Membership in the Radford University Guitar Ensemble is required of guitar students in the guitar studio and is open to minors and non-majors by audition. Its purpose is to building sight-reading, ensemble skills and finally performance skills. The ensemble performs both on and off-campus and is directed by Robert Trent.
The Guitar Ensemble has performed throughout the Mid-Atlantic states from Maryland to North Carolina and was selected by the Guitar Foundation of America to perform at its Washington, DC Conference - Strathmore Performing Arts Center. Performances have often involved singers and other instrumentalists and in past years the Radford University Guitar Ensemble has collaborated with students in the department of dance.
In the past the ensemble has been selected by the Roanoke Symphony to perform for schools in the region. This program sponsored by the New River Friends of the Roanoke Symphony has helped the ensemble to grow and has allowed hundreds of school children to hear music for guitar ensemble.
Students are invited to audition for the RU Honor’s Guitar Quartet and whose members often tour with Trent. Concert/Study Abroad tours have included Vietnam, Thailand, and Brazil.
Students also have the opportunity to learn from the many guest artists throughout the year including the Radford University International Guitar Festival.
"It is my philosophy that true musical solidity can be inculcated via a chamber music approach, whereby 'leaders' change within the group varying from piece to piece. It is a difficult interdependency, but one which begins to form security both individually and collectively.”
The goal of the Guitar Program at Radford University is to provide students with a comprehensive preparation in Guitar and music, preparing students with the necessary skills and knowledge that are required to succeed in today’s competitive music scene.
The Guitar Program is directed by Robert Trent, DMA
Each student receives a one-hour lesson per week from the instructor. The lessons
cover a broad range of topics and techniques cultivating a versatile, competent and
expression musician who is knowledgeable and capable to enter any and all facets
of the profession in which a guitarist can find themselves.
In addition to weekly lessons, each week "Friday Performance Classes” are held in
the performance hall or rehearsal hall. Here, students perform in an open forum whereby
they receive immediate feedback on their performance skills and are recorded for additional
follow-up study of their HD video.
Students also have the additional performance opportunity of weekly department-wide
recitals; formal junior and senior recitals, University Guitar Ensemble and chamber
recitals both on and off campus.
Below you will find the requirements for each level of study. If you have questions, please contact program director Robert Trent.
LEVEL 1 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: Fall 2011
Prepared by: Dr, Robert Trent
Methods (selected by the instructor) from:
Berg, Christopher. Giuliani Revisited. (download from melbay„com)
Duncan, Charles. Guitar 2000: Technique for the Contemporary Serious Player.
(Summy-Birchard).
Tarréga, Francisco. Complete Technical Studies (Universal Edition) Baker, Mickey. Jazz Guitar.
Villa-Lobos, Heitor. Complete Solo Works for Guitar.
Technique: All Major and melodic minor scales 2 and 3 octave (quarter = 72) im/mi fingerings. Cadences (V-I and V-l) in four voices (per Duncan book) Arpeggios: Giuliani Revisited (first set). Villa-Lobos - Etude #1.
Slurs: Tarréga - first two-note slurs, first barré, first scalar study.
Jazz studies:
Chords for comping (Mickey Baker) - first lesson
Improv: basic 12-bar blues (solo and comping)
Sight-Reading: 1 st position rhythms with division down to sixteenth notes.
Repertoire:
2 pieces memorized and an étude from pieces comparable to:
Repertoire -
Tarrega, Francisco. Lagrima
Milan, Luys, Pavanes
Giuliani, Mauro. Op. 40 Divertimenti De Viseé - movement from the d d minor suite'
études -
Sor, Fernando. Op. 31 (nos. or Op. 35,
Carcassi, Matteo. Op. 35 25 melodious studies (first three)
Brouwer, Leo. Estudios Sencillos (Vol. 1 & 2)
PRACTICE: 3 hours per day is expected
LEVEL 2 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG, 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique:
Major and melodic minor scales (quarter = 86) rhythmic patterns and repeated notes. Ma/am finger patterns. V 7-1/ V 7 - i-cadences.
Harmonic minor scales - (quarter = 60).
Slurs: the first three two notes slur studies. Barré studies 1 & 2 (Tarréga) The second scalar study.
Arpeggios: (Giuliani Revisited) - second set.
Jazz Studies: Improv: Simple Spanish Progression (vi-lll-ll-l) comping and soloing on the Phrygian scale,
Comping: Mickey Baker (First lesson - cont'd)
Sight Reading: dotted, triplet and 16th note mixed rhythms including arpeggios and chords in 1 st position.
Repertoire: 2 pieces memorized, at least one piece must be of a 5 minute duration, and an etude from pieces comparable to:
Fernando Sor. Op. 5, Andante Largo
Heitor Villa-Lobos. Prelude 1 or 4 Johann Sebastian Bach. A dance movement Etudes comparable to:
Heit.or Villa-Lobos 3,4, 6
Matteo Carcassi: 4,5,6
Leo Brouwer, Vol. 3 (studies 10-20)
PRACTICE: 3 Hours per day is expected.
LEVEL 3 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: Major, Melodic/ Harmonic minors (quarter = 92) (ima, ami fingering). Cadences: IV-V-I/ IV - V -L Rhythms and tremolo, both pami and pi (quarter = 108) Chromatic Scales (first string, full and d-string) (quarter = 60).
Major scale in thirds (quarter = 60). In arpeggio fashion (pami).
Slurs: (3 note slurs) and barré studies (from Tarrega)
Arpeggios: Giuliani revisited (third set)
Jazz studies: Demonstrate 12-bar blues accompany style with substitutions including seventh and ninths.
Sight Reading: 2 nd position - single-note and syncopation as well as simple two-part (in first position).
Repertoire: two pieces memorized (both at least of five minutes duration each) and an etude.
Demonstrate artistic and technique competence by performing at least one of the following:
A sonata allegro form movement (the first movement of any of the Diabelli, Sor or Giuliani sonatas)
Or
A passacaglia/chaconne or other theme and variations movement (such as Weiss: Ciaconna or passacaglia, Op. 9 variations of Sor or J.S. Bach)
Or
An extended Renaissance fantasia
***Students must have successfully completed study and demonstrated, in performance, pieces from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classic/Romantic periods at the time this screening jury. ***
PRACTICE: 3 hours per day
LEVEL 4 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr, Robert Trent
Technique: All major/minor scales (quarter =108). Chromatic (quarter = 120) in PAMI tremolo pattern). ii -V 7-1/ ii•V7-i. Minor scale in thirds (quarter = 60 aimp r.h. pattern).
Slurs - four note slurs (ex. 2 nd two barré exercises (Tarréga). 3 rd scalar study.
Arpeggios: Giuliani revisited - fourth set.
Jazz Studies: cont'd in Mickey Baker and demonstrate comping in swing style (a la Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France)
Sight Reading: 5 th position - single voice texture, also 2-part texture in first position rhythmic division down to 16ths.
Repertoire: two works of extended duration (each more than 5 minutes)
Sonata allegro movement or chaconne/ passacaglia , variations or Renaissance fantasia;
Whichever was not successfully juried in the previous level.
And
An étude - comparable to:
Villa-Lobos: 5, 11 Carcassi: 16, 19, 17 Sor:
PRACTICE: 3 hours per day
LEVEL 5 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG, 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: All scales single note (quarter = 116), (tremolo , quarter = 138), vi-IV-V7 cadences. Major scales in 6ths (quarter = 60). Slurs and arpeggio combination studies (Tarréga)
Final barré studies (Tarréga)
Arpeggios: Giuliani revisited (final set)
Jazz studies: demonstrate comping or solo in Bossa Nova/Samba style
Sight-Reading: 5 th position - advanced syncopation (i.e. Bugs Bower)
Repertoire: students are required to successfully demonstrate stylistic and technical competency in repertoire of the Americas (North, South and Central America) from composers such as:
Antonio Lauro (Venezuela)
Agustin Barrios -Mangoré (Paraguay)
Vicente Emilio Sojo (Venezuela)
Carlos Chavez (Mexico)
Manuel Ponce (Mexico)
Leo Brower (Cuba)
Andrew York (at least the difficulty of "Sunburst")
Willam Bolcom
Lou Harrison
Alan Hovhaness David Leisner
Libby Larsen
Mrs. Koop
Justin Holland
PRACTICE: 3 HOURS PER DAY
LEVEL 6 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: all single-note scales (quarter 120), tremolo (quarter = 144) vi-ii-V-7-I„ Minor scales in 6ths (quarter 60).
Arpggip_s: Oscar Ghiglia - voicing studies (memorize progression and perform four voicings).
Slurs/ornaments: _ornament studies (Tarréga)
Jazz studies: Be-bop tune (comping and play tune)
Sigh-C:Rea-ding: 7th position single notes
Repertoire:
A complete multi-movement sonata/sonatina
Or
A complete Baroque or early Classical concerto (Vivaldi or Carulii)
Or
A Bach suite or other major work of at least 12 minutes duration, such as:
Johann Sebastian Bach. One of the lute suites Mauro Giuliani, Sonata Op. 15
Lennox Berkeley, Sonatina, Op. 51
Fernando Sor, Gran Solo, Op. 15
Benjamin Britten, Nocturnal, Ope 70
Joaquin Turina, Sonata, Op. 61
PRACTICE: 3 HOURS PER DAY
LEVEL 7 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: All single-note scales (quarter = 132), tremolo (quarter = 152) Diminished scales and whole-tone scales (quarter = 132)
Arpeggios; O. Ghiglia - 1 st two lines of arpeggios patterns.
Slurs/ornaments: (Tarréga).
Sight-Reading: 7 th position — advanced Bugs Bower and simple classical period piece with alberti-style bass.
Repertoire:
At least 10 minutes of Contemporary Repertoire at least one work of which contains extended techniques and an advanced musical language, The student must demonstrate a comprehensive interpretive/technical understanding of the piece. Repertoire such as:
Richard Rodney Bennett "Impromptus"
Leo Brouwer "La Espiral Eterna'
Benjamin Britten "Nocturnal, Op. 70"
Nikita Koshkin "Rain'
** *if at this point a fugue has not been successfully juried then a fugue must be
presented at
PRACTICE: 3 HOURS PER DAY
LEVEL 8 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: all single-note scales (quarter = 138) tremolo (quarter = 160)
Chordal scales C (ami), F (dmi), Bb (gmi), Eb (cmi) (quarter = 60)
Études: comparable to Villa-Lobos and Legnani 'Capricii".
Repertoire: If one of has NOT been successfully juried then it is required at this level:
J.S. Bach: A complete suite
A complete multi-movement sonata
A complete concerto (NOT Baroque or early Classical - e.g. "Fantasia para un Genti!hombre - J. Rodrigo)
12 Position and a first position multi-voiced piece from the
Classical or Renaissance period.
PRACTICE: AT LEAST 3 HOURS PER DAY
LEVEL 9 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
Technique: all single-note scales (quarter = 144).
Chordal scales in Ab (fmi), Db (Bbmi), F# (D#rni), B (g#mi) at quarter = 60. Additional technique assigned by the instructor according to the developmental needs of the student.
Students are expected to demonstrate competencies in improvisation and to select from the following sub-concentrations: jazz/popular forms/ Early music: Medieval or Renaissance or Baroque through 19 th c. performance practice.
Repertoire - two solo works comparable to:
Joan Tower - Clocks
Joaquin Rodrigo - Invocacion y Danza
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Sonata
And
One chamber work of comparable quality and technical demands.
PRACTICE: AT LEAST 3 HOURS PER DAY
LEVEL 10 DESCRIPTION FOR GUITAR
DATE REVISED: AUG. 2012
Prepared by Dr. Robert Trent
The student is expected to perform repertoire of a full recital to consist of 50 minutes of advanced repertoire and which is to include at least one major chamber music work.
PRACTICE: AT LEAST 3 HOURS PER DAY