This month…a new free piece, a couple of upcoming releases, a new publication, and some recommendations.
*** You may need to open this newsletter in a separate browser to see the video below. Bandzoogle is the wonkiest website ever. Nothing seems to work correctly.
Free Piece
This month's free piece is a short study in drop D tuning titled “Come What May”. (In the video, my guitar is tuned down a half step.)
There is a repeated figure in the bass - AAD. Because all three notes in the pattern are open strings, we need to add some articulation to keep them clear. Play the first A in the pattern staccato so there is some separation between the repeated notes.
Make sure to bring out the inner voices. There are some subtle twists and turns in the harmony. In order to bring those colors out, the inner voices need to be heard clearly.
There are some changing time signatures in there as well.
I hope you enjoy playing it. Click the sheet music for the pdf.
I have a new single coming out in August. It's a beautiful duet with my friend Denis Turbide.
“New Beginning” is set for release on August 4th. Denis sent me his track of delicately picked chords, and I added a melody on top. The result is a sweet and reflective tune for two nylon string guitars.
New Publication
I have a new piece being published by Guitar Chamber Music Press in the coming weeks. “Melodies From a Short Walk Home” is written for guitar trio.
From the performance notes:
"The main melodies in this piece came to me during a walk in our local park. When I arrived home, I began writing the melodies down with the idea of using them in a trio for some of my advanced high school guitar ensemble students.
I think the most challenging part of the piece is in its syncopation. I wanted to give my students the opportunity to develop their counting, subdividing, listening skills, and overall ensemble playing. Part 1 also gets the opportunity to stretch out and use a good amount of the fretboard."
Score and Parts will be available soon, instandard notation only, over on the Guitar Chamber Music website.
Recommendations
My first musical memory is listening to John Denver's Greatest Hits album with my mother when I was very young. His songs have always been a place of comfort for me.
In his autobiography, you get a real understanding of how incredibly talented he was, and how ambitious he was as a businessman and performer. I laughed out loud when I read his account of nearly being in The Byrds and meeting David Crosby. He thought Crosby was “…the most obnoxious and arrogant person I've ever met.”
We were recently in New Hampshire and I picked up a collection of poems by local poet Wesley McNair. His plain-spoken poetry brings out the joy and sorrow of everyday people and situations. There is a simple beauty in his poems that almost read like short stories. His work is reminiscent of Leonard Nathan and Billy Collins…two of my favorite poets. I am really enjoying this book.
In another life, I would like to come back as a jazz bassist. I have always loved the sound and timbre of acoustic bass. I've had Paul Chambers' “Bass on Top” on loop lately. The quartet is made up of Chambers on bass, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Art Taylor on drums, and Hank Jones on piano.
“Bass on Top” is an appropriate title for this record. It is wonderful to hear a bassist lead a group. There's lots of bowed bass on here…a technique Chambers is said to have introduced to the instrument in jazz. The album opener, with Chambers playing bowed bass over Burrell's guitar, really sets the mood. This is a killer record.
Debussy's Children's Corner Suite is a favorite of mine. On his newest recording, Johan Smith shows off his arranging skills along with his impeccable playing. His arrangements of Debussy, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and Granados are brilliant.
Marie and I went to see The Cure at Madison Square Garden last month. Easily one of the best concerts I have ever attended. The Cure played for a solid two and a half hours and were as tight as on record. Robert Smith's voice hasn't changed at all over the decades. Incredible!
That being said, I was really impressed with the opening band, The Twilight Sad. Their music is post punk, indie, dark, and full of wonderful swirling guitar & synth “noise”, with moody lyrics sung with a thick Scottish accent by James Graham. What's not to love? A new favorite.
That's all for now. June was the longest year of my life, so I apologize for this newsletter being so late. I hope you are enjoying your summer. It seems to rain every day here. Not much a summer to enjoy so far.
As always, I appreciate your ears and support! See you in August…
