| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic 4'33"
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  4'33"
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 9:20 am    
Reply with quote

Just curious to see if anyone has tabbed out 4'33", by John Cage.

~Lee
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill McCloskey

 

Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 9:47 am    
Reply with quote

LOL. The original piano piece, or the orchestrated version.
View user's profile Send private message
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 9:56 am    
Reply with quote

The original piano piece would be fine. It would take way too much work to tab the orchestrated version.

It should be pretty easy to perform on a simple 6-string lap steel guitar.

~Lee
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill McCloskey

 

Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 10:01 am    
Reply with quote

All kidding aside, Cage was a huge influence on my life. I met him a number of times, saw him perform many times. and weeks before he died, I ran into him on the street and invited him to hear I piece I had written in his honor when I was in grad school. He came. weeks later he was dead. His philosophy of music was probably the most meaningful touchstone of my life.
View user's profile Send private message
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 10:07 am    
Reply with quote

Wonderful story, Bill. Thanks for sharing it.

I know of two members of this Forum who may have performed this piece.

~Lee
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Tucker Jackson

 

From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 11:22 am    
Reply with quote

I was actually just listening to this when I stumbled on this post! What are the odds?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Bill McCloskey

 

Post  Posted 28 Sep 2023 4:39 pm    
Reply with quote

In college, my music teacher had done his PhD dissertation on Cage's Notation. He was good friends with Cage and had him come to the school where he conducted a group of us on a piece based on nature drawings of Thoreau.

Everyone got a different piece of a drawing to interpret. My section called for a long gliss . Cage was specifically looking for it and called it out when he didn't hear me doing it in rehearsal.

Not a day goes by I don't think about that and wish I had a pedal steel back then to knock him back a bit.

What is the pedal steel after all but a prepared piano for guitar.
View user's profile Send private message
Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2023 2:54 pm    
Reply with quote

There was a store in Chicago selling T-shirts with the score for 4'33" on the front. I should have bought one when I saw it.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Jim Fogarty


From:
Phila, Pa, USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2023 8:58 pm    
Reply with quote

I understand that Simon and Garfunkle sampled that Cage piece for their song....."The Sound of Silence"
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Bill McCloskey

 

Post  Posted 29 Sep 2023 9:58 pm    
Reply with quote

For those interested in the history of the piece, it is written in three parts and was premiered on the piano. The lid of the piano was closed and opened to mark the beginning and end of each section.

And it never sounds the same way twice.
View user's profile Send private message
Jim Fogarty


From:
Phila, Pa, USA
Post  Posted 4 Oct 2023 11:22 pm    
Reply with quote

View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 5 Oct 2023 5:16 am    
Reply with quote

That’s hilarious, Jim!

~Lee
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron