Quadrivial Quandary - left hand training

[kawe]

Hi!
Here's a training lesson for the left hand out of Scott Tennant's book "Pumping Nylon".

home.vrweb.de/jek.wenix/york_andrew-quadrivial_quandary.html

If you'd like to have it as a powertab file (with standard notation and tab), send me a PM with your email address.

[mahayana]

That's a real pretty one, kawe.

Some of those "middle chord" voicings are the same fingerings as the "bottom chords" I posted earlier. My left hand feels like it stretched new ways, but everything in the exercise was playable. It may take awhile to study exactly what some of these chords are, get the piece up to speed.

I'll bet you've been working on this one!

[kawe]

Glad you like it, mahayana!
I'm still working on it, especially to be able to play a little more fluently!

[mahayana]

I like puzzles, so I was fooling around with the third chord, X7958X (the first really stretchy one above), looking for easier ways to play it.

The notes are EBCG, so an identical voicing is at the first position, XX2413, and you can see that it's an Am7 with the note B (the 9th) inserted inside the chord. Still kind of stretchy.

I wound up playing it at position 10, as 12 14 10 12 X X.

Also, had to look up the word "quadrivial" in the dictionary. Thought it had to do with four fingers (wrong!), anyway the quandary part is obvious LOL

[kawe]

Good idea, MA!
But I think the intention is to stretch your fingers as it's supposed to be a left hand training.

[mahayana]

Yeah, even the sub I came up with is stretchier than most. Another thing being taught here is grabbing unusual fingerings. Like the first chord XX9768, putting the fingers down in the order- middle, pinkie, index, ringfinger.

What I'm doing now is making up little study diagrams, figuring out what the odd chords are. I guess we all learn different ways. I started by printing out the tab, playing it through by arpeggiating the chords. After I get more ease with the fingerings, I'll be able to sound all chords correctly, get the time right, a few measures at first.

Eventually, memorize the whole piece.

It's funny that I don't know any easier way.

[kawe]

mahayana said:

... figuring out what the odd chords are...

What chords do you mean?

[mahayana]

Here's one I'm still trying to name-

X4131X Ab Eb Bb C

It's the second chord in measure 14.

The passage starting at measure 13 goes

Fmaj7#5 Bb13 Ebmaj7#5 l Ab13 X4131X Bsus4

odd chords?

[Professor1]

OK, first of all, the numbers next to the notes are finger numbers, it's a total coincidence that it works out as frets for this chord. Second, you read the notes wrong, the chord, bottom to top is Db, Eb, Bb, C. If you really need a name for the chord, and you don't, it would be a C minor, flat 9 -- C-Eb-(G)-Bb-Db.


Edit: I didn't realize you were reading from a tablature. Tablature is terrible stuff BTW. It doesn't tell you anything meaningful about rhythm or duration. At this level you should all be reading music. One of the important points behind this piece is sustained notes. If you want the music, mahayana, PM me.

[mahayana]

Thanks for the help. I would like to see the music. Andrew York has an unusual way with voicings.

I'm still analyzing, but a lot of these seem to be "slash" chords, i.e. notes added below the main sounds of the chords.

Like in my Db Eb Bb C, the sound is not at all Cm. More like Fsus4 with a discordant #5 at the bottom, leading to a Bsus4.

This one's going to take some time.

[Professor1]

I'll send you the music if you want.
I really do think you're over-analysing it. The title of the book is Pumping Nylon, it's a skills builder for classical guitarists. (The piece is a left hand voicing exercise.) Putting a jazz context on it is inappropriate. The chord we're talking about is not a functional harmony. Because the harmony is in transition, and the chords in that measure contain suspensions that do not resolve until the next measure, the name of that "chord" is of no significance.

[mahayana]

Thanks for sending the standard notation, Prof. It's still a tough one, but easier to see the voices ("A Four Voice Study For The Left Hand") with the regular music.

I'd apologise for analyzing the chords, but heck, I enjoy naming these things. I'm still trying to understand how this little piece was composed. Not on guitar, my bet.

It is odd to put a lot of effort into something that can be played in about 90 seconds. Wonder how many students ever get this down, regardless of their training?

[Professor1]

mahayana said:

I'm still trying to understand how this little piece was composed. Not on guitar, my bet.

Wonder how many students ever get this down, regardless of their training?

I seems to have been written for guitar. Don't get too caught up in its "inner meaning". It's just an exercise, there are dozens more in that book, including all 120 of the Giuliani arpeggios.