Matthew Cochran
Les Productions D’Oz: 6 pages
Inspired by an essay of David Foster Wallace’s this short but very individual sounding work, has a number of quitter startling elements and ideas, the first of which is an introduction with a zero for a time signature and a large number of very quick phrases consisting largely of hammer-ons and pull -offs done at a very quick speed, marked Freely which I took to be a musical picture of the young fish darting around. Then, after a few seconds of that, an In Time brings about a slow crotchet melody in the lower regions of the guitar. From here on, for a while these two ideas alternate with the It Time portion now developing its ideas somewhat until, in the middle of the piece, we find that a high pitched crotchet melody is underpinned by a semi – quaver accompaniment, which is nearly always an open B string intermingled with usually an identical B, or an A# and F# in a lower pitch, but on higher frets of the lower strings. At first this is quite tricky,, but quite quickly you understand what the writer is after, and the whole process becomes much more simple.
A further alternation of the sections with another new In Time part, leads to the final reiteration of the foregoing semi – quaver section which then goes to the coda that finishes on a gentle reminder of the opening free timed phrase, this time backed up with an arpeggiated chord.
This was an interesting piece that bears no resemblance to most other pieces you will come across, and although the harmonies are modern, they are friendly throughout. A moderately advanced player might make the best job of this piece, and I can see that it will attract many interested players.
Chris Dumigan
Comments