Sonata K. 322 | GuitarCurriculum
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Sonata K. 322

Region: 
Italy
Style: 
Baroque
Composer: 
Scarlatti, Domenico

This famous Sonata includes parts for players at many levels. A group of level 5 players can perform the piece. The ideal performance would include advanced players on part 1a, playing the melody at the upper octave.

This baroque piece includes a lot of terraced dynamics. Within these different levels, there are suggestions for subtle phrasing, crescendos, and decrescendos. Find places to include color changes as a group (e.g. first time ponticello second time dolce).

There are a few courtesy accidentals in parenthesis. Reinforce the guideline that in most tonal music, accidentals affect repetitions of the same pitch within the measure. The barline cancels the accidental.

In measure 14, guitar parts 1a and 1b start a chain of suspensions. Discuss the concept of the non-harmonic tone and how the dissonance creates expressive interest and momentum. Most importantly, ask students to play the dissonance with a baseline dynamic and then play the resolution much more gently. Be cautious not to accent the first note, but to play the resolution softer. As with most expressive devices, encourage students to greatly exaggerate the effect.  

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