ON EAGLE'S WINGS
This very melodic piece incorporates both solo and accompaniment figures for the guitar. It has a smooth and easy listening quality to it that is quite appealing, but the easy sound is deceptive.
The pickup gives us a sense of the home key (G major) but there is a bitonal quality to the first guitar passages. The G triad is played against a C in the bass, thus there is not a sense of resolve. This deceptive quality continues through measures 6-9, with the F Major 7 chord taking us farther away. This is an excellent example of a simple pattern becoming more complicated theoretically because of the use of different bass notes. Everything has a suspended quality. The violin which maintains a pedal C at this point, serves to heighten this effect.
Also note that the left hand must move from a barre position at III to open position and back several times in the first section. Practice this move, and the accompanying right hand finger movements, slowly at first. Attempt the performance tempo only when you can play these passages cleanly and with confidence.
It is important to note that in musical terminology a "strong" progression of chords is not always desirable. C-F-G7-C, a la "Oh Susannah" or "This land is your Land" is an example of a strong progression. The style of "On Eagles Wings"requires a softer, that is, less definite, quality.
At measure 18, there is a change of function for the guitar, which now begins an accompaniment pattern that paves the way for the melody on violin. Measure 24 is where the G tonic first appears, and the contrast of a true tonic is very effective.
The other solo instrument is a violin. There is much variety of timbre (different instrumental sounds and tone colors) in this piece. Thus there is not only some nifty picking we can learn but also something about how a successful arrangement is put together. Not a bad way to spend your practice session.
- Lenny Carlson
