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Fantasia

Home › Forums › Showcase Your Playing › Fantasia

  • This topic has 17 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 1 day, 7 hours ago by John H.
Viewing 10 reply threads
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    Posts
    • April 28, 2026 at 5:18 pm #413607
      Geoff
      Participant

        This is a little lute piece composed by Franscesco da Milano and, gosh, this turned out to be difficult for me to play.

        One of the challenges is it uses the lute tuning where you flat the G string a semi-tone down to F#. Playing the F# on the open 3rd string really addled my brain. The timing was also pretty challenging. I had to work this one with a metronome to get it right.

        Well, i did my best with this one. Maybe some of you will enjoy this. Personally, I love the lute music from this period 😉

      • April 28, 2026 at 6:42 pm #413618
        Garry
        Participant

          Yes, Geoff. I agree lute music is definitely special. Beautifully played and you made it look easy as always. I remember playing some lute music many years ago with the flattened 3rd string and it definitely takes a while to ‘adjust’ the brain to nail those notes. Thanks for sharing this gem. All the best! 😎🎸😎

          • April 29, 2026 at 11:12 am #413719
            Geoff
            Participant

              If I made it look easy, I can tell you that I really had to practice not putting on my “funeral director face” 🤣.

              Well, you would know this, but getting the timing right on music from this era is really challenging. The quick changes on the left hand kill me too.

          • April 28, 2026 at 8:24 pm #413626
            Michael Krailo
            Participant

              Very good Geoff. You shine with anything classical and this one didn’t look that easy, but you played it with style.

              Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

              • April 29, 2026 at 11:04 am #413717
                Geoff
                Participant

                  Thanks Michael, it least i wasn’t pulling my “Funeral face” playing this one 😅

              • April 29, 2026 at 1:06 am #413648
                Mark T
                Participant

                  That was beautiful, Geoff – any difficulty you had playing this certainly didn’t show in your performance – Mark 👍🎶😎

                  For many people of my wife’s and my generation, Fantasia was a magical and memorable film, and a wonderful introduction to the world of classical music. I can still recall the conductor, in the film, introducing the various instruments – he probably sounds quite dated now, but it remains a fond memory of going to the ‘flicks’ to see this on the ‘big screen’.

                  Even now – despite all the streaming services available – there’s nothing quite like the ‘big screen’ experience! Only two days ago, we went to see the film ‘Michael’, about Michael Jackson; what an incredible performance from the actor who played him – quite stunning!! 👌👌♥️♥️

                  • April 29, 2026 at 10:53 am #413713
                    Geoff
                    Participant

                      To be honest, I am not really sure what a Fantasia is Mark. 🤔 Renaissance Lute music seems to geared towards courtly dances and are named according to whatever dance form it was catering to. I come across a lot of pieces from this era labeled “Fantasia” and, I could be wrong, but I don’t think a Fantasia is a dance.

                      I have not been to a big screen production for a long time You are right. Hard to beat the experience but it has all gotten so expensive now.

                  • April 29, 2026 at 1:25 am #413655
                    Dieter
                    Participant

                      Hi Geoff,

                      I’m really glad that you’re also a fan of this wonderful Renaissance music.
                      The piece is indeed not easy to play, and your performance is excellent both technically and in terms of its authentic flair.

                      Yes, the old masters were very flexible when it came to partially or fully open guitar/lute tunings; today’s standard tuning only developed later.

                      (Your post spontaneously motivated me to play something classical again, which I’ve been neglecting a bit lately).

                      Greetings from an old man in old Nuremberg, Germany

                      Dieter

                      • April 29, 2026 at 11:08 am #413718
                        Geoff
                        Participant

                          Thanks Dieter. I am a huge fan of the music from this era and I can only imagine how crazy good the musicians and composers from that time must have been. If I could start my life again, I would pick up the lute or the Baroque guitar.

                          If I motivated you to play something classical again, that makes me very happy 😊.

                          Greetings from another old man in Canada 😉

                      • April 29, 2026 at 8:25 am #413700
                        charjo
                        Moderator

                          Beautiful, Geoff. Great playing on what looks like a difficult piece.
                          Your recorded sound was terrific with such full bass and clarity in the higher registers.
                          John

                          • April 29, 2026 at 11:00 am #413714
                            Geoff
                            Participant

                              Thanks John. Gratifying to hear that because I put a lot into recording quality.

                              I used to think it was important to have the mic close to the guitar but, I have since learned, it is better to position the mic a good meter or so away. The other thing I have learned, perhaps counter intuitively, is to set the recording volume low in the DAW. I then boost the volume in my video editing software. I don’t know why that works better for me but it does seem to work.

                              When I listen to other accoustic guitar performances on YouTube, I still cannot understand how they come through with so much more volume than I can do.

                          • April 29, 2026 at 9:12 am #413704
                            AndréM
                            Participant

                              That was a hard one but you played beautifully .
                              Very nice.

                              AndréM

                              AndréM

                              • April 29, 2026 at 11:01 am #413716
                                Geoff
                                Participant

                                  Thanks Andre. 🙂

                              • April 29, 2026 at 2:15 pm #413729
                                JoeD1
                                Participant

                                  I can see how difficult that must have been to learn but you nailed it!

                                  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 2, 2026 at 1:58 pm #413986
                                  James B
                                  Participant

                                    Very nice, Geoff. A challenging piece indeed. Like John, I thought the recording sounded better also.

                                    James

                                  • May 3, 2026 at 7:05 am #414052
                                    Helen Lazaridou
                                    Participant

                                      It’s absolutely beautiful Geoff 😍 and although it’s got all these “twiddly” bits as Mark calls them,you have managed to seem like you don’t struggle at all!!!The tone is wonderful too!!!You are becoming an expert at recording 🥰🥰🥰

                                      • May 3, 2026 at 10:23 am #414064
                                        Geoff
                                        Participant

                                          Thanks Helen, with classical guitar it is all about the posioning of the right hand. I am trying to emulate this great guitar player I am hearing – goes by the name of Matthew McKallister. I cannot even come close to what he does but it is great fun trying 🙂

                                      • May 3, 2026 at 6:26 pm #414094
                                        John H
                                        Participant

                                          Well played Geoff… very enjoyable. You are moving quiet fluidly and those nylon strings have a tone to die for. I like how you maintained a percussive and brisk cadence. Always a pleasure.

                                          John

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