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................... GUITAR PIECES ...............

Julian Garner has been composing instrumental solos and duos for the classical guitar (and other small ensembles) since around 2000, and continues to do so. Although he has never seriously looked into having these pieces published, and his CD releases have not been in this musical genre, the list of his publicly performed instrumental works keeps growing, and it's those that we plan to feature here. Many other pieces have been written but (as far as Julian can remember!) not yet performed. These include quite a few short studies.

He has recently decided to devote more time to guitar performance, so there may come a time when he feels ready to record some of these pieces on a proper album - but that is not a project he would take on until he has done far more live performing. His classical guitar music and playing has been inspired in some way by players and composers as diverse as JS Bach, Steve Howe, Julian Bream, Gordon Giltrap, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Nick Harper, Andres Segovia, Sir Lennox Berkeley, Steve Hackett, Graham Anthony Devine, Christopher Daly and Clifford Garner (JG's cello-playing father). Julian's brief comments appear next to the title of each piece, at the bottom of this page.


These pieces are not yet officially available either in sheet music form or on CD, but for any interested guitarists Julian is happy to supply a printed Sibelius copy of any of the solos in their current unpublished form, so please get in touch if you think you might like to have a go at one of them.

COMING SOON - To give you just a small taste (or, for some, a reminder) of each of the pieces, you will soon be able to click on a title to listen to short extracts from most of them.

Guitar Solos performed

...And Yet So Far .... A short, reflective piece.
A Shaft of Light .... Partly a tremolo study, using E A D F# B E tuning.
Acceptance .... Slightly jazz inspired, goes through various reflective moods before a subtly subsiding finish.
Catch The Spider .... A fun piece in 5/4 time which includes multiple pull-offs.
Dancing on the World’s Edge .... A dramatic piece with moving shapes and a little (Giltrap-like?) rasguado.
Daredevil .... A ludicrously difficult, dramatic, prog rock-inspired piece, with the main theme in 7/8 time. I'll do justice to it one day! Tuning: 6=D, 2=Bb.
Dawning .... A short, reflective companion piece to '...And Yet So Far'.
Edradour .... My first ever composition for classical guitar, from 2000 - slightly Scottish feel.
Empty Rooms .... Another reflective, emotive one.
Gate To The Isles .... A folky piece with classical influences.
Musical Box .... An easy piece - for a change! Stays in first position.
My Love Is Like A Red, Red, Rose .... An arrangement of the traditional song.
Restless .... As the title suggests, a busy piece with plenty of movement.
Seventeen Years .... An early piece, a version of which was actually released on my Flowdown CD.
She's The Key .... A piece composed when I was listening to a lot of Nick Harper but also learning Villa-Lobos.
Snakes and Ladders .... Lively piece, full of ups and downs (as the title suggests!), with influences from Villa-Lobos to XTC!
Tremolo .... Not a typical tremolo study, but a piece with occasional short bursts of tremolo at various speeds. The second solo I ever wrote.
Wave Riding .... A relentless, Bach-influenced theme in 9/8 time with variations.
Wetherbury .... A bluesy/classical piece written for a pupil and inspired by sliding Am7 and A7 shapes around.


Guitar Duos performed

Dark Wisdom ....
A slower piece arranged from one of a series of solos I wrote in D A D F# A D tuning. I soon realised how rarely I would be bothered to retune to that extent! And the duo in 6=D tuning works better, anyway.

Orange Moon ....
A slightly longer piece than many, with some dramatic and inventive moments and jazz/classical/folk influences in its contrasting sections.

Five Short Pieces for Piano by Lennox Berkeley ....
This set of guitar duo arrangements has been performed privately but is unavailable. I have not looked into the copyright issues that would be involved if it was to be duplicated or performed publicly. If nothing else, it was a fascinating project to attempt, Lennox Berkeley being a favourite composer of mine, not least for the guitar.


Other Ensemble Pieces performed

Golden Trio for Guitar, Cello and Viola ....
Written for, and played with, my parents, to celebrate their Golden Wedding.

Circular Reflections (Guitar and Cello) ....
A theme that goes through a circular series of minor third key changes - not that that helps you much. I like it, anyway!

Free Song (Guitar and Cello) ....
Prog rock and folk influences in this very lively piece with the guitar mainly strummed and with a capo at the third fret.

Air for CG (Guitar and Cello) ....
My first venture into writing for guitar and another instrument, for my father's 80th birthday. D A D F# A D tuning - a tuning which inevitably ensures that it doesn't get played much (see Dark Wisdom)!

1st Duo for Guitar and Recorder ....
For some reason the feel of the guitar reminds me of a 6/4 version of Golden Brown by the Stranglers in this pleasant folky piece.

Dorset Street (Guitar and Recorder) ....
I'd like to write more pieces for this very effective combination. This is my attempt at a traditional English reel (or jig?) after playing in a folk band for a while in 2005.

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