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April 2025 Challenge Cloughie

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › April 2025 Challenge Cloughie

  • This topic has 21 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 4 hours, 38 minutes ago by KT.
Viewing 21 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • May 9, 2025 at 9:09 pm #392388
      cloughie
      Participant

        This month I’ve got just a little obsessed with the beauty of a melody from a Schubert Piano Sonata. Specifically the 2nd movement of his 21st which he wrote just months before his ridiculously young death at 31.

        Plenty of constraints here. It had to reflect his melody and be my interpretation of it. 1 guitar recorded both rhythm and lead. Lead played almost entirely on one string. 1 scale mostly.

        It’s mainly in 1 scale C#m. 1st bit is mostly C#m B A C#m. Then it goes to a few measures around a G# and thena a few around an E. Then repeats and finally resolves with a C diminished chord resolving first to E and then ultimately back ot C#m.

        Be kind to yourself (especially when you're trying to play this instrument!)
        Brian Clough

        “Got a lotta sinful ideas but they seem kinda sensible” Jim Casy the ex-preacher in The Grapes Of Wrath

      • May 10, 2025 at 7:42 am #392463
        Tremelow
        Participant

          You can definitely see you didn’t make it easy for yourself, Cloughie! Interpreting a classical piece so skillfully on the guitar (well, two guitars, really) requires quite a bit of musical knowledge and competence. It’s a very beautiful and very well-done piece.

        • May 10, 2025 at 8:49 am #392480
          Jennifer D
          Participant

            Oh yes that was really beautiful on guitar! Exquisite!

          • May 10, 2025 at 9:28 am #392491
            Guido
            Participant

              Very nice arrangement for two guitars and brilliant rendition of this beautiful sonata! Very enjoyable to listen to it!

              Guido

            • May 10, 2025 at 10:20 am #392506
              Mike W
              Participant

                I can understand your obsession with this piece Brian. Your rendering is fluent and delightful. Well played, sir.

              • May 10, 2025 at 12:29 pm #392528
                AndréM
                Participant

                  Beautiful rendition.
                  Awesome smooth playing.
                  Cool Epiphone 335.

                  AndréM

                  AndréM

                • May 10, 2025 at 12:38 pm #392529
                  Paul S.
                  Participant

                    I was just yesterday talking to another of my guitar buddies about his rendition of the first movement of Mahler’s Third Symphony. NOT!

                    That you would contemplate interpreting Schubert on an electric guitar playing chords and the melody on mainly one string — and manage to convey the beauty and sophistication of the music in the process — is flat out astounding. Bravo!

                    Next you should try Chopin’s Opus 29.

                  • May 10, 2025 at 1:32 pm #392532
                    James B
                    Participant

                      Lovely rendition, Cloughie. You’ve got some sophisticated musical taste. Nice job of working it out on your guitars.

                      James

                    • May 10, 2025 at 9:08 pm #392587
                      Alan L
                      Participant

                        What a great idea. Love the arrangement, that came out really good. 👍

                      • May 11, 2025 at 2:11 am #392613
                        Mark T
                        Participant

                          So, so pretty and beautifully executed, Cloughie – I can easily hear why this has become an obsession with you – Mark 👍🎶😎

                        • May 11, 2025 at 8:24 am #392651
                          Stacey
                          Participant

                            Great job Cloughie. Very nice tone selection.

                            Stacey

                          • May 11, 2025 at 10:19 am #392685
                            Andy N
                            Participant

                              That’s the 21st down. Just 20 to go?
                              That was quite a challenge and incredible to get it transcribed to a guitar. Brilliant

                            • May 11, 2025 at 3:27 pm #392734
                              JoLa
                              Participant

                                Now that’s a challenge for champions! Very ambitious project, and it sounded very sweet and sophisticated at the same time. I recognized some parts, it must have been tricky to transpose it to the guitar, especially the rhythm, I think? 🤔
                                Not only that, but also to make it your own. You’ve definitely succeeded in both, Brian.

                                🎸JoLa

                              • May 11, 2025 at 3:58 pm #392744
                                sunjamr
                                Participant

                                  Well that’s about as different as it gets, and well played Brian. I think I’ve heard that sonata before. I flashed back to a long time ago when I was a kid. I believe my mom had a 33-1/3 rpm record which included it.

                                  Sunjamr Steve

                                • May 11, 2025 at 5:34 pm #392775
                                  Mike D
                                  Participant

                                    Wow very well played and inspiring !

                                    Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

                                  • May 11, 2025 at 7:26 pm #392782
                                    Bill
                                    Participant

                                      Not many of us interpreting classical pieces…very nice!

                                    • May 12, 2025 at 10:53 am #392832
                                      JoeD1
                                      Participant

                                        That sounded beautiful Cloughie! Really well done.

                                        Joe

                                        The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
                                        Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
                                        --Graeme Edge

                                      • May 12, 2025 at 1:14 pm #392896
                                        Martin W
                                        Participant

                                          Beautifully played and quite a challenge you set yourself, all parts went together very cohesively, I’m not familiar with the tune but it does sound good .

                                          Martin

                                        • May 12, 2025 at 2:33 pm #392904
                                          Michael L
                                          Participant

                                            Hi Cloughie, I really enjoyed this one. I love how you were inspired by Schubert and created your own take on the piece. Very dramatic and melodic. Great to hear it!

                                          • May 12, 2025 at 3:12 pm #392916
                                            Manfred M
                                            Participant

                                              What a great idea, Cloughie. And how great the whole thing turned out. You created a very special vibe with this piece and your playing, which is very unique. Wonderful contribution!

                                              Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom.
                                              The next Meetup will take place on May 31

                                              There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in the next days..

                                              I look forward to meet you.
                                              Manfred

                                            • May 12, 2025 at 4:40 pm #392954
                                              Dieter
                                              Participant

                                                Wonderful melody and playing.

                                                Dieter

                                              • May 12, 2025 at 5:21 pm #392961
                                                KT
                                                Participant

                                                  Enjoyed listening to your presentation.
                                                  Well done!

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