<![CDATA[Jack Davies​ Tuition - Guitar Song of the Week]]>Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:05:41 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[#7 Jack Davies - Vesper Flights (played by Will McNicol)]]>Tue, 19 May 2026 18:54:13 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/7-jack-davies-vespers-flights-played-by-will-mcnicolThis piece is from a set of 6 pieces for solo guitar, fusing elements of traditional classical guitar music with contemporary styles. They each aim to convey a different aspect of the concept of home - Vesper Flights, the 5th piece in the suite, is inspired by my favourite bird, the swift, and named after their nightly ascents far up into the heavens. Swifts are migratory and spend most of their lives in flight, which offers an interesting viewpoint on the idea of home.
Will McNicol is an incredible guitarist and composer, and I was lucky enough to have him perform my suite! https://www.willmcnicol.co.uk/
]]><![CDATA[#6 Tommy Emmanuel - Classical Gas]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:23:19 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/8-tommy-emmanuel-classical-gasTommy Emmanuel is one of my all time favourite guitarists, turning everything he touches to gold! He is a master of fingerstyle guitar, particularly Travis picking, where the right hand thumb alternates between bass notes while a tune is played on top. Tommy also often adds in harmonies and percussion too.
]]><![CDATA[#5 Angine de Poitrine - UTZP]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:22:00 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/7-angine-de-poitrine-utzpThis band is getting a crazy amount of hype at the moment, and for good reason! They play super catchy riffs despite incorporating microtonal elements (notes which are in between the standard ones used in Western music (for example, on a piano, these notes would be in between two consecutive keys).
]]><![CDATA[#4 John 5 - Sugar Foot Rag]]>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:36:19 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/4-john-5-sugar-foot-ragThis virtuosic showpiece is a melting pot of old-time rag, country, bluegrass and metal. 
]]><![CDATA[#3 John Williams - Cavatina (written by Stanley Myers)]]>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:23:17 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/3-john-williams-cavatina-written-by-stanley-myersMade famous as the theme for the film The Deer hunter (1978), Cavatina was written by Stanley Myers, with input from John Williams, one of the most renowned classical guitarists of all time. When I first heard it on the radio as a teenager I immediately went out to the library, got the sheet music and took it home to start learning it. This marked the transition from something I did mainly because my parents encouraged me, to something I truly wanted to pursue for myself.
It features a hauntingly beautiful melody over simple arpeggios - I love the space given to this melody, with notes written out for longer than the guitar is able to sustain them.  Major 7th chords appear throughout, giving the music its characteristic feeling of nostalgia, while the slightly more unsettled middle section provides the perfect contrast before returning to the opening material. There are versions of this piece for solo guitar, most famously by John Williams (who in fact recorded the melody separately), as a song with lyrics, and guitars and orchestra, such as this from the Carisma Guitar Duo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7SvBtJuh3Y. Below, is the John Williams version with orchestra.​
]]><![CDATA[#2 Antonio Forcione - Spanish Breeze]]>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:56:18 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/2-antonio-forcione-spanish-breezeA blend of jazz, flamenco and world music, this piece really hits hard emotionally. It showcases Forcione's mastery of the guitar, with lightning fast slurs which are a hallmark of his style​. The piece unfolds in three sections. The first features some exquisite melodies in a minor key, with a beautiful moment halfway through as the tonality shifts to the relative major and then the subdominant. After a brief dreamlike interlude, it moves into a middle section built around an improvisation over the same chords as the opening, before the return of the main theme. A big shout out to the cellist and percussionist, incredible talents that bring such integral components of the piece.​
]]><![CDATA[#1 Plini - Handmade Cities (cinematic prog-rock/metal)]]>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:06:18 GMThttp://www.jackdaviestuition.com/guitar-song-of-the-week/1-plini-handmade-cities-cinematic-prog-rockmetalThis is a truly epic song, with a beautiful 8 bar guitar line (first heard at 38 seconds) that functions as the main focal point of the song, yet is never played the same twice. I love the dynamic range - moments of serenity and moments of madness! The dense production is incredible too - I’m still hearing new things many listens later.
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