INTRODUCTION
Half Add represents a significant personal and artistic journey, marking my reconnection with guitar performance and its integration into my compositional repertoire. Departing from the experimental realms explored in the previous year, this piece allowed me to showcase my proficiency as a performer in a more traditional context, drawing upon my musical roots in Brazil, as guitar was my gateway to music while I lived in Brazil.
Having learned guitar in Brazil but previously overlooked incorporating it into my compositional practice, the exploration of standard performance this year prompted a realization of its potential within my creative approach. As a result, I composed and performed two new guitar works as part of Birmingham New Music: Montage Night, on the 13th of December: Longing and Half Add.
THE WORK
True to its name, Half Add delves into the concept of halving and adding, reflected in its structural organization. The piece unfolds in a structured format: AB A1B A2B1. Initially, the main harmonic material is presented in groups of eight bars (A), progressively halving in length to lead into the subsequent section (B), which focuses on the free exploration of natural harmonics with each repetition adding a new layer to its texture.
In section A1, the addition occurs through changes in time signature, transitioning from 3/8 to 8/8 with each new chord, gradually increasing in rhythmic complexity before halving back to the initial length and returning to section B. In A2, the addition of a quaver per chord is complemented by a mirrored increase in the number of bars per chord, culminating in a return to B1 for a shorter concluding section.
Inspired by John Mayer's unconventional tuning in Neon, where the bottom E string is tuned to a C, I experimented with a similar tuning for Half Add to challenge my technique and explore new harmonic possibilities within my guitar playing; most notably, the use of the thumb on the left to fret chords, a non-standard technique within guitar playing, which allows for greater harmonic variation. Additionally, influences from Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time informed the use of additive rhythms, while my mathematical background from studies in Brazil and the UK inspired the concept of halving.
CHALLENGES
The most daunting aspect of Half Add lay in its performance. Having never before performed my own music on guitar, I grappled with nerves and anxiety. While my performance was not flawless, with occasional struggles in counting and executing natural harmonics, I found satisfaction in the experience and anticipate improved confidence in future performances.
REFLECTION
Moving forward, I intend to integrate guitar more prominently into my compositional practice, with a particular focus on incorporating it within a songwriting context. Half Add served as a reminder of my ability to perform my own music on various instruments beyond the piano, motivating me to pursue further involvement in performance across different musical domains. The solo guitar pieces I composed this year, will be played by myself once again as part of the annual CODA festival. At the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
