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Joaquin Malats Serenata Española from his Impressions of Spain arr. 4 acoustic guitars & bass guitar Individual instrument parts are appended to the Show More...
Joaquin Malats Serenata Española from his Impressions of Spain arr. 4 acoustic guitars & bass guitar Individual instrument parts are appended to the full sheet music score in the pdf download. #sheetmusic & accompaniments download link: coming soon Use the signing up free credit facility to download the score and parts & possibly an accompaniment. A sunny piece that features many characteristics typical of Spanish music. There is no reason why the parts cannot be doubled to make this an exciting ensemble piece. There are many times of guitar that can be incorporated into a playing group making this a great learning piece for so many guitarists. Whatever guitar types are available can be used & there is no reason why a mix of guitars cannot be used with classical, folk, steel, and electric guitars being substituted. As a concert piece classical guitars supported by either an acoustic or electric bass instrument would be ideal. Scores can be printed out with 2 pages per sheet offering an opportunity to save on page turning. Accompaniments are in place enabling the guitar 1 part to practice and play as part of an ensemble. They play at 104, 108,112,116 & 120 bpm. There is a 4 bar click track to prepare players for this ensemble experience. All instruments playing in this arrangement create the sound by plucking the strings. In this arrangement the long trill in the guitar 1 has been omitted simply because a long trill is hard to sustain on an acoustic instrument. Remember that the classical guitar and bass guitar are transposing instruments sounding an octave lower than written in the music score. The workability of this arrangement does need to be evaluated and PlentyMusic would value feedback from musicians trying out this arrangement. It is possible that there are better octave options in the parts that could be explored particularly the guitar 2 & 3 parts. Where there are challenges with stretches in the guitar parts with more than one note being played the instrumentalist needs to chose or be advised on the most appropriate option. animando used in the score implies an increase in tempo and has been placed above the stave as a score marking The music in this arrangement has been transposed from the key of G minor to A minor. The origins of this piece are as a piano solo although there are many arrangements to be discovered for different instrument combinations. Interestingly, much of the Spanish piano repertoire of the 19th and early 20th centuries is more familiar transcribed to being played on the guitar and this is certainly the case with the Serenata. This is a movement that dates from the late romantic era when nationalism became an identified as an important trend in composition. The music of composers from countries on the fringes of Europe were appearing in concert programmes including music of Dvorak, Smetana, Grieg, Granados & Albeniz amongst others. Playing the scale in the sounding key of A in all its forms would be excellent preparation for playing this work major, harmonic & melodic minor and the phrygian mode. In this movement many of characteristic musical sounds of Spain are captured in a score that suggests many images of the country. There is also much figuration and decoration used in Spanish music and these feature in the melodic, accompaniment, harmonic & timbral detail. This movement music was composed and published in the last decade of the 19th century. There were some ambiguities in the source scores available to the music editor who has spent time removing most errors and inconsistencies. It is the phyrgian mode that is features strongly in Spanish music. The structure of the phyrgian scale is S/T-T-T-T-S/T-T-T (S/T = semitone T = tone) Modal shifts from minor to major also feature The realisation plays back at a tempo of 116 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute although there are occasionally speeding ups (marked animando in the score) and slowing downs particularly at the end of phrases. Formally the music has a sectional structure and can be described as being in ABA ternary form. (AABB’A) Spanish music is often dramatic and on occasions invites exaggeration in performance. Close
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Nola by Felix Arndt arr. guitar duo + TAB. The composition dates from 1915. It is frequently referred to as the first piece of novelty music an idiom Show More...
Nola by Felix Arndt arr. guitar duo + TAB. The composition dates from 1915. It is frequently referred to as the first piece of novelty music an idiom that emerged during the ragtime era. Light and breezy in character this is a style of music very much intended to lift the mood and spirit. This is the perfect “party piece.” Arndt was a New York based composer and pianist who died during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. Guitar parts are appended to the full score in the pdf sheet music download. Guitar accompaniments are in place allowing guitars to participate in play-a-long ensemble activities as part of music practice routines. The accompaniment tracks play back at 58, 60, 62, 64 & 66 & 68 half note (minim) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. The guitar accompaniment is quite playable and not nearly as difficult as the solo. Classical, steel and electric guitar are all appropriate although an acoustic sound has been used in the accompaniments. A TAB score is also available in this guitar duo version. Appreciate that there are some octave transpositions in the parts required to keep to the range of the instrument. Sections need to be played at the same tempo and there is little opportunity for slowing down at the end of phrases and sections. The TAB score does have its limitations in that it is just a rather literal interpretation of the parts. There are probably better options for guitar players. In the TAB part the triplet numbers have been hidden to avoid confusion. This is music that moves along quickly but also needs to played in a completely relaxed manner. Nola is brimming with musical ideas and inventiveness and is a very “modern” sounding work for 1915. As a musical snapshot of its time it references both the ragtime era of its near past and points to the future in its swing jazz style triplet rhythms. Swing playing identifies more with the 1920’s so this is definitely music ahead of its time. The playing style of the bass and chords is derived from ragtime. Contrasting and repeating sections are in evidence whilst the formal pattern of the music is A B A C D C A with an 8 bar coda at the end. The key plan can be summarised as I – i – I – IV - I The novelty era has a strong connection with ragtime particularly in its formal patterns and musical shapes. Whilst the repetitive element is strong the composer does not make use of repeat signs. The music editor’s observation is that Felix Arndt was a hugely talented, imaginative and inventive composer and it is a tragedy that he did not live longer to compose music that similarly anticipated future trends. He left the music world with the potential to achieve so much. Born in 1889 if he had lived his entitled three year scores and ten he could have lived until 1959 and would have been a contemporary with so many other greats. It is also ironic because1959 is the year that a version of Nola achieved success in the pop charts. What is so evident is that he had a wonderful understanding of harmonic colour and the relevance of chords in the popular music idiom. He can be truly described as a musical forerunner. Apart from the abundance of musical ideas it is understanding of the harmonic framework which makes his music so appealing. There are several dance move references in the music The triplet swing pattern imbues this music. Close
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Nola by Felix Arndt arr. guitar duo. The composition dates from 1915 and is frequently referred to as the first piece of novelty music an idiom that e Show More...
Nola by Felix Arndt arr. guitar duo. The composition dates from 1915 and is frequently referred to as the first piece of novelty music an idiom that emerged from the ragtime era. Light and breezy in character it is a style of music very much intended to lift the mood and spirit. This is the perfect “party piece.” Arndt was a New York based composer and pianist who died during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. Guitar parts are appended to the full score in the pdf sheet music download. Guitar accompaniments are in place allowing guitars to participate in play-a-long ensemble activities as part of music practice routines. The accompaniment tracks play back at 58, 60, 62, 64 & 66 & 68 half note (minim) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. The guitar accompaniment is quite playable and not nearly as difficult as the Guitar 1 solo. Classical, steel and electric guitar are all appropriate although an acoustic sound has been used in the #PlentyMusic recordings. Appreciate that there are some octave transpositions in the parts required to keep to the range of the instrument. Sections need to be played at the same tempo and there is little opportunity for slowing down at the end of phrases and sections. This is music that moves along quickly but also needs to played in a completely relaxed manner. Nola is brimming with musical ideas and inventiveness and is a very “modern” sounding work for 1915. As a musical snapshot of its time it references both the ragtime era of its near past and points to the future in its swing jazz style triplet rhythms. Swing playing identifies more with the 1920’s so this is music that can be viewed as being ahead of its time. The playing style of the bass and chords is derived from ragtime. Contrasting and repeating sections are in evidence whilst the formal pattern of the music is A B A C D C A with an 8 bar coda at the end. The key plan can be summarised as I – i – I – IV - I The novelty era has a strong connection with ragtime particularly in the choices of formal patterns and musical shapes. Whilst the repetitive element is strong the composer does not make use of repeat signs. The music editor’s observation is that Felix Arndt was a hugely talented, imaginative and inventive composer and it is a tragedy that he did not live longer to compose music that similarly anticipated future trends. He left the music world with the potential to achieve so much. Born in 1889 if he had lived his entitled three year scores and ten he could have lived until 1959 and would have been a contemporary with so many other greats. It is also ironic because 1959 is the year that a version of Nola achieved success in the pop charts. What is so evident is that he had a wonderful understanding of harmonic colour and the relevance of chords in the popular music idiom. He can be truly described as a musical forerunner. Apart from the abundance of musical ideas it is understanding of the harmonic framework which makes his music so appealing. There are several dance patterns referenced in the music. Close
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J.S. Bach’s Invention 9 BWV 780 arranged electric guitar & bass guitar duo in its original key of F minor. A challenging invention to play particula Show More...
J.S. Bach’s Invention 9 BWV 780 arranged electric guitar & bass guitar duo in its original key of F minor. A challenging invention to play particularly from the note reading point of view. The #sheetmusic video plays back at 58 bpm and the music is presented in both staff notation & TAB. The arrangement is based on the original piano score. There are many accidentals to read and it is easy to make music reading errors. A legato playing approach is required in the playing in what is a slow tempo and melancholy movement. In the sheet music score the ornaments are indicated but do not sound. The ornamentation in place is placed at the important cadence points in the movement. In the keyboard video score, which guitar players may wish to refer to on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. The full score is presented in staff notation and the parts with the option of staff notation and TAB. Bass guitar players may well want to experiment with the octave choices in the higher sounding sections bars 5-7 and elsewhere in the movement. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitarists to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 & 64 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. Playing the music of Bach is challenging and his style is demanding and uncompromising in the consistency required to perform it accurately. As a composer Bach is not so much an innovator but one of those who brings all the musical elements of his time together and takes them to an altogether much higher artistic and technical level. The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key system. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation & diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent ensemble movements. Close
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Invention 9 BWV 780 arranged for classical guitar duo in the key of F minor is a challenging invention to play particularly from the note reading and Show More...
Invention 9 BWV 780 arranged for classical guitar duo in the key of F minor is a challenging invention to play particularly from the note reading and voice leading point of view. There are many accidentals to read and it is easy to make music reading errors. The arrangement is based on the original piano score with some necessary octave transpositions in place in the guitar 2 part. Guitarists have the option of reading either from a staff notation or TAB score attached to the full score A legato playing approach is required in the playing in what is a slow tempo and melancholy movement. In the sheet music score the ornaments are indicated but do not sound. The ornamentation in place is placed at the important cadence points in the movement. In the keyboard video score, which guitarists may wish to refer to on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. The realisation plays back at 58 quarter note or crotchet beats per minute. Accompaniments are in place allowing classical guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. Classical guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the classical guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 & 64 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. Playing the music of Bach is challenging and his style is demanding and uncompromising in the consistency required to perform it accurately. As a composer Bach is not so much an innovator but one of those who brings all the musical elements of his time together and takes them to an altogether much higher artistic and technical level. The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key system. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation & diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent ensemble movements. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 10 BWV 781 in an arrangement for electric & bass guitar duo in the original key of G. This Invention features many musical sha Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 10 BWV 781 in an arrangement for electric & bass guitar duo in the original key of G. This Invention features many musical shapes based on chords and consequently lends itself to chord playing instruments. The realisation plays back at 84 dotted quarter (crotchet) note beats to the minute. Whilst score detail is generally not in place on Bach scores although it is necessary for instrumentalists to have a clear intention of how the music is to be played. Guitar players have the option of using either a notated or TAB score. As notes can be played in different positions on the electric and bass guitar fretboards players may well want to review the suggestions given in the PlentyMusic TAB scores. Players should listen to performances of this invention on streaming media to understand the different approaches that players have when performing this movement. Remember also that movements cannot be played quickly until they be played slowly! In the video score, ornaments are indicated by symbols but do not sound in the playback. For instrumentalists wishing to incorporate ornamentation into their performances refer to the piano realisation featured on our YouTube channel which has the ornamentation written out exactly as the music editor suggests they should be played. https://youtu.be/xuQK5i2lf44 Ornamentation is an aspect of performance that invites different and frequently contrasting interpretations. Bach’s music belongs to the baroque era and whilst the composer himself was quite clear about the ornaments he used and how they should be played later editors of his music have often added to original intentions. The inventions are also probably best studied in the first instance without ornaments in place. An additional factor is that the intended instrument on which the inventions were played, the harpsichord, is one that does not feature sustained sounds. Long notes as such require some sort of addition, hence the need for ornamentation. Another view or approach to ornamentation is that apart from adding to the music they should have a sense of being improvised. The music editor has chosen not to double ornaments where they occur in both voices simply because it lessens the contrast in the parts. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitarists to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96 100 104 and 108 dotted quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. There is two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. There are three dotted quarter or crotchet beats to the bar indicated by the 9/8 time signature. Should more accompaniments be required at either slower or faster tempi please advise the PlentyMusic office. Whilst the ornaments are indicated in the sheet music score they do not sound in the accompaniment scores. For those intending to play the ornaments refer to the piano sheet music video on our YouTube channel. In this score the ornaments have been written out as they should be played. https://youtu.be/xuQK5i2lf44 The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key system. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation and diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure technique. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 10 BWV 781 in an arrangement for classical guitar duo in the original key of G. This Invention features many musical shapes ba Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 10 BWV 781 in an arrangement for classical guitar duo in the original key of G. This Invention features many musical shapes based on chords and consequently lends itself to chord playing instruments. The realisation plays back at 84 dotted quarter (crotchet) note beats to the minute. Whilst score detail is generally not in place on Bach scores although it is necessary for instrumentalists to have a clear intention of how the music is to be played. Players should listen to performances of this invention on streaming media to understand the different approaches that players have when performing this movement. Remember also that movements cannot be played quickly until they be played slowly! In the video score, ornaments are indicated by symbols but do not sound in the playback. For instrumentalists wishing to incorporate ornamentation into their performances refer to the piano realisation featured on our YouTube channel which has the ornamentation written out exactly as the music editor suggests they should be played. https://youtu.be/xuQK5i2lf44 Ornamentation is an aspect of performance that invites different and frequently contrasting interpretations. Bach’s music belongs to the baroque era and whilst the composer himself was quite clear about the ornaments he used and how they should be played later editors of his music have often added to original intentions. The inventions are also probably best studied in the first instance without ornaments in place. An additional factor is that the intended instrument on which the inventions were played, the harpsichord, is one that does not feature sustained sounds. Long notes as such require some sort of addition, hence the need for ornamentation. Another view or approach to ornamentation is that apart from adding to the music they should have a sense of being improvised. The music editor has chosen not to double ornaments where they occur in both voices simply because it lessens the contrast in the parts. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitarists to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. Classical guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and classical guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96 100 104 and 108 dotted quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. There is two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. There are three dotted quarter or crotchet beats to the bar indicated by the 9/8 time signature. Contrasting guitar sounds have been used. Should more accompaniments be required at either slower or faster tempi please advise the PlentyMusic office. Whilst the ornaments are indicated in the sheet music score they do not sound in the accompaniment scores. For those intending to play the ornaments refer to the piano sheet music video on our YouTube channel. In this score the ornaments have been written out as they should be played. https://youtu.be/xuQK5i2lf44 The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key system. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation and diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure technique. Close
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J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 arranged for classical guitar duo is a work exploring the minor scale. The chromatic element in the movement is st Show More...
J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 arranged for classical guitar duo is a work exploring the minor scale. The chromatic element in the movement is strong and the accidentals make this a challenging score to read and memorise. The pdf sheet music download has parts notated in both staff & TAB notation. The best preparation for playing this movement is to play the minor scale appropriately in both its forms slowly until the sound of each is familiar. Ornaments are not in place in this arrangement. The full music score is presented in staff notation and the attached parts are in staff notation and TAB. The guitar is an instrument where the same note can be played on different strings so players may well wish to review the rather literal translation of the notes to TAB. The playback score in this arrangement for classical guitar duo has a tempo of 60 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The suggestion is that the movement can be played both at slower and faster tempo. The inventions are concentrated demanding movements to play in an ensemble context but excellent for encouraging listening skills, good intonation and accurate playing. The movement is probably best learnt without the ornaments in place in the first instance. Legato playing is needed in a performance although there is scope to broaden the detail of how the notes are articulated. Any exaggerated playing does need to be avoided. Accompaniments are in place allowing classical guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. Classical guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and classical guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is one bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. Instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments to understanding playing approaches. Players will possibly need to edit their scores with reminders about accidentals within the bar. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. Playing levels will perhaps need to be reviewed when different instrument combinations are involved. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part Inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as in most music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to the composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure keyboard technique. When played in an ensemble context there is not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. The inventions are quite uncompromising in their demands. Those learning how to use music notation software and improve their listening skills will find this an excellent study to copy simply because of the many accidentals that require attention from the listening and notation point of view. Accurate notation will suggest an excellent understanding of the staff notation system. Close
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J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 arranged for electric guitar and bass guitar is a work exploring the minor scale. The chromatic element in the mov Show More...
J .S. Bach’s Invention 11 BWV 782 arranged for electric guitar and bass guitar is a work exploring the minor scale. The chromatic element in the movement is strong and the accidentals make this a challenging score to read and commit to memory. The best preparation for playing this movement is to play the minor scale appropriately transposed in both its forms slowly until the sound of each is familiar. The original keyboard version of the 15 Bach Inventions are in 15 different keys and provide excellent examples to familiarisers players with the key system. Ornaments are not in place in this arrangement. The full music score is presented in staff notation and the attached parts are in staff notation and TAB. The guitar is an instrument where the same note can be played on different strings so players may well wish to review the rather literal translation of the notes to TAB. The playback score in the arrangement for the electric guitar and bass guitar has a tempo of 60 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The suggestion is that the movement can be played both at slower and faster tempo. The inventions are concentrated demanding movements to play in an ensemble context but excellent for encouraging listening skills, good intonation and accurate playing. The movement is probably best learnt without the ornaments in place in the first instance. Legato playing is needed in a performance although there is scope to broaden the detail of how the notes are articulated. Any exaggerated playing does need to be avoided. Accompaniments are in place allowing electric guitar and bass guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel with the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is one bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. Instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments to understanding playing approaches. Players will possibly need to edit their scores with reminders about accidentals within the bar. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. Playing levels will perhaps need to be reviewed when different instrument combinations are involved. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part Inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure keyboard technique. When played in an ensemble context there is not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. Those learning how to use music notation software and improve their listening skills will find this an excellent study to copy simply because of the many accidentals that require attention from the listening and notation point of view. Accurate notation will suggest an excellent understanding of the staff notation system. Close
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J.S. Bach’s Invention 14 BWV 785 arranged for classical guitar duo in the original key key of Bb is a rhythmical work and a movement in which figura Show More...
J.S. Bach’s Invention 14 BWV 785 arranged for classical guitar duo in the original key key of Bb is a rhythmical work and a movement in which figuration is a substitute for ornamentation. The classical guitar is a transposing instruments sounding an octave lower than written. There are some octave transpositions in the classical guitar 2 part to keep to the range of the instrument. Guitarists have the choice of reading a notated or TAB score. TAB scores have a useful function because they locate the position of the notes on the fretboard although the same note can be played on different strings in different positions. The PlentyMusic TAB score is a literal translation of the score and not necessarily the best solution for playing the notes. Ornaments are omitted in this movement but are replaced by challenging and rhythmic figuration. Players need to have a vision and understanding of the phrasing needed before playing this movement. Bach’s music is from the baroque era in music history and presents the added challenge that there is generally minimal score detail in place in sheet music scores. What is important is to play the note values as written and acknowledge rests notated in the score. The realisation plays back at 56 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The music editor suggests playing the movement with an awareness of an eighth note or quaver pulse. An 8/8 time signature would in many ways be very appropriate for this movement. Accompaniments are in place allowing electric guitar and bass guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 52, 54, 59, 61 and 63 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is one bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. There are generally similar approaches to playing this invention although instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments and instrument combinations on streaming media. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part Inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing secure performing techniques whatever the instrument being played. Close
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J.S. Bach’s Invention 14 BWV 785 arranged electric guitar & bass guitar in the key of Bb is a rhythmical work and a movement in which figuration is Show More...
J.S. Bach’s Invention 14 BWV 785 arranged electric guitar & bass guitar in the key of Bb is a rhythmical work and a movement in which figuration is a substitute for ornamentation. Remember that the guitar and bass guitar are transposing instruments sounding an octave lower than written. There are some octave transpositions in the bass guitar part to keep to the range of the instrument. Guitarists have the choice of reading a notated or TAB score. TAB scores have a useful function because they locate the position of the notes on the fretboard although the same note can be played on different strings in different positions. The PlentyMusic TAB score is a literal translation of the score and not necessarily the best solution for playing the notes. Ornaments are omitted in this movement but are replaced by challenging and rhythmic figuration. Players need to have a vision and understanding of the phrasing needed before playing this movement. Bach’s music is from the baroque era in music history and presents the added challenge that there is generally minimal score detail in place in sheet music scores. The realisation plays back at 56 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The music editor suggests playing the movement with an awareness of an eighth note or quaver pulse. An 8/8 time signature would in many ways be very appropriate for this movement. Accompaniments are in place allowing electric guitar and bass guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 52, 54, 58, 60 and 62 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is one bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. There are generally similar approaches to playing this invention although instrumentalists should spend time listening to performances of the work by a range of musical instruments and instrument combinations on streaming media. The Bach Inventions are generally intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part Inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the key journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing secure performing techniques whatever the instrument being played. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. classical guitar duo with a notated score as the download with guitar parts attached to the full score. In t Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. classical guitar duo with a notated score as the download with guitar parts attached to the full score. In the key of D minor this is an appealing work featuring an opening motif or melodic shape that combines a scale shape with the interval of a falling diminished seventh. The realisation plays back at 48 dotted quarter note or dotted crotchet beats to the minute. The time signature for this movement is 3/8 and the music editor suggests approaching playing the movement with a one in a bar feel or pulse rather than trying to count in eighth notes or quavers. The long trills bar 19 and bar 29 need to be played rhythmically and with control. There is some debate as to the notes to be played in the trill commencing in bar 29. The music editor suggests a written F natural but many alternate a F# with the E. The ornaments can always be omitted particularly in the early stages of learning the movement. Many guitarists edit the music score in how they play the ornaments finding it difficult to sustain the hammer technique for so long. Find a solution but do ensure that both parts and instruments are imitating each other. The voicing in this arrangement with the guitar 1 sounding an octave lower than written means that the contrapuntal lines are an octave closer together than in the original piano version. In the video score, which guitar players may wish to refer to on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. Accompaniments are in place allowing classical guitar duo players to participate in an ensemble activity as part of practice routines. Classical Guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and Classical Guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 39, 42, 45, 48, 51 and for the brave 54 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a four bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. This is an invention where it is interesting to observe the different approaches to playing the movement particularly with regard to tempo and articulation. The Inventions are always worth revisiting and the collection should be understood to be one that benefits from this. Valuable time can be spent on streaming media listening to and perhaps watching different approaches that players have when performing this movement. Whilst there is considerable contrast to the tempo that the invention is played remember that movements cannot be played quickly until they be played slowly! The inventions offer excellent opportunities to improve ensemble playing in a duo context. Individual guitar parts are also appended to the full scores available as a pdf download from the PlentyMusic website. The Bach Inventions are considered to be intermediate level movements. The key journey that features in this movement embraces the closely related keys of the relative major, sub-dominant and the V7 – VI progression bars 48 - 49 further adds to the harmonic journey. Imitation, inversion and sequence are all in evidence as compositional processes. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure playing technique. This is a revision and update of a previous score posted on the website. Close
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The invention has been transposed to the key of G. The guitar as a transposing instrument sounds an octave lower than written. TAB scores are also ava Show More...
The invention has been transposed to the key of G. The guitar as a transposing instrument sounds an octave lower than written. TAB scores are also available. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitarists to participate in ensemble activities as part of their practice routines. Guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and Guitar 2 of the other. A legato approach to playing is suggested for this invention. It is a movement that features figuration and an exploration of shapes rather than ornamentation. The two voices are frequently moving in contrary motion. This invention sounds so easy on the ear but it is a challenging to read because of the accidentals. The realisation plays back at 25 dotted quarter note or dotted crotchet beats to the minute. The repeats whilst indicated in the sheet music score are not played in the mp3 realisation or the accompaniments The reading of the notes and accidentals requires attention especially in the second section and note values need to played accurately. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Two Part Inventions and 15 Three part Sinfonias and many of them provide excellent opportunities for duo and trio playing. When played in an ensemble context there is not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. Close
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Serenade by R. Hoffstetter is a popular movement from the classical repertoire that can be arranged for many different combinations of instruments. Th Show More...
Serenade by R. Hoffstetter is a popular movement from the classical repertoire that can be arranged for many different combinations of instruments. This arrangement for guitar trio requires two six string and a 4 string bass. In the PlentyMusic realisation electric guitars have been used and the pdf download has conventional notation and TAB charts in place. Improve music practice routines by downloading this sheet music score and accompaniments from PlentyMusic. The music possesses classical beauty and is sustained in its quality and whilst attributed to Haydn is now known to have been composed by Roman Hoffstetter. The melody does sound easy to play although there are challenges in playing music of this era well and musically. In a performance, the articulation of the notes needs to be consistent - the melody is to be played legato whilst the guitar and bass accompaniments offer an appropriate contrasting accompaniment. A tempo in the range from 90-102 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the bar is suggested. Individual parts are appended to the full score available as a pdf download from the PlentyMusic website. The repeats which are not marked in the video score do not play in the realisation or video score. mp3 piano accompaniments are available playing at 86, 90, 94, 98 and 102 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. The accompaniments provide the guitar 1 player with the opportunity to practice in an ensemble context. A two bar click track sounding on a wood block can be heard at the opening of the accompaniments establishing the tempo. An ideal concert item because the music epitomises so much of classical style although surprisingly not composed by one of the famous and familiar classical composers. It’s a movement that gives opportunity to players to learn much about classical music from the playing, musicianship and theoretical perspectivies. The repetitive element in the melodic writing is strong whilst the melody line combines chordal and stepwise shapes. The appoggiaturas do often create dissonance in the melodic line whilst the chromatic harmonic colour add to the music’s appeal and interest. In the PlentyMusic sheet music score pdf available for download the appoggiaturas (leaning notes) have been notated as they are to be played whilst the acciaccaturas (crushed notes) are indicated as ornaments with the appropriate symbol. The ornaments, acciaccaturas (crushed notes) are probably best omitted in the early stages of playing the movement. This is an excellent movement for developing an understanding of performance practice and the understanding of dissonance, harmonic rhythm and other musical elements that feature in compositions from the classical era. One of the best reasons to play classical music is that it is a positive element in giving players an awareness of basic structures and shapes in music. Additionally, it is also one of the best ways of developing a secure performing/playing technique on an instrument. Classical style features elements of contrast particularly with regard to key and dynamics. As there is also a strong repetitive element that requires the music to played with both simplicity and consistency. The melody can be played with a variety of articulations but in the first instance particularly as an ensemble piece a legato approach is suggested. How the melody is shaped and played in the opening section is how the melody should be played for the rest of the movement. Listening to a number of performances of the score the music it is surprising how different interpretations can be particularly in respect to tempo, articulation of the melody line, the range of dynamics used and particularly the interpretation of ornaments whether appoggiaturas or acciaccaturas. Instrumentalists should appreciate that classical music can be interpreted differently and what is indicated on the page particularly with regard to ornamentation, phrasing and articulation are discussion points. Listening to available recordings will give an awareness how differently the same music can be played but appreciate that the music editor has been intent upon producing a score that is both consistent and has clarity. Roman Hoffstetter, the composer of this music, was interestingly a Benedictine monk, strongly influenced by Haydn in his music so much so that this perfect imitation of Haydn’s style has in the past been assimilated into Haydn’s own catalogue. Close
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Bach J.S. Sinfonia 11 BWV 797 arranged for intermediate level classical guitar trio. The Sinfonia arrangements from PlentyMusic are excellent movement Show More...
Bach J.S. Sinfonia 11 BWV 797 arranged for intermediate level classical guitar trio. The Sinfonia arrangements from PlentyMusic are excellent movements to improve music practice routines. The Sinfonia 11 transcribed from the key of Gm to Dm is a melancholy and appealing movement with some attractive rhythmic and melodic figuration. Individual instrument parts are appended to the full music score which is available as a download from the PlentyMusic website. In this arrangement each guitar plays one of the voices or parts in the three part Sinfonia The classical guitar trio realisation plays back at 30 dotted quarter note beats or crotchet beats to the minute. Guitar accompaniments playing at 30, 32, 34 and 36 dotted quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute are available as mp3 downloads from PlentyMusic. The sinfonias are excellent movements to develop and improve ensemble playing. There is a considerable melodic range in the three voices with each having a range of close to two octaves. Playing such ranges encourages the development of good intonation (playing in tune) and quality of tone. This particular movement is a very good test of ensemble playing particularly because of the tied notes across the bar lines and the imaginative rhythmic and melodic figuration that features in the movement. To fully appreciate the rhythmic fluidity of the movement instrumentalists should experience playing the movement as part of an ensemble. This fluidity in the rhythmic shapes possibly explains or at suggests one of the many reasons why Bach’s music is often adapted and played by jazz musicians Rehearsal marks are in place at bars 17, 33, 48 and 65 on the music score although the music editor suggests that in music of this style players will know immediately when they not quite together. While this music sounds emotional and encourages an emotional response to listeners it needs to be performed quite objectively. Ornaments have been omitted in the preparing of this music score although those familiar with the performance practice of the baroque may choose to add ornaments particularly at cadences. A guiding principle is that the any ornaments introduced should be imitated in the other voices. The Sinfonias were originally composed for harpsichord the keyboard instrument of J.S. Bach’s time although they do provide excellent ensemble material for various instrument combinations. This transcription keeps to original voicings and key although pitch levels in baroque times were lower than in contemporary times. The Sinfonias would have been mainly played on the keyboard instruments of Bach’s time available in the home which may have included the clavichord and harpsichord. The organ which is also a keyboard instrument requiring the need for a second person to operate the bellows was essentially a church instrument The Sinfonias are works conceived for three voices and feature compositional processes associated with contrapuntal writing of the baroque era: repetition, inversion, imitation, and sequence feature strongly in this particular sinfonia. The 3 part Sinfonias and 2 part Inventions are excellent movement for developing listening skills in ensemble playing. Do make use of these and other resources available on the PlentyMusic website. Score detail is usually omitted in music from the baroque era although there is scope to introduce crescendos and diminuendos with the rise and falls of the music and rits. and ralls are sometimes appropriate cadences. Do make sure that your instrument is in tune before playing with an accompaniment. PlentyMusic realisations and accompaniments are pitched at A = 440 hertz. Close
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This arrangement for classical guitar quartet of Rheinberger’s Cantilene from his Organ Sonata No.11 is scored for 4 classical guitars. Instrumental Show More...
This arrangement for classical guitar quartet of Rheinberger’s Cantilene from his Organ Sonata No.11 is scored for 4 classical guitars. Instrumental parts for individual players are appended to the full score. Accompaniments are also available allowing the guitar 1 player to enjoy ensemble practice in context. There is a one bar eighth note (quaver) click track before the 3 guitars start to sound. They play back at 80, 84 and 88 eighth (quaver) notes to the minute. Rheinberger was a prolific composer and made a significant contribution to the organ music repertoire. Born in Liechtenstein he spent most of his life in Germany. He was also a distinguished teacher from the years he spent in Munich and Richard Strauss was just one of many distinguished pupils. J.G. Rheinberger is a name familiar to organists but like many church composers his music is not widely known outside the music world in which he worked. The Cantilena is the second movement of Rheinberger’s Organ Sonata No. 11 in D minor published as his Opus 148. The work was composed in 1888. Rheinberger was particularly influenced by J.S. Bach, F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann and J. Brahms in his compositional approach. While the piece is reminiscent of Bach’s Arioso style the strong chromatic element in the writing belongs very much to its time identified as the late romantic period in music history. A beautifully crafted score this is really a late 19th century manifestation of a Bach chorale harmonisation with the influence of the chromatic harmony of Brahms. In this arrangement the music has been transposed up a tone from the key of F to the key of G. Apart from the beauty of the melody the counterpoint, particularly in the inner parts of the accompaniment, is a joy to explore. There are few dynamic markings in the score which is actually very untypical of music scores of the time. The realisation plays back at 84 eighth note beats to the minute. Guitarists should play with an awareness of an eighth note or quaver pulse. Performers would be wise to study the harmonic outline and examine the voice leading in the individual parts. Careful attention needs to be paid to the accidentals and tied notes in the score. The music scores available are often contradictory particularly in respect to the tied notes in the inner parts. Cantilena is an Italian/Latin word suggesting both lullaby and song. A movement that is intended to be played in a quiet and sustained manner.The melody needs to be played with a legato whilst the bass line is played with a detached or staccato touch. The melody explores several rhythmic motifs often with tied notes. Much of the writing features off-beat rhythms related to the resolving of the dissonances in the inner parts. The influence of the Bach 4 part chorale harmonisation is paramount together with the chromatic harmony that suggests the influence of J. Brahms. There are several arrangements available from the PlentyMusic website for both ensembles and solo instruments with piano accompaniment. Close
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An intermediatelevel arrangement from PlentyMusic for classical guitar trio of the second movement Siciliana from the String Trio Opus 17 No. 1 by Fel Show More...
An intermediatelevel arrangement from PlentyMusic for classical guitar trio of the second movement Siciliana from the String Trio Opus 17 No. 1 by Felice Giardini transcribed to the key of A. Giardini’s string trio’s music are beautifully crafted works and need to be re-discovered and played. The tempo marking in the sheet music score is Adagio whilst the video score plays back at 44 dotted quarter (crotchet) notes to the minute. Trills begin on the note and have been notated in full in the video score which can be viewed on our YouTube channel. This area of performance practice is one that encourages debate and if instrumentalists have an alternative please do send the PlentyMusic Office an mp3 recording of a performance or rehearsal or even a notated version. The siciliana, siciliano or sicilienne is a slow dance with a lilting rhythm in three time which can be described as a slow jig and features quite strongly in baroque music and in many works since. Such music is often in the minor key, pastoral in character with dotted rhythms frequently prevailing. Its origins are possibly Sicilian because of its association with the Sicilian born Alessandro Scarlatti but more likely to the madrigals of the Italian renaissance. Giardini’s music is familiar to those who sing hymns as the tune Moscow was composed by him. Giardini 1716 – 1796 Italian by birth, was a violinist and composer, who toured widely in Europe settling in England and becoming an orchestra leader of the Italian Opera in London and director of the orchestra at the London Pantheon. He worked closely with his friend and colleague J. C. Bach, familiarly referred to as the the London Bach. For a 15 year period from the mid 1750’s Giardini was considered to be one of the very best performing artists of his time. As a composer his chamber music, particularly his string trios, are best known and his compositional style combines style galant with the classicism of J. C. Bach and the Mannheim school associated with Stamitz. This so called pre-classical period in music is a fascinating period to study because of the great diversity in music across the main cities of Europe. After leaving England in 1784 for Naples his career faltered due mainly to changes in secure financial circumstances. Close
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Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga (Let me cry) from the opera Rinaldo in an improver level instrumental arrangement for classical guitar quartet with g Show More...
Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga (Let me cry) from the opera Rinaldo in an improver level instrumental arrangement for classical guitar quartet with guitar 4 having its 6th string tuned down to D. Instrument parts are attached to the full score which is available from PlentyMusic as a pdf download. If circumstances arise then there the music could be performed by a guitar ensemble with each part played by more than one instrument. The aria or song is taken from the opera Rinaldo which first appeared in 1711 and was subsequently revised in 1733. It is in ABA form and based on the sarabande rhythm which has the stress on the second beat of the three beats in a bar. When sung the Da Capo section would be an opportunity for the soloist to improvise and ornament the melody and this is an option available for the top line players in this instrumental arrangement. The music editor suggests that it appropriate to keep to the style of the period in the first instance but it is also a piece in which the stylistic element can be explored. Those who enjoy improvising can always record their work can send it as an mp3 to the PlentyMusic office for feedback. The score has been notated in 3|2 time keeping to the conventions of the original notation but could quite readily be notated in 3|4 time. The trill in bar has been written out in the video score which is available to view on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel. This is music that is very appropriate music for a solemn processional in a social context context. It is usual to present baroque scores with minimal score detail although in this score there is some indication of appropriate dynamics. The arrangement is in the original key of F major although the tempo for the quartet is more Larghetto than Largo which was the tempo indication in the opera. The music in the video score plays back at a tempo of 66 half note or minim beats to the minute. The music editor observes that instrumental arrangements of a vocal piece are invariably played at a faster tempo. This is an opportunity for an improver level musician to be playing what is a great piece of music. It is what the music editor identifies as being a potential “stepping stone” for many instrument players. There is an interesting story as to the origins of the sarabande rhythm for those who enjoy researching the history of forms and rhythmic patterns particularly those associated with dances. Close
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Invitación by I. Cervantes is a short attractive work. This intermediate level arrangement from PlentyMusic for acoustic guitar quartet is in the key Show More...
Invitación by I. Cervantes is a short attractive work. This intermediate level arrangement from PlentyMusic for acoustic guitar quartet is in the key of Em and features the Cuban habanera pattern. The arrangement is scored for 4 acoustic guitars ideally either 4 nylon or 4 steel strung guitars should be used. The music has been transposed is in the original key of E minor. Individual parts for the players are appended to the full music score. It is an excellent piece for ensemble players to help their tuning and intonation by listening to both their own playing and the playing of others. The chromatic notes and modal shifts also make it challenging to play absolutely in tune. The music editor suggests that it is the ideal competition or test piece. The rhythmic patterns need to be secure and possibly learnt by clapping and tapping drills particularly in the context of an ensemble performance. There is surprising intensity in the music of Cervantes created by the tonal/modal ambivalence and by the many accidentals in the strong contrapuntal lines. Where appropriate some octave transpositions have been made in the lines to keep to the best and most appropriate range of the instruments. Most of Cervantes movements are very short and benefit from being played through twice. The music editor has not actually made use of repeat signs in the music scores that have been prepared. but they are in place in the sheet music score. The tempo of the score is marked Moderato with the movement able to be played at a range of tempi from around 64 to 76 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. In this arrangement the realisation plays back at 68 quarter note beats to the minute. The performance practice of the music of Cervantes varies particularly with regard to tempo and the use of rubato (speeding up and slowing down) and does not benefit from the same tradition of playing as movements by more mainstream composers. The advice is simply to listen and learn from the recordings that are available. Whilst there is the scope for more flexibility in performance than demonstrated by the realisations the music editor suggests the avoidance of any exaggerated playing. Ignacio Cervantes was born in Havana, Cuba and composed many short pieces for the piano most of which are imbued with the rhythms and colour of his homeland. The habanera rhythmic pattern features strongly in his music. Should some re-scoring be required, possibly a n additional TAB score please advise the PlentyMusic Office. Please do let us hear and share your live performances which can be forwarded as mp3 and mp4 files to the PlentyMusic Office. Just advise us by email that you have a recording to share. Close
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Los Tres Golpes (The Three Knocks) by the Cuban composer Ignacio Cervantes is a movement that explores the habanera pattern. This arrangement for guit Show More...
Los Tres Golpes (The Three Knocks) by the Cuban composer Ignacio Cervantes is a movement that explores the habanera pattern. This arrangement for guitar quartet is a great performance pieces enabling guitarists to explore many aspects of their playing particularly regarding tone, the articulation of notes and dynamic range. The realisation has a repeat played which is common when Cervantes music is performed. The tempo of the realisation is 84 bpm. The sheet music scores is also presented with a repeat in place although this is editorial. The music has been transposed from the original key of E minor to A minor. The movement can be played at a variety of tempo. The music editor suggests that it is easier to decide when the movement is being played too slowly rather than too quickly! The choice of tempo is dependent on the instrument combination, the performance context and the acoustic of the recording or performance venue. There is scope to explore tempo rubato in a performance. These miniatures provide excellent playing material for players because they provide so many of the musical elements that feature in Cuban music whether in an art music, folk or popular music context. Cervantes was a composer and musician who assimilated the music elements of his home country in all his work. As he studied music formally in Cuba and in Europe his music is generally presented in a way that lends itself to being arranged in the traditions of the Western music tradition. The contrapuntal element in his music is very strong and whereas formally Cervantes always has clear melodic and harmonic direction musical ideas are presented in a sectional context which are generally repeated. The suggestion is a very quick and inventive mind particularly in his use of the habanera pattern. The melodic line in its original form for piano has a broad range (more than 3 octaves) and for many of the arrangements it is necessary to utilise octave transpositions to enable the most appropriate range of the featured solo instrument to be explored. For those interested in the voicing of the composer’s original score download the piano version which is available as a free score. The original PlentyMusic context for this movement was in the Ragtime and Relations Area of Study in which the focus was exploring syncopated rhythms including the habanera pattern. In 2021, the scores have been reviewed and a number of additional arrangements have been added to the PlentyMusic website. The arrangement would be best played with either 4 nylon strung guitars or 4 steel strung guitars. A mandolin can also be substituted for Acoustic Guitar 1. Close
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Adiós A Cuba (Farewell to Cuba) is one of Ignacio Cervantes most popular works. This advanced level arrangement from PlentyMusic is for guitar trio. Show More...
Adiós A Cuba (Farewell to Cuba) is one of Ignacio Cervantes most popular works. This advanced level arrangement from PlentyMusic is for guitar trio. It features many of the rhythmic patterns characteristic of Cuban music. It is an excellent movement to encourage rhythmic accuracy and developing a sense and awareness of pulse in ensemble music making. The rhythmic shapes need to be possibly learnt and made secure by being clapped/tapped. In the opening section with the strong repetitive element players should be aiming at tonal and dynamic contrast in their playing of the repeating motif. There are some idiomatic rhythmic shapes in the writing whilst the musical texture lends itself to being very suitable for arrangement as an ensemble piece. This is music that features modal shifts and elements of chromaticism. The realisation plays back at 60 quarter note beats to the minute. This is music that allows for subtle tempo changes in performance whether it be speeding up, slowing down or returning to an “a tempo” marking. Whilst rits. or slowing down feature in the realisation the accelerando though marked is ignored. There is an opportunity to perhaps to included pauses in the music at bars 17 and 33 although they are not indicated in the scores. In the video score the instrument parts are notated at written pitch. Octave transpositions have been explored in the lines to keep to the most appropriate ranges of instruments. Players may well want to explore octave ranges of the instrument they are playing. The music editor suggests downloading the free piano sheet music score from the website to understand the relative pitch elements of the music score. Ignacio Cervantes was born in Havana, Cuba and this is one of his most popular pieces and melancholy in character. The habanera rhythmic pattern features strongly in the music of the composer who mostly composed for the piano. His piano pieces tend to be quite short but are idiomatic and imbued with the colours and rhythms of his home country. If the arrangement would benefit from some re-scoring please advise the PlentyMusic office with your suggestions. Instrumental parts are appended to the full music score which can be downloaded as a pdf. Close
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This is an arrangement for three acoustic guitars with the score formatted as a one document pdf file with individual parts for the three acoustic gui Show More...
This is an arrangement for three acoustic guitars with the score formatted as a one document pdf file with individual parts for the three acoustic guitars appended to the full score. Ignacio Cervantes was a Cuban composer born in the capital city of Havana in 1847. He had piano lessons with Louis Moreau Gottschalk before travelling to Paris to further his music studies with Charles Valentin Alkan amongst others. This piece originates as a piano solo in the key of Eb whilst this realisation sounds in the key of D and plays back at a tempo of 88 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. Many performers play through the piece twice although no repeat signs are indicated in the score. Much of Cervantes piano music is well suited to being played by a variety of instrument combinations as they are well crafted and have great musical appeal. The habanera rhythmic shape features strongly in this sunny piece. Close
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A charming and quite beautiful piece which has been arranged for many different instrument combinations although its origins are as a piano duet. A be Show More...
A charming and quite beautiful piece which has been arranged for many different instrument combinations although its origins are as a piano duet. A berceuse is a lullaby or cradle song so a gentle lilting approach is a required with nothing happening too abruptly. The realisation plays at 66 quarter note beats to the minute. When performing this music there is an opportunity to slow down at the ends of phrases and then return to tempo at the start of the next phrase. Markings to indicate this are not included in the score. The modal element that features in much of Faure's music is also evident in this arrangement. Guitar players may like to explore the octave options, the use of harmonics and the voicing of the final chord. Individual guitar parts are also appended to the full score. An acoustic guitar duet accompaniment is available. Accompaniment 1 plays at 64 quarter note beats (crotchet) to the minute, Accompaniment 2 at 68 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute and Accompaniment 3 at 72 quarter note beats (crotchet) to the minute. Close
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A tempo in the range of 84-90 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended for this sunny ensemble piece arranged for flute and two guit Show More...
A tempo in the range of 84-90 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended for this sunny ensemble piece arranged for flute and two guitars. The formal pattern used by the composer can be represented by the letters ABACA whilst the repeat signs have been retained in the realisation. Nazareth was an exceptionally gifted pianist and whilst the pianistic influence is understandably strong in his compositions his music which transfers well to other instruments particularly those of the plucked variety. The clarity of line in his musical textures is a strong feature of his compositional style. Escovado was composed in 1905 and dedicated to the composer's younger brother. The title is a common slang term which means smart or cunning and the composition became one of the composer's best known works. Close
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A tempo in the range of 84-90 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended for this sunny ensemble piece. The formal pattern used by the Show More...
A tempo in the range of 84-90 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended for this sunny ensemble piece. The formal pattern used by the composer can be represented by the letters ABACA whilst the repeat signs have been retained in the realisation. Nazareth was an exceptionally gifted pianist and whilst the pianistic influence is understandably strong in his compositions his music which transfers well to other instruments particularly those of the plucked variety. The clarity of line in his musical textures is a strong feature of his compositional style. Escovado was composed in 1905 and dedicated to the composer's younger brother. The title is a common slang term which means smart or cunning and the composition became one of the composers best known works. Close
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In this duo arrangement for mandolin and acoustic guitar, without TAB, a tempo of around 72 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended Show More...
In this duo arrangement for mandolin and acoustic guitar, without TAB, a tempo of around 72 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute is recommended. Scott Joplin's The Entertainer which he described as A Rag Time Two Step was composed in 1902. The music is instantly recognisable, which is a disadvantage to any instrumentalist because as a consequence it needs to played both accurately and musically. Ragtime is the first readily identifiable modern popular music in that it has elements and links with popular music that succeeded it. Unfortunately, much ragtime music is played very badly and frequently at too fast a tempo so I would suggest listening to Scott Joplin's own remastered piano rolls to obtain an understanding of the performance style. Ragtime music is also quite deceptive in that it sounds easy on the ear but is actually quite a challenge for the fingers to play. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 8 BWV 779 arranged for electric & bass guitar. One of the most popular of the two part inventions with scale runs and chord sha Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 8 BWV 779 arranged for electric & bass guitar. One of the most popular of the two part inventions with scale runs and chord shapes to master. A sheet music score with both staff notation and TAB is available from the website. Accompaniments are also in place. This is an updated version of an earlier music score. An uplifting and appealing invention with many scale runs and chord shapes that make this an appropriate movement for guitarists to play to improve technique. There are some octave transpositions in the parts to keep to the range of the instruments. The guitar is an instrument where the same note can be played in different positions on the fretboard and whilst the TAB scores available maybe helpful in locating notes they do not provide the only solution. Acoustic instruments can be substituted for the electric. The realisation plays back at a reasonable 84 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. Many musicians play this invention faster and interestingly it is a movement usually played without ornaments. Guitar players need to choose a tempo at which the whole movement can be played consistently. It is a good test piece for players because this piece can very easily run away with itself requiring a tempo adjustment in the challenging sixteenth /semi-quaver sections. Remember that music cannot be played quickly until it can be played slowly. The electric guitar and bass guitar are both transposing instruments and sound an octave lower than written enabling the space between the contrapuntal lines to be retained. There are some octave transpositions in the parts to keep to each instrument’s range. Scores are available in both staff notation and TAB. The TAB scores are limited in that they are literal translations of the notated score and guitar players may well wish to review some of the note positions suggested in these scores. Ornaments are not generally featured in this movement whilst the realisation plays back at 84 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitar and bass players to participate in ensemble activities as part of their practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, and for the very brave 100 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. This reflects the fact that this particular invention can be played at many different tempi. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a two bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. Again it is wise for players to listen to performances of this invention on streaming media to understand the different approaches that players have when performing this movement especially with regard to articulation. The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. They are possibly more challenging works when played on other instruments. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the harmonic journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other compositional processes and techniques are evident as in most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing ensemble playing in the duo format. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 8 BWV 779 arranged for classical guitar duo in the original key of F. One of the most popular of the two part inventions with s Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 8 BWV 779 arranged for classical guitar duo in the original key of F. One of the most popular of the two part inventions with scale runs and chord shapes to master. A sheet music score with both staff notation and TAB is available from the website. Accompaniments are also in place. An uplifting and appealing invention with many scale runs and chord shapes that make this an appropriate movement for guitarists to play to improve technique. There are some octave transpositions in the parts to keep to the range of the instruments. The guitar is an instrument where the same note can be played in different positions on the fretboard and whilst the TAB scores available maybe helpful in locating notes they do not provide the only option. The realisation plays back at 96 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. Many musicians play this invention faster and interestingly it is a movement usually played without ornaments. Guitar players need to choose a tempo at which the whole movement can be played consistently. It is a good test piece for players because this piece can very easily run away with itself requiring a tempo adjustment in the challenging sixteenth /semi-quaver sections. Remember that music cannot be played quickly until it can be played slowly. The classical guitar is a transposing instrument and sounds an octave lower than written. The contrapuntal lines are an octave closer together than in the piano version. Ornaments are not generally featured in this movement whilst the realisation plays back at 84 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitar players to participate in ensemble activities as part of their practice routines. Classical Guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and Classical Guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, and for the brave 100 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. This reflects the fact that this particular invention can be played at many different tempi. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a four bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. Again it is wise for players to listen to performances of this invention on streaming media to understand the different approaches that players have when performing this movement especially with regard to articulation. The Bach Inventions are generally considered to be intermediate level movements when played on a keyboard instrument. They are possibly more challenging works when played on other instruments. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the harmonic journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other compositional processes and techniques are evident as in most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing ensemble playing in the duo format. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. electric guitar & bass guitar Both notated & TAB scores are available. In the key of D minor this is an appeal Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. electric guitar & bass guitar Both notated & TAB scores are available. In the key of D minor this is an appealing work featuring an opening motif or melodic shape that combines a scale shape with the interval of a falling diminished seventh. The realisation plays back at 48 dotted quarter note or dotted crotchet beats to the minute. The time signature for this movement is 3/8 and the music editor suggests approaching playing the movement with a one in a bar feel or pulse rather than trying to count in eighth notes or quavers. The long trills bar 19 and bar 29 need to be played rhythmically and with control. There is some debate as to the notes to be played in the trill commencing in bar 29. The music editor suggests a written F natural but many alternate a F# with the E. The ornaments can always be omitted particularly in the early stages of learning the movement. If In the video score, which guitar players may wish to refer to on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. As the electric The TAB score Accompaniments are in place allowing electric guitar & bass players to participate in an ensemble activity as part of practice routines. The electric guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass guitar on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 39, 42, 45, 48, 51 and for the brave 54 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a four bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. This is an invention where it is interesting to observe the different approaches to playing the movement particularly with regard to tempo and articulation. The Inventions are always worth revisiting and the collection should be understood to be one that benefits from this. Valuable time can be spent on streaming media listening to and perhaps watching different approaches that players have when performing this movement. Whilst there is considerable contrast to the tempo that the invention is played remember that movements cannot be played quickly until they be played slowly! The inventions offer excellent opportunities to improve ensemble playing in a duo context. Individual clarinet parts are also appended to the full scores available as a pdf download from the PlentyMusic website. The Bach Inventions are considered to be intermediate level movements. The key journey that features in this movement embraces the closley related keys of the relative major, sub-dominant and the V7 – VI progression bars 48 - 49 further adds to the harmonic journey. Imitation, inversion and sequence are all in evidence as compositional processes. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure playing technique. This is a revision and update of a previous score posted on the website. The music score was revised in 2023. B. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. classical guitar duo with both notated & TAB scores available as pdf downloads from the PlentyMusic website. In Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 4 BWV 775 arr. classical guitar duo with both notated & TAB scores available as pdf downloads from the PlentyMusic website. In the key of D minor this is an appealing work featuring an opening motif or melodic shape that combines a scale shape with the interval of a falling diminished seventh. The realisation plays back at 48 dotted quarter note or dotted crotchet beats to the minute. The time signature for this movement is 3/8 and the music editor suggests approaching playing the movement with a one in a bar feel or pulse rather than trying to count in eighth notes or quavers. The long trills bar 19 and bar 29 need to be played rhythmically and with control. There is some debate as to the notes to be played in the trill commencing in bar 29. The music editor suggests a written F natural but many alternate a F# with the E. The ornaments can always be omitted particularly in the early stages of learning the movement. Many guitarists edit the music score in how they play the ornaments finding it difficult to sustain the hammer technique for so long. Find a solution but do ensure that both parts and instruments are imitating each other. The voicing in this arrangement with the guitar 1 sounding an octave lower than written means that the contrapuntal lines are an octave closer together than in the original piano version. In the video score, which guitar players may wish to refer to on the PlentyMusic YouTube channel ornaments have been written out as they sound in the realisation to represent exactly what is being played. Accompaniments are in place allowing classical guitar duo players to participate in an ensemble activity as part of practice routines. Classical Guitar 1 sounds on one side of the stereo channel and Classical Guitar 2 on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 39, 42, 45, 48, 51 and for the brave 54 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a four bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. This is an invention where it is interesting to observe the different approaches to playing the movement particularly with regard to tempo and articulation. The Inventions are always worth revisiting and the collection should be understood to be one that benefits from this. Valuable time can be spent on streaming media listening to and perhaps watching different approaches that players have when performing this movement. Whilst there is considerable contrast to the tempo that the invention is played remember that movements cannot be played quickly until they be played slowly! The inventions offer excellent opportunities to improve ensemble playing in a duo context. Individual guitar parts are also appended to the full scores available as a pdf download from the PlentyMusic website. The Bach Inventions are considered to be intermediate level movements. The key journey that features in this movement embraces the closely related keys of the relative major, sub-dominant and the V7 – VI progression bars 48 - 49 further adds to the harmonic journey. Imitation, inversion and sequence are all in evidence as compositional processes. The principle behind J. S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst processes are evident in Bach’s inventions as most other music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. They are excellent pieces for developing a sound and secure playing technique. This is a revision and update of a previous score posted on the website. Close
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J.S.Bach’s Invention 13 in the key of A minor is a movement with some quite delightful shapes to play particularly chord shapes including minor, maj Show More...
J.S.Bach’s Invention 13 in the key of A minor is a movement with some quite delightful shapes to play particularly chord shapes including minor, major, dominant 7th & diminished 7th also in their different positions (root, first & second inversion…) This is an excellent ensemble piece encouraging players to listen to each other. Acoustic instruments can be substituted for the electric ones. The electric guitar and bass guitar are both transposing instruments and sound an octave lower than written enabling the space between the contrapuntal lines to be retained. There are some octave transpositions in the bass guitar part to keep to the instrument’s range. Scores are available in both staff notation and TAB. The guitar is an instrument where the same note can be played in different positions and on different strings. The TAB scores are a literal translations of the notated score and guitar players may well wish to review some of the note positions suggested in these scores. Ornaments are not featured in this movement whilst the realisation plays back at 72 quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. Accompaniments are in place allowing guitar and bass players to participate in ensemble activities as part of their practice routines. The guitar sounds on one side of the stereo channel and the bass on the other. The accompaniment tracks play back at 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72 quarter note (crotchet) beats per minute. This reflects the fact that the invention can be played at many different tempi. Accompaniment backing tracks are recorded with a dry acoustic to encourage accuracy in playing. There is a two bar count in /click track for each of the accompaniment tracks. As in all the inventions it is a requirement to play accurate note values. Ends of phrases are deserving of particular attention. Legato playing is suggested in the first instance although players can offer their own playing and performance approaches which in many ways is the invitation offered in this and many other Bach music collections. There is no perfectly correct way to play this music and there is the added challenge of being able to re-visit and play the music again. Time spent listening to this work on streaming media will be invaluable to players wishing to understand the different approaches that players have when performing this movement. The principle behind J.S. Bach’s two part inventions is to take a musical idea or motive and then process it following the rules of good contrapuntal writing using the compositional processes of the baroque and at the same time referencing the closely related keys in the harmonic journey. Inversion, repetition, sequence, transposition, rhythmic augmentation/diminution amongst other processes are evident in Bach’s Two Part Inventions as in most music of the baroque period. J. S. Bach composed 15 Inventions in a collection dating from 1723 intended to introduce keyboard players to composition techniques of the baroque. As concentrated and concise movements the 15 Inventions played in an ensemble context present excellent challenges and there is simply not much other music that can better prepare players for this type of music activity. An invention suited to being played by a wide range of instruments possibly with a combination of instruments belonging to different instrument families – a mix and match approach is invited. The 2023 music score is a revision of the 2013 PlentyMusic score. Close
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