Ben’s Blog

Another cute little ditty from 400 Songs and Dances from the Stuart Masques. I worked on a lot of variations of position and fingerings, but then decided this set would work the best. I’m staying in position (1st finger on 17th fret of D string) on the top line just about throughout, moving down for the B natural, and then for both the Bb and G in bar 5. On the left hand, I’m also staying pretty closely in position (3rd finger on the G, 10th fret on A string), opting to shift down for the low Bb, but then moving right back into position until the last bar.

A lot of those choices become easier to make when you fire up the metronome.

Anyway, click the image below for a full size image, and let me know what you think. I tried recording a video but the audio on my webcam was really junky. I’ll get that figured out sometime.

bentorrey :: Jun.13.2010 :: Songs & Dances from the Stuart Masque :: No Comments »

So, here’s the best way to write these out in my opinion. I’ve been reading a lot of lute tablature songs lately, and this method works really well. What do you think? I’d probably put fingering suggestions next to notes in the score for each hand as well, probably only when there’s a shift to not clutter things up.

What I did to make this was do a bass and guitar part, then hide the tablature for those parts, then I added another part below those two with tablature only, and then wrote in the notes and scanned that. I have no idea (yet) how I can make GuitarPro do notation like this so that I end up with decent files to play along with or to export out MIDI files, but I’m sure I can figure that out.

Anyway, here’s a quick video. Not a very good take (2nd of 3) and clunky on timing. I need to practice this one A LOT with the metronome.

bentorrey :: Mar.22.2008 :: Repertoire, Songs & Dances from the Stuart Masque :: No Comments »

This week I took a look at # 177, the First of the Temple Masques. Still thinking of my “book” idea, I want to run something by my imaginary audience.

Take a look at the score below. Here’s how I’m reading the score on my 5-string bass, E-A-D-G-C. With the left hand part, I’m playing the C on the 8th fret of the E string. With the right-hand, I’m playing the G on the 19th fret of the C string. And then it just goes from there. So, my question is, I think it’s a lot easier to mention that than to transcribe it with tablature into two staffs with 8va’s all over the place and both parts in bass clef.

I’m also not sure if I see the value in putting my fingering choices all over the score. I think maybe general fingering suggestions up front might be more helpful than a really hard to read score with all these fingering directions.

Anyway, I’d love some feedback from anyone that might try to learn one of these pieces.

I discuss a few of the fingering choices in this video. Hope you enjoy.

bentorrey :: Mar.15.2008 :: Repertoire, Songs & Dances from the Stuart Masque :: No Comments »

This is a really nice little piece. Instead of presenting the tablature version, I wonder if it makes more sense to just talk over some of the fingering choices. So, here’s the score, and then a video where I’m talking about my approach to playing this one on electric bass.

I’m starting to think that a book of transcriptions with tab would be overkill. These are pretty easy pieces to read, and that’s the real “project” in it: could I get comfortable enough with my technique that I could actually be reading these pieces and play well enough to accompany a renaissance dance troup? That would be cool. Reading them forces me to not be stuck looking at the fretboard. Anyway, I talk about that in the video.

bentorrey :: Mar.08.2008 :: Repertoire, Songs & Dances from the Stuart Masque :: No Comments »

So, here’s a look at the Gray’s Inn Masque arranged for High F bass (E-A-D-G-C-F). Definitely best if you start the top line with the first finger and stay in position (the numbers below the first staff are right-hand fingering suggestions). Gray’s Inn Masque arranged for “High F” Bass (E-A-D-G-C-F)

And, here’s a GP5 if you want to practice the first phrase in GuitarPro. Gray’s Inn Masque for Guitar Pro 5

I took a whack at this on my 5-string (high C), which definitely requires a lot more shifting but works pretty well. Take a listen if you like.

bentorrey :: Mar.05.2008 :: Repertoire, Songs & Dances from the Stuart Masque :: No Comments »