Hello All

We two have "hunkered down" weeks before this Mist Haufen started. Can you believe it....no Rudi posts....Once one gets past 80 Y, you start slowing down..but as our youngest daughter says, dad, remember, you're not 80 anymore..

Thank God for the Zither....by now,,,without it.... I would have cut down half the trees in Grafton.....I've been re-finishing kitchen cabinets, and start garden work next week....

however...getting out some old notebooks, one publication has become especially dear in these weeks of isolation, and it is

Liechte Stückl für zwei Zithern
Franz Schwinghammer
Zither-Ton-Verlag
8120 Weilheim i. OB

That is a pre-EU address. A great help for intermediate beginners. If you see it anywhere, GRAB IT!

On pages 4-5 you'll find Hirtenweise. A great piece with simple, easy, open string accompaniment; Zither 2, with just a few modifications, would be a great lead in to any Christmas presentation., even as a lead in for Sille Nacht.

After working with this piece, maybe "Amazing Grace" would sound better in F.

rudi

Looks like it's still available at Stretta Musik (in four volumes): https://www.stretta-music.com/?q=leichte+stückl

Thank you so much. I had also not realized that several volumes were available.

Rudi

Hope everyone is holding up well. Sure feels surreal here thats for sure. Velocio, thanks for the links, nice to have another site to find zither music from. Rudi, can those pieces be played solo? I’ve still had no luck finding another zither player here in Texas, and sure not going to find one while the country is on lock down thats for sure.

- Andy

Hello all

Things are pretty grim here in lockdown in the UK as well.

Regarding your question, Andy: I've had a look at the Stretta Noten website, as they commonly show a sample page of the music they are selling, and the "Leichte Stückl" series has 1. and 2. Stimme on separate pages; so, in answer to your question, every piece can be played solo.

Sample pages for 2. Stimme and 1. Stimme of a few pieces (in Volume 1)


Stay safe, all!

Evelyn

Can't get the 2nd page to attach in previous post, so here it is (fingers crossed)

Our daughter has ordered Volume 4. I am waiting to try some of the folk songs in it. Mail from Germany seem to have slowed down lately.

Schwinghammer did a great job in his basic, yet pleasant, arrangements. "Beauty is in the eyes of he beholder"; Hirtenweise Z 2 sounds great to me as a "stand-alone".

Rudi

The attachment is an attempted arrangement of "Amazing Grace", in F, sort of in the Schwinghammer style; imitation is thee highest form of flattery. The style and tempo (80) might be interesting for those beginning their journey, the familiarity might give a sense of achievement.

Rudi

Rudi - I didn't know you also arrange for accordion!

Tom M.

Sorry Tom,

Forte has possible selections and sounds for replay for several instruments, but not zither. Of the possible choices of published scores, I find those for accordion the easiest to play on the zither.

Rudi