Free sheet music

[John Craton]

You guys at the Café have been so supportive of me in my neverending quest to conquer the instrument (despite the fact that it is a battle I am still losing), I decided to follow Victor's example and make my own humble offerings to the non-faint-of-heart. Last June I scribbled out a set of six duets that, after finishing them, had no idea what to do with. As we seem to have some bold explorers here at the Café, I decided to post them as freebies for anyone willing to subject themselves to my creative dribblings -- my humble way of saying thanks to all. The duets can be found here.

The Six Pantomimes are really nothing but trifles, just all for fun. (They kind of go along with the old joke: If a tree falls in the forest and kills a mime, does anyone care?) For the sake of saving trees, I post them here as PDF files, leaving it up to the individual to consider whether they're worth the risk of further deforestation. Also included are "tweaked" Scorch files, made to sound a tad better on playback than the clean scores. I can't guarantee the PDFs are error-free, but they are ... ahem ... free (you get what you pay for).

Don't take them seriously -- Pierrot certainly wouldn't

[Plamen Ivanov]

Thanks John,

we are going to try them for sure with my guitar colleague on thursday.

[margora]

These look excellent and very playable! I am especially eager to try #6.

[vkioulaphides]

John (operaguy) is, as usual, far too modest. I was privileged to have seen these works earlier on, and was much impressed by them; the positive impression, of course, remains. I will only agree with the composer's own candid remark that #they are not easy—#not for me, at least. But that, naturally, belongs more to the Escaping Mediocrity thread... #

Bravo to John!

[Jim Garber]

John:
You must be nicer to yourself. These are wonderful and playful pieces and look like they would be fun to play. Hey Victor, let's put them on the top of the pile, eh?

Jim

[vkioulaphides]

Sure, Jim. But, how about a DATE?

I'm afraid I have lied to you, one and all: with my colleague (and partner-in-crime) at the arts management job in medical treatment, I am still on the job. Add to that the countless other, ADDITIONAL things I am trying to do in the advent of free agency, and... free time? What free time?

Nonetheless we really ought to get together, Jim. I would love to kick-start my New Life with more mandolin-playing. Let us hope...

[John Craton]

Sure, Jim. But, how about a DATE? #

Gee, I had no idea my music would inspire a romantic encounter #

Maybe my next work should be a nice romanza for mandolin duo.

Thanks for the kind comments, folks. You are all much too kind. I've always been more inclined to think of myself as a composer in a particular French genre: Écrivaillon. (I think that translates loosely as "hack.")

[vkioulaphides]

Oh, I am quite sure that all the star-crossed Romeos and Juliets could resolve their family issues far more easily and readily than Jim and I can pin down an actual date when, jobs/spouses/children permitting, we can play a few, merry mando-tunes together.

Hell hath no fury like a freelancer's schedule. #

[John Goodin]

John, thanks for posting these lovely duets. I've enjoyed listening to the Scorch renditions and look forward to playing some of the notes on a real instrument someday soon.

A technical question: what's your preferred method of turning your Sibelius score into a pdf document? I seem to re-invent that wheel for myself each time I need to do it.

John Goodin

[Plamen Ivanov]

Hello John,

We played through them and liked especially number 2, 5 and 6. We settled an extra rehearsal on saturday in order to practice your pieces. Thanks and good luck!

Plamen

[John Craton]

what's your preferred method of turning your Sibelius score into a pdf document?

I use PDF Creator, which is a very simple program to use. It is free and can be downloaded here.

Thanks for the input, plami. Let me know if you colleagues survive more than two rehearsals of my drivel

[John Bertotti]

I bet they are great fun, thanks for the music.

[John Goodin]

John C., thanks very much for the PDF-Creator tip. It's just what I've been looking for. I've used the free trial download to PDF (as in, "create a PDF file") a transcription/arrangement for two mandolins and guitar of the 1st of Bach's 3-part inventions. Here's the link:
http://academic.luther.edu/~goodinjo/Bach/Bach3I-2-C

If anyone has trouble opening this file please let me know. It seems to work OK for me.

John Goodin