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Soliloquy for Guitar (about 1'20")


Quinn

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This started out as a discarded variation from a set I've been working on. It followed the theme obliquely but deviates too much to include in the set.

It's an idealised rendering. Some of the sustained notes can't be sustained because the hands are moving about elsewhere. But it's reasonably realistic (I hope).

Thanks if you can give it a listen and I'm always open to suggestions/criticism - much appreciated.

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I like how free this is with respect to both rhythm and key.  And yet it still manages to cadence in the same key it started in at the end.  I didn't know you were so proficient at composing for guitar!  That's something I've been working on lately (at least I've been playing the guitar to get an idea of what is possible).  Getting a rendition that sounds this good would be difficult however if I composed it in Musescore.  I love the glissando to a harmonic that you have at 0:54.  Those advanced techniques I feel like I'd have to get good enough to be able to play myself if I used them and then record myself cuz I just know Musescore would butcher it LoL.  Thanks for sharing!

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Thank you all for your generous comments. I was expecting a few crits like the rhythm was too disjointed or the tonality meandered around too much; maybe a few queries about playability - so it's pleasing to learn that it was acceptable as it is.

PeterthePapercomPoser, many thanks for those kind words. Yes, I think it would be nigh impossible to get a free-flowing rubato on any notation software...I mean, I don't know: perhaps each note could be treated tempo-wise and dynamically in its own right but it would surely take a lot of work. Less of a problem with a daw even cheating with keyboard input. 

But then comes the problem of engraving it - an absolute headache.   

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impressive piece. Reminds me of Tarrega style. I didn't examine it very much, but as you said, some sustain notes seem impossible. Also, long legato are often not possible on the guitar, unlike other instruments, pull off and hammer on techniques are applied, I should ask if this is your intention? The chord in measure 32 doesn't seem possible even with the 6th string downgraded to D, but I hear it arpeggiated in the audio file.The hard part of writing for a solo guitar is that one hand struggles with polyphonic harmonization, and for this you need to know the keyboard very well, and I think you've accomplished that.

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^^^ Many thanks for your comments - much appreciated.

Yes, you're right about the penultimate bar... an intentional mistake (LOL because it sounded better!) It's playable with the bass F# moved up and octave but would be ok but for the string tuned down to D. I somehow knew I wouldn't get away with that!

Again, thanks. When I've time I'll render a 'corrected' version.

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