Geni Swing Guitars

Series Classical

Classical Gas An Enigma Of Modern Music presented by free downloads music

Classical Gas is one of the most requested and most familiar instrumental pieces of all time. In an episode of The Simpsons called "Last Exit to Springfield" Homer leads the workers of the nuclear power plant in a strike to recover their lost dental plan. While they picket the plant, Lisa plays a bleak worker's song. As she finishes, Lenny shouts, "Play Classical Gas". Lisa plays the guitar and everybody watching the episode on TV goes, "Oh, yeah, THAT tune!" Classical Gas is always asked for whenever a bunch of people and a nylon string acoustic guitar are in the same room. It is not really a great technical showcase for finger style guitarists but it is a great vehicle to show off the sound of the classical guitar.

Classical Gas was released into the world in 1968. A song by The Doors prevented it from turning into a number one hit but it remained in the second place for two weeks. Forty years later it is still among the most familiar tunes of all time and, along with The Anonymous Romance and Leucona's Malaguena regarded as an essential element of the classical guitar repertoire. And nobody can say why.

The impact of Classical Gas is way more than the sum of its parts. There are very few musical ideas in the tune. It is mainly repetition of a theme made up of a few notes. There are a few parts that are unforgettable "surprises" making use of syncopation, scales, strums, and abrupt time signature changes. Somehow all the bits link together like pearls on a necklace, and the final note adds a sublime resolution.

The composer, Mason Williams, states on his website, "I didn't really have any big plans for it, other than maybe to have a piece to play at parties when they passed the guitar around. I envisioned it as simply repertoire or "fuel" for the classical guitar, so I called it Classical Gasoline." Mason Williams' day job was as a comedy writer and stand-up comedian who had lots of other projects besides writing a classical guitar instrumental.

It was Mason Williams' work on the Smothers Brothers' "Comedy Hour" which gave him the opportunity to have his pet composition heard by the American public. The original score of the piece shows only chords and a few notes. Mason Williams had a twenty-three year old composer named Mike Post finish off the arrangement.

At the Grammys it won Best Instrumental Composition and Best Instrumental Performance for Mason Williams and Best Instrumental Arrangement for Mike Post who has had a career full of triumphs in the field of TV theme music. His latest victory is the theme(s) for the "Law And Order" series.

Classical Gas has been employed as the theme music for several news programs, the background music for the Apollo 4 movie, and featured in a number of other movies and TV shows. Many people have mistakenly attributed Mason Williams' solo version of the tune for a cover by Eric Clapton.

Classical Gas is quite an easy piece to play, the challenge is to play it with passion and dynamics because it appears to non-guitarists, more difficult to play than it really is. Maybe this is the reason it is among the most requested guitar pieces ever.
About the Author

Classical Urn Series II $19.99 W.M. Randal Painter Classical Urn Series II - Art Print

Washburn C5 Classical Series Guitar $145.6 Washburn C5 Classical Series Acoustic Guitar (Natural Finish)

Ibanez GA Series GA5 Classical Guitar Natural $149.99 Ibanez GA Series GA5 Classical Guitar Natural

Alvarez RC12 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural $199 Alvarez RC12 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural

Alvarez RC16 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural $175 Alvarez RC16 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural

Gator Slinger Series Classical Guitar Gig Bag $44.99 Gator Slinger Series Classical Guitar Gig Bag

Trumcor Classical Series Eb Trumpet Cup Mute $85 Trumcor Classical Series Eb Trumpet Cup Mute

Takamine G Series G128S Classical Guitar Natural $299 Takamine G Series G128S Classical Guitar Natural

Takamine G Series G124 Classical Guitar Natural $199 Takamine G Series G124 Classical Guitar Natural

Ibanez Ga Series Ga5 Classical Guitar Natural $149.99 Ibanez GA Series GA5 Classical Guitar Natural

Alvarez Rc12 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural $199 Alvarez RC12 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural

Alvarez Rc16 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural $175 Alvarez RC16 Regent Series Classical Guitar Natural

Takamine G Series G128s Classical Guitar Natural $299 Takamine G Series G128S Classical Guitar Natural

Classical Baby Music - $8.99 Includes:Classical Baby [Animated TV Series] (2005) Classical Baby [Animated TV Series] No synopsis available.

Classical Baby Art - $8.99 Includes:Classical Baby [Animated TV Series] (2005) Classical Baby [Animated TV Series] No synopsis available.

A Classical Christmas Phillip Keveren Series For Easy Piano $9.86 Hal Leonard A Classical Christmas - Phillip Keveren Series For Easy Piano

Used Ibanez Ew Series Classical Electric Guitar $279 In Store Used USED IBANEZ EW SERIES CLASSICAL ELECTRIC GUITAR

Classical Favorites $12.95 "(Playalong for Alto Saxophone Guest Spot Series). By Various. Arranged by Christopher Hussey and Andrew Skirrow. For Alto Saxophone. Music Sales America. Baroque, Popular, Classical, Play Along. Sheet Music and example/play along CDs. 32 pages. Amsco Publications #AM984445. Published by Amsco Publications"

Simply Classical $12.95 (23 Well Known Masterpieces). Arranged by Mary K. Sallee. For Piano. Masterworks; Piano Collection; Piano Supplemental. Simply Series. Classical; Masterwork Arrangement; Recital. Easy Piano. Book. 80 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing

Washburn 6-String Classical Series Guitar - Natural $129.99 Play beautiful music with this 6-string classical guitar that features classical chrome tuners for long-lasting tuning.

Alvarez Artist Series AC65CE Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $419 Alvarez Artist Series AC65CE Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

Ibanez GA Series GA6CE Classical Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $249.99 Ibanez GA Series GA6CE Classical Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

Alvarez RC16HCE Regent Series Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $219 Alvarez RC16HCE Regent Series Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

Guild GAD Series GC-2 Classical Acoustic Guitar Natural $899.99 Guild GAD Series GC-2 Classical Acoustic Guitar Natural

Takamine G Series G124 Classical Guitar Natural 886830348747 $159.2 Takamine G Series G124 Classical Guitar Natural 886830348747

Thomastik KF110 S Series Classical Light Flat Wound $24.99 Thomastik KF110 S Series Classical Light Flat Wound

Ibanez GA Series GA5 Classical Guitar Natural 886830321764 $119.99 Ibanez GA Series GA5 Classical Guitar Natural 886830321764

Ibanez GA Series GA5TCE Thinline Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $249.99 Ibanez GA Series GA5TCE Thinline Classical Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

Hal Leonard Classical Jazz Piano Solo - Phillip Keveren Series $11.66 Hal Leonard Classical Jazz Piano Solo - Phillip Keveren Series

Gator Cobra Series Classical Guitar Gig Bag Black $54.99 Gator Cobra Series Classical Guitar Gig Bag Black

Hal Leonard A Classical Christmas - Phillip Keveren Series For Easy Piano $9.86 Hal Leonard A Classical Christmas - Phillip Keveren Series For Easy Piano

Classical Kids Mozart Effect Educational Media Series Mozart In Motion Cassette $7.99 Classical Kids Mozart Effect Educational Media Series Mozart In Motion Cassette