Accompanying a Solo Classical Guitarist

[AlphaMale]

Not as bad as accompanying a solo singer, or maybe it is. I don't know but its pretty hard. Anyone have any tips on accompanying a classical guitar?

[ding_man]

What type of music is he playing. If hes playing classical guitar then he doesnt need a bass player if hes just playing on a classical guitar then accompany him like anything else.

[DocBop]

What has the guitarist said he's wants that's where I would start. Does he have a chart is is classical music? It's no different than any accompanist gig your there to keep time, support the harmony and make the front person sound good. If you get a solo then during the solo its your turn to be in the spotlight. Talk to the guitarist get his ideas and offer suggestions if you have any that fit.

[AlphaMale]

Originally Posted by ding_man

What type of music is he playing. If hes playing classical guitar then he doesnt need a bass player if hes just playing on a classical guitar then accompany him like anything else.

He's playing classical guitar on an acoustic guitar, he doesn't own a classical. But he wants me to accompany him cause he thinks I'm really good. And I always talk about classical guitar, Like Segovia, Williams, and even Paganini. (Who knew who was a virtuoso guitarist and put out work for it) Check out his Grand Sonata if you're interested.

Originally Posted by DocBop

What has the guitarist said he's wants that's where I would start. Does he have a chart is is classical music? It's no different than any accompanist gig your there to keep time, support the harmony and make the front person sound good. If you get a solo then during the solo its your turn to be in the spotlight. Talk to the guitarist get his ideas and offer suggestions if you have any that fit.

Haha That's a very good question, that would simplify things a lot for me, but usually when I tell him he says just plays and we'll see what sounds good. The only thing we noticed is whenever he hits a G it sounds good if I play a D. He wrote it intentionally without bass notes so it's my job to accompany him and the funny thing is, I'm not used to accompanying melodies.
I'm thinking of analyzing classical guitar songs and looking at the bass notes and playing like that. And looking at song with Good melodies. Do you know of any good songs with good melodies that aren't solos (unless it's on classical guitar)?

[Marcury]

Listen to Bach, one of the greatest bass players to ever live. It's all in there, esp. his organ music.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

Haha That's a very good question, that would simplify things a lot for me, but usually when I tell him he says just plays and we'll see what sounds good. The only thing we noticed is whenever he hits a G it sounds good if I play a D. He wrote it intentionally without bass notes so it's my job to accompany him and the funny thing is, I'm not used to accompanying melodies.
I'm thinking of analyzing classical guitar songs and looking at the bass notes and playing like that. And looking at song with Good melodies. Do you know of any good songs with good melodies that aren't solos (unless it's on classical guitar)?

He should be able to sing to you what he hears in his head for bass, but whatever. Classical music especially early music was outlining chords all the time mosty triads. If he has music look at it and you should spots chords being spelled out. If not I would listen and sing the bass movement your ear is telling you to play. That should get you the basic changes to start from.

[AlphaMale]

Great Ideas thanks!

[theshadow2001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Fo4j6usBs

Here's three guys playing a classical piece on bass. Suiting time of year for the song.
Maybe you can draw some inspiration from their parts. Not only support which is your fundamental job but add in other little parts melodies and harmonies that fit well. Always focus on the supporting role though.

If that doesn't help at all who gives a crap its still a great video.

[Marcury]

Nice video. Lovely arrangement.

[Brad Maestas]

Being a bassist and a classical guitarist, I might be able to give you some ideas. So you're saying he's playing classical repertoire, fingerstyle on a steel string? Without knowing the exact pieces, it would be hard to give you any kind of definite answer since repertoire is so far-reaching. Another big part of it is what transcription and/or arrangement you're working from. Someone's transcription of an orchestral piece for solo guitar, for example, might not be the best for giving you the full scope of what is going on in the bass. Alternately, a piece written as a solo guitar piece from the beginning might only contain a few bass notes here or there and some amount of self-invention would still be required.

The key in any case is to listen to him and figure out how you can best complement him. If you want a more traditional-sounding arrangement, you might only play the roots in half or whole notes and judiciously add leading tones. A more modern arrangement might be to assimilate some of the harmony and counterpoint lines along with the basic bass movement. This all depends on your technique as well, as taking on a harmony line along with the bass might require you to abandon the standard two-finger technique and employ a more classical guitar approach (if you haven't already). Again, not knowing much leaves us to speculate on the details.

[Brad Maestas]

Here are two beautiful pieces that I play regularly. I chose these so that I might give you an idea of how I would approach them as an accompanying bassist.

"El Ultimo Tremolo" (Una Limosnita Por El Amor De Dios) by Agustin Barrios Mangore
(David Russell - http://youtube.com/watch?v=1akRj3CTMck)
This piece would be a challenge because it starts out with what sounds like whole note basses but later the distance between the bass and the harmony becomes so close that they are essentially one in the same. You would no longer be able to just get by with playing whole note basses and in fact, you would likely have to incorporate much of the entire harmony line. So then the question is, do you deviate from your original approach and if so, when? Certainly it would be jarring for you to play whole notes for twenty four bars and then all of a sudden filling up all this sonic space by doubling the harmony/bass line in eighth notes. There are ways to make it sound more graceful, yes, but you'd still want to create a more gradual change I would think. That's the beauty of interpretation! The famous "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," being another tremolo piece, exhibits a similar structure to "El Ultimo Tremolo."

"Lagrima" by Francisco Tarrega
(favorite version is on David Martinez' recital CD on the Naxos label)
Here's another solo piece. The structure of this piece is very different. It starts with two voices, both of which are very important. Even though the low notes are technically the bass part, I almost hear the bass playing the melody with the guitar at first (in the upper register). The low parts are very delicate, especially the last low E in each phrase. Most of the recordings I have of this feature the guitarists playing this note so soft as to be nearly inaudible. Like the feathered bass drum in jazz, it's more the weight than the pitch itself that's important and that can be hard to achieve with an amplified bass guitar. There is a definite bass part in this song but to play just that would not only be quite boring to listen to but also quite disjointed as well - like only one-half of a conversation. Since the voices are so interdependent, it's almost like you play them all or none at all. Another aspect that would make this hard for two people is the highly rubato nature of this piece. Lots of classical music is peppered with this and it takes an intimate knowledge of both the piece and the other player to sync up properly.

Those are some of the things that I would consider if I were going to accompany a classical guitarist. Perhaps if you give some more specific examples I/we can give you more specific answers. Good luck!

[AlphaMale]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BNpYe40riSI Kinda like this at 2:18 less rhythmic not so flamenco-y
The guitarist I'm working with changes tempo a lot. It's really hard to find something like it, this kid has made something very original.