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My latest Mel Bay publication. Great lute music which fits surprisingly well with a pick technique. All pieces recorded by yours truly. Standard notation and TAB.
Direct Link to Mel Bay: https://www.melbay.com/Products/3105...um-guitar.aspx
It's just out today, but in a couple of weeks it should be on various Amazon sites, and also Sheet Music Plus: Over 2,000,000 Print & Digital Sheet Music Titles
Contents:
A Toye (Anon)
Dove Son Quei Fieri Occhi (Anon)
Draw near me and love me (Anon)
Pezzo Tedesco (Anon)
Se lo M’accorgo (Anon)
Volte (Anon)
Menuet 1 BWV 1006a (J. S. Bach)
Prelude in Dm BWV 999 (J. S. Bach)
Sarabande BWV 996 (J. S. Bach)
Sarabande BWV 995 (J. S. Bach)
Tastar de corde (Dalza)
Orlando Sleepeth (John Dowland)
What if a Day (John Dowland)
Fantasia 2 (Drusina)
Alman (Robert Johnson)
Ricercare 1 (Spinacino)
Ricercare 2 (Spinacino)
Fantasia in Em (S. L. Weiss)
Prelude in Em (S. L. Weiss)
Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Comte de Logy (S. L. Weiss)
As Mel Bay puts it: Rob MacKillop presents 20 classic lute transcriptions; the "greatest hits" of the Renaissance and Baroque lute repertoire arranged for pick technique on either acoustic, electric, or classical guitar. MacKillop has for many years played all these pieces on the lute, and has created sensitive guitar arrangements that lose nothing from the original scores. Composers include Bach, Weiss, Dowland, Spinacino, among others. Finally, we have a book of lute-to-plectrum-guitar transcriptions by an arranger who is deeply familiar with and respectful of both instruments. Includes access to online audio for every item recorded by Rob MacKillop in plectrum style.
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09-13-2022 04:41 PM
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Rob this is a wonderful and valuable work you’ve completed. The arrangements look spot on, and having played many of these sans plectrum you’ve put great thought into this for sure. I’ll be watching for it on Amazon.
This should be required to all forum jazz players who’ve never studied classical music. Theres plenty of musical information there that will help flesh out their understanding of tonal harmony, voice leading and getting away from mindless scale pounding. (Sorry couldn’t resist)))
Best of luck with the sales!
jk
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Cheers, jk! Much appreciated.
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Super, Rob, I already play several of those with a pick, having lost my right hand chops to focal Dystonia, can't wait to get one of your collections!
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Cheers, Ron. Pity about the Dystonia, but pleased you can still play music! Best wishes!
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Excellent news Rob.
I will be obtaining a copy for sure. It will be a good addition to my library of books I use to keep my reading chops up. Plus, I dig the sound of classical music played plectrum style on an acoustic archtop.
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Good to know, my friend. Have fun with it!
Rob
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Appreciate that, and I'm actually still making a living playing the guitar. That's the best thing about this instrument: it's so versatile that if you lose a part of our technique you still have a lot of options. Look at Django!
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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I'm curious Rob, you recorded these on a classical guitar it seems, is there a particular reason you didn't use one of your plectrum guitars?
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Literally it was closest to hand when I set the mic up! If had been a Telecaster, it would have been that. I think that’s the point: any guitar will do. I do have videos playing Dowland on a Taylor acoustic, which sounds great, but that is fingerstyle.
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That's as good as any reason I guess!
EDIT: I do suppose these arrangements would work just as well for fingerstyle (given how your recording could be used as showcase of how unobtrusive a pick can be).
So what's next ... famous jazz solos arranged for lute, with a few originals thrown in?
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Well, I definitely used a plectrum. I suppose they could be played fingerstyle, but you'd be better getting original scores for that, as I had to be creative here and there.
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If I decided to play lute music on guitar I wouldn't really bother about authenticity, and maybe be more concerned about a "guitaristicity" (you could tune a guitar like a renaissance lute but it still wouldn't sound the same)
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Bravo, Maestro! Bravo!
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Cheers, citizen!
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What type of plectrum are you using, Rob - thickness, shape, material, etc.?
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Been wondering the same thing. Your usual Gibson extra-heavy? Originally Posted by maxsmith
Personally I prefer my ebony "WoodTones" pick on nylon strings, though the horn picks from the same company (and shape) sound good too.
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Yes, my usual Gibson Extra Heavy. I buy 50 in a tin, and that lasts me a few years. They do not brutalise the strings with weight, can be smoothed out with a nail buffer, and tonal variety is possible, unlike with some thick plectra. I’ve occasionally succumbed to the pressure of marketing and tried expensive boutique plectra, but alway, always come back to the elegant simplicity of the Gibson EH.
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“Brutalise the strings” - haha! I think that’s a fair description of 95% of guitar playing in the world, including quite a bit of mine!
Gibson celluloid 351 EH - a solid classic choice. I’ve been around the bend with several “boutique plectra”, too - right now I’m using a couple of Hense picks made of different materials in the shape you see up in my avatar. But usually after a torrid affair with an exotic and expensive temptress, I come back home to the girl next door, in extra heavy.
I use the “shoulder” of the pick generally, occasionally spinning it around to use the point for something brighter or thinner.
I love your close up video of your nail-less classical approach to the string at your website. Would love to see one of your plectrum attack.
All the best.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Cheers, Max. I too swap between shoulder and tip for tonal variation, the shoulder for warmth, the tip for clarity.
To be honest, I don’t think I’m a good plectrum player, and would be wary of shining a light on my technique which would open me up to derision by those who love deriding others - they outnumber others - but I have enough of a technique for the way I like to play, so I don’t bother working to get beyond that.
You can see the technique quite clearly here:
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Hey, Max, I’ve just seen your BandCamp site. Being a Mompou fan of long standing, I was intrigued by your Guitarra Callada album! Downloading now!
Here it is folks: Music | Max Smith
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Thanks, Rob - hope you enjoy it. I love Mompou, too, and while I wouldn’t say I imitated his style, I was inspired by the compactness and integrity of his Musica Callada pieces for piano.
Best!
Max
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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I hear you. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Good album, Max. Giant Steps had me smiling at the beginning...and then all the way through for a different reason.
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Thanks, Rob - if you can make someone smile with a guitar what more could you ask for? Thanks again for picking up the album!
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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