Any classical guitarists here?

[kmaaj]

Long time classical guitarist, here, and I am approaching the 1 year anniversary of my confirmation. I am curious if there are any others lurking here.

I have been working on a collection of sacred and inspirational music that I have arranged myself. Not as hokey as Rick Foster, not as “classical” as Chris Parkening. My approach to sacred music on classical guitar has been a bit more folksy, even bluesy at times, involves quite a few open tunings. Try to imagine if Martin Simpson were classically trained and played on nylon strings, that’s what this collection kinda sounds like to me. I hope to record it in the next month or 2, and have something available before Advent.

I really want to learn John Michael Talbot’s “Celebration Dance”, but I cannot find the sheet music or tab for it anywhere. I even contacted John directly via his FB page, he suggested I contacted Music Services in Nashville, but they have not returned my messages.

When I am done with this recording project, I plan on throwing my hat into the ring to see if I can be of service to surrounding parishes. There have been times that I have attended an early morning mass where the cantor did not have an accompanist. I have read here and on other forums where some Catholics state that they cannot stand a “guitar mass”, but if I were to do such a thing, I would approach it musically exactly the same as an organist would.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

I have been playing 37 years, alas! I am still slightly less than mediocre.:crying:

Still, there are many, many things that are easy and if I have the music (especially tabs) right in front of me I can focus and not get nervous about performing (small time events, of course…like before the Communion servce at the nurisng home or before the memorial service at the hospital).

Here are a bunch of Bach sacred hymns:

classclef.com/johann-sebastian-bach

 

[anruari]

not all peoples work has been published as sheet music.

I’m sure there are computer programs that can do a fairly good job of producing sheet music from a recording. - you then need to go through it with a fine toothed comb to edit it though.

Here’s the first I found on Google.
nch.com.au/twelvekeys/index.html

It may be better to take a recording, and musical phrase by phrase do your best to transcribe it yourself.

It’s a lot of work I know. But if you’ve studied classical Guitar you have the necessary skill set. - You’ll also find that once you’ve done this you have gone a long way towards properly learning the piece of music.

After you’ve done this for a number of pieces of music your skills in this area will improve massively. With practice some people can transcribe the notation for their instrument very quickly indeed- using little more than the “Pause” button. once they’ve identified the appropriate key.

 

[kmaaj]

Here’s the first I found on Google.
nch.com.au/twelvekeys/index.html

I just downloaded the demo- looks very interesting but I’m not sure I like it enough to buy it.

It may be better to take a recording, and musical phrase by phrase do your best to transcribe it yourself.

Which I have done before, like you said:

It’s a lot of work I know. But if you’ve studied classical Guitar you have the necessary skill set. - You’ll also find that once you’ve done this you have gone a long way towards properly learning the piece of music.

…and also very time consuming. I have recently learned my way around different notation softwares. I did a bit of composing and transcribing in college, but I did not have the time, patience and the discipline to sit down and write for hours on end like the composition majors did.

After you’ve done this for a number of pieces of music your skills in this area will improve massively. With practice some people can transcribe the notation for their instrument very quickly indeed- using little more than the “Pause” button. once they’ve identified the appropriate key.

That same thing has happened when it comes to arranging melodies and freely composing intros and interludes for them. I know it sounds pathetic that my learning my way around a piece of notation would end up being the means to open the floodgate, given all of the past masters grunted with pencil and paper, but I can either feign righteousness or I can thank the Almighty for bringing this tool to me and go with it.

For example, last Easter season, “Ye Sons and Daughters” was played. I later told the music director that it sounded like (if there is such a thing) an Irish passacaglia to me. She pointed me to history of the piece, I listened to as many versions as I could find on YT, I found a manuscript, and then I freely composed a prelude and a set of variations based on that melody, using the chorus as the ground and the verses as the variations, i.e., a French passacaille. Took a section of the prelude to use as an ending, and >CLICK<! I had a composition. The ideas came to me right away, and it took me about a day to get it all on paper.

I’ll try to get a vid up of it soon. My fingers have learned it well enough that I’d like some feedback on it.