Tag Archives: Guitar

The Next Time an Airline Makes You Check Your Guitar, Show Them THIS…(USA only)

Posted on by

I came across this on Digital Music News and thought I would share it – hope it will work for you!

“The following very awesome tip comes from Ari Herstand, a performing musician, actor, and part-time blogger who also advises bands and artists (check out his services here).”

The next time an airline forces you to check your $3,000 guitar, handmade violin, or priceless handcrafted instrument into cargo…

(1) Please show the counter agent, guard, or other said official the 145 page FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 section 41724.   It was signed into law by Obama last year.

Print it out. Continue reading →

In Tune – Sean Rafferty and Xuefei Yang 1st November 4.30pm

Posted on by

Before her Wigmore recital on Sunday 3rd November, and imminently before her first shed event, Xuefei Yang will be on BBC radio’s In Tune, which seems to have had a lot of guitarists in recently.
Does this signal a guitaristic renaissance, or is it like the UK economic “recovery”?

Continue reading →

Jacob do Bandolim

Posted on by

What do you get if you substitute an ‘M’ for a ‘B’ and an ‘n’ for an ‘m’?
You get a virtuosic Brazilian mandolinist whose day job was a pharmacist (and also a public notary) and who was impeccably dressed for concerts. He also wrote many of the Brazilian hits of all time, aptly named Jacob Pick Bittencourt, whose stage name was Jacob do Bandolim, “Jacob Mandolin”.
In addition to his virtuoso playing, he is famous for his many choro compositions, more than 103 tunes, which range from the lyrical melodies of “Noites Cariocas” (“Carioca Nights”), Receita de Samba and “Dôce de Coco” to the aggressively jazzy “Assanhado”, which is reminiscent of bebop. He also researched and attempted to preserve the older choro tradition, as well as that of other Brazilian music styles.

Continue reading →

The History of the Guitar in Brazil with Fabio Zanon

Posted on by

Pioneers, Creators and Performers
For three years from 2006, Radio Cultura FM broadcast a weekly program with Fabio Zanon .
After 13 initial episodes dedicated to the series The Spanish Guitar in the Twentieth Century, Fabio focuses on the history of the guitar in Brazil.
This series of 148 programs covers the rich universe of Brazilian guitar. The guitar’s main characters are the protagonists in these programs illustrated with rare recordings and exclusive interviews.
The starting point for this series is the article by Fabio, The guitar in Brazil after Villa-Lobos.

Unfortunately, you might have to work to get the downloads, but if you succeed, this is a treasure trove of the history of ther guitar in Brazil, featuring most, if not all, the important Brazilian guitarists after Villa Lobos.
Knowing how to understand Brazilian is definitely a help!
20130919-100745.jpg

The Brazilian programmes

Fabio’s series on the Spanish Guitar in the XXth Century

The Art of the Guitar

Continue reading →

James Joyce’s guitar chord

Posted on by

Continuing my occasional foray into the guitar in literature, here is a famous picture of the author of “Ulysses” and “Finnegan’s Wake” presumably trying out a tune before a session (or maybe about to smash the guitar in frustration). In fact, Joyce was reputed to have had a fine tenor voice, and the singer John McCormack offered to teach him, encouraging him to take music as a career.

The original photo, taken by Ottocaro Weiss ,a friend who was “scandalized” by Joyce’s guitar playing, is housed in Cornell’s James Joyce collection, in an exhibit in a glass closet titled “Poetry and Music.”

Joyce

Continue reading →

The Poised Guitarist

Posted on by

My first experience of mapping was failing to connect with a bar stool which wasn’t where I thought it was. Many of us have a misconception of how our joints connect and where an action starts from. The Alexander teacher Barbara Conable has done extensive research and written books on the subject of body mapping.

A while ago I wrote an article about focal dystonia and mentioned Jerald Harscher, a guitarist and teacher with whom I had an enlightening session on Skype (even though I was beginning to feel self conscious about the spelling of my name when talking to him.)

China Sings! Kuang Junhong and the Iserlohn Festival Orchestra

Posted on by

It was an exciting occasion – the world premier of the first two movements of my concerto “China Sings” – Kuang Junhong played with great delicacy and fiery virtuosity, and the orchestra was superb. Watch this space for all three movements with symphony orchestra.
Iserlohn Festival Orchestra

Continue reading →

Las Meninas Bailan video plus

Posted on by

A couple of videos – the first is the rehearsal of my piece for Organ and Guitar Quartet played by Tobias Aehlig, the Amadeus Duo and the Gruber Maklar Duo. This is in the Oberstdat Church in Iserlohn – sorry the video content is boring, but it is more or less what the audience was looking at! Las Meninas Bailan refers to the famous painting by Velasquez and is a depiction of what happens below stairs! The main theme is a Spanish Christmas Carol, “Riu, riu, chiu” from the Cancionero de Uppsala manuscript.

Continue reading →