SKU: A0.1425804

I rarely start by writing a composition with the name in mind but it’s something that I try to do more often and it’s something that I for this piece. When I came up with the name ‘Bloom’ I really wanted to write a piece or at least an opening section that sounded like that word, where the music blooms out like a flower. The first and last section are the same and are just a chordal pattern that rises up from the left hand into the right hand. This kind of writing is simple but quite effective as it slowly evolves over time as the chords change and allows for reflective mood.

The middle section does go in a bit of a different direction but I still wanted to infuse elements from the first section into this section as well as use the gesture of ‘Bloom’ in some way. This sections still evolves in it’s own way but I would say I wrote it in a more through-composed style with different little themes that come and go. I hope you are able to image the music ‘Bloom’ when you listen to it.

SKU: A0.839953

The famous James R. Murray melody is known worldwide. Still keeping its lullaby nature, this arrangement adds in a driving, yet subdued pulse to illustrate the restlessness one might have when you go to sleep but knowing something amazing will be there when you wake up.

SKU: A0.584639

This is the first single from the original Fleetwood Mac lineup that made it up the charts. Before the made it as a pop band, the original group was a blues band. In the original key from their Then Play On, this was a double A-side single. I fell in love with this song when I first heard it for it's style that was quite unusual for the time. It wasn't on the original release of the album. But when it became a big hit, they replaced When You Say with this song. Duration = 9:36. Visit my websites:https://jefftincher.wixsite.com/sheetmusic, https://jefftincher.wixsite.com/music, https://www.facebook.com/jefftincherpublishing.

SKU: A0.1495488

Whiskers and Pippin had left the abandoned house behind, but they carried with them something far more valuable than anything they could have found within its dusty walls—a new friendship. As they journeyed through the woods, they discovered that they had more in common than just their fur colour. Their shared curiosity led them to explore new paths, while their cautious natures kept them safe from danger. Every rustle of the leaves, every flicker of movement in the underbrush, became an adventure when they were together.

Day after day, Whiskers and Pippin would meet at the edge of the forest, eager to explore each other’s favourite spots. Whether it was a hidden grove full of the sweetest acorns or a quiet stream perfect for reflection, they found joy in sharing these special places with each other. The once lonely woods now felt alive with the warmth of their companionship. They would chase each other up trees, playfully darting between branches, and when the day grew late, they would sit side by side, watching the sun dip below the horizon.

The fear and hesitation that once filled their first encounter was now just a distant memory. In its place was a deep bond, forged through shared experiences and a mutual understanding. Whiskers and Pippin might have been cautious, but together, they found the courage to explore a world that felt much less daunting with a friend by their side. And so, from that day on, they were inseparable—two squirrels who had found in each other a lifelong companion, proving that sometimes, the best adventures begin when you least expect them.

SKU: A0.774773

Mad World is a 1982 song written by Roland Orzabal and sung by Curt Smith, members of the British band Tears for Fears. It was the band's third single release and its first chart hit, reaching number 3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. It has since been covered by an extensive list of singers, most notably by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews for the soundtrack of the 2001 film Donnie Darko. This version became a UK number one hit when it was released as a single in 2003.

Orzabal wrote the song when he was 19, living in an apartment above a pizza shop in Bath. Here he would spend his time looking out the window, strumming guitar and watching people going about their daily business. It's a bizarre viewpoint to watch people go about their daily routine, having to work for a living, when you're sitting in a flat, unemployed, he said. That's where it came from.

In keeping with the poignant simplicity of the Gary Jules version, this choral arrangement seeks to maintain the clarity of the text, with passing dissonances highlighting the word mad. The ending section includes overlapping motif ideas which can be effectively dramatized in accordance with the included performance notes.  

Mad World is available in three voicings – SSA, SAB and SATB – all with piano accompaniment.

SKU: A0.1314698

Many amateur guitarists and beginning students of guitar are ‘stuck in the first position’. The rest of the fretboard is ‘terra incognita’. They don’t know where the notes are and they don’t know how to get to them and use them in playing melodies. To help remedy this situation, I offer a collection of scales and exercises I have developed over the years that have helped me master the fretboard of the guitar and that I have used to warm up my left and right hands before practicing or playing proper pieces. 

Guitarists afraid to move up the fretboard miss out on all the tonal nuances that the guitar has to offer. They also often have undeveloped left hand technique with a little finger that flies around helplessly and uselessly. These scales and exercises will, if played regularly, put the little finger to good use and guide the left hand to orient to the fretboard properly, staying close to the fretboard with fingers that move as little and as efficiently as possible. They are also relaxing and fun to play around with. I read somewhere a while back that medical science had found that pianists were less likely to develop brain diseases. The scientists attributed this to the many hours pianists spend playing scales, as this is like a gentle brain massage. So scales are not only good warm up exercises for the fingers but also good warm-ups for the brain.

The scale exercises written here in the keys of G and C should be played in different keys in higher positions on the fretboard. Students can try to see just how far up the neck they can go to reach the highest notes. After a while, what seemed challenging and strange will start to feel comfortable and familiar. Don’t hesitate to develop new variants of the scales when you grow tired of playing them as I propose here. Have fun playing and playing with the scales!

The exercises often start in one position and move toward other higher or lower positions on the fretboard. When moving from one position to another, follow the suggested fingerings to utilise what is called a lead finger to move the hand to the next position. This will make the movement smooth and not interrupt the flow of the scale. In the end all movement should look and feel seamless and effortless.

I have chosen scales in major keys I think are particularly good to play on the guitar. To practice a scale in a minor key, start the exercise in the related major key from the fundamental of the minor key, for example, to play an E minor scale start the G major exercise on an E and play from there. This is one way of creating new variants of these scales. Another way to vary the exercises is to play the scales in different time signatures or rhythms.

I believe these exercises are particularly helpful for amateur guitarists who play in ensembles of different kinds, duos, trios, quartets, where the guitarist often only has one melodic line to play. Such melodies often sound much better played in higher positions where the guitar can be made to sing, rather than in the first position where the same tones, especially on open strings, often sound rather dull. From my own experience, I find that when I play a melody in a higher position using all the fingers of the left hand, the melody not only sounds better, the fingers remember the melody better. 

SKU: A0.584636

This is the first single from the original Fleetwood Mac lineup that made it up the charts. Before the made it as a pop band, the original group was a blues band. In the original key from their Then Play On, this was a double A-side single. I fell in love with this song when I first heard it for it's style that was quite unusual for the time. It wasn't on the original release of the album. But when it became a big hit, they replaced When You Say with this song. Duration = 9:36. Visit my websites:https://jefftincher.wixsite.com/sheetmusic, https://jefftincher.wixsite.com/music, https://www.facebook.com/jefftincherpublishing.