Contemporary

01

2022.   A mashup of two Alex de Grassi tunes: Luther’s Lullaby (Emin6 tuning EBEGCE) and Swordfish (Emaj9 tuning EBEF#BE). I arranged them each into standard tuning and then discovered they combined in a compelling way.

02

2020. This is a meeting of two Bruce Cockburn instrumentals that both feature his driving alternating base: Sunwheel Dance (Open D tuning DADF#AD) and Foxglove (Open C tuning CGCGCE). Why bother with all those tuning changes when you can have this much fun in standard tuning? Admittedly, Section 3 is a bit of a bear to play!

03

2018. A three way Alex De Grassi medley starting with Autumn (EBEGAD) moving into White Rain (EBEF#BE) and wrapping up with Sleeping Lady (EBEF#BD). I am psyched that the harmonics worked out so nicely for the latter although I had to alter a few parts of each song to get them all to work in Standard Tuning.

04

2002.  The year George Winston’s December album came out I worked as Christmas help at a nature bookstore in San Francisco. We played that album, and his previous one, Autumn, over and over until I thought I would not be able to stand it. Years later I got a hunger for his music and arranged a few tunes on to the guitar. Prelude is a short stately piece in G# minor from George Winston’s December album. I like to pair it with Moon from his Autumn album but I am still working on the tremolo for that one.

05

This beautiful Alex De Grassi piece was written for steel string acoustic in an open Emin6 tuning (EBEGCE). I arranged it for classical guitar in standard tuning staying very close to the original but adding a few extra harmonics here and there.

06

A product of too much coffee. I just let my fingers merge the opening pieces from two of De Grassi’s classic albums: Causeway (EBEF#BE) from Slow Circle, and Mirage (DADGAD) from Deep at Night, plus a little nod to Turning (EBEF#BE) at the end. There are some monster mistakes on the recording but it still amuses me to hear this.

07

2010.   What do you get when you cross Dave Evans funky G minor piece Sad Pig Dance (CGCGBD) with William Byrd’s Earl of Salisbury (standard tuning). Evan’s album, with it’s memorable cover of a crying pig in a sailor suit was ground breaking at the time and it still holds up wonderfully. I always loved the the dissonant pig chord with its deep dissonant honk.   

08

Arranging this flowing piece into standard tuning was a game changer for me. Until then I thought you had to use an open tuning to get this sound. Suddenly I understood the piece and saw De Grassi’s love of major and minor 9ths, slash chords, and close voicings. I am playing this on my Martin which just came out of the shop. Ouch! not used to those steel strings.

09

There must be a hundred guitar versions of this beautiful tune, although the most haunting one I ever heard was on solo violin. My arrangement owes much to Dave Evan’s CGDGAD version from Kicking Mule’s Irish Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes and Airs. His ornamentation is superbly melodic.

07

2021.   This crazy piece is essentially the opening motif of Alex De Grassi’s Children’s Dance played in four different keys. It kicks off in E, modulates to A, then to D (the original key) back to E, a side trip to G and finally back to E. Playing it (which i never thought I would be able to do) make me feel like a kid stomping in rain puddles.2010.  

08

On ode to Tom Long’s rhythmic playing. I wasn’t sure if I could recreate his sound in standard tuning but this comes pretty close.

09

This arrangement of a catchy Irish piece is based on Dave Evans CGDGAD version. I transposed it into B major which lets me use the open B and E strings to good effect. Evans is truly one of the most original and inventive guitarists that ever recorded, even building his own guitars. Apparently he retired from playing years ago and moved to Brussels to devote himself to pottery but his instrumental recordings from the 60’s are worth seeking out.

10

1980.   My first concert was the New York Rock Ensemble in a tent at the Aspen Music Festival. I was too young to attend, but I remember slipping through the tent pole openings and watching in awe at their mix of drums, electric piano and cello. The band was all Julliard students and Kamen’s powerful vocals on this song, combined with the sublime cello part, still haunts me. It works out beautifully on the guitar. Tablature

11

2021 Massachusetts. I was caught off guard by the film “Coda” about a young girl from a deaf family who lives to sing. Her performance of this classic Joni Mitchel song with her family watching was stunning. It inspired me to try to come up with something equally fresh on the guitar.

12

Duck Baker is one of the most creative guitarists around. His arrangement of this Irish reel makes great use of rhythmic pull-off and hammer-ons to develop a driving pulse. He uses a slightly modified tuning (EGDGBE) to emphasize the droning G but it works out just fine in a standard tuning with a few modifications to keep the same spirit.