Gnossienne No. 1 - Eric Satie "Guitar Tutorial In 4K!" [Note-By-Note; Fr...

History

Erik Satie cuts an incredible path through the avante-garde French compositional style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is probably most well-known for his 'Gymnopédies' which somewhat coincidentally also are comprised of three pieces as are the Gnossiennes. 

Performance notes:

Gnossienne No. 1 whilst a short and relatively easy piece does have some particular challenges. The constant use of acciaccatura to embellish the melody require constant attention and left-hand strength in the little finger.

Double-string hammer-ons near the end are rarely found in classical guitar transcriptions. These, combined with artificial harmonics do provide the guitarist with food for thought as do the pull-offs executed simultaneously with an artificial harmonic in the right-hand.

Conclusion:

Complete tablature is available for free to my YouTube subscribers and via download from my website. Paid versions that include wonderful extras such as:

• Full notation AND complete tablature (combined or stand-alone)
• Performance indications
• All fingerings for the left hand including barres
• Explanations and performance tips

Follow the link to my website to find the free and paid downloads:

Free and Paid PDF Files

 So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Bourrée In E-minor (BWV996) J. S. Bach 4K Guitar Tutorial [Note-By-Note;...

History

Johann Sebastian Bach was known to the play the lute and it is widely believed this suite was composed for the lute, however this conflicts with the tuning of the lutes of the time which were often tuned to D-minor. At any rate the piece has found great favour amongst guitar players from many styles. Originally, it was the fifth movement of the Suite in E-minor BWV996 but it often played as a stand-alone piece in concerts and recitals. 

Performance Notes:

The Bourrée in E-minor is a wonderful example of contrapuntal composition where 2 melodic lines are maintained for the majority of the piece. Therefore one of the most important technical and interpretative considerations is to keep the two lines separate yet balanced and melding their interplay into a unified collective. 

• this is based on a dance so place importance on keeping a strict tempo
• allow the melody in the bass to have equal importance to the treble melody
• understand the ornaments of the baroque period when playing the two trills at the end of each A and B section

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Prelude (BWV1007) - J. S. Bach 4K Guitar Tutorial#2 [Note-By-Note; Free...

History

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a total of five suites for solo cello. Arguably, the most popular of the five is the first suite. Because it was played first in the suite, the Prelude featured here has gained the most popularity and has been transcribed for a dizzying array of instruments. Bach himself was known or thought to have transcribed if for the lute. Here I have transcribed it for the guitar.

Historically, this Prelude belongs to BWV1007 and is comprised of 6 movements:

1. Prelude

2. Allemande

3. Courante

4. Sarabande

5. Galanteries

6. Gigue

Performance Breakdown:

In this second of two guitar tutorials for the Prelude I will be covering everything from bar 22 to bar 44. You will see close up views of the left and right hands and be able to follow along with my tablature/sheet music if required. My lesson is very comprehensive and it is filmed using 4K resolution for an outstanding visual experience. In this Bach guitar lesson I have broken everything down and tried to come up with the easiest fingerings possible whilst retaining the essence of the piece.

In my tutorial I offer suggestions for performance and, as with many of my other instructional videos I provide tabs/notation combined with timing instructions in the 'Description' area of the YouTube video page. This feature will help you to quickly find any given set of 4 bars without the necessity to scroll through the video trying to find where you were before or a particular bar to learn.

• Sustained bass notes where possible
• Strict rhythm throughout
• A constant tone with minimal shifting away from the normal right hand position

Here is a link to the second tutorial:

Tutorial 1

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Nocturne In E-flat major Op. 9, No. 2 Guitar Tutorial#1 Chopin In 4K [Fr...

History

It was well-known that Frédéric Chopin was a somewhat eccentric composer and individual. Although born in Poland in 1810 he moved to Paris, France in 1831 after graduating from the Warsaw Conservatory and never returned to his homeland.
During his time in France he cultivated friendships with some of the most prominent composers of the time including Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, and the author George Sands.
The Nocturne on display here was probably written when Frédéric was around twenty years of age.

Performance Notes:

The Nocturne In E-flat major is without a doubt one of the most played and loved of Chopin's pieces. It is in Rounded Binary form (A, A , B, A, B, A) with the melody being given increasing intervallic leaps and ornamentation with each iteration. The waltz-like accompaniment in the  left hand lends weight and character to the 12/8 time signature.

• use rubato with effect but sparingly
• hold chords wherever possible
• play ornaments and embellishments with increasing complexity as the song progresses
• exploit open strings if possible during position shifts

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Moonlight Sonata Guitar Tutorial#2 (Beethoven) In 4K [Note-By-Note; Free...

History

The 'Moonlight Sonata' by Ludwig Van Beethoven is easily one of the world's most recognisable pieces of music. This work is also known as Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor or Quasi Una Fantasia from the Opus. 27, number two. 

The name 'Moonlight Sonata' was originally given to the music several years after Beethoven's death by another Ludwig - Ludwig Rellstab, a known German poet and music critic. 

This sonata makes a departure from the standard sonata form of the period in that it has a slow and solemn first movement. In Beethoven's time the usual form was fast-slow-fast. 

Performance Notes

Because it was originally written for piano it poses a significant technical challenge for guitarists to convey the sustain and legato that is a trademark of this piece. As such some chords are quite difficult and movements must be carefully considered and rapid in order to retain continuity and flow.

• Hold chords as long as possible
• Move rapidly and deftly between chords
• Keep the rhythm steady and pulsing

Here is a link to the first tutorial:

Tutorial 1

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Aroha Duo Promotional Trailer [Live In Shenzhen] 2016 4K!

A Fun Promotional Trailer...

Here we are with our first promotional video (kind of) in four years! Has it really been that long? Our last promotional video was filmed in Dubai at the Ramee Rose Hotel in March of 2012. It seems like so long ago.

A couple of months ago we purchased a Panasonic G7 Lumix 4K camera. It's a great camera with heaps of functionality - it's sturdy, light, and importantly for us we can mount an external microphone on the top of the camera. However, none of our computers were up to the task for rendering 4K video. We tried with Josh's trusty 2011 Mac Mini and surprisingly it could render the footage because Josh had upgraded it with a Samsung EVO850Pro SSD and 16GB of RAM last year. Even with these upgrades it was taking 4 hours to render 12 minutes of footage and we had to edit using just sound because the video playback was stuttering ferociously. So, three weeks ago we bit the bullet and ordered a top of the line iMac 27" 5K Retina with all the upgrades including:

iMac 27" 5K Retina Specs:

• i7 6700 cpu
• R9 M395X gpu
• 16GB RAM (plus the included 8GB giving a total of 24GB)
• 1TB Flash drive
• Final Cut Pro X

Filming & Footage

Armed with our new camera and computer combination we decided to film anything and everything including some special events at the hotel in which we are currently performing until the end of November 2016. All of the footage you see here was filmed at a wine & cheese event at the Eden Garden Bar located on the 16th floor of the Hilton Shenzhen Shekou Nanhai Hotel. 

The lovely lady that you see with Soo in the video is May. She is the managing director of the wine brand that was being showcased at the event and is also a dear friend of ours.

Coming up...

Our next video will be a full promotional video for the Aroha Duo. It'll be about 6 to 7 minutes long and it will include snippets of several well-known songs and some awesome 'behind the scenes' footage to keep things interesting.

Stay posted, happy, healthy and wise!

Love from the Aroha Duo 

The Aroha Duo On Facebook

Moonlight Sonata Guitar Tutorial#1 (Beethoven) [Note-By-Note; Free Tabs&...

History

The 'Moonlight Sonata' by Ludwig Van Beethoven is easily one of the world's most recognisable pieces of music. This work is also known as Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor or Quasi Una Fantasia from the Opus. 27, number two. 

The name 'Moonlight Sonata' was originally given to the music several years after Beethoven's death by another Ludwig - Ludwig Rellstab, a known German poet and music critic. 

This sonata makes a departure from the standard sonata form of the period in that it has a slow and solemn first movement. In Beethoven's time the usual form was fast-slow-fast. 

Performance Notes

Because it was originally written for piano it poses a significant technical challenge for guitarists to convey the sustain and legato that is a trademark of this piece. As such some chords are quite difficult and movements must be carefully considered and rapid in order to retain continuity and flow.

• Hold chords as long as possible
• Move rapidly and deftly between chords
• Keep the rhythm steady and pulsing

Here is a link to the second tutorial:

Tutorial 2

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Prelude Guitar Tutorial#1 4K! (BWV1007 Cello Suite) - J. S. Bach [Note-B...

History

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a total of five suites for solo cello. Arguably, the most popular of the five is the first suite. Because it was played first in the suite, the Prelude featured here has gained the most popularity and has been transcribed for a dizzying array of instruments. Bach himself was known or thought to have transcribed if for the lute. Here I have transcribed it for the guitar. 

Historically, this Prelude belongs to BWV1007 and is comprised of 6 movements:

1. Prelude

2. Allemande

3. Courante

4. Sarabande

5. Galanteries

6. Gigue

Performance Breakdown:

In this first of two guitar tutorials for the Prelude you will see close up views of the left and right hands and be able to follow along with my tablature/sheet music if required. My lesson is very comprehensive and it is filmed using 4K resolution for an outstanding visual experience. In this Bach guitar lesson I have broken everything down and tried to come up with the easiest fingerings possible whilst retaining the essence of the piece.

In my tutorial I offer suggestions for performance and, as with many of my other instructional videos I provide tabs/notation combined with timing instructions in the 'Description' area of the YouTube video page. This feature will help you to quickly find any given set of 4 bars without the necessity to scroll through the video trying to find where you were before or a particular bar to learn.

• Sustained bass notes where possible
• Strict rhythm throughout
• A constant tone with minimal shifting away from the normal right hand position

Here is a link to the second tutorial:

Tutorial 2

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Pathétique Guitar Tutorial#2 4K! (Beethoven) Piano Sonata No. 8 In C min...

History

Taken from Beethoven's wonderful Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor 'Pathetique' or the second movement Adagio Cantabile is this wonderful transcription. It was written way back in 1788 and is generally known as Sonata Pathétique and is thought to be one of the few compositions actually named by the great composer himself although this theory has been largely debunked and the name is now attributed to the publisher of the work.

Originally the second movement was written in A-flat major and modulated through two episodes. The first episode is in the relative minor F and E-flat major. The second episode modulates to the tonic minor A-flat minor and then to E-major before returning to a more lively A-flat major with triplets and a brief coda.

For the transcription to guitar it is necessary to transpose the piece up by one semitone to C-sharp minor. If you really want to play it in the original key it is a fairly simple matter to tune the guitar down by a half-step.

Performance Tips:

This is the second of two tutorials for the adagio cantabile movement in this sonata. This piece is extremely expressive. Keeping the melody prominent is really important as is sustaining the melodic notes for as long as possible.

• Tune down a 1/2 step if playing in the original key is desired
• Remember that Beethoven was fond of legato
• Use a light touch throughout except for the more strident episode in F
• Pay careful attention to emphasises the melody without putting unnecessary emphasis on the underlying harmonic content

Here is the link to the first tutorial:

Tutorial No. 1

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J. S. Bach "4K Guitar Tutorial#2" [Note-By...

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J. S. Bach "4K Guitar Tutorial#2

The second of two lessons teaching you how to play this iconic piece of music by Bach. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring has become almost obligatory at wedding services throughout the world and is synonymous with non-secular music, hymns and services. The most famous recording for guitar is probably the internationally acclaimed guitarist Christopher Parkening.

In this second of two guitar tutorials for Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring I will cover every note from the second section after the temporary modulation. You will receive close up views of the left and right hands and be able to follow along with my tablature/sheet music if required. Great quality Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring guitar lessons are few and far between. My lesson is very comprehensive and it is filmed using 4K resolution for an outstanding visual experience.

Performance Breakdown:

In my tutorial I offer suggestions for performance and as with many of my other instructional videos I provide tabs/notation combined with timing instructions in the 'Description' area of the YouTube video page. This feature will help you to quickly find any given set of 4 bars without the necessity to scroll through the video trying to find where you were before or a particular bar to learn.
Sustained bass notes where possible
Strict rhythm throughout
A constant tone with minimal shifting away from the normal right hand position

Tutorial Number One:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Tutorial#1

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Pathetique Guitar Tutorial#1 4K! (Beethoven) Piano Sonata No. 8 In C min...

History

Taken from Beethoven's wonderful Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor 'Pathetique' or the second movement Adagio Cantabile is this wonderful transcription. It was written way back in 1788 and is generally known as Sonata Pathétique and is thought to be one of the few compositions actually named by the great composer himself although this theory has been largely debunked and the name is now attributed to the publisher of the work. 

Originally the second movement was written in A-flat major and modulated through two episodes. The first episode is in the relative minor F and E-flat major. The second episode modulates to the tonic minor A-flat minor and then to E-major before returning to a more lively A-flat major with triplets and a brief coda.

For the transcription to guitar it is necessary to transpose the piece up by one semitone to C-sharp minor. If you really want to play it in the original key it is a fairly simple matter to tune the guitar down by a half-step.

Performance Tips:

This is the second of two tutorials for the adagio cantabile movement in this sonata. This piece is extremely expressive. Keeping the melody prominent is really important as is sustaining the melodic notes for as long as possible.

• Tune down a 1/2 step if playing in the original key is desired
• Remember that Beethoven was fond of legato
• Use a light touch throughout except for the more strident episode in F
• Pay careful attention to emphasises the melody without putting unnecessary emphasis on the underlying harmonic content

Here is the link to the second tutorial:

Tutorial No. 2

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Lagrima (Francisco Tarrega) Guitar Tutorial In 4K! [Note-By-Note; Free T...

History:

Lagrima (meaning teardrop in Spanish) is a beautiful yet short piece composed by the seminal Spanish guitar composer of the romantic period - Francisco Tarrega. The piece was written as a 'miniature' and is only 16 bars long!

It is broken into 2 distinct sections based on key - the first section is in E minor and then in the second section it modulates to the tonic major - E major. It is believed that it was written in either the latter part of the 19th century of perhaps the early part of the 20th century. Although it is so short and has a tempo marking of Andante it still bears some of Tarrega's idiosyncratic technical challenges.

Performance Tips:

• Keep pull offs strong and clear
• Relax and try to reduce excess string noise
• Use timbral variation to add depth and contrast
• Stretch out when doing the quick trill from the 9th to the 11th frets whilst holding the B7 chord at the 7th fret and snap the 4th finger quickly
• Use an audible ligado near the end when sliding from the 4th to the 13th fret on the G string
• Experiment with staccato and legato phrasing

Here is a link to my Classical Guitar Tutorials Playlist: 

Classical Guitar Lessons

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Asturias (Leyenda) Guitar Tutorial#1 [First Section; Note-By-Note; Free Tabs&Notation]

Introduction

Asturias (Leyenda) by the Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz in 1892 has become an iconic guitar piece synonymous with Spain and it contains many of the idiomatic flavours of flamenco. Ironically it was written for piano yet it is the guitar transcriptions that has bought the piece to international attention. The piece has firmly entrenched itself in the classical guitar repertoire and is considered to be one of the standard concert pieces that all guitarists will learn and play at some point in their career.

Key Points:

• The original piece was written for piano in the key of G minor
• The guitar transcription is in the key of E minor (a minor 3rd lower than the original)
• Whilst not a flamenco piece per se it shares some characteristics such as rasguedos, intense rhythmic and harmonic content consistent with the sound of flamenco and is likened to the Bulería of Andalusia
• Marcato and Stacatto indications throughout reflect the rapid footwork of a flamenco dancer

Performance Notes For The Entire Piece:

• Stay relaxed especially in the opening stanzas with the picking hand
• Use P I M and P I A right-hand picking for various sections in the opening stanza
• Try to utilise 'full planting' in the right for the rapid triplet lines in the A section
• Make maximum use of dynamics and remember that sforzando is common in this piece and essential to bringing the vibrancy to life
• Don't take too many liberties with the timing in the A section. Bulería is a dance and as such rubato is frowned upon
• The B and Capo sections can be played more freely and loosely with respect to rhythm. 

Here are the links to tutorials 2 & 3:

Tutorial 2

Tutorial 3

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Fractal Audio AX8: Power Amp Tube Tutorial [EL34; 6L6; KT66; KT88; Ideal...

Fractal AX8 Power Amp Tubes Rundown!

The Fractal Audio AX8 has a face-melting 12 power amp tubes to choose from! Things can get pretty confusing in the amp block pages so this tutorial is designed to help you wrap your head around the complexities with the Power Amp page in the Fractal AX8.

Video Timings:

Question 1: What do tubes do? 0:44
Question 2: What are triodes, tetrodes, and pentodes? 1:00
Homage to John Ambrose Fleming (The inventor of tubes) 2:20
Question 3: Which power amp tube types are in the AX8? 2:39

Inside The AX8 Power Amp Page

In total the AX8 has over 80 different amp block parameters and within those parameters options such as preamp and power tube selection options add to the sometimes overwhelming number of choices. Here are the power tubes types that you can choose from inside the AX8 amp block:

• 6AQ5 (EL90)
• 6L6/5881
• 6V6
• 300B
• 6550
• 6973 (1965 Falco)
• EL34/6CA7
• EL84/6BQ5
• Ideal Pentode and Ideal Tetrode (Jazz 120)* use if you're using an external preamp
• KT66 (Dr. Zs Route 66) Herbie Amps
• KT88 (Spawn Nitro)

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J. S. Bach "4K Guitar Tutorial#1" [Note-By...

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J. S. Bach "4K Guitar Tutorial#1

A note-by-note guitar lesson teaching you how to play this iconic piece of music by Bach. This piece has become almost obligatory at wedding services throughout the world and is synonymous with non-secular music, hymns and services. The most famous recording for guitar is probably the internationally acclaimed guitarist Christopher Parkening.

In the first guitar tutorial for Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring I cover every note for the first section before the temporary modulation. You will receive close up views of the left and right hands and be able to follow along with my tablature/sheet music if required. Great quality Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring guitar lessons are few and far between. My lesson is very comprehensive and it is filmed using 4K resolution for an outstanding visual experience. 

Performance Breakdown:

In my tutorial I offer suggestions for performance and as with many of my other instructional videos I provide tabs/notation combined with timing instructions in the 'Description' area of the YouTube video page. This feature will help you to quickly find any given set of 4 bars without the necessity to scroll through the video trying to find where you were before or a particular bar to learn.

• Sustained bass notes where possible
• Strict rhythm throughout
• A constant tone with minimal shifting away from the normal right hand position

My Guitar Tutorials Playlist on Youtube:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Tutorial#2

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my YouTube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Adelita - Francisco Tarrega "Guitar Tutoria In 4K!" [Note-By-Note; Free ...

Adelita by Francisco Tarrega (Tutorial)

Hi fellow guitar slingers! Here is my highly anticipated tutorial for one of Franciso Tarrega's most beautiful yet simple pieces of idiomatic Spanish guitar music. Tarrega was born in Spain on the 21st of November, 1852 and died on the 15th of December, 1909. During his life he wrote a prolific number of pieces for the guitar and was heavily responsible for developing an extensive repertoire for the instrument and leading significant advances in guitar technique and pedagogy. 

Performance Breakdown:

In my tutorial I offer suggestions for performance and as with many of my other instructional videos I provide tabs/notation combined with timing instructions in the 'Description' area of the YouTube video page. This feature will help you to quickly find any given set of 4 bars without the necessity to scroll through the video trying to find where you were before or a particular bar to learn.

• Pull-offs throughout in the first section melody
• Rest strokes to accentuate the melody in both sections
• Key of E minor then to the tonic major - E major
• Use sul tasto and rubato to bring the piece alive

My Guitar Tutorials Playlist on Youtube:

Guitar Tutorials

Conclusion:

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Kung Fu Panda - Oogway Ascends Guitar: Acoustic Guitar Tutorial # 1[Free...

My Most Popular Arrangement EVER!

This is definitely one of the most beautiful OST (Original Soundtrack) songs that you are ever likely to hear. Hans Zimmerman brings his composition genius to the fore with this stunning orchestral work for the movie "Kung Fu Panda" released in 2008 by Dreamworks. It is also my most popular transcription on YouTube with thousands of people viewing this tutorial and my video of me playing it at the kitchen table when I was living in Bali, Indonesia. 

This song is heard when Oogway is explaining the illusion of control to Master Shifu near the old peach tree.  Although it is written for full orchestra and what sounds like an erhu it sits extremely well on the guitar. Surprisingly enough it is in a wonderful key for guitar - D minor and it happens to be relatively easy. It took me an afternoon to figure it out and several months to finally get around to subscribing it. I felt ongoing guilt because I had promised my YouTube subscribers that they'd receive tabs/notation if they subscribed...8 months later...and I'd finally transcribed it.

This transcription has proven to be one of my most popular YouTube videos so in March of 2016 I did my first ever YouTube tutorial showing people how to play it the way that I play it. 

Performance Notes:

The song uses the second most common guitar tuning known as Drop D and it is in the key of D minor. Here is the tuning:

6 - D

5 - A

4 - D

3 - G

2 - B

1 - E 

It starts out with a slightly unusual D minor arpeggio and then moves around the guitar using a few particularly beautiful artificial harmonics. Don't worry about those just keep practising and you'll get the hang of it.

I hope you enjoy listening to my transcription and if you happen to be a guitar player or know someone that plays the guitar that would like to play this song please send them to the video.

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

UP Theme Song "Married Life": Acoustic/ClassicalGuitar Tutorial#1 "Kevin...

UP Movie Theme - "Married Life" by Michael Giacchino is such a beautiful yet haunting piece of music. Giacchino somehow perfectly captures the exuberance of youth, the joy of a loving relationship, goals realised and unrealised, age, and finally death, all within a single piece of music only several minutes long.

I cannot take any credit for this transcription as I learned this transcription from Kevin Nash's YouTube video. Here's the link:

Theme from Up - Classical guitar

I can however take credit for being one of the few (if not the only) people to have made an accurate transcription of his work into both notation and tablature. A few tablature examples were floating around but I found them to be extremely difficult to follow and often riddled with mistakes. I hope that my transcription is accurate to 99.9%.  This is the first of three tutorials for the theme song.

Here are links to the other 2 tutorials:

Tutorial 2

Tutorial 3

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

"Final Fantasy X" End Theme Part 1: Original Guitar Arrangement [Free Ta...

Hi everyone. Final Fantasy X from the Final Fantasy series was a killer game with a killer soundtrack. Here is the first section of the ending music to the game.

 The original music was written by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, and Junya Nakano. The most famous song is probably 'Suteki Da Ne' sung by RIKKI. It was originally released on the Playstation 2 platform in 2001 and in 2014 it was released for Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita as 'Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster'.

Transcribing this was a real joy. I checked out a few online piano transcriptions but they were mostly wrong so I ended up listening closely and transcribing it as well as I could. 

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!

Minuet In G - J. S. Bach "Guitar Tutorial In 4K!" [Note By Note; Free T...

Here is my first guitar tutorial shot using 4K resolution and it's awesome! Close ups look very clear and it is super easy to see both hands in high detail. This makes for a superior and immersive learning experience.  I used a Panasonic Lumix G7 with a Takstar SGC-598 microphone attached to the top of the camera. Here's a couple of links to each of those products:

Takstar SGC-598 Review

Panasonic Lumix G7 Field Test

Minuet In G is a beautiful yet simple piece written by Johann Sebastian Bach around 300 years ago. I first learned this song back in high school (I won't mention how many years ago that was). I think I learned it just a couple of years after Bach wrote it...

In this tutorial I show you how to play the first half of the song including fingering for both hands, rhythm, and expressive touches like sul tasto, ponticello, rubato and more to help you really bring this lovely piece to life!

My full transcription including tablature and notation is available for free to my Youtube subscribers. So, if you wish to have a copy just subscribe to my channel and leave a comment or send me a message with your email address and I will happily send you my transcription. Be sure to watch my tutorials for the song and have the transcription beside you so that you can learn this wonderful song quickly and easily.

Let your fingers fly!