Ready to learn more about repertoire like this and make real progress in your guitar studies?Ĭlick below to start your tonebase membership with a 14-day free trial. If you’d like to watch the lesson on this topic for free, just click here. ConclusionĪs you can see, York’s approach to blending diverse influences with vibrant youth give Sunburst its qualities that make it so memorable. Look deeply into how these elements relate for a more rewarding experience for you and your audience. It’s a collection of elements that must fit together and move forward toward a goal. This isn’t just a piece with a charismatic theme and a busy middle section. York wrote this piece in his 20s, when “life seems simpler, and we have an optimistic outlook.” Give each section its own character, and make sure you have a clear understanding of the form. York begins with free stroke in the thumb and moves to rest stroke to intensify. The coda should build significantly into the last figure. Even though there is no note on the downbeat of measure 3, be sure that you are feeling the subdivisions and not short-changing any beats.

RecapitulationĪ common trap in the melody is for players to shorten the second bar of the piece to a 7/8 bar and put the last note on the downbeat of the next measure. However, repeating something the same way may cause listeners to pay less attention to what they’re hearing.ĭon’t underestimate the importance of the following pause we need time to dispel the energy that has been building up. Repetition is a powerful compositional device that strengthens ideas and gives the listener something to grab onto. The second time we hear this theme, a pick-up note is added for more interest. The first notes of the theme are B, C♯, and D (the first three notes of the opening melody). Adding the melodyĪfter two bars of ostinato, the theme appears. Hammer-ons do not require brute strength, only speed of the finger. Relaxation is required to maintain good technique and a focused sound. In this case, it isn’t bad to hear the percussive sound of the hammer-on. Clarity and timing are the two most important aspects of this groove.

This ostinato requires an awareness of groove. These styles typically have very high energy and excitement that classical music sometimes lacks. Incorporating popular music styles like jazz, rock and roll, and Latin music into his pieces allows York to keep the music relevant. In York’s opinion, classical music tends to lack an awareness of modern musical styles.

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