From the Four Winds

This is the place to post items relating to Gordon and his music in a general sense, such as his influences, how he composes, which pieces you enjoy most and why etc.

Moderator: GORDON

stevegreeny2
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:28 am

From the Four Winds

Postby stevegreeny2 » Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:28 pm

Only my second post so be gentle!

Where to start?

Well, I mentioned in my first post I have started playing guitar after a long layoff. But how much easier now with all the technology, published music books etc. When I started there was very little - a few Ragtime Guitar books by Stefan Grossman!
I remember trying to transcribe a piece of music using a tape cassette and endlessly rewinding. Now I can use the excellent Transcribe! (http://www.seventhstring.com) and tab/notation software TablEdit (http://www.tabledit.com/) to transcribe a piece where there is no published music (rare these days).

Which sort of brings me to my question. I have been invited to an old friend's wedding/musical gathering in New England next year. We go back to the 70/80s before he and another friend emmigrated (part of the brain drain!). We all were fans of Gordon and had his LPs.

I thought of some pieces I could play for the event and thought "From the Four Winds" sounded appropriate and would remind us of theose early days back in the UK. I have an old tattered paper containing my attempted transcription from Visionary all those years ago but now of course there is the published version (although it is abridged). My version was pretty good apart from one section in the middle where the abridged version can't help.

This middle section (not in the published version), I like, as it provides a change in texture by using some strummed chord sequences which I think is based on Em .../ DM/A... / Bm7... /... C/G. However, for the life of me then (or now with the technology) I couldn't/can't work out the closing chord sequence which I think finishes on a E7 b9 sus 4 before returing to the picking. (My excuse is it's hard to pick out the guitar from all the other instruments!)

I'd like to play as close to the original Visionary version as possible and wondered if Gordon or some other kind soul could help.

Hope I'm not out of order with my request and thanks for an excellent website by the way.

Keep up the good work Gordon.

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby GORDON » Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:30 pm

Hi Steve.

I have good news sir!

My VINTAGE GILTRAP book available via the link on this website at

http://www.guitarcds.net/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=3091

has full transcriptions of many of those early Visionary pieces cherry picked from Visionary, Perilous Journey, and Fear of the Dark.

I'm delighted you regard my music so highly as to tackle these old chestnuts of mine.

Be Well and THANKYOU Steve.

G.

stevegreeny2
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:28 am

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby stevegreeny2 » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:49 pm

Gordon

Received my copy of Vintage Giltrap today :D and as you rightly said the transcription includes the aforesaid chord sequence.
I did get it pretty well but the missing chords were the easy ones! So there you go. :oops:

By the way the tab for Lucifer's Cage is a bit bizarre. :? At first I thought blimy Gordon has big hands - Bar at Fret 4 and play frets 14 and 12 on the 1st two strings. Never seen a Tab with a capo written like this before.
So, I'll have to translate it with my TablEdit programme. No worries.
Thanks for an excellent book - I shall enjoy playing the pieces and of course, The Four Winds, (for my international debut next year!)

Cheers
Steve G.

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby GORDON » Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:40 pm

Hi Steve.

Well done that man. You acted on my advice, went out and ordered the book. I'm impressed sir.

Hope the capo postion didn't cause too much confusion, but now you know , I guarantee you will nail it sir.

Be Well and enjoy 4 Winds!

G.

guy.murray
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:59 pm
Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby guy.murray » Thu Aug 23, 2012 1:18 pm

I would also highly recommend "The Long Road Home" book of arrangements by Ray Burley for classical guitar. Amongst other gems, you will find a version of "From the Four Winds" in standard tuning and a different key. One of these days I will get around to trying Gordon's version as well, changing a guitar's tuning changes the whole resonance of the instrument, so it will be interesting to see the difference.

You will have to read dots thou' no tab provided!

Guy
Guy

stevegreeny2
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:28 am

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby stevegreeny2 » Tue Aug 28, 2012 12:08 am

Thanks I'll take a look. I usually enter dots into TablEdit to get the tab so no prob.

By the way, in the "Vintage" book the Four Winds is shown as being in the Tuning of DGCFAD. (Key of Dmin?)

But I soon realised that it's just the whole guitar is tuned a tone lower :). Confused me for a minute!

guy.murray
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:59 pm
Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby guy.murray » Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:35 am

Oh yes so it is! Not noticed that before.

Would still recommend the Burley book though. Double Vision is also well worth
Getting as in addition to giving you the chance to play duets it has some numbers that arn't available elsewhere, such as Maddie goes West and Ravensbourn.

And it includes tab.


Enjoy!
Guy

stevegreeny2
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:28 am

Re: From the Four Winds / Heartsong

Postby stevegreeny2 » Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:53 pm

Greetings again Gordon

I have learned from the Four Winds from the Vintage Giltrap Book I purchased - thanks for the advice. Unfortunately,I have now also been asked to play during the "ring warming" part of the ceremony at my old friend's wedding in New England next month!

I have searched t'internet for suitable tunes from the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, Peter White and even arranged some of my own (a couple of fiddle tunes - The Lovers Waltz and If Ever You Were Mine) but I'm sort of coming down to the decision that I may attempt Heartsong - as it's a great tune and has an appropriate title. By the way, I'm sure you've been asked before, but what was the inspiration for the piece and the title?

I'm sure you've played at Weddings before so any additional advice would be appreciated on choice of piece etc.

Cheers

Steve G

P.S See you at Dent?

User avatar
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: SUTTON COLDFIELD

Re: From the Four Winds

Postby GORDON » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:42 pm

Hi Steve.

Ironically HEARTSONG,or the basis of it was inspired by a song I wrote years before called Starting all Over which had that descending chordal sequence in the open G tuning. I just sort of speeded it up and placed the capo at the second fret and the rest as they say is history. The title just came...goodness knows where from.

Be prepared for folk to chat whilst your playing,because in the main,folk don't usually go to a wedding to listen to music! That's my experience anyway, that's why I usually ask the question if asked to play at a wedding...Will they be listening?

FORTUNATELY most of my private concerts at weddings have been wonderful, as I'm sure your appearance will be.

Good luck and have fun!

Be Well.

G.


Return to “Gordon's Music”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests