ONTHE CO TRACKS 10-12 EAST Rimsky-Kors RED akov e ay In his second Classical Shred article Paul Bielatowicz goes for the jugular as he tackles a legendary tune that could become your ultimate Party piece. You may need half an hour's yoga before you start though. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was bor in 1844, toa Russian family witha long line of military and naval service. His mother played piano, his father could also playa few songs by ear and from the age of six Nikolai took pianolessons from various loca teachers. However, Nikolai showed a distinet lack of interest for the instrument and played, ashe freely admitted, “badly and carelessly”, So he decided to follow inhisolder brother's footsteps and join the Imperial Russian Navy. Ironically, while he wasat school studying, forhis naval life, Nikola’ true lave of music was bor, so he resumed piano lessons and started studying composition, 66 On guitar Flight Of The Bumblebee is best known as an alternate picking workout 99 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov spent the next 22 years of his life combining musical composition © O@®@ Advanced KEY: Aminor | Altemate picking TEMPO:195bpm 4 Chromaticunderstanding (CD:TRACKS 10-12. General timing THIS MONTH WERE LOOKING at tune that hasbecomg one of the most popular classical technical showpieces ever. For players of all instruments ithas become a technical marker by which to prove themselves: kind of coming, ‘of age’ piece in the virtuoso world. It was originally written for Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera, ‘The Tale Of TsarSaltan, composed around 1899-1900. The piece, originally an orchestral interlude inthe opera, depictsa magic ‘swan-bird turning the Tsar's son into a ‘bumblebee so that he can visit his father. | ithe Navy, Res dented the reste oly otachingand beste oceatea‘hummble meld 36 Guitar Techniques Ap 2011 Batten’s tapping version on her debut album Above, Bolow & Beyond targeting of specific notes onthe beat — these notes constitute the bones of the melody, while the chromatic notes which link them can be seen asits flesh and blood. Improvising ‘musicians wanting to add chromatic spice to theirplaying often use the same approach, On guitar, Flight OF The Bumblebee has been played usinga variety of techniques, but it is perhaps best known as an alternate picking workout. Following on from last month's etude idea, this piece isa great technical exercise for alternate picking while also giving you an instantly recognisable composition to play ~ the best ofboth worlds, infact. As with any technically demanding pieceits best to break it down into separate sections and practise them slowly with a metronome, inereasing the tempo bysmallinerements. Ml ‘TRACK RECORD Fight Of The Bumblebee isa standard among classical vituosi, so you are spoilt for choice when choosing a recorded version. However, RachmaninofY's piano arrangement has become a classic and can be heard in the movie Shine. For rock guitar, checkout Jennifer »RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: £1 (OF THE BUNBLEBEE Ee Corer [Bar 11The piece opens with along chromatic sequentisl un. This would make augmented chords and whoe-tone sales area common feature of this piece Soret everie fr practising fournotespersting alternate picking The notes [Bar 7lin the main theme there's alarge and quick pestion leap fom the last ‘oneach best outing an E augmented srpengio with an added 9h E-F8, Gh, note (nbar 6to the st ote af bar. k's worth practising the two bars together, Bh which can be seen as coming rom thewhole tone sale 2344 #5 BT __Tooping them witha metronome ata slow tempo. Sag eT eI an o7 Am Taare 191 TSA 65 FE N10-910-F— EF 10-9-10-9— 87 aaa ae e191 16-15-16 1616-64 15-16 166 aaa I aaa pes aT 1615-1 TET 16-15-16" 16167 | mr ATE Dm amo om ares om ne | ae ee ee eer ps rer Tee aia aaiatate pee Api! 2011 Guitar Techniques 37DA a ed OnTHECD TRACKS 10-12 1 {Bar 2, previouspagel Here wehave a moment of string skipping. Thispestege [Bar 24, previous page] This bt simply aterates between two notes. Although equles you tojumpan octave sothe direction of you ickisimpertanthere should be one ofthe easiest basin the pice the octet t's rt very ‘since the second note ofthe bar played with an upstroke, meaning that your common te alternate pick il might mesn that tae: sometime for Your Dicks already travelinginthecorect direction when treachesthe nextsting. picking and tetting hands to propery co-ordnate Fu ited EHH Sb 1-16 19-1 Te TOT] —1S 1915 19 161915 TATE AAO AOA TOTO 14S 151015} (eS 10 ATA 5-15-18 1515 1115 18-1 spina iziai2l Aaa Bug 7 om abeteeteie she 16161614 15161514} 5-61-14 HST TAT cms oe mes Fai om ome ent teieebainete tH b teipte et penises rarer} saab eee iste o 1a 16 16 | 17 s6ts tater O12 | 19 12 TTI e151 1616151418 aa 415441911 10 Ta 1OH ETO TOI TOT TOG TO IO] ANTS EO 10S 14 IS TTI IN 38 GuitarTechniqus Api 2011RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: F617 OF THE BUMBLE BEE {Bar 571 Another large postion shfthere.On paper ths jump mightlook near (Bar 86, next pagel Although not such a icky barn solation, tis thee-notes- Impessibieatsuch afast tempo, however in practice (and wit practic) ls quite pe tring ran might ip upyour picking hand efter t's got comfortable paying ‘manageable ar you'te smply moving the same pattern of notes around he neck. ithe previous four nates per-sting lines Again some slow stay witha Defntely worth slowing dav sndlocping bart Se and? withametronorye! metronome wll ertainly help here EE Corer 181-678-1618 8 IOI OO ie4ei— 1210-12-41 ave a 191219 164 ore Am ore am ore am Dm Ame ETD 1a ta 19 1910191418 eat ses 1615-16 cele: ei io reasiat ie Amc DWF 0 AmE E71 aot om mr on om Fa e111 rite 16-4 Tee 1638 Grave om ome) FAG ome om Ame jam et = TT 1914161419} 1a 16-16-16 166-1614 16-4 16-16-46 ‘Apri 201 Guitar Techniques 39ONTHECD TRACKS 10-12 Eee Conor {ar 107, next pagel The na climactic acending run. Unexpectedly the run (Bar 109} Amos therel Here we havetonegotit the same tricky lap as we |__-RansonbantZ oftheir ths mightnotfe partly ral fst bat__saw nba 57 Tistaes so the op of her ane ote a pert al A ‘once you get used tI youwon'tbe able to play ian ater way, notes And that's t- wate done: Phew! am ort am bret am by tet he by by oh: bobs sen se-1-teairo- 40-11-1110 13-1241 ae e194 118 a 1a es} eee | am om Ame ASS $01 Saas att} Ie aK 10-9108 97 ava am 7 {40 Guitar Techniques Ap 2011Pa aH I BACK ISSUES LOOK WHAT YOU'VE MISSED! Missed a copy of Guitar Techniques? Order a back copy now, but hurry — stock is limited DeceMBER GTI8S HONKY TONK WOMEN Guitar MW cLecrRIC BLUES Era [sy STRAT HEAVEN tut And mere! 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