by Please start by downloading the new version of volume D04 that I updated today.
If you are new to the course, please read this message to familiarize yourself with the conditions for participating in the lessons. You should also read the first message in lesson 1, where you will find advice on how to make the most of your study time and on the methods of practising that I recommend.
Now we are going to work on a series of exercises:
page 123 Delcamp, Jean-François Mordants et Trilles, numéros 38 et 39
Youtube
Finally, we'll look at 5 pieces.
- page 18, 19 Adrian Le Roy Premier branle de Bourgongne
Each phrase is followed by its division. The first phrase and its division each consist of 4 bars. After that, the structure of phrases and their divisions is of 6 bars, to the end of the piece.
Youtube
- pages 80, 81 Losy, Jan AntonĂn – Ciacona sobre las Folias
Page 80 - I have adapted for the guitar the original tablature of this chaconne for mandore. Page 81 - I suggest an ornamentation the elements of which came from a recording made last month with a baroque guitar.
Youtube
Melodic ornaments are the addition of neighbouring notes, before or after the original notes. These additions are formed at an interval of a major or minor second (depending on the key of the piece) above or below the original note. Note that these same neighbouring notes are used in mordents, turns, appoggiaturas, acciaccaturas and trills. Neighbouring or conjunct notes are the basis of ornamentation, to be fitted in between the original notes while taking great care not to distort the tempo. As there are limits to the maximum playing speed that we can achieve, we would put more ornamentation in a slow passage than in a fast one. For the same reason we would ornament long notes more than short ones in the same piece.
As far as rhythm is concerned, the crucial thing is to maintain the tempo and accentuation throughout. When we first start to improvise ornaments, we often tend to distort the tempo unintentionally. But don't worry, if you persist and, above all, if you improvise an ornamentation while counting the beat out loud (1 and 2 and 3 and), you will be pleasantly surprised to find you make fewer and fewer mistakes. There are also metronomes which you can set so that one in every 3 beats or in every 4 beats has a distinctive sound, as a marker of the first beat of the bar in 3 or 4 time.
At the start of the chaconne, the first two 8-bar phrases are made up principally of chords, and lend themselves well to strumming. I also introduce a few percussive effects, to add zest to the rhythm. This sort of rhythmic improvisation can be a very pleasant way to practise improvising while concentrating particularly on keeping to the beat.
Youtube
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=68922 - page 77 Paganini, Niccolò Ghiribizzo n°37
This piece has great simplicity, and the bass notes (tonic, subdominant and dominant) are unobtrusive. Paganini indicates: "Adagetto con espressione". It is through phrasing, articulation and accentuation that we can be expressive.
Youtube
- page 84,85 Johann Kaspar Mertz Valse en sol majeur,
here the rhythm is the main element, and it is by reproducing the accents and articulation indicated (legato, staccato) that the valse will become lively and light.
Youtube
- page 48 Štepán Rak - Nostalgický valcik
This waltz was generously made available, on FaceBook, by Štepán Rak, on March 8th 2012.
Youtube
I ask you first to work on all these exercises and tunes for a week and then to upload your recordings of:
- pages 80, 81 Losy, Jan AntonĂn – Ciacona sobre las Folias
- page 48 Štepán Rak - Nostalgický valcik
Good luck!
We have reached the end of this year of studying together. I am intending to resume next year.
My thanks to the students, to Geoff for his splendid translations, and also to Robert Goodwin, Alan (Tarbaby), Rich (oski79) and lagartija who have enabled these courses to run so smoothly.
I wish you all a good summer. See you again soon.
Jean-François
Just at the end of the course I would like to post my attempt at Nostalgicky Valcik by Stepán Rak 
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