Dear All,

Hello, I posted this topic on the general discussion board but was advised to post it here as well because there might be more guitarists reading topics in this category.

I'm a classical guitarist and can play the Adagio from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in the key of B minor.

I was wondering if there are any other guitarists on this forum who have attempted this piece and if so what key they used for there transcription.

I have seen many different versions, apparently Tarraga could play it in D minor (which would be extremely technical).

The modulation between keys can make it difficult to play, but I feel that Bm forms a good basis for a successful transcription.

Kind Regards,

Steven Jones.

Can't say I've tried it and I haven't come across the music for it anywhere, which in itself seems strange as it is a popular piece of music. Where did you get the music for it?

Hi onmageetar,

Thank you for the reply. I've seen many different versions of this particular piece arranged for the guitar.

I know that sheetmusicplus sell a transcription, but it is in Am which can get very technical in some of the middle sections. Take a look at this link:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_de...ec&item=1377219

Bm is a good key to attempt this piece in. I believe Angel Romero also uses this key in his own transcription. Take a look at this link where you can actually here a preview of him playing it:

http://www.angelromero.com/recordings.htm

My version comes from classicalguitarmidi.com where after having prepared the midi file in my music program so as to make it look like a legible score, I worked with it from there and occasionally omitted some extra notes (particularly in the bass) which I found too difficult to include.

Kind Regards,

Steven Jones.

B minor sounds nice on guitar... At least i think so anyway.
I have just imported the midi file with Power Tab which I presume is similar to what you did? I'll have a go at that.

Hi again,

Yes, Bm is a good key for the guitar. A three octave scale is possible and many notes of the key can be played using natural harmonics.

No, I didn't use PowerTab, I used a program called MusicTime to create a traditional score and worked out the positions myself. Is PowerTab good?

How are finding that version?

A transcription in Am or Dm would have a sleight advantage in the sections towards the end of this piece where there are lots of pedal portions, because an open string could be used. In Am the low E, and in Dm the A string.

In Bm, F# is droned a lot, and in those segments I generally access a fretted F# on the D string at the forth fret, and on the low E string at the fourteenth fret depending on the position. However, I would like to access a lower F# such as the one available at the second fret of the low E, but cannot because it is not available in the high positions and I prefer to keep the drone consistent. Maybe it would be possible on a ten string guitar!

I hope you enjoy that transcription.

Actually Power Tab hasn't made a good job of it at all... It has missed out a lot of the bass notes and messed up the timing. I think I'll try your programme if it will give me a demo version

Hello again,

It took me a little while to prepare a proper legible score from that midi file. If you wish I'll send you my copy via email, just private message your address.

I was looking at some other versions recently and came across this one:

http://www.dailyguitar.com/Sheet-Music/ind...ge=scores&id=15

It's in Am, so its not good if you want to try a Bm transcription, but the score has been nicely prepared.

I was recently informed that Tarraga's transcription is freely available for download from the Danish Library at:

http://www.kb.dk/elib/noder/rischel/RiBS1065.pdf

I have just looked at the score and noticed that it is not the most faithful transcription though. For example from bar five (where the melody starts), the melody actually sounds lower than the triplet accompaniment which is not like the original.

I believe that a transcription in Dm is technical for this piece, because it quickly goes into Fm, and if the melody was raised an octave higher (so as to sound higher than the triplet accompaniment) then the guitar does not have the range to play the very high notes of the arpeggio runs without artificial harmonics.

It would take me too much time to change what power tab did to the score..Rather than have have it as 4/4 each beat being a triplet. It translated each beat into 2 semiquavers followed by a semiquaver rest and another semiquaver beamed together. I may as well transcribe it myself rather than try to change it.
Looked at the download for the Tarrega and realised I have that same piece in my copy of his collected guitar works volume 2.