|
Ricardo -> RE: Cositas buenas book (Nov. 3 2020 22:43:47)
|
So learned a lot of stuff going through the score. He gets the correct formula for the right hand in some of the rasgueados in Venga al alba, you can see the very last one is right. Why he plays around with that basic formula in the other bulerias and certain spots is confusing to me (how could he see the correct one in one spot and not see how it applies across the board?). Anyway, for the most part I like the guitar solo stuff. The guitar duets in bulerias and tangos look ok. He notates the bass solo in the Latin jazz finale rumba.
The most interesting piece for me to read was the Tientos, really cool stuff there...of course WAY off the beaten path for traditionalists. I didn’t realize the key and stuff previously by only ear. He used this tuning for a buleria and a tangos in the past, piñonate/cañada, but here it is in a different key (D phrygian 5th position is taken as root). He really makes use of the low bass notes here and looking closer I can see all the markings of the tradition like Easter eggs dropped in here and there. Too bad there is no video of this piece, it ranks up with his Camaron Rondeña as far as iconic modern versions of the song form.
So here are two problems with the scores, one minor and the other major IMO. The minor problem is there are a couple of spots he doesn’t use the correct key signature. Cositas buenas starts in C phrygian more or less for the first 30 bars or so, and then moves to D phrygian, and finally moves toward E phrygian. That should be 4 flats->2 flats-> no sharps or flats. But he writes the whole intro in D phrygian. Then he uses E minor (one sharp) for the E phrygian transition and finally settles on no sharps and flats when the singing starts. I would be ok with no sharps and flats used the entire time, or the three I mentioned. I simply helps to visualize what paco is doing in this crazy piece IMO. I think he got tricked by the B7 chord in the E phrygian section (it is the famous cambio chord like buleria corta uses). Also the last piece he uses no key signature....perhaps because of the jazz flavor? Probably he couldn’t identify a key for that song. My ear finds gravity towards B minor.
So the big problem is the lovely duet El Dengue. I was inspired by the polyphony when I first heard this to explore ideas in my own rumba. I like the interplay of the two guitar, very much in line with the last Trio record. However this score is a mess. I can’t follow it at first hearing because the parts keep jumping between voices. I realized with headphones what was going on and used a couple of highlighter pens to trace out Paco’s guitar part (heard stereo left). The other guitarist, and unknown guy who plays great on this, is heard clearly in the right channel. Why Leiva seemed to understand the separation on the the complex bulerias on this album, tientos, and Compadres on Zyryab, but seemed to be hearing in MONO on this track is beyond my understanding. Totally not acceptable. But overall I will enjoy studying the book in general. Check my photo [:D]
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
|
|
|
|
