Without You - This classical guitar solo combines haunting jazz chords with the beautiful nylon string classical guitar tone for a jazz composition that completely evokes the title. Composed in 2004, it displays the delicate touch and phrasing that has become a trade mark of Darren Curtis Skanson’s classical guitar work. The right hand is a classical guitarist’s voice and is similar to that of a string player’s bow. By using a combination of flesh and fingernail to pluck the strings, a classical guitarist is able to generate a wide variety of sounds. In this selection, Skanson uses those colors and  delicate nuances to produce a beautiful mix of jazz and classical guitar.

“Most of the time when I write music, I do not start with the title. Once I finish the piece, I reflect on what the song is saying to me. This melancholy melody said Without You.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

 Skanson’s Classical Guitar music has a timeless classical sound with familiar melodies and fresh new compositions that all lean to the gentle and melodic side of Classical. With 9 compact discs to his resume, Darren is a classical guitar musical force. His Spanish and Flamenco release “Solamente Romanz” reached #8 on Billboard’s Top Classical Chart. Darren’s previous CD, “Classica” which features classical guitar reached #11 on that same chart. Darren was also proclaimed; “… the most requested classical guitarist on Beethoven Radio” by Beethoven.com, the #1 Classical Radio Station in the world.

 With over 200 pieces to his credt, Skanson has a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career and 2 nationally touring ensembels, Skanson embarked on his solo career where his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin.

 Although Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions, he is also a prolific arranger. His classical guitar arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers are among the most essential to the classical guitar repertoire.

 Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. As well as playing solo, he performs with his electro-acoustic orchestra aptly named The Skanson Strings.

“As you look for that moment of peace in your day, this solo classical guitar selection A Quiet Moment with My Guitar will take those worries away. I took this Tarrega guitar study, added a new intro, outro, a new section and retitled it. Its original title was Study in E Minor, but that was just too boring. The gentle triplet feel enhances  the calming nature of te song as well as the sound of the classical guitar. If you try to play the song, take care to make those triplets very nice and even.Then gently lay the melody over the top of the chord changes.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Other Francisco Tarrega Compositions - La Grima, Adelita, Recuerdos De La Alhambra, and Capricio Arabe.

Darren Curtis Skanson’s Light Classical Guitar music has a timeless classical sound with familiar melodies and fresh new compositions that all lean to the gentle and melodic side of Classical. With 9 compact discs to his resume, Darren is a classical guitar musical force. His Spanish and Flamenco release “Solamente Romanz” reached #8 on Billboard’s Top Classical Chart. Darren’s previous CD, “Classica” which features classical guitar reached #11 on that same chart. Darren was also proclaimed; “… the most requested classical guitarist on Beethoven Radio” by Beethoven.com, the #1 Classical Radio Station in the world.

Composer - With over 200 pieces to his credt, Skanson has a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career and 2 nationally touring ensembels, Skanson embarked on his solo career where his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin.

Arranger - Although Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions, he is also a prolific arranger. His classical guitar arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers are among the most essential to the classical guitar repertoire.

Performer - Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. As well as playing solo, he performs with his electro-acoustic orchestra aptly named The Skanson Strings.

Originally Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach for high voice and piano, this version with classical guitar, double bass, cello, and violin retains the essence of the song. The slow but measured pace brings a serenity and peace to a world sorely lacking it. From the ‘Birthday Cantata’ in A flat Major, Sheep May Safely Graze is one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s great works and is  often used as the processional for weddings.

“Ayn Rand, the famous writer of “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” describes art as a reflection of the artist’s sense of life. Johann Sebastian Bach was a devout Christian whose religious beliefs permeated his music. This piece is no exception. If you imagine the title of the piece as “His Sheep May Safely Graze” and listen to it you get the idea of Bach’s feelings toward his faith.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Bach is considered by many to have been the greatest composer in the history of western music. Bach’s main achievement lies in his synthesis and advanced development of the primary contrapuntal idiom of the late Baroque, and in the basic tunefulness of his thematic material. He is often regarded as one of the pinnacle geniuses of western civilization. Bach spent the height of his working life in a Lutheran church position in Leipzig, as both organist and music director. Much of his music is overtly religious, while many of his secular works admit religious interpretations on some levels. His large output of organ music is considered to be the greatest legacy of compositions for the instrument, and is the measure by which all later efforts are judged. His other solo keyboard music is held in equally high esteem, especially for its exploration of the strictly contrapuntal fugue; his 48 Preludes & Fugues (The Well-Tempered Clavier) are still the primary means by which these forms are taught.

Other Johann Sebastian Bach arrangements from Darren Curtis Skanson: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring classical guitar duet, Minuet In G, and Ave Maria.

Although Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions, he is also a prolific arranger. His classical guitar arrangements of Beethoven, Brahms, and other classical composers are among the most essential to the classical guitar repertoire. Darren Curtis Skanson’s Light Classical Guitar music has a timeless classical sound with familiar melodies and fresh new compositions that all lean to the gentle and melodic side of Classical. With 9 compact discs to his resume, Darren is a classical guitar musical force. His Spanish and Flamenco release “Solamente Romanz” reached #8 on Billboard’s Top Classical Chart. Darren’s previous CD, “Classica” which features classical guitar reached #11 on that same chart. Darren was also proclaimed; “… the most requested classical guitarist on Beethoven Radio” by Beethoven.com, the #1 Classical Radio Station in the world.

This theme and variations from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony Movement #2 Allegretto is a wonderful classical guitar trio adaptation of the famous work. The original piece, like many of Beethoven’s compositions, is generally seen as a great work. Three classical guitars and a string trio of violins and cello make this theme and variations arrangement truly unique version of the great piece. Based on the 2nd Allegretto movement, the three classical guitars weave interesting and complex variations of the haunting theme while the string trio lends wonderful harmonic support. Ludwig van Beethoven began substantial work on his Symphony No. 7 in A major (Op. 92) in 1811 while in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, where he had gone in the hope of improving his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Freis.

“The story behind the origins of this arrangement is very interesting.  Russell Donnellon recorded a version for his record “Since You Asked…” which Darren Curtis Skanson produced and recorded in his recording studio in Denver. As Darren was listening to Russell record it, Darren started to get the vision of how great it would be as a guitar trio where each guitarist would take turn doing their own variation. After Darren finished Russell’s record, he asked Russell if he could pursue that and Russell agreed. Here is where it gets interesting. Since Russell had to leave town, Darren could not do the arrangement and have the 3 guitars play all together. So Darren decided to use his studio computer recording system as a musical word processor. Russell had already laid down the chord progression as a guide, so Darren, Andrew, and Darren’s cellist, Wayne Templeman all came in at separate times and laid down the variations and support tracks. Darren then took these tracks and all of Russell’s takes and started assembling them into the arrangement you now hear on the record. It took Darren 4 eight hour days to edit it all together. So none of the parts you hear on this recording were recorded at the same time. Ah, life in the modern world!” - Skanson, Harling, and Donnellon

Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced [ˈbeː.to.vən]) (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest composers, and was the predominant figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. His reputation and genius have inspired—and in many cases intimidated—ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences.

Beethoven’s first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn who was apparently a harsh and unpredictable instructor. Johann would often come home from a bar in the middle of the night and pull young Ludwig out of bed to play for him and his friend. Beethoven’s talent was recognized at a very early age. His first important teacher was Christian Gottlob Neefe. In 1787 young Beethoven traveled to Vienna for the first time, where he may have met and played for Mozart. He was forced to return home because his mother was dying of tuberculosis. Beethoven’s mother died when he was 16, and for several years he was responsible for raising his two younger brothers because of his father’s worsening alcoholism.

Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, where he studied for a time with Joseph Haydn in lieu of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who had died the previous year. He received additional instruction from Johan Georg Albrechtsberger (Vienna’s preeminent counterpoint instructor) and Antonio Salieri. Beethoven immediately established a reputation as a piano virtuoso. His first works with opus numbers, the three piano trios, appeared in 1795. He settled into the career pattern he would follow for the remainder of his life: rather than working for the church or a noble court (as most composers before him had done), he supported himself through a combination of annual stipends or single gifts from members of the aristocracy, income from subscription concerts, concerts, and lessons, and sales of his works.

Beethoven was much taken by the ideals of the Enlightenment and by the growing Romanticism in Europe. He initially dedicated his third symphony, the Eroica (Italian for “heroic”), to Napoleon in the belief that the general would sustain the democratic and republican ideals of the French Revolution, but in 1804 crossed out Napoleon’s name on the title page upon which he had written a dedication to him, as Napoleon’s imperial ambitions became clear, renamed the symphony as the “Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grand Uomo”, or in English, “composed to celebrate the memory of a great man”. The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony features an elaborate choral setting of Schiller’s Ode An die Freude (”Ode To Joy”), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood of humanity.

This composition by Francisco Tarrega is a staple of the classical guitar repertoire. Along with his other master works Recuerdos De La Alhambra and the adaptation of the Chopin classic Reverie, Capricio Arabé showcases all the wonderful colors and  techniques that make the nylon string classical guitar so inviting.

“Caprocio arabe (The Arabian Song) is a truly epic selection. Written as a “programmatic” piece, it tells the story of a camel ride across the dessert. I certainly can hear the camel lumbering long I its slow but even gate.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Other Tarrega compositions: La Grima, Adelita, Recuerdos De La Alhambra, and A Quiet Moment With My Guitar.

Born in Villarreal, Spain, Francisco Tarrega fell into an irrigation channel when he was young, which rendered him nearly blind. Partially due to this accident, the family moved to Castellon and enrolled him in music classes. He entered the Madrid Conservatory in 1874, under the sponsorship of a wealthy merchant named Antonio Canesa, where he studied composition under Emilio Arrieta. By the end of the 1870s, he was teaching the guitar and giving regular concerts. A virtuoso on his instrument, he was known as the “Sarasate of the guitar”. He later settled in Barcelona, and died there in 1909.

The classical guitar composition Recuerdos De La Alhambra means “Memories of the Alhambra.” The Alhambra is a is an ancient mosque, palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain (known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was constructed). It occupies a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. It was the residence of the Muslim kings of Granada and their court, but is currently a museum exhibiting exquisite Islamic architecture. 

One of the big 2 Spanish classical guitar composers, Tarrega lived into the 20th century. Recuerdos De La Alhambra is his all time master work and uses a classical guitar technique that is probably the most difficult to master of all classical guitar techniques. The tremolo technique is where the 3 fingers of the classical guitarists right hand quickly, steadily, repeat one note. The effect if done properly creates a continuous sound almost like a bowed string or wind instrument. You can almost hear the wind blowing over the Alhambra.

“As a classical guitarist, you cannot help but love Recuerdos De La Alhambra. Having been to Spain, it just added to my sensual connection with this piece. The open and arid feel of Spain is perfectly captured in this song. I hope it conjures the same images for you.” -

Darren Curtis Skanson

Born in Villarreal, Spain, Francisco Tarrega fell into an irrigation channel when he was young, which rendered him nearly blind. Partially due to this accident, the family moved to Castellon and enrolled him in music classes. He entered the Madrid Conservatory in 1874, under the sponsorship of a wealthy merchant named Antonio Canesa, where he studied composition under Emilio Arrieta. By the end of the 1870s, he was teaching the guitar and giving regular concerts. A virtuoso on his instrument, he was known as the “Sarasate of the guitar”. He later settled in Barcelona, and died there in 1909.

Valse No.15 (Lullaby) - Johannes Brahms (1833-97) Although many listeners may regard Brahms as one of the last bastions of the Romantic Period, he was not a mainstream Romantic, but rather maintained a Classical sense of form and logic within his works. This waltz performed on classical guitar with cellos and violins showcases that Classical binary form and the sweet chords are  a harmonic logic of their own.

As with all of the celebrated composers of classical music, Johannes Brahms and his works have appeared widely in film and popular culture. The Star Trek: Original Series episode “Requiem for Methuselah” tells the story of an immortal man named “Flint” (born in the year 3834 BCE), one of whose nineteenth-century identities was the historical figure Johannes Brahms. Brahms’s musical knowledge and expertise are explained as the result of centuries of artistic study; and during the episode Mr. Spock sits at a piano and sight-reads a new and original waltz written by Flint/ Brahms.

“I find Brahms to be one of the most sweet and gentle of the Romantic composers. This piece is certainly not the exception. There has always been something about it that feels like home” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Born Hamburg, 7 May 1833; died Vienna, 3 April 1897. He studied the piano from the age of seven and theory and composition (with Eduard Marxsen) from 13, gaining experience as an arranger for his father’s light orchestra while absorbing the popular alla zingarese style associated with Hungarian folk music. In 1853, on a tour with the Hungarian violinist Reményi, he met Joseph Joachim and Liszt; Joachim, who became a lifelong friend, encouraged him to meet Robert Schumann. Brahms’s artistic kinship with Robert Schumann and his profound romantic passion (later mellowing to veneration) for Clara Schumann, 14 years his elder, never left him. After a time in Düsseldorf he worked in Detmold, settling in Hamburg in 1859 to direct a women’s chorus. Though well known as a pianist he had trouble finding recognition as a composer, largely owing to his outspoken opposition - borne out in his d Minor Piano Concerto op.15 - to the aesthetic principles of Liszt and the New German School. But his hopes for an official conducting post in Hamburg (never fulfilled) were strengthened by growing appreciation of his creative efforts, especially the two orchestral serenades, the Handel Variations for piano and the early piano quartets. He finally won a position of influence in 1863-4, as director of the Vienna Singakademie, concentrating on historical and modern a cappella works. Around this time he met Wagner, but their opposed stances precluded anything like friendship. Besides giving concerts of his own music, he made tours throughout northern and central Europe and began teaching the piano. He settled permanently in Vienna in 1868.

Brahms’s urge to hold an official position (connected in his mind with notions of social respectability) was again met by a brief conductorship - in 1872-3 of the Vienna Gesellschaftskonzerte - but the practical demands of the job conflicted with his even more intense longing to compose. Both the German Requiem (first complete performance, 1869) and the Variations on the St. Antony Chorale (1873) were rapturously acclaimed, bringing intemational renown and financial security. Honours from home and abroad stimulated a spate of masterpieces, including the First (1876) and Second (1877) Symphonies, the Violin Concerto (1878), the songs of opp.69-72 and the C major Trio. In 1881 Hans von Bülow became a valued colleague and supporter, ‘lending’ Brahms the fine Meiningen court orchestra to rehearse his new works, notably the Fourth Symphony (1885). At Bad Ischl, his favourite summer resort, he composed a series of important chamber works. By 1890 he had resolved to stop composing but nevertheless produced in 1891-4 some of his best instrumental pieces, inspired by the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. Soon after Clara Schumann’s death in 1896 he died from cancer, aged 63, and was buried in Vienna.

Fundamentally reserved, logical and studious, Brahms was fond of taut forms in his music, though he used genre distinctions loosely. In the piano music, for example, which chronologically encircles his vocal output, the dividing lines beteen ballade and rhapsody, and capriccio and intermezzo, are vague, such terms refer more to expressive character than to musical form. As in other media, his most important development technique in the piano music is variation, whether used independently (simple melodic alteration and thematic cross-reference) or to create a large integrated cycle in which successive variations contain their own thematic transformation (as in the Handel Variations).

If producing chamber works without piano caused him difficulty, these pieces contain some of his most ingenious music, including the Clarinet Quintet and the three string quartets. Of the other chamber music, the eloquent pair of string sextets, the serious C minor Piano Quartet op.60 (known to be autobigraphical), the richly imaginative Piano Quintet and the fluent Clarinet Trio op.1l4 are noteworthy. The confidence to finish and present his First Symphony took Brahms 15 years for worries over not only his orchestral technique but the work’s strongly Classical lines at a time when programmatic symphonies were becoming fashionable; his closely worked score led him to be hailed as Beethoven’s true heir. In all four symphonies he is entirely personal in his choice of material, structural manipulation of themes and warm but lucid scoring. All four move from a weighty opening movement through loosely connected inner movements to a monumental finale. Here again his use of strict form, for example the ground bass scheme in the finale of the Fouth Symphony, is not only discreet but astonishingly effective. Among the concertos, the four-movement Second Piano Concerto in B-flat - on a grandly symphonic scale, demanding both physically and intellectually - and the Violin Concerto (dedicated to Joachim and lyrical as well as brilliant) are important, as too is the nobly rhetorical Double Concerto.

Brahms’s greatest vocal work, and a work central to his career, is the German Requiem (1868) combining mixed chorus, solo voices and full orchestra in a deeply felt, non-denominational statement of faith. More Romantic are the Schicksalslied and the Alto Rhapsody. Between these large choral works and the many a cappella ones showing his informed appreciation of Renaissance and Baroque polyphony (he was a diligent collector, scholar and editor of old music) stand the justly popular Zigeunerlieder (in modified gypsy style) and the landler-like Liebeslieder waltzes with piano accompaniment. His best-loved songs include, besides the narrative Magelone cycle and the sublime Vier ernste Gesänge, Mainacht, Feldeinsamkeit and Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer.

Mi Verdadero Amor Te Esperare’ (My True Love I’ll Wait For You) Darren Curtis Skanson
This classical guitar composition has a definate Latin Jazz feel . In comparison to American Jazz, Latin Jazz employs straight rhythm, rather than  swung rhythm and is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from Latin America, the Carribean, Europe and United States. This feel is also accentuated by the pizzicato cello playing an almost walking double bass under current. The composition is dedicated to my wife Rachel. It is a song that she has commented on many times and every time she comes to a show, I have to play it for her.

Other Jazz for classical guitar compositions by Skanson: Nocture (Miles),  Airspace, and Elle May.

Darren Curtis Skanson (1967 to present) American composer. Encouraged in music from a young age, Skanson began singing, playing instruments, and composing as early as he can remember. At 13 he took his first classical guitar lesson and began a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career studying classical guitar, composition, and recording science, Darren spent the early part of the 1990’s touring and composing for both the progressive band Mata Hari and violinist Malcolm Watson. Embarking on his solo career in 1995, his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin. Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions and arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers. Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. His discography currently includes 10 compact discs of classical guitar arrangements and original work with over 200 pieces to his credit. As well as playing solo, he performs with his trio of classical guitar, violin, and cello aptly named The Skanson String Trio.

“Andrew York’s Faire is a wonderful classical guitar composition. I first heard this piece when a friend of mine, Andrew Thomas Harling, was playing it at a gig we were doing together. The soft bridge section really floored me and I knew  that someday I had to learn it. When I was searching for an opening cut for this record, the sweet and delicate “Faire” came to mind. Thanks Andrew and Andrew for the great piece.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

The Renaissance period was a time of movement based on humanism and the arts. This piece embodies so much of the flavor of that time period even though it is a modern work. With classical guitar as its center and the violins and cellos providing support, Faire is a wonderful time travel to a more Romantic period.

Andrew York’s is a unique and compelling voice in the guitar world and is one of today’s most visible and innovative classical guitar composers. A member of the GRAMMY winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Andrew”s discography includes California Breeze, a new recording for Sony Japan, three solo CD’s for the GSP label, ten CD’s with the LAGQ on Delos, Sony and Telarc labels, as well as inclusions on numerous compilation recordings. York’s compositions have also been recorded by guitar luminaries John Williams, Christopher Parkening, Scott Tennant and William Kanengiser. As a published composer, York’s works appear in print worldwide through Alfred Publications, Hal Leonard, Mel Bay Publications, Guitar Solo Publications, Doberman-Yppan in Canada, Ricordi in London, and in Japan through Gendai and Rittor Music.

Andrew is a virtuoso classical and jazz guitarist; an extremely rare combination. As a classical guitarist, Andrew received a grant from the Del Amo Foundation for Study in Spain, and as a jazz player studied with Joe Diorio and Lenny Breau. Andrew received his Master of Music degree from University of Southern California, and is the only USC graduate in the school’s history to twice receive the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award in 1997 as a member of LAGQ and in 2003 as the sole recipient.

Artist - Darren Curtis Skanson’s Light Classical Guitar music has a timeless classical sound with familiar melodies and fresh new compositions that all lean to the gentle and melodic side of Classical. With 9 compact discs to his resume, Darren is a classical guitar musical force. His Spanish and Flamenco release “Solamente Romanz” reached #8 on Billboard’s Top Classical Chart. Darren’s previous CD, “Classica” which features classical guitar reached #11 on that same chart. Darren was also proclaimed; “… the most requested classical guitarist on Beethoven Radio” by Beethoven.com, the #1 Classical Radio Station in the world.

Composer - With over 200 pieces to his credt, Skanson has a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career and 2 nationally touring ensembels, Skanson embarked on his solo career where his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin.

Arranger - Although Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions, he is also a prolific arranger. His classical guitar arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers are among the most essential to the classical guitar repertoire.

Performer - Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. As well as playing solo, he performs with his electro-acoustic orchestra aptly named The Skanson Strings.

Classical Gas 2000 (1968 Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)) This “Classical Gas” still uses the classical guitar as its central instrument but has a chamber orchestra to fill out the sound. Even without the percusion, Darren’s nimble classical guitar licks and driving style will have your foot tapping.The original classical guitar recording by Mason Williams was released in  February 1968 from the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record. In August 1968 it reached the top 5 in the American charts and went on to sell over a million copies and won three Grammy awards.

The song has appeared in many pop culture settings. Lisa Simpson played it in the 1993 Simpsons episode Last Exit to Springfield and Frasier Crane played it on his CD player while testing his new furniture in the 2000 episode The Great Crane Robbery. Also, Mannheim Steamroller re-recorded the song, along with other compositions by Williams, in their album of the same name. On internet file sharing programs, the song is sometimes credited (incorrectly) to Eric Clapton or The Shadows. The version often credited to Clapton on various tabbing websites is actually performed by Mark Knopfler; this was recorded but never released on any of his albums.

“Classical Gas is one of those selections you hear once and never forget. We had such a great time rearranging and recording this classical guitar piece. It is also a song that inspired me to play classical guitar. Mason, you should have done a few more like this!” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Mason Williams emerged in the late 1960’s as a strong force in television and music circles. He is most widely known as composer and recording artist of mega hit Classical Gas, which won three Grammy Awards for: “Best Instrumental Composition”, “Best Instrumental Performance”, and “Best Instrumental Orchestra Arrangement” (Mike Post, arranger).

In 1998, Broadcast Music, Inc., (BMI), presented Mason with a Special Citation of Achievement in recognition of the great national and international popularity of Classical Gas. It has logged over three million broadcast performances to become the number one all time instrumental composition for air play in BMI’s repertoire, replacing the previous #1 tune, The Theme From Moulin Rouge, by Michel Legrande, released in 1953.

The Story of Classical Gas by Mason Williams
I had just finished my first season as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS, and was taking the summer off to work on a couple of art projects; a life-sized photographic poster of a Greyhound Bus, and the world’s largest Sunflower (see Art Projects by Mason Williams). I hadn’t been playing the guitar very much during the past few months, having had to concentrate on writing comedy for the show. After a wild two week gig with Tom and Dick in Las Vegas (… I don’t think we slept at all…. I remember virtually living in my sunglasses), I came back to L.A., slept for a couple of days, got up and spent an entire weekend alone with the guitar. It felt so good to get back to my old friend that I decided to compose something. I didn’t really have any big plans for it, other than maybe to have a piece to play at parties when they passed the guitar around. I envisioned it as simply repertoire or “fuel” for the classical guitar, so I called it Classical Gasoline.

During the second season of The Comedy Hour, which began in the fall of 1968, I worked on the piece off and on for a couple of months in between writing comedy bits. There was a lot going on in those days. As well as the show, I was also writing my own songs, poems, and books.

The influences the Comedy Hour exerted on me were enormous. I was like a chameleon, constantly changing with the ebb and flow of the cultural revolution. The show featured a wide variety of musical guests, including many of the big names of pop music and rock and roll, each with a unique artistic style and creative philosophy. It was one hell of an education! In addition to being a regular variety show, The Comedy Hour endeavored to provide a platform for the artistic expressions of counterculture. They engaged in a censorship battle with CBS and in doing so developed a reputation for being “controversial”. As a consequence, the show became so popular that America plugged into our weekly battles with the network censors. One of the major battles we won early in the game was the right to present new groups and their music on prime-time variety TV. The network’s position up until this time had been that music presented on variety shows should be established Americana, pop hits, or songs from Broadway shows.

Because the show had succeeded in creating a place for artists to present new songs to a large audience before they might become hits, instead of after, the show attracted the attention of some of the major record companies. Warner Bros. Records told Tom Smothers that the wanted to add ten new artists to the label. Since my music and ideas had been an integral part of the Comedy Hour’s success, Tom suggested, “Why not give Mason a shot.” Warner Bros. agreed, so I became one of the ten, along with Jimi Hendrix, Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks and others. So, in addition to its impact on me and my work, The Comedy Hour was also directly responsible for my getting the chance to become a recording artist on the Warner Bros. label.

I began to record The Mason Williams Phonograph Record (my first album for Warner Bros.) that fall and Classical Gasoline was one of the tunes to be included. On the parts for the session the music copyist inadvertently abbreviated Gasoline to Gas and so that’s how it actually got its title. It truly wasn’t until sometime later that I realized most people were thinking that Gas meant to be hip, as in “Hey man, it’s a gas!” The single was released from the album in February of ‘68 and it hit the top of the charts in August. It won three Grammy awards: two for me, Best Instrumental Composition, Best Instrumental Performance; and one for Mike Post, Best Instrumental Arrangement.

It still receives a fair amount of air play and I am delighted that it has become a utilitarian piece of music that people have embraced for use in their own creative endeavors. It has been used as music for videos and films, routines for dancers, ice skaters, gymnasts, body builders, etc. It was also used as the music theme for local TV news shows and sports programs. It was also played by a lot of school bands on football and basketball halftime shows.

Classical guitar with cello and violin. Capriccio or caprice is a piece of music usually fairly free in form and of a lively character. The term has been applied to a variety of works for many instruments including classical guitar. Johannes Brahms wrote many capriccios for piano during the later years of his life, all of which are considered to be amongst the most unique and thoughtful pieces of the late Romantic era. This caprice for classical guitar,  cello, and violins uses chordal changes almost like changing colors.

The classical guitar and its repertoire span over four centuries. The popularity of the classical guitar has grown over the years with the advent of many great players, arrangers, composers and classical guitar makers. Gaspar Sanz, Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, Francisco Tárrega, Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, John Williams, Andrew York, and Darren Curtis Skanson just to mention a few.

The sound and technique of the classical guitar is unique from other types of guitar performance. The guitarist uses the fingers to pluck instead of a plectrum. By doing this, the performer can play polyphonic music that contains two, three, or four musical lines or voices. The sound is also created by the use of nylon strings (which have, largely, supplanted the use of gut strings. (Yes, by “gut” they literally used the guts of animals to make guitar and other stringed instrument strings!). Nylon strings give the classical guitar a unique, varied, and rich color palette.

“Repetitive motion in music has always fascinated me. This capriccio has that lulling figure that floats by you like a seamless breeze. Classical guitar music contains some of the richest and most interesting repertoire in the classical music world. By using the fingers to pluck instead of a plectrum (pick) or bow, the classical guitarist can play polyphonic music on a single instrument. Polyphonic music contains multiple voices like melody, harmony, and bass played simultaneously on a single instrument. It is common to encounter classical guitar music that sustains two, three, or four musical lines or voices.

Performing on a classical guitar is also different than folk or pop guitar playing. Classical guitarists hold the instrument by raising the left leg (with a footstool), placing the guitar on that leg and holding the guitar in place with the right arm. Alternatively the left foot can be placed on the floor and a small support placed between the left leg and the guitar. Either of these positions support the guitar in a way that gives the player greater mobility and access to the strings and the fingerboard. The right hand is a classical guitarist’s voice and is similar to that of a string player’s bow. By using a combination of flesh and fingernail to pluck the strings, a classical guitarist is able to generate a wide variety of sounds.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

This march for Classical guitar with assorted percussion is a truly unique composition where Darren Curtis Skanson  captures that fun and innocence that Winnie the Pooh is all about. Listen to the dotted figures in the bass line as the melody soars above as percussion accents keep your feet tapping! 

Winnie-the-Pooh is a fictional bear created by A. A. Milne. He appears in the books Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. The name “Winnie” was inspired by a pet bear of a Canadian soldier, named after his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Some of Pooh Bear’s friends include Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Roo, Kanga, Owl, Christopher Robin, and many other friends that the gang makes on their journeys. The Pooh stories were later made into a series of Winnie the Pooh featurettes by Walt Disney Productions, which became one of the company’s most successful franchises worldwide.

Darren Curtis Skanson’s Light Classical Guitar music has a timeless classical sound with familiar melodies and fresh new compositions that all lean to the gentle and melodic side of Classical. The music of Darren Curtis Skanson encapsulates all the wonderful attributes of Light Classical Guitar while adding a hint of the Spanish guitar.

Sanctuary by Darren Curtis Skanson. This classical guitar with synthesizer original composition is an example of the fusing of 2 major styles; classical and new age . New Age is the term commonly used to designate a broad movement. It is characterised by  the individual exploring of spirituality and the grafting of metaphysical beliefs onto traditional religious affiliations. The memorable line ‘This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius’ brought the New Age concept to the attention of a huge worldwide audience. Most music described as of New Age genre is instrumental and electronic using keyboard synthesizers. Music labeled New Age often has a vision of a better future, expresses an appreciation of goodness, beauty, and a peaceful vision of a better world.

 When Darren created Peace, Earth, and Guitars, he did not realize that what he was marrying was the world of New age music and its above mentioned charactaristics with classical guitar and its charactaristics of purity of sound and technical level of proficiency. It was a fresh new sound for classical guitar music and the tens of thounsands of copies of both recordings are proof of its universal appeal.

Darren Curtis Skanson as a composer…With over 200 pieces to his credit, Darren has a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career and 2 nationally touring ensembles, Darren embarked on his solo career where his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin.

This famous solo guitar work has been recorded by many guitarists, but Darren Curtis Skanson’s New Age Classical version was the first to add the new age electronic instrument component to the timeless song. The term romance  has a centuries long history. Beginning as narrative ballads in Spain, it came to be used by the 18th century for simple lyrical pieces not only for voice, but also for instruments alone. Most famous for its selection as the backbone and tilte music of the French film “Forbidden Games”, this classical guitar work written over 150 years ago is among the most famous and loved of the Spanish guitar repertoire.

“To this day, Romanza remains a beautiful mystery. Although legend has it that a blind Spanish monk penned the work, the reality is that the composer never signed it. I think that romantic notion is much better than whatever the truth is anyway!” - Darren Curtis Skanson

New Age is the term commonly used to designate a broad movement. It is characterised by the individual exploring of spirituality and the grafting of metaphysical beliefs onto traditional religious affiliations. The memorable line ‘This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius’ brought the New Age concept to the attention of a huge worldwide audience. 

Most music described as of New Age genre is instrumental and electronic using keyboard synthesizers. Music labeled New Age often has a vision of a better future, expresses an appreciation of goodness, beauty, and a peaceful vision of a better world.

 When I created Peace, Earth, and Guitars, I did not realize that what I was marrying was the world of New age music and its above mentioned charactaristics with classical guitar and its charactaristics of purity of sound and technical level of proficiency. It was a fresh new sound for classical guitar music and the tens of thounsands of copies of both recordings are proof of its universal appeal.

Classical guitar studies like this one from Fernando Sor are so well written that they stand as complete songs. The Promenade is a basic dance move in a number of dances such as English Country Dance, contredanse, and square dance. The name comes from the French word for “walk”, and is a good basic description of the dance action. Bouncy continuous motion make this song wonderful to play and to listen to! 

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) is one of the great figures in the history of the classical guitar. Although he was acknowledged in his lifetime as a fine performer (”Sor … who is known to be the most perfect guitarist in the world”, wrote Ebers in London), he was not associated with the classical guitar as strongly as was, for example, Giuliani. He had been a chorister at the monastery of Montserrat (near Barcelona), where he received an education in church music and composition and in orchestral playing, and later in life he composed music not only for the guitar but also for voice, piano, orchestra, etc.

After a brief stay in Paris in 1813, Sor settled in London where he published his marvellous and justly celebrated set of studies now known as op. 6, the Variations on a Theme of Mozart, and many other works such as Italian Arietts for voice and piano. A journey to Moscow followed and Sor then spent the rest of his life in Paris. He became a teacher of the guitar and it was there that he composed the many works for beginners on the guitar - opp. 31, 35, and 60 - which have been called the finest works ever written for beginners on the instrument.

More songs by Sor: Fernando , Soaring

“Classical guitar music contains some of the richest and most interesting repertoire in the classical music world. By using the fingers to pluck instead of a plectrum (pick) or bow, the classical guitarist can play polyphonic music on a single instrument. Polyphonic music contains multiple voices like melody, harmony, and bass played simultaneously on a single instrument. It is common to encounter classical guitar music that sustains two, three, or four musical lines or voices.

Performing on a classical guitar is also different than folk or pop guitar playing. Classical guitarists hold the instrument by raising the left leg (with a footstool), placing the guitar on that leg and holding the guitar in place with the right arm. Alternatively the left foot can be placed on the floor and a small support placed between the left leg and the guitar. Either of these positions support the guitar in a way that gives the player greater mobility and access to the strings and the fingerboard. The right hand is a classical guitarist’s voice and is similar to that of a string player’s bow. By using a combination of flesh and fingernail to pluck the strings, a classical guitarist is able to generate a wide variety of sounds.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

“Beethoven is the greatest of all Classical composers. Surprisingly, the famous piano piece lies pretty well on the classical guitar. Some of the faster passages had to be altered because of range considerations, but all in all, I think maestro Beethoven would approve! The classical guitar arrangement has the famous melodies but also  the much more. The classical guitar arrangement of the two development sections are equally as spectacular and fun as the main melody sections.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

History - Written in about 1810, Beethoven scholars and critics are not entirely certain who “Elise” was. The most reasonable theory is that Beethoven originally titled his work “Für Therese”, Therese being Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792-1851), whom Beethoven intended to marry in 1810. Unfortunately, she seems to have declined Beethoven’s proposal. We can only speculate upon whether it was Beethoven’s intention to write the piece in the letters of the name of his beloved.

Other Beethoven arrangements by Darren Curtis Skanson - Moonlight Sonata * Ode To Joy * Allegretto from Symphony #7

Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced [ˈbeː.to.vən]) (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest composers, and was the predominant figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. His reputation and genius have inspired—and in many cases intimidated—ensuing generations of composers, musicians, and audiences.

Classical guitar arrangement. “This could be the #1 wedding song of all time and this arrangement for classical guitar may be its most beautiful form. The Canon in D is the most famous piece of music by Johann Pachelbel. It was written in or around 1680, during the Baroque period as a piece of chamber music for three violins and basso continuo, but has since been arranged for a wide  variety of instruments and ensembles like this one for classical guitar. It is well known for its chord progression of D major, A major, B Minor, F# minor, G major, D major, G major and A major which has become one of the most used in popular music. Pachelbel’s Canon is frequently present on classical music compilation CDs, along with other famous Baroque pieces such as Bach’s Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring and Minuet in G. In pop culture, the Canon was used as the main theme in the Academy Award winning 1980 film Ordinary People.

Also known as Pachelbel’s Canon, or simply The Canon, Pachelbel certainly would be pleased to know that his song is so enduring and I think he would have liked this classical guitar arrangement.

What does Canon mean?
A canon in music is a device in counterpoint in which a melody announced by one voice or instrument is imitated by one or more other voices or instruments, entering after the first has started, in the manner of a round. The word canon may describe the device as it occurs in a piece of music or a complete composition in this form, like Pachelbel’s Canon. On the classical guitar this is especially challenging as the canon must continue as other elements enter and move.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Johann Pachelbel (baptized September 1, 1653 – March 3, 1706) was an acclaimed Baroque composer, organist and teacher who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque.

“This classical guitar with strings motion study is a beautiful example of the intimacy of the guitar. The classical guitar can evoke powerful imagery like this piece does for Italy. Italy must be one of the most romantic places on the planet. From Rome to Naples to Florence to Venice, can you imaging this 19th century classical guitar composer  writing his music looking over the vineyards or on a canal in Venice? How spectacular. I must see this special place someday.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Free Classical Guitar MP3 - Click Here!

Carcassi was an Italian guitarist, born probably in Florence in either 1792 or 1793. It seems that he fought with the French in the Napoleonic Wars. By about 1816 he settled in Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life.

At about the same time he began publishing, and altogether he published at least 77 opus numbers. His Méthode complète pour la Guitare, op. 59, first published in Paris in 1836, became very famous, and his Etudes op. 60 are played by every guitarist. He also wrote guitar accompaniments to many French songs of the period.

He gave many concerts, probably at least twice in London including a concert at the Argyle Rooms in 1828, at least one tour of Germany perhaps in 1824, and probably Italy in 1836. He died in Paris on 16 January 1853.

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Classical guitar with strings.

“Slow, passionate, and Spanish. One of my favorite compositions, La Senorita was written while still in Watson & Company but we never recorded it. It was a perfect fit for my first classical guitar CD.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Free Classical Guitar MP3 - Click Here! 

Darren Curtis Skanson (1967 to present) American composer. Encouraged in music from a young age, Skanson began singing, playing instruments, and composing as early as he can remember. At 13 he took his first classical guitar lesson and began a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career studying classical guitar, composition, and recording science, Darren spent the early part of the 1990’s touring and composing for both the progressive band Mata Hari and violinist Malcolm Watson. Embarking on his solo career in 1995, his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin. Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions and arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers. Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. His discography currently includes 10 compact discs of classical guitar arrangements and original work with over 200 pieces to his credit. As well as playing solo, he performs with his trio of classical guitar, violin, and cello aptly named The Skanson String Trio.

Classical guitar with choir. The original piece was written for a trumpet, an oboe, an organ and strings.

“Also a popular wedding selection, The Jesu is Bach’s use of existing chorale melody with his wonderful and very famous obbligato part. In music for voice with instruments, ‘obbligato’ refers to a prominent instrumental part in an aria or other number. The archetype of the obbligato part is the vocal solo which, with a basso continuo, constitutes the accompaniment of vast numbers of late Baroque arias and recitatives. An especially ornate violin obbligato appears in the Benedictus of Beethoven’s Mass in D.” - Darren Curtis Skanson

Free classical guitar MP3 - click here!

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Bach is considered by many to have been the greatest composer in the history of western music. Bach’s main achievement lies in his synthesis and advanced development of the primary contrapuntal idiom of the late Baroque. He is often regarded as one of the pinnacle geniuses of western civilization.  Much of his music is overtly religious, while many of his secular works admit religious interpretations on some levels. His large output of organ music is considered to be the greatest legacy of compositions for the instrument, and is the measure by which all later efforts are judged. His other solo keyboard music is held in equally high esteem, especially for its exploration of the strictly contrapuntal fugue; his 48 Preludes & Fugues (The Well-Tempered Clavier) are still the primary means by which these forms are taught. Jesu,n Joy of Man’s Desiring is perhaps his most famous work.

This classical guitar with electronic strings original composition falls under a category called New Age Classical Guitar. Darren mixes the 2 styles for this  unique sound. Most music described as the New Age genre is instrumental and electronic using keyboard synthesizers not an acoustic classical guitar. When Darren created this song and the album Peace, Earth, and Guitars, he did not realize that what he was marrying was the world of New age music and its above mentioned charactaristics with classical guitar and its charactaristics of purity of sound and technical level of proficiency. It was a fresh new sound for classical guitar music and the tens of thounsands of copies of both recordings are proof of its universal appeal.

Classical guitar with strings. Free classical guitar MP3-click here.

“Greensleeves” is a traditional English folk song and tune, basically a ground of the form called a romanesca. The widely-believed legend is that it was composed by King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547) for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Anne, the youngest daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, rejected Henry’s attempts to seduce her. This rejection is apparently referred to in the song, when the writer’s love “cast me off discourteously.” It is not known if the legend is true, but the song is still commonly associated with Boleyn in the public mind. It likely circulated in manuscript, as most social music did, long before it was printed.

In Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, written around 1602, the character Mistress Ford refers twice without any explanation to the tune of “Green Sleeves,” and Falstaff later exclaims: Let the sky rain potatoes! Let it thunder to the tune of ‘Greensleeves’! All of these allusions suggest that the song was well known at that time. A famous Christmas song, What Child Is This?, combines the melody of ‘Greensleeves’ with lyrics hailing the newborn Christ, «whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping.

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Two Classical guitars with strings. The original underlying guitar study is Sor’s “Study In B Minor”. The duet part is by Skanson which make the current composition a melding of eras more than 100 years apart.

"The second of the two great old guitar masters (the other is Tarrega) has a wealth of “study” pieces that are simply gorgeous. It was my thinking that some would make great duets for concertizing or for student and teacher interactions. If you are a guitarist, check out my website for this duet and all my music transcribed to sheet music." - Darren Curtis Skanson More info..click here.

Free classical guitar MP3...click here.

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) Fernando Sor, one of the great figures in the history of the guitar, was an all-round musician and composer. Although he was acknowledged in his lifetime as a fine performer ("Sor ... who is known to be the most perfect guitarist in the world", wrote Ebers in London), he was not associated with that instrument as strongly as was, for example, Giuliani. He had been a chorister at the monastery of Montserrat (near Barcelona), where he received an education in church music and composition and in orchestral playing, and later in life he composed music not only for the guitar but also for voice, piano, orchestra, etc.

Classical guitar with synthesizer horns and strings. This could be the #1 wedding song of all time. Also known as Pachelbel’s Canon, or simply The Canon, Pachelbel certainly would be pleased to know that his song is so enduring.

Johann Pachelbel (baptized September 1, 1653 – March 3, 1706) was an acclaimed Baroque composer, organist and teacher who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque.

The bourrée is a dance of French origin common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the 17th century. It is danced in quick double time, somewhat resembling the gavotte. The musical form was also used by some composers, often as a dance-movement in a suite, but also for independent pieces. The dance survives to this day and has been successfully "exported" to the UK and other countries.

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote two short bourrées in his Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach and this selection is one of them. Frédéric Chopin also composed two bourrées for the piano.

Progressive rock band Jethro Tull included an instrumental track inspired by Bach's bourrée on their 1969 album Stand Up and Rock band Tenacious D plays a short rendition in the track Rock Your Socks on their eponymous album.

Classical guitar with synthesizer strings. Adeltia was written by Tarrega for someone in his life although the dedication does not specify who. A mystery for the ages. - Darren Curtis Skanson

Born in Villarreal, Spain, Francisco Tarrega fell into an irrigation channel when he was young, which rendered him nearly blind. Partially due to this accident, the family moved to Castellon and enrolled him in music classes. He entered the Madrid Conservatory in 1874, under the sponsorship of a wealthy merchant named Antonio Canesa, where he studied composition under Emilio Arrieta. By the end of the 1870s, he was teaching the guitar and giving regular concerts. A virtuoso on his instrument, he was known as the "Sarasate of the guitar". He later settled in Barcelona, and died there in 1909.