (example 5). The continuation in measures 7 and 8 is a varied repeat of the continuation of the first period. However, instead of cadencing in measure 8, new material is introduced to begin a two-measure extension (measures 9 and 10), which flows seamlessly into the next phrase which begins in measure 11 (example 6). P’tit daydream is an excellent example for composition students who have mastered eight-measure period and sentence phrase structures and are ready to learn more advanced phrase structures.
The website Open Music Theory discusses combining two sentences to make a period in a section on compound forms (https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/phrase-archetypes-unique-forms/).
Here is a link to a performance of P’tit daydream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvVABBuN98)
You can download a .pdf of the example page by clicking on the button below.
Adelita and Lagrima by Francisco Tarrega are excellent examples of short ternary form. Music in ternary form has a beginning section (A), followed by a contrasting section (B), and ends with a repeat of the beginning section (A). Ternary form can be summarized as ABA.
In my previous blog post, I wrote about the opening sections of both Adelita and Lagrima, which are the A sections. In this blog post, I will focus on the B sections. At the bottom of this blog post, you can download my edition of Adelita and Lagrima for free.
The purpose of a B section in to provide contrast to the A section, and B sections are often less stable and predictable than A sections. A composer can create contrast between A and B sections by writing B sections in a different key than the A section (most often a closely related key); quickening the harmonic rhythm; increasing the melodic range; widening the dynamic range; increasing the rhythmic activity; and by using shorter, longer, or more irregular phrase lengths. Here are some of the ways Tarrega provides contrast in the B sections of Adelita and Lagrima.
Key: The B sections of both compositions are in the parallel major or minor key: the B section of Adelita is in E major, and the B section of Lagrima is in E minor.
Harmonic rhythm: The A section of Adelita has one chord per measure while the B section usually has two. The A section of Lagrima has one chord per measure (except for measure 7), while the B section has three measures with two chords (measures 9, 11, and 15).
Dynamic range: In Adelita the A section is marked piano (p) and the B section is marked forte (f).
Rhythmic features: The rhythm quickens in the B section of Adelita to include a dotted quarter and eighth note figure as well as more eighth notes in general. The melody in the B section of Lagrima has heightened rhythmic activity that includes an increase of eight notes, and one syncopated measure (measure 11).
Phrase structure and phrase lengths: The B section of Adelita begins with a one-measure figure that is repeated, which is more immediate repetition than the repeated four-measure phrase of the A section. This is followed by a two-measure figure that ascends and descends more dramatically than any of the figures in the A section. In the final four measure of the B section the opening figure is repeated an octave lower. The repetition is varied to create more intense expression by leaping up to a G# in measure 14 (instead of up to a E as in measure 11), and by pausing on a fermata over an Augmented sixth chord. The B section ends with a clear and conclusive cadence in E major.
The B section of Lagrima begins with a two-measure figure that is followed by a contrasting two measure figure, unlike the A section which begins with a two-measure figure that is repeated. The final four measure of the B section begin with the opening figure from the A section, played in E minor instead of E major. In the second measure of this figure, the melody ascends to a high D instead of leaping down to an F#, creating more contrast and activity. The B section ends with a clear and conclusive cadence in E minor.
Ternary form is examined in detail on the web site Open Music Theory https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/ternary-form/, and in chapter 8 of Musical Composition: Craft and Art by Alan Belkin.
Click the button below to download my free edition of Adelita and Lagrima.
Adelita and Lagrima by Francisco Tarrega are popular compositions from the classical guitar repertoire that provide excellent examples of two different phrase structures for beginning composers: the period and the sentence. Adelita begins with a period and Lagrima begins with a sentence. The basic models for both the sentence and the period are eight measures in length, yet what happens within the eight measures differs between the two. Beginning composers can use these phrase structures as models for their own compositions.
The period (the beginning of Adelita) consists of two four-measure phrases (the antecedent and consequent phrases), each of which begin with the same music. A period has a feeling of a question (the antecedent phrase) followed by an answer (the consequent phrase). This is because the antecedent phrase has a weaker and inconclusive ending, while the consequent phrase has a stronger and conclusive ending. In Adelita, the consequent phrase begins with an anacrusis in measure 4. See example 1.
The sentence (the beginning of Lagrima) consists of a four-measure presentation, which is followed by a four-measure continuation. Lagrima begins with a two-measure motive in measures 1 and 2 that is repeated in measures 3 and 4. The continuation begins with an increase of activity in measures 5 and 6. The increase in activity is created through the use of a higher register, and a slight shortening of the phrase when it ends on beat two of measure 6. The sentence ends with a two-measure cadence with a short anacrusis. See example 2.
The website Open Music Theory describes the terms phrase, period, and sentence in detail (https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/phrase-archetypes-unique-forms/). The sentence and the period are also described in detail in the book Fundamentals of Composition by Arnold Schoenberg.
You can download a .pdf of the example page by clicking on the button below.
I occasionally refer to Fundamentals of Musical Composition by Arnold Schoenberg when teaching composition for guitar. It is a classic text for learning to compose that was first published in 1967. The examples are all taken from traditional European composers (especially Beethoven), with no examples by women composers or composers of color. However additional examples can be found by searching online databases such as Music by Women (https://www.musicbywomen.org) and the Composers of Color Resource Project (https://composersofcolor.hcommons.org). Because I teach composing for classical guitar, I look for examples from the classical guitar repertoire to compliment the examples presented in the book. The contents of the book are divided into three sections: Construction of Themes, Small Forms, and Large Forms. Construction of Themes includes the smallest unit of musical composition, the motive, and goes through detailed instructions on how to create phrases and simple themes. Small Forms includes instructions on how to put phrases and simple themes together to create minuets, scherzos, theme and variations, and small ternary compositions. Large Forms presents rondo forms and sonata-allegro form. While the content and writing style are firmly dated in the previous century (with strong influences from centuries preceding the previous century), the text endures because the presentation of the material is methodical and detailed, and the content is still relevant for composers learning fundamental skills for composition.
Essentials for Composers: Creative Process by Design is a book I recommend to students because it encourages composers to find their own creative process. On page 1, Middleton writes, “…this text focuses on the fundamental underpinnings of composition—the process itself.” Composers are told to find and state what is important to them and to articulate what is motivating them when writing a composition. Composers are also encouraged to find an engaging composition routine that works for them, to break their composition process into stages, and to find a balance between analytical and creative thought. Additionally, Middleton offers insight into counterpoint, harmony, variation methods, analytical strategies, and creative methods. The book has numerous examples of creativity in music, art, poetry, and prose. Above all, composers are encouraged to discover and explore what they find interesting in music, art, poetry, prose, or anything else.
When teaching music composition for guitar, I frequently refer to Musical Composition: Craft and Art by Alan Belkin. I have students get a copy of the book so that they can read the clear and concise explanations Belkin gives for many subjects in music composition. Each of the the 20 chapters in the book refer to a specific aspect of music composition, and the book can be read cover to cover, or by skipping from chapter to chapter as needed. The examples and exercises Belkin gives in the book are excellent, and I supplement them in lessons with examples from the guitar repertoire, and with exercises/composition assignments that are to be written for classical guitar. Belkin’s examples are from repertoire for piano, string quartet, orchestra, and other instruments and ensembles, and he also refers to music for film and games.
When I talk about my Contrafact Studies, people usually ask me what a contrafact is. Here is my explanation. Contrafactum is a term used to describe a process in vocal composition when a new text is substituted for an old text. This was common during the Renaissance era, when religious texts were set to secular music. (When new words are set to existing music for a humorous effect, the term parody is usually used.) The term contrafact was used in the twentieth century to describe a process in jazz composition in which a composer writes a new melody over an existing chord progression from another song. George Gershwin’s song I Got Rhythm was used for many contrafacts by composers such as Charlie Parker. I adapted this idea when writing my Contrafact Studies by taking the chords from songs from the American Songbook/jazz standards, and creating short guitar pieces with them. There are three basic approaches one can take when composing a contrafact: 1. keep the original chord progression without making any changes, 2. make some slight changes to the original chord progression, and 3. change the chords so much that the original chord progression is not longer recognizable. I took the first and second options for the Contrafact Studies. Below is a video about contrafacts by George Colligan on his jazztruth YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VcWGOdBco8
Here is an interesting bit of history about the song Softly as a Morning Sunrise, and the use of its chords for a contrafact. It was originally written by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II as a melancholy tango for a 1928 operetta. Since then, numerous jazz artists have recorded it in a variety of jazz styles. Johnny Smith used the chord progression for the Ventures hit Walk, Don’t Run! When I used the chord progression for Contrafact Study III, I replaced the chords in the bridge with other chords, which are sometimes referred to as the Ellington bridge. Here are videos of a 1929 recording (on which it is described as a fox trot), a performance by the Ventures of Walk, Don’t Run!, and Mark Wilson’s video of my first six Contrafact Studies. To hear my Contrafact Study III, go to 2:58. A search on YouTube will give you dozens (or more) recordings by jazz artists.
Here are a few videos that briefly give some insights into its origins and use as a contrafact.
Mark Wison made video recordings of the first six of my Contrafact Studies and published them on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/midniteconfession and on his YouTube Channel. Thank you Mark!
You can download “Contrafact Studies for Guitar, Volume II” by clicking on the button below.
Here is the second set of six studies I wrote this past summer to practice hearing and feeling chord progressions. Again, they are based on chords found in jazz standards, and written with same intentions that I wrote about in my previous blog post about the first six studies. I’ve enjoyed playing all twelve studies in my practice sessions and at open mics on zoom. Going through each study slowly while placing my fingers in the correct places and listening carefully to the chords has been of tremendous benefit. If you download them and play them, I’d be glad to hear about how you enjoyed them or benefited from them.
The studies in “Contrafact Studies for Guitar, Volume II” are based on chords found in the following jazz standards:
VII. “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
VIII. “Stella By Starlight” by Victor Young and Ned Washington
IX. “Darn That Dream” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie De Lange
X. “You and the Night and the Music” by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz
XI. “Beautiful Love” by Victor Young and Haven Gillespie
XII. “Skylark” by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer
You can download “Contrafact Studies for Guitar, Volume I” by clicking on the button below.
Here are six studies to practice hearing and feeling chord progressions. They are based on chords found in jazz standards. For the most part, I followed the chords found on lead sheets, though I occasionally made adjustments to what was written. I was concerned with the sounds of the chords and the chord shapes on the guitar. I was not concerned with creating melodies or melodic studies, and I varied the right hand patterns just enough to keep the studies interesting without having the right hand technique become the main focus.
The studies in “Contrafact Studies for Guitar, Volume I” are based on chords found in the following jazz standards:
I. “It Could Happen to You” by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke
II. “Have You Met Miss Jones” by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart
III. “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstien III
IV. “On Green Dolphin Street” by Bronislaw Kaper and Ned Washington
V. “Days of Wine and Roses” by Henry Mancini
VI. “Alone Together” by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz
I will post “Contrafact Studies for Guitar, Volume II” next week.
This blog is about new music for classical guitar. It is for guitarists who compose, guitarists looking for new music to play, and enthusiastic listeners of new music for guitar. Additionally, composers who have not yet written for guitar will find resources to help them bring their creative ideas to life, and a community of guitarists who will appreciate their creative efforts.
The blog will include interviews with guitarists and composers, reviews of web sites and other resources of interest, and reviews of books about composing. I’ll post reflections on the music of guitarist/composers of the past, such as Fernando Sor and Francesco Tarrega, and reflections on the music of other historically important composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Frederic Chopin. I’ll introduce my new compositions though the blog, and create posts about music by other composers. In short, any topic related to composing, playing, and listening to new music on guitar may be included.
I’ve always enjoyed performing and teaching in community and this blog is to create a community built around composing and playing new music on the classical guitar. I hope the blog takes on a life of its own, and the direction it takes grows out of a dialog between what I write, and points of interest generated by readers and their comments.