633 Squadron - Guitar Trio

So can three classical guitars really take on a piece for a military brass band?

Well, to my delight, yes they can!

My arrangement of this incredible piece, which is a veritable Kaleidoscope of Key Changes, sits surprisingly nicely under the fingers, and two of the parts play in two voices to give a big wall of sound for a modest effort. Some parts are three pages, but a little bit of sticky tape to hold the pages together will ensure that the piece fits a music stand easily and securely. I have replaced the second slower section with a repeat of the first so there are no page turns.

The two arrangements in this edition have exactly the same notes - one has fixed roles for the players, and the other changes roles at each key change. The former might suit a mixed ability group, and only Guitar 3 is tuned to 6=D. The latter might add extra sparkle to a performance, and each guitar needs to be tuned down. In a large ensemble, one can even have different players playing different versions.

The piece will sound much smoother if the accompaniment is taken just a couple of frets up the neck so that all the open Es are replaced by the more mellow E on string 2. The accents and staccato marks add considerable energy and clarity to the overall soundscape.

Click see/hear/buy (on the right)Tap see/hear/buy below for sample score & audio