THE INFLUENCE OF THE VIOLIN ON THE GUITAR

 

This is the third post dedicated to the Art of Performance/Interpretation, but this time from the point of view of the violin, which has influenced the classic guitar in many different ways. Performance, left hand (LH) technique, and music notation are the points of interest that will be briefly covered.

Johann Leopold Mozart (1719-1787) born in Augsberg, Germany first published this didactic work in 1756, just after the birth of his son W. A. Mozart (1756-1789). The Treatise on the Fundamental Principals of Violin Playing appeared a few years after the Treatise on Playing Traverse Flute by J. J. Quantz (1752), and Ph. Em. Bach's The True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments (1753). What caught my attention the most in Leopold's Violinschule, was that it was written more for the teacher than the student, and most importantly it can be used as a guide for "good artistic performance in general.' 

TO AMPLIFY OR NOT TO AMPLIFY

 

Amplified Acoustic Guitar

Or put in other words the title of this post could read, "To be or not to be." A quote taken from Shakespeare's play Hamlet (1599-1601). "To amplify my instrument or not" during live performance is a very important question that should be re-examined under today's technological advances in PA amplification, and the constant demand for "live music". Choosing to amplify your acoustic instrument can give the musician more possibilities of playing live in large or somewhat noisy venues.

Your instrument and the use and placement of the 4099 DPA Core super-cardioid condenser mic are the main factors that will allow you to reproduce during live performance the maximum sound quality at the highest possible volume depending on the circumstances. Eliminating feedback while achieving an accurate and natural sound is the main objective, and we must take into consideration that each venue has its own sound idiosyncrasies (indoor/outdoor, temperature, humidity level, number of guests, etc.).

 

Here I will give a brief description of the components that make up the PA amplification system: 1) The 4099 DPA Core instrument condenser microphone (the mic is attached to the guitar using a guitar mic clip), 2) The Eventide Mic Pre with FX Loop (this gives power to the microphone) and 3) The Joyo BSK-60 Acoustic Guitar Amplifier which comes with an external footswitch pedal.

The DPA d:vote 4099 condenser mic (with wind screen) reduces distortion or unwanted noise while at the same time delivers the true voice of my acoustic guitar. The versatile gooseneck extender allows you to position the mic in an ideal spot (usually located at the twelfth fret). If you need more information on specs, features, etc. visit the DPA webpage https://www.dpamicrophones.com/instrument/4099-instrument-microphone.

TWIN PEAKS THEME FOR GUITAR

Angelo Badalamenti was born was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1937, and recently passed away on Dec. 22, 2022 in NJ. He is principally known for his unique music film/TV scores, namely the Twin Peaks TV series written in 1990 in collaboration with the director David Lynch. This theme received a Grammy Award and has become an international success. You can read more about the composer here A. Badalamenti Official Website

The Twin Peaks theme was originally composed for piano in the key of F/Dm. This is a transcription for guitar in the key of G/Em with a drop D tuning on the sixth string. The reason for this transposition is to take advantage of the open strings and make the piece playable for guitarist with an intermediate level.