About
This piece pays tribute to the energy and dramatic impact of Maori haka or ceremonial dance while also employing textures which are intended to resemble the scratchy, clicking, pulsing sounds of the cicada in the height of a New Zealand summer. To enhance the effect, the piece can be optionally performed with a prepared guitar involving a hair clip inserted between the strings.
Performance Notes
The guitar is tuned in altered dropped-d tuning as follows:
1 = E nat
2 = B flat
3 = G nat
4 = E nat
5 = A nat
6 = D nat
Tips
For those who find the sharpened 4th string too tight and uncomfortable to play, try a lower tension string.
An alternative option is to tune all strings down a tone (1=D, 2=A flat, 3=F, 4=D, 5=G, 6=C). This gives a deeper, richer sound but can be less practical in concert situations if re-tuning mid-performance.
Difficulty : Moderate to advanced
Price: $35
Also available in the following combined publication with three other Maori Folk Song Inventions.
Maori Folk Song Inventions