Here is a list of upcoming attractions:

Dillington summer school and festival, Ilminster Summerset UK. For details e-mail guitarandcompany@ukgateway.net

Tutors    Peter Rueffer, Lorraine Eastwood, Steve Marsh, Arne Brattland (Good to see this fine player in the UK again)

As well as summer school there is also a guitar festival featuring…

“Together” – Music for Guitar and Harpsichord. Peter Rueffer, Lorraine Eastwood, Steve Marsh, Arne Brattland, and special guests Debra Adamson, Nick Hunt and Bruce Grindlay.

Sunday 3 August 2003 - 6.30pm

The Katona Twins - Classical Guitar Duo

Monday 4 August 2003 - 8.00pm

Arctic Guitar Trio – Guitar trio from Norway

Tuesday 5 August 2003 - 8.00pm

Eduardo Niebla Duo – Spanish Guitar Duo

Wednesday 6 August 2003 - 8.00pm

Groningen Guitar Duo – Classical Guitar from Holland

Thursday 7 August 2003 - 8.00pm

West Dean International Guitar Festival  Chichester, UK.

Featuring concerts and masterclasses by Roland Dyens, Ben Verdery, Berta Rojas. I had the pleasure of seeing Rojas last year, if you ever get the chance to attend a concert by her, I strongly recommend do it! Event commence early July to late August.

Cheltnham Guitar Festival   University of Gloucestershire, Cheltnham, UK,  24 to 30 July 2010.

 Guests David Russell, Nigel North & Scott Tennant

Tutors Tom Kerstens & Amanda Cook

If you are attending any of these, please let me know hwo you get on

One day last week while at work a colleagues  mobile phone went off, and it was the ringtone which appears to be the most popular, you all know the one I’m sure..I happened to mention to her that the ringtone was originally an extract from a  classical guitar  piece by Tarrega, here is the clip in it’s true context: Vals extract

She replied, to my surprise, that she knew the piece on guitar, had heard it recently, and liked it. For some reason, when a non guitarist admits to knowing a guitar work it always comes as a surprise to me. Perhaps I am thinking we guitarists are still in our own little, private world, or maybe it’s ME who is that:))

This particular mobile ringtone is generally regarded as annoying, though I doubt it’s the ringtone itself, only people tend to get cheesed off when another person’s mobile rings in a public place. Myself included, I guess.

It would be interesting to speculate on Tarrega’s reaction, if he knew how his innocuous little phrase was being interpreted. Appalled, perhaps, regarding it’s out of context use? Or even flattered, given it’s popularity?

It’s true that I sometimes am at pains to point out to people (at the risk of being a total bore, perish the thought) the ringtone’s origin, if only to raise the public profile of our instrument. In this respect, this post may serve as a little test..By tagging it ringtone, I will look to see how many hits I get from search engine traffic looking for ringtones :))

Here is the full piece I discovered on youtube. Anyone guess the guitarist in this recording?

I have been asked to review the CD Berlin by guitarist Ralf Krebs. This is a different style to my normal classical guitar reviews, because Ralf plays a number of instruments, classical and electric guitars, percussion, pandeiro, and different effects.

The CD is a fusion of classical guitar, jazz, latin, blended together in a soundscape, with added effects, such as digital delay. Ralf explains his musical concepts:

“I see it as a big personal challenge, to expand the feasibilities of the guitar in my own compositions and arrangements. The more I explore new paths, the more ways, techniques and sounds are revealed to me, all lifting the guitar as an eminent instrument of Jazz on a higher level.”

In Berlin he unites the two worlds of jazz and classical music into one, unique solo-guitar style. The CD includes such well known classical guitar works by Tarrega and Piazzola, played in an impressionistic way.feel it’s Important with these works to concentrate on the overall musical impression, not simply compare with other guitar recordings of the work. This is something many guitarists tend to do when listening to recordings, such as, “I prefer it played this way, or that way, or David Russell (for example) plays it better…

What I found interesting was the recording had the perspective of a jazz players interpretation on some famous classical guitar works. Many, many times we hear Tarrega and Piazolla on classical guitar, it made for a refreshing change to witness the impression these works had on Mr. Krebs, and his own soundscape -

Raymond Bossa

Reflection of Brazillian music, inspired by percussionist the player has worked with. Bossa styled percussion, colourful guitar melody weaving around the rhythm. Jazz incorporated into Bossa style.

Muerte Del Angel

Famous Piazzolla piece, with characteristic strong rhythmic motifs, interspersed with a dreamy, reflective guitar solo. The main theme incorporates percussion and jazz styled improvosations. Overall, an effective track.

Milona Del Angel

The Piazolla theme continues with Milonga, a more mellow work. Krebs again demonstrates his affinity with Piazolla’s music, by giving a sensitive reading to the score.

Summer

This piece begins a section of original compositions by Krebs.  Intro slow jazz, leading to a spirited duo with violin. A bright, upbeat piece, one that I feel has evolved over time into a slightly different form than the original.

Ray’s Space is a homage to virtual places.

A Tarrega prelude is played on electric guitar, with delay, the player attempting to create a new age feel to his impression. To me, it sounded a little like a Church hymn.

Estrallas

Homage to Al Di Meoloa  and Piazzolla, incorporating elements of both these major influences in  Krebs professional life.

Club Sophie was Composed for Krebs quintet Lindroth & Sonntag.

Abandoned

Captures the feeling of desolation when you are left by a person you love, says Krebs. First the melancholy, then feelings of hope.

Berlin

As a student, Krebs experimented with digital delay, to create soundscapes on electric guitar. The title tune “Berlin” evokes this sound imagery.

Feels So Good

A personal favourite work for Krebs, the excitement he got from listening to it over the years has never left him, he tells us. That this music gives the player particular pleasure is reflected in this joyous rendition.

Petit Prelude

Inspired by the French movie “La Mari de la Coiffeuse”, this is a chanson like waltz

Verano Porteno

“Harbour In Summer”, very famous tango by Piazzola, concludes the CD. This piece is long time favourite of mine, with it’s irresistible bass line combining with melody and chords. This rendition is a little slower than I normally come across, again Krebs employs  light percussion in the main theme first time, in the recapitulation the percussion stands out very well as counterpoint to the guitar.

Overall, I enjoyed the CD. I myself experimented with digital delay and phasers in my youth. Although they can create an intriguing soundscape effect on first hearing, I soon grew tired of it, because I felt it lacked any real substance. I would say the same thing about the title track, Berlin, as an individual track, on this CD, but I felt the Tarrega prelude came across akin to a church hymn, something I can bear in mind when I next attempt to play the piece myself. It is something I can try to bring out of the melody. So as an out and out classical player, I can learn something from this recording.

Ralf Krebs clearly is a talented jazz guitarist, and his overall music making and the way he has the ability to make his thoughts come across in music is admirable to the point where I can re-think my own interpretations of Piazzola and Tarrega.

Flamenco does not come easy to me, it’s a great form of improvised music though, so anything I can currently work on must be quite easy to play.

I’m open to suggestions from anyone for mini recital material, Flamenco, or even easy jazz Thanks for any suggestions

Williams explains the chordal harmonies of Barrios music, and Rojas relates some history and the origins of Barrios music.

We all know nerves can shatter our performance…Whatever we play in practice is so much harder in public, and many times, I like many others, have felt I have not done myself or the music justice by the way I’ve played after a performance.

A lot has to do with preparation. The need to practice until finger movements become automatic. Which means of course, you have to have much time to practice and prepare. I have felt it is useful to have about a dozen or so pieces that are always “on the back burner” so I can call on them to be ready to play at almost any time. That leaves some room for new pieces that can be slowly developed in practice. BUT, constant repetition of pieces (to the point of playing on auto pilot) can easily lead to going musically stale.

John Williams in an interview said the root of nerves is lack of confidence. An extension of this I feel is negative thoughts, perhaps about oneself, or even the venue where you are asked to play, limited time for preparation ect. Maybe even bad past experience can play on your mind, such as “I hope it’s not like THAT again”…Other common thoughts can include “I am not as good as..” or “I have not practiced enough” or “my technique is flawed”. If you can focus on your most negative thought, you are on the way towards a more positive thought that can work for you, instead of against.

                                                    Self Discovery

One way towards a more confident performance is looking inside ourselves, as opposed to attempting to take on board formulas that claim have helped many other players. Towards this process, try to understand how your inner voice can shape your feelings. Whereas negative thoughts can stimulate fear and self doubt, positive thoughts can create a positive outlook. It is easier to control thoughts than feelings. What we say to ourselves, and how we say it, is a factor in how we will perform under pressure. When musical expression is in synch with our inner soul, it can create an inner strength built on assurance.

                                                  Determine your priorities

It helps to focus on your abilities and how to use them. If you feel a technical weakness, work on it at home, for example,  don’t play something like Recuerdos in public if you feel tremolo is not your strong point.

If practice time is limited before a performance our lives, and therefore playing, can appear out of control. Add an audience to that and panic can set in. Look at your priorities and take some tough choices. Consider the music you want to play and ask yourself if you are expressing it in the way you would like to express it. And not the way maybe others do. Does your technique allow you to do this? If not, maybe make a list of pieces to perform that you have more playing control over.

To overcome nerves, first you need to free yourself of impossible goals, or even hard to attain goals. This need not restrict your aspirations, just leave them to one side, and think of playing in public experience like you do technique, like building blocks. Start building from the bottom upwards.

Try to define what you want out of a performance…You will want to do your best, but “best” is VERY rare, for almost every player. Are you satisfied with a performance that is clean, memorised..I myself try never to “sell myself”. I prefer to attempt to express the music, to express what I feel about it.

                                                   Understand the fear

It’s easy to think beforehand “no one will respect me if I mess it up” or hating the thought of letting composers music down. It can help to discuss it with others, to open up the topic rather than keep it as a secret fear. Eventually, the goal here is to make performance anxiety a part of our musical training, as much a part of how to interpret and phrase. No guide will ever in itself help us to overcome the fear. But to understand the fear, and why it is there,  is maybe the first step towards overcoming it.