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-English Translation of French words in Dyens' "Libra Sonatine"-
If you've always wanted to play, or already play, Roland Dyens' "Libra Sonatine" but don't understand the French words in it, here is some help. The following translation is done by my friend Mike Macdonald (the ones marked with an asterisk are by me (using Babelfish), and the ones marked with "#" are by Pat). Do bear in mind that most of the translations are not meant to be literal word for word translations, but are instead presented within the context of performance of the music on the guitar, so as to better aid the guitarist.
-Page 2-

1) a la reprise (apres la mesure 4/4, 4e portee), jouer ces deux mesures sans reprise :  when repeating after playing the 4/4 bar (page 2, line 4, bar 2), do not play the repeat on the 1st two bars.

2) se rapprocher du chevalet : move the right hand gradually towards the bridge as you play.

3) chevalet : bridge

4) jouer avec l'ongle et lasisser les sons se melanger : play the measure at the bridge (ponticello), using only your RH nails to pluck (i.e. avoid RH fingertip contact on the strings), and let the sound resonate.

5) touche : touch to string, and then retract the finger to produce the sound (a little like what you do when you press a button on your PC keyboard).

6) laissez glisser l'index sur (2) et (3) : let index finger slide on strings 2 and 3 .

7) respirez : breathe.

8) attaquez : attack.

9) secco subito (Italian) : suddenly dry.

10) sans arpeger les trois premiers accords : do not arpeggiate the 1st three chords.


-Page 3-

11) et rythmique comme un tango; bien maintenir la partie superieure en
dehors : rhythmic like a tango; accentuate the bass.

12) cultivez les dissonances : highlight / "cultivate" the dissonance.

13) relachez la tension petit a petit : relax the tension little by little.

14) pouce pulpe : use the skin of the thumb (to pluck the bass).

15) legers mes accords : keep the chords "light".

16) pouce ongle : use the nail of the thumb (to pluck the bass).

17) interrogatif : interrogative (i.e. forcefully / unrelenting / strident etc).

18) perussion legere : lightly percussive.

19) pouce pulpe : use the skin of the thumb (to pluck the bass).

20) Z = distortion de la corde : when the "z" sign appears, bend the string "vertically" while holding down the note (like how an electric guitarist typically achieves vibrato), so that the pitch is distorted.

21) toujours bein maintenir present le rythme inferieur : keep the rhythm strict in the lower voice.


-Page 4-

22) chant en dehors : let the lower voice "sing".

23) 2e fois : play soft the 2nd time.

24) * plus rien sous le fa : "more nothing under F". (My guess is that it means to make sure you mute/damp all the other notes so that -only- the F note sounds out at that point of time.)

25) rapprochez vous du chevalet : move the right hand gradually towards the bridge as you play.

26) les sons se melangent : let all the sounds merge.

27) comme une danse : like a dance.

28) fluide : fluid.


-Page 5-

29) tres rythmique et en dehors : keep the lower voice rhythmic.

30) de plus en plus pesant en direction du chevalet : move the right hand gradually towards the bridge as you play, and make the sound "heavier" gradually as you do so.

31) * dedillo (aller-retour tres rapide avec le majuer) : "Dedillo (very fast return ticket with the majuer)" (My guess is that the chords in this measure are to be strummed "up and "down" very quickly.)

32) ad libitum. pres du chevalet en sa rapprochant progressivement de la rosace puis de la touche : start with the right hand at the bridge and work gradually towards the soundhole.


-Page 6-

33) A peine plus lent qu'au debut, rejoignez peu a peu le tempo initial : play slower than how it was played at the start (at page 2, line 1, bar 3), but bring the tempo back to the original tempo little by little.

34) chevalet : bridge.

35) touche : touch to string, and then retract the finger to produce the sound (a little like what you do when you press a button on your PC keyboard).

36) respirez : breathe.

37) attaquez : attack.

38) la main droite se rapproache de la main gauche, la musique s'eteint progressivement : move the right hand gradually towards the left hand as you play.


-Page 7-

39) dechirez le silence qui precede (s.v.p.) : "attack" the silence (that the 1st movement ended with).

40) basses pulpees (comme une contrebasse) : use the skin on the thumb (to pluck).

41) * accord en filigrane : "agreement in filigree". Webster defines "filigree" as "ornamental openwork of delicate and intricate design". (My guess is that it means to let the chords have a delicate and intricate feel to them.)

42) progressivement vers le chevalet : move the right hand gradually towards the bridge as you play.

43) progress. vers la rosace : move the right hand gradually towards the soundhole as you play.

44) jouer al coda (apres reprise) : play the Coda after the repeat.

45) tres leger et fluide : Very smooth and fluid.

46) accords tres larges : Make the chords sound "big".

47) main droite : (play the harmonic with the) right hand.

48) comme une lente ballade jazz : like a slow jazz ballad.

49) faites un peu attendre l'accord qui suit : wait a little for the chord that follows.

50) * apaisant : "alleviating".

51) fin et p sub (d'un autre monde) : finish and suddenly soft, as if in another world.

52) lumineux : luminous.

53) * pesant : "weighing"; getting heavy.


-Page 8-

54) majestuex : majestic.

55) metallique : metallic.

56) encore plus lent : play more slowly (after the repeat).

57) simplement : simply.

58) breve : hold.

59) au chevalet : at the bridge (ponticello).

60) arp. lento : trill on the G# and A notes slowly, and slowly fade away.

61) Vite et rythmique : Quick and rhythmic.

62) bein e'teindre les me graves : Lower E notes should have a good full sound.

63) # trebuchant : To tumble forward, to lose your footing and fall forward.


-Page 9-

64) conclusif : conclusively.

65) p sub. et egal : suddenly soft and smooth / equal.


-Page 10-

66) hausser la note par effet de distorsion : Accentuate the note for distortion effect.

67) tempo toujours tres soutenu (aucun vibrato) : Keep it steady and play upper voice with a hint of vibrato.

68) chant tres en dehors : make the lower E notes "sing".


-Page 11-

69) bein marquer les accents : force the accents.

70) tres rythmique : very rhythmic.

71) chant en dehors : keep the lower notes "singing".

72) accompagnement leger : keep the accompaniment smooth.


-Page12-

73) # fougueux : Energetic, bold, with a lot of enthusiasm and determination.

74) avec l'index de la main gauche jouer les cordes aigues sur le tete de la guitare : use the right hand finger to strum the strings between the nut and the rollers of the tuning machines (i.e. strum it behind the nut).

75) pizz. - Bartok (soulever la corte entre pouce et index la faire claquer : Bartok pizzicato, a technique in which you use the RH thumb and index finger to "hold" the string, pull the string away from the soundboard and then let go of the string to produce a sound.

76) percussion obtenue en laissant tomber le poing ferme sur les 6 cordes : percussive sound obtained by using a closed RH fist to "bounce" on the 6th string.

77) slap-technique tres employee par les bassistes de musique funky et qui consiste a percuter la corde avec le pouce : slap technique used by funky music bassists which consists of slapping the fleshy part of the  thumb on the string to produce the sound.
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