G. Sheen: Mr Sheen S Miscellany For Bassoon: Bassoon: Instrumental Album

Grade 4-This collection of pieces was written for the Trinity Guildhall Examination Board syllabus. It is aimed principally at students of grades 1 to 5 and intended to combine technical challenges with that most vital musical ingredient: fun.In 'March of the Day' (Songs and Chants of the Beautiful Game) soccer fans might identify hints at six (or more) football themes. The piece has three main ideas each in the contrasting keys of Bb Eb and F majors. Can you find a different character for each one? The danger for bassoonists in this sort of piece is that everything can sound accented so be careful to follow the articulation marks as closely as you can.RondolettinettoThisis all about building phrases through repetition. It relies largely therefore on control of the sound. Try to achieve a really obvious contrast of character between the opening phrases and the less refined con spirito episode. This might be played just a touch faster than the opening and closing sections if you wish. There is a hint of gentle parody in this piece if you can find a way of expressing that too.Sand-dance KidThis piece stretches the compass and range of expression even further. There are very obvious contrasts of staccato and legato and the phrase lengths of the middle section are far from regular. Try to scale down the dynamics at the end so that you end as softly as you can play.

Grade 3-This collection of pieces was written for the Trinity Guildhall Examination Board syllabus. It is aimed principally at students of grades 1 to 5 and intended to combine technical challenges with that most vital musical ingredient: fun.Four pieces for bassoon and piano by Graham Sheen.Drunken Sailor - the sequelThis needs a plaintive tone especially in the upper register where the dynamics are particularly important. To capture the mood of the piece those slurs in bars 35 and 36 for example might even be close to a glissando. Use your imagination to recreate the sailor's state of health!The Vulgar BoatmanNot only more 'hidden' melodies but moreappalling puns! (Volga Boatman for those not versed in Russian folksongs). This is like a waltz: it is written in 3/4 time but played so as to give the impression of one beat in bar. The melodies need to be well sustained so that we hear four eight or even more bars as a single phrase. Clues for the musical detective:- in addition to the Volga Boatman you might spot just a hint of 'Sailing down the River on a Sunday Afternoon' 'We Sail the Ocean Blue' (H.M.S. Pinafore) The Eton Boat Song and even Wagner's Flying Dutchman.Last Tango in HarrisEveryone must surely know these thinly disguised Scottish tunes but can you make them sound like a tango? Bear in mind that tangos are not jazz: the rhythm is quite strict but the tango character is in the tone and the phrasing. Notice how expressive the occasional shorter note value can be as in bars 4 and 5 in the bassoon part.Rheumanian StretchesOr was that Rumanian Sketches? This is a chance to play the main melody in two registers of the bassoon. Try to make a good even sound in both octaves. This piece requires careful counting since the phrases in the bassoon part don't always begin where you might expect. Think of this piece as a song.