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0 pointscoldpie2y ago0 comments

Guitar, and as a subset of that, music theory and composition. It started as a something to get me through the first pandemic winter in Minnesota in 2020, never having held a guitar before, and it turned out to be something I've been completely obsessed with for more than three years now. I have played guitar literally almost every day since I started. I play for about a half hour every day before I head out to catch the bus, and very often play for another hour or two in the evening.

My main focus for the past two years has been solo fingerstyle guitar, especially classical. The two full pieces I've learned so far are "The Water Is Wide" arranged by Yenne Lee[1] and "Home" by Andrew York[2]. I've almost finished memorizing "Tango Azul" by Nemanja Bogunovic[3], and I'm working on learning "Autumn Leaves" also arranged by Yenne Lee[4], and "Blackwood Lullaby" by Justin Johnson[5]. And I've learned a bunch of short studies and pieces, a recent favorite being "Vals Frances" by Francis Kleynjans[6].

In addition to playing, I also attend classical concerts put on by the Minnesota Guitar Society[7] and do a little bit of volunteering for them, primarily editing full concert videos for their YouTube channel (which, sadly, are mostly taken down after a brief viewing due to contractual stuff).

[1] "The Water Is Wide" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bufc2HY9F2U

[2] "Home" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ajTcwJBbw4

[3] "Tango Azul" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZgTsKrluE

[4] "Autumn Leaves" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxGT5z6d-GA

[5] "Blackwood Lullaby" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC58eXL-MJY

[6] "Vals Frances" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSNmwn54vEI

[7] https://mnguitar.org/

0 comments

kgwxd2y ago

I finally got back into music this year because my kid started piano. I played guitar a ton throughout high school and my early 20's, did classical for a few years in there too. I could play almost anything, but I was terrible at writing so I sort of just stopped. I really wish I had had the infinite supply of composing videos that are so easy to come by now. I learned so much this year already in my "spare time", I feel like I could have been decent at it back when most of my time was spare.

_jcrossley2y ago

Hey, a fellow classical guitarist!! Love that York piece and Lee’s Autumn Leaves

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