Song 7 in B minor

Song 7 in B minor (mp3 file)

Solo steel string guitar.

The picture shows the view from my window while recording this one. It's pretty cold, around -5C, but the air is quite dry and not windy, and we get a little sunlight, plus the snow brights up the landscape, so it's not the worst of winter conditions!

I originally wanted to alternate strictly between major and minor key songs, but due to the logistics of this operation, it seems I have to change my plans. My thumb is doing OK, but it's still covered in band-aids, which has meant postponing a couple faster songs which happened to be in major keys.

This song is more a collage of ideas than a finished work, really. The first theme is another one of those where the chords move in the typical tonic (root/Bm) to dominant fifth (F#7 with an A# bass) fashion . As I noted in a previous post, this is a device which comes oh so naturally when you're fooling around in a minor key. Now, it is what I came up with, so I had to use it! The next theme expands a little on the harmony, going Bm-F#7-G-Em-Bm-F#7-Bm for the ending. Then I return to the first theme for a reprise.

The third theme borrows rather heavily from the norwegian folk tune "Haavard Hedde", but I liked the combination of the melody and the ascending bass line.

The last theme has an arpeggio feel with some descending bass lines, where I try to employ open strings where I can for a maximum legato effect.

I might revisit some of these ideas later on and develop them a bit more. As it is, it is pleasant enough sounding, but as I noted in the beginning, it's not a fully formed composition.