Hi Everyone,
Hope you’ve read the background information in the Website, so you know something about me. Like you, I am passionate about the Classical Guitar. The website exists to make available new repertoire for the Guitar. There are Transcriptions, Realisations and Arrangements as well as some new, original material.
The material on the website is music that I have used over the years, either as teaching material or music that I have performed. You will notice that the majority of music tends to be for Guitar with other instruments: ‘Guitar Duet’ and ‘Guitar and Voice’ are notable examples. However, there is some solo material and there will be more transcriptions with other instruments in the future.
Over the years I have worked with a number of singers and found the repertoire to be rather limiting. Perhaps you have had a similar experience. I hope that this new material, all of which has been performed, will interest you. In particular, the Guitar parts are most fulfilling to play and the instrument, of course, is perfect for accompanying the voice.
I am particularly interested in encouraging guitarists either to work together or explore repertoire with other instrumentalists. The Guitar can be a very lonely instrument and, in my view, the more we can encourage guitarists to share musical experience, the better. Working in close collaboration develops musicality, sight-reading, interpretation and much more, as well as encouraging the general well-being of the instrument.
You will notice that the scores are not full of fingerings and position markings. Such things are often used excessively within guitar scores and that can inhibit a player’s interaction with the musical text. I have come across many guitarists who ‘play the fingering’ rather than the notes. A ‘clean score’ means that players can make their own decisions about where is best to play a musical phrase, and making such decisions demands that the player looks more closely at the notation. There is no doubt, in my experience, that this has a positive affect on music reading, which, sadly, tends to be problematic for many guitarists.
There are two editions available. A “Concert Edition” and a “Student Edition”.
The “Student Edition” is aimed at the student and teacher. The pieces are relatively short, but have a range of musical and technical challenges. Perhaps a teacher could bring two students together or play one part themselves. This level of integration encourages students to be more adaptable and fosters greater musicality. Discussions about fingering and position work is always beneficial and I have added some music in keys that are often ignored, especially flat keys. I have not ‘graded’ the music, but leave that up to the teacher or perhaps the student to discuss.
The “Concert Edition” offers new pieces to perform and I hope that you will engage with the music and find it interesting to explore. Remember, making one’s own decisions about fingering and position work illuminates the music and helps give real ‘ownership’.
There are over 100 scores currently available and at a very reasonable cost. I am only too aware that music tends to be very expensive!
Finally, there will be many more scores to come and I hope that you find the opportunity to discover this new music as satisfying and interesting as I have done in preparing it for you!
Happy playing!
John Forsyth