Kite Guitar Translations by Aaron Wolf

Translations by others are here. See The Kite Guitar for more info.

Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne has a near-pentatonic (and works if done strictly pentatonic) melody. It traditionally gets harmonized with both IV and V chords, commonly embellished with a "circle" progression of chains of fifths. Translating those patterns directly requires handling of comma issues, and that can work well enough with some simple comma shifts.

But rather than simply translate from any prior arrangement, this is a new arrangement designed for the Kite Guitar. Incidentally, it would work fine to translate it to 12EDO, and that would retain some distinction.

The notable feature of this arrangement: it avoids all comma issues by sticking to only fourthward harmonies. It uses no V chord nor any chord in that direction on the chain of fifths. This allows the melody to stick to a downmajor pentatonic scale with a down-two: I, vII, vIII, V, vVI (plus one quick vVII embellishment).

PDF: Fourthward_Lang_Syne.pdf (reference page: File:Fourthward Lang Syne 2.pdf)

MuseScore file: Fourthward_Lang_Syne.mscz (reference page: File:Fourthward Lang Syne.mscz)

My old Kentucky Home (barbershop tag)

Accompanying a barbershop quartet with the Kite guitar is fairly easy, and highly recommended! However playing a tag note for note is often impossible, because tags often use a 3-5-7-8 chord voicing. This tag is an exception, except for the 2nd-to-last chord.

Vocal rendition, individual vocal tracks, sheet music, and videos: https://www.barbershoptags.com/tag-82-My-Old-Kentucky-Home In this version, the baritone's first "way" has been changed from an ^b3 to a b5, to avoid an 8ve with the tenor, and to provide the chord with a 7th. In 41edo, this Cb is the same note as the baritone's "home" note, just spelled differently.

          For my old Ken-tuck-y home, far a-way, far a-way
tenor:    v6  b6  5  v3  v6  v5  v8    9  9 ^b10 v9 v9 v10
lead:      1   2 v3   1   4   3   6   v7 v7   8 --------->
baritone:         1   5*  1 v#1 v#4   v4 v4  b5   4  4  5     
bass: **          1   1   4   6   9    5  5 ^b6  b7 b7  8     

* The baritone's "Ken" note is a low note a 4th below the 1.

** The 1 of the bass is an 8ve lower than the 1 of the other voices.Chords for 6-string guitar in Ab:

For       IVvno1        . 18  . 20  .  .
 
my        II5(b5)       .  . 15  .  12 .

old       Iv            4  .  .  5  5  4

Ken-      Iv            4  .  3  5  5  .

tuck-     IVv           .  6  .  5  7  7

y         VIv7          . 13 13 12 10  .

home      IIv7          .  . 15 15 14 12

far a-    Vv7          16  .  . 13 17 16      fingering: 2 . . 1 4 3

way       ^bVIv7       18  .  . 15 19 18          "

far a-    bVIIv,9      21  . 20  . 19  .      alternate (2,19) with (2,22)

way       Iv            . 18  . 17 19 19