Solo Guitar - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1025339

Composed by Brad Rau. 20th Century,Contemporary. Individual part. 1 pages. Brad Rau #4632951. Published by Brad Rau (A0.1025339).

Brad Rau has been performing music for over 20 years all over Boston, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, as a classical guitarist, rock guitarist, and rock drummer. Brad received a scholarship to attend New England Conservatory (NEC) and received a Master’s degree in 2015 with academic honors. At NEC, he studied classical guitar under Eliot Fisk who was the last pupil of Andres Segovia. Brad has performed in countless masterclasses with instructors including; Sharon Isbin, Andrew York and Jason Vieaux, all Grammy award-winning guitarists. Brad was recently a featured performer on Live WRTI Performance Studio. Brad’s personal learning methods have enabled him to surpass his competition memorizing over 8 hours of the most difficult repertoire for the classical guitar. Brad was a semi-finalist in the International Texas Guitar Competition of 2008. In addition to his performing career, Brad has mentored hundreds of students of all ages, styles, and levels. Many of Brad's students have gone on to develop their own music careers and teaching studios. Brad's unique teaching style combines music, physics, philosophy, and humor, making him a well-rounded instructor for a variety of students.

Solo Guitar - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1243643

By Brad Rau. By Brad Rau. 20th Century. Individual part. 6 pages. Brad Rau #838597. Published by Brad Rau (A0.1243643).

This piece was composed by Brad Rau for solo guitar.  Rau has always been fascinated with dark, evil, sounding music, and this is his attempt to write some that are truly dark.  This is also inspired when Rau has a kidney rupture that eventually causes him to have it removed. This was recorded on Brad's third album, In a Very Unusual Manner. 

The main theme is based on two minor chords a tritone apart.  It then accelerates in tempo into an octatonic excitement with constant time signature changes that jar the listener.  Then the main theme comes back, this time in Tremolo.  It ends with the same solo theme it begins with.  The piece is inspired by works of Erik Satie, Invocation and Dance by Joaquin Rodrigo, and the Usher Waltz by Nikita Koshkin.

Solo Guitar - Level 5 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1243653

By Brad Rau. By Johann Sebastian Bach. Arranged by Brad Rau. Baroque. Individual part. 13 pages. Brad Rau #838620. Published by Brad Rau (A0.1243653).

This is a solo guitar arrangement of the Bach Chaconne, originally written for Solo Violin, and is the final movement of Violin Parita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004. 

This arrangement was created after Brad Rau memorized the Andres Segovia and Manuel Barrueco arrangement and fingering of this piece.  This arrangement has some of the best elements of each arrangement.  It also includes ideas from studying with Eliot Fisk and Jason Vieaux and things he heard on John Williams recorded.  Rau also came up with some of his own ideas and unique solutions.  Each measure is carefully and thoughtfully fingered after comparing multiple sources for maximum musicality while still having a level of playability. 

This was performed on Brad Rau's third album 'In a Very Unusual Manner.'.

Solo Guitar - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1243618

By Brad Rau. By Erik Satie. Arranged by Brad Rau. 20th Century. Individual part. 3 pages. Brad Rau #838582. Published by Brad Rau (A0.1243618).

D'une Manière Très Particulière was originally written for solo piano and has been arranged for solo guitar by Brad Rau.  Fingering suggestions have been added to make it easier to play.  The original piece was notated without measures; however, measures have been added to make learning easier.  The pieces also do not have a key signature. However, it seems to begin in C minor.  It has been transposed to A minor to make it easier to play.

This is from a set of pieces Erik Satie wrote in 1897 called Pieces Froides or Cold Pieces.  The first set of pieces is called Airs à faire fuir or Tunes to Make You Run Away.  This movement is called D'une manière très particulière or In a Very Unusual Manner.  In these sets of pieces, Satie writes in the enigmatic he used to compose the Gymnopedies and Gnossienne composed earlier. 

This little-known piece is rarely played on guitar but works really well.

Solo Guitar - Level 3 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1243734

By Brad Rau. By Thomas Connellan. Arranged by Brad Rau. Celtic,Irish,Traditional. Individual part. 1 pages. Brad Rau #838702. Published by Brad Rau (A0.1243734).

Molly McAplin is a Celtic harp tune arranged for solo guitar by Brad Rau.  This piece is also known as Mollie McAplin, Hawk's Hornpipe, Molly Halfpenny, Paul Ha'Penny, Poll Ha'Penny, and Carolan's Dream.  The piece is written by Thomas Connellan, an Irish composer born 1640/1645 – 1698. This traditional Irish tune works great as a fingerstyle classical guitar piece.