At times like these I wonder if our country has lost its collective mind. Concluding that it has, I can’t resist the temptation to wonder how things got this way. Of course there are no simple answers. But it seems to me that among the causes for this, the widespread propensity of many to act upon what they believe, as if those beliefs constitute...
Read MorePrelude # 12 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield
The final prelude in this collection, Prelude # 12, ends things with both a tip of the hat to where we began via a traditional interpretation of the prelude’s key signature (for the most part) and the raising of some open-ended questions about form (by way of its rather labyrinthine structure). Link to Prelude # 12 on SoundCloud...
Read MorePrelude # 11 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield
Prelude # 11 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield There are so many aspects involved in the creation and construction of any piece of music, that most great music cannot be entirely perceived and/or comprehended in one listening. For any music to communicate, the performer must understand it, then perform it accordingly, and the audience...
Read MorePrelude # 10 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield
Prelude #10 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield Even with pieces as short as some of these preludes, there are multiple levels of information going on at any point in the music. So, rather than confuse you by presenting too many concepts at once, I’m choosing to focus on limited aspects of each prelude. The guitar tip for Prelude # 10...
Read MorePrelude # 9 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield
Prelude # 9 from 12 Preludes for Solo Guitar by Ken Hatfield I asked some of my students to play through these preludes prior to having the actual books printed, a practice I’ve found useful, especially for checking fingerings, as I rarely use them myself. Many have found Prelude # 9 to be the most “daunting” of the collection. And while it...
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