'Canon en Ré Majeur' by Johann Pachelbel

Canon en Ré Majeur (Canon in D Major) is a classical music piece that I bet most of you know about it. Well, at least have heard about it, but maybe you don't realize or you simply don't know the name of the piece yet.


Hmm, let me tell you the prologue first please.

Guitar, it is the only music instrument that I am pretty good at, and by "pretty good" I mean average and just so so. I can't play violin, drum, flute, trumpet, let alone the mother of instrument, piano. I once learned to play my friend's violin and I got my neck a cramp. :))


In 2008, I decided to take a classical guitar lesson. Some'd say that "If you're good at classical, you might be good at any musics also". So, twice in a week, I went to my teacher's house to practice and practice. He was also a teacher at Yamaha Music School.


He taught me how to pick the strings righteously, read the musical notes in the scoresheet (which, I already forgot now) and some technical stuffs. What I liked about him, he was always telling the story of the composer before he taught me the song. He also told me the history about European art music. As I recall there are some periods of European art music, but I only remember two of them. Romantic and Baroque.

Romantic is the period time of European art music, where the musics are all about expressing the emotional feeling. The music were usually typical and in a pattern. It was existed at 1815-1910

Here is the video of one remarkable music from Romantic period.

"Romance de Amor"

If you notice the first part is the gloom expression but the second part is the joyful one.

 I can play this piece, but still, imperfect. :)

Baroque is the oldest period time of European art music in common practice (1960 -1760), the composer at that time (that I know) were Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Pachelbel. Baroque also known as the period of time that produces many hard classical musical pieces. You will see all the lefty fingers are dancing brutally when someone plays a Baroque. Some said that Baroque pieces are created after counting some formulas. I still cannot believe there's relation between math and music.


"Bourrée in E Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach is the first classical piece that I learned, right until now, I just can only play the first and a half part of it. There are 2 parts of it, the second one is the tough one (for me).

Here is the video, if you (by any chance) want to know. :)

"Bourrée in E Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach

played by Per-Olov Kindgren

 

Per-Olov Kindgren, the Swedish classical guitarist that I know (that still alive).

He's so amazing, right? I could only play until 00:46, well, not to mention the countless flaws and the 'klatak-klutuk' sounds. :))

This is the 'crazy' person who originally created the piece

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)

And now, back to the context of this post. You can see a name that appeared in this post title, Johann Pachelbel. Just like Bach, he's also a German Baroque composer, he's also an organist and a teacher. Canon in D Major is the most famous piece of music by Johann Pachelbel. It might be his masterpiece because right until now, for about more than 300 years, Canon in D Major is oftenly played everywhere, let's say in a movie, TV ads, wedding reception, or even mobile ringtones. :)


Like I told you before, It is a classical music piece that I bet most of you know about it. Well, at least have heard about it, but maybe you don't realize or you simply don't know the name of the piece yet.

And, FYUI (for your unimportant information). I am learning this piece now, yeah the pretentious "Canon in D Major" by Johann Pachelbel. After about 3 years of the absence of classical guitar playing, I intend to mastering at least one of the most famous classical music piece. And by "mastering" I mean I can play it from the first part until the last part, although I'll ignore if it's played perfectly or not. :)


The other reason is, there's this movie. Well, it's an old movie, it first released about 10 years ago, but I happened to watched it again several days ago. So in the movie "Canon in D Major" was played over and over, it made me think, it might be cool if I could play it.


Well, I know it way much cooler if I could play it with piano (in that movie the music piece was played on a piano). However, since the only instrument that I can play is guitar. Well, what else to choose.

So, this is the video of "Canon in D Major" piano version which I don't learn.

And this is the video of "Canon in D Major" classical guitar version which I learn. :)

"Canon in D Major" by Johann Pachelbel

played by Per-Olov Kindgren

Again the piece was played by the amazing Per-Olov Kindgren

Right until just now I can only play until 01.10, ~still a long way to go :(

And this is another 'crazy' person.

Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706)

Usually I never finished a classical music piece, especially the long one, like "Bourrée in E Minor", I haven't mastered it yet, though my teacher said that Bourrée is an easy one. Bite me!

The reason I always gave up because I think my hand is too small, that make the forming of hard chord is quite impossible. Moreover, the chord that needs to lengthen my finger range into 4 or 5 frets. 

But, my friend once said that it can't be my excuse, no matter how small someone hands are, if they do much fingering training, every hard chords will be possible.

Well, I think he's right, I'm gonna look from the bright side now. :)

So I think that would be all  all, my only expectation is, I do really wish that I can finally complete "Canon in D Major", wish me luck everyone.

Cheers!!

Here's the scoresheet, if you guys want to learn it too. There are the tabulatures also.

~I just finished the first page.

PS :
Thanks to Achmad Sulthoni for patiently teaching me playing guitar from zero. Really appreciate it mate. :)
Thanks to Jimmy for kindly teaching and telling me the classical music. You're a good teacher.

Peppi Kamadhatu

Today I came into my friend's room. His winamp was playing 'Can't smile without you' by Barry Manilow. Yeah, most people must know this song, this song even 'seldomly' played on the TV ads. :)
Right after the song ended, the next song was also 'Can't smile without you' covered by woman. It sounds more jazzy and rather swingy.

It was Peppi Kamadhatu, her name was Peppi and Kamadhatu was the name of her former band. And you know what? She's Indonesian.
I googled her and it turned out that her last album was released in 2006, hahaha, where have I been? It was 5 years ago, and I've never heard any about her or hers.

She had 3 albums, she covers many popular songs into swing jazzy ones. Not that jazzy that has many transitions in every chords, they are very easy listening instead. but still, it doesn't reduce the intimate ambient of modern jazz essentially.

Michael Buble's, Jamie Cullum's, Teddy Pendergrass', James Morrison's have been stuck in my playlist these days. Mostly, I play them at night. After all the day I share the laughter with my college and flat friends, I sometimes turn my night time into some kind of a sentimental, intimate, ~or any adjective that has relative with the word 'quiet'~ one.

But for tonight let me temporarily delete all you guys from my playlist. I'm gonna have Peppi Kamadhatu's 'do' me. Anyhow, out of the context, she's beautiful also, just like her voice.. :)

You should listen some of her songs sometime, or just try 'Can't smile without you' by her as a teaser.
TTFN, cheers everyone!!
:)