2009 November | Christopher Davis, guitarist

Erik Satie – Gnossienne No. 1 (free music!)

November 24, 2009 2:42 pm

I have a little Thanksgiving gift for everyone: a free arrangement of Satie’s Gnossienne No. 1.

Here’s a quick recording of what it sounds like:

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Some notes about the arrangement:

I prefer cross string ornaments, so most of the grace notes are written as cross string. This can be change depending on your personal preferences, but I think the cross string ornaments make it easier.
The grace notes should be placed on the beat. They borrow time from the following note.
The phrasing slurs are not mine, they are in the piano score.
A phrase slur generally indicates a slight crescendo and diminuendo. Combined with a bit of ritard at the end of the phrase.
I’ve added some dynamics, mostly at the end of phrases.
All the text in the score is also in the piano version.

If, for some reason, you’d like to download the audio, here’s the file address: http://www.christopherguitar.net/audio/satiegnossienne1.mp3.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Theme and Variations – Lennox Berkeley

November 22, 2009 7:55 pm

A great composition by English composer Lennox Berkeley. Just finished recording this one.

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Grad Recital Program 3/19/2009

November 21, 2009 11:00 pm

I’m going to be posting the images of my various programs here for archiving purposes.

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Divertissement, Op. 23 – Fernando Sor

November 20, 2009 11:46 am

I’m on a recording kick! Here’s three more from Sor’s Op. 23.

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Bach Prelude, BWV 995

November 20, 2009 9:32 am

Another audition CD recording.

Bach, J.S. – Prelude, BWV 995

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I’ve been doing some recording lately for an audition CD. This is was made with my brand new Michael Thames Guitar and a Zoom H4. There’s no reverb or EQ added. Just the recorder sitting about three feet in front of the guitar.

Giuliani, Mauro: Variations, Op. 45

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This Week on Twitter

November 15, 2009 11:00 am

I just shaved (for real, with a razor) for the first time in probably a two years. Usu. I just trim. the things I do for photographs. #
CG tip: want to get really good at damping with the RH thumb? Do the Giuliani 120 RH studies and pay attention to the bass note values. #
21 Tips for Better Guitar Playing http://bit.ly/3WA5xg Some general, easy technical and musical tips to think about. #
Just got back from the photo shoot. In a week I will have press photos. #
Off to my weekly deadlifting session. 335 for 5+ tonight. Should be exciting/noisy. #
Ridiculous. RT @davidjhahn: Musicians locked out of New York musical – replaced with pre-recorded tape http://bit.ly/4rzO7h #
Is Music Music Inc, the makers of Finale on twitter? If so: please make your product better. and more guitar friendly. #
My biggest problem with finale is that it moves things that I specifically placed. (sigh) fuck finale. I should ask them for my money back. #
Listening to @imogenheap 's new album, "Ellipse" http://bit.ly/4BSkLB #
Just started reading "Everything is Miscellaneous" by David Weinberger http://bit.ly/QDjlw (I think that's an affiliate link?) #
Yep it was an affiliate link. I tried out amazon's new "Share on twitter" affiliate button thingy. Convenient I suppose. #
Rallentando vs. Ritardando http://bit.ly/2CbchR some thoughts on why a composer would use both (hint: they have to mean something different) #
http://bit.ly/3SNvcT Fatal Guitar Lesson (guitar teachers will find this funny) #
It's very unfortunate that the person who watches over the wikipedia classical guitar page has such a narrow view of what should be on it. #
Learning a dowland Song to perform with a singer. Scary stuff. Never accompanied a vocalist before. #
Amen. RT @GuitPatrick: So much easier to choose happiness and let the rest of it go. #
Not sure when I learned to sight read better, but apparently that happened this year. #
Uh oh, a search for "no good guitar blogs" brings up me as the first result. http://bit.ly/40ynyu #
http://bit.ly/24RRdR The Giuliani piece I've been working on (Op. 45) First time recording it. Let me know what you think. #
Trying to get used to this recording thing in general. I have record Audition CDs later this month. Scary stuff. #
A new post about changing up the very easy p i m arpeggio to make it more challenging. http://bit.ly/WfxIK #
Wonder if Mr. Thames sent my guitar yesterday. I was supposed to hear from him, but I didn't. Hope he did! #
Prepping my resume to submit for school applications. #
I don't understand applications. Why do I need to upload works experience, activities/awards, education and upload a resume? #
No school tomorrow. Thank you veterans day! #
Guitar was sent today! Should get it friday! (very excited) #
It feels like a reading morning. Not a practicing morning. #
The idea that scarcity creates professional classes is really amazing to me. #
00000 #
Technique practice round 2: alternation bursts, string crossing, slurs on all strings. #
http://bit.ly/4A8OWS Xuefei Yang Concert Review #
Off to teach. Four hours straight tonight. Scary. #
I would say that about 90% of learning music is just figuring out the notation and doing what's on the page expression-marking-wise. #
Guitar is in Memphis! (can you tell I'm excited about this?) #
The guitar gets here tomorrow, but so does @michelle_reinke I wonder who I'll spend more time with… #
RT @Babblenaggs: RT @badbanana Marching bands are actually homeless orchestras. Tragic, really. #
I'm spending my afternoon cleaning. Exhausting work really. #
tryig to figure out the zoom H4. Not going well. All I want to do is play a file back, but apparently I can't! #
I'm going to want to kill myself recording this audition CD. I really hate this crap. I never play anything well while recording. #
Going to have wait on the new guitar to do more recording. Even with a nice recorder, I never get enough bass string/separation of voices. #
If people keep subscribing to my mailing list, I'm going to end up having to pay Mail Chimp. 100+ subscribers already. http://bit.ly/3CbXUh #
New Lovezors image is up! http://www.lovezors.com/ (this is a site I do for fun with @michelle_reinke ) RT if you like it! #
New guitar today! Should get here soon. It's "out for delivery," UPS usu. gets here around 10. #
Guitar's here! See you guys in a week when I'm done breaking it in. #
I actually have dynamics with the new guitar. Can be crazy loud if I want to! #
Break from playing so I can do some teaching. #
Alexandre Tansman's "Variations on a Theme by Scriabin" is an oustanding piece. #
I guess I'll stop playing my guitar and hang out with @michelle_reinke for a while. #

Fun with p i m

November 10, 2009 10:41 am

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p i m, Giuliani RH study no. 2. One of the most basic arpeggios, and easy to master.

original

Here’s two ways to make it more exciting.

Start with different fingers. This shifts the accent and completely changes the feel of the arpeggio. It’s strangely challenging even though it seems very basic.

imp

mpi

Put fingers on the same string. This requires more precise sequential planting to get a good sound. In some cases (the last one), it’s very awkward, and one of those instances where you take something further than needed to the original feels easier.