Some Towns & Cities: Guitar Book & CD

Verdery's gift for writing music that captures the character of specific places means your students won't just be learning technical passages; they're interpreting geography through sound. The inclusion of detailed study notes paired with his own recorded performances creates a bridge between aspiration and understanding that rarely exists in guitar literature at this level.

Each solo paints a distinct sonic landscape, from the gentle character of one town to the energy of another. The music invites you to inhabit these American places through harmonic color, rhythmic energy, and melodic shaping, making the guitar an instrument of storytelling rather than mere technical display.

Intermediate to advanced guitarists seeking repertoire that combines technical development with creative interpretation and narrative intent. This collection works equally well for students preparing for recitals, developing a personal playing voice, or exploring how descriptive writing can inform musical choices.

• Listen to Verdery's recording multiple times before performing to absorb his phrasing choices and overall architectural vision for each piece, then make deliberate decisions about where your interpretation aligns or diverges from his.
• Use the study notes to identify the specific harmonic or melodic gesture that represents each town's character; letting this imagery guide your tone production will make abstract technical demands feel purposeful.
• Work slowly through the passages marked in the study notes, making sure the timbral choices (rest strokes versus free strokes, nail versus flesh) reinforce the descriptive intent rather than just serving ergonomic convenience.
• Record yourself performing each solo and compare it to the CD version to catch rhythmic looseness or dynamic shaping that doesn't yet match your interpretive goals.

Program one or more solos on a guitar recital to showcase both technical mastery and interpretive maturity, particularly when building a thematic concert around landscape, geography, or American music. These pieces also work beautifully in educational settings where you want to demonstrate how composers create character and mood through instrumental writing.

• Interpreting programmatic music through tone production and phrasing
• Understanding harmonic color as a compositional tool for creating atmosphere
• Applying study notes and detailed analysis to performance decisions
• Developing independence between right-hand and left-hand voices
• Sustaining melodic line while managing accompaniment figures
• Learning from master recordings as a model for interpretation