Zorbas Dance (arr. Richard Hirsch)by Theodorakis Solo Guitar - Digital Sheet Music

Product Description

An arrangement of Mikis Theodorakis classic for solo acoustic guitar. The arrangement is played in the key of D with the 6th string tuned to D. The piece is modal rather than strictly major or minor, note the beautiful shift back and forth from D major to E minor. There is a lot muting in the slower first and third sections of the piece, making it a good training ground for this technique. It is also an entertaining piece to perform with the D chords in the slower sections alternating between the first and fifth positions, the left hand moving back and forth over the fretboard as in a dance! The playing of the right hand consists basically of the thumb playing the bases while the treble melody line is played with alternating index and middle fingers, occasionally aided by the ring finger. Where possible the index and middle finger should play with the rest stroke (apoyando) to highlight the melody. I have given recommendations for what I consider to be good left hand fingering, especially in places where there might be other less viable alternatives. The piece is both fun to play and to listen to. A second guitar can be added to this solo version to make a duo version. I give guitar chord diagrams for the second guitar in the appropriate places in the notation. The second guitar plays the base note of the chord diagram followed by the treble notes of the chord played by the fingers to complete the measure. Two chord diagrams in sequence should be repeated until a different chord diagram appears in the notation. The base note of the chord diagram will not always correspond to the base note in the notation for the first guitar. The clash, however, does not create disturbing dissonance, but seems to reinforce the modal character of the piece.The single notes and chords of the second guitar should be muted until the jump in speed at measure 121. The piece may be played slightly slower if preferred, but probably not faster than the recommended tempos as the race to the finish in the final measures tends to become impossible! I started working with the melody many years ago while teaching guitar to young children at a communal music school just outside Frankfurt/Main, Germany. I found the section with the many repetitions an excellent place to teach the children the coordination of playing with the thumb and alternating index and middle fingers. The children really liked playing it, especially when I accompanied them with the chords. They felt like they were making music and not just struggling with an instrument! The children were also introduced early on to the entire fretboard of the guitar, something which many introductory guitar methods avoid doing thereby handicapping the students by restricting them to the first position. The alternative versions of the D major chord in the first and fifth positions are also good for exploring the different tonal qualities the same notes can have on different positions on the guitar.

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