Serrana
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| "Serrana" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by Jason Becker | ||
| from the album Perspective | ||
| Released | 1996 | |
| Genre | Neo-classical metal | |
| Length | 8:39 | |
- For the atoll, see Serrana Bank.
Serrana is a solo guitar etude that relies heavily on arpeggios and the technique of sweep picking. It was written and composed by heavy metal guitar virtuoso Jason Becker.
Though the final orchestral trumpet version appears on his 1996 album Perspective, its roots can be traced to almost the mid-1980s.
Contents |
[edit] History
Serrana was composed in the late 1980's while Becker was in the band Cacophony. Around this time, the guitarist began to incorporate the composition into his solos, using complex sweep picking techniques. One such performance was filmed during an April 1989 concert in Japan.
Again in 1989, shortly before being diagnosed with ALS at nearly 20 years old, Becker performed a nearly ninety-minute guitar clinic at the Atlanta Institute Of Music in Norcross, Georgia. This is his last recorded performance of Serrana.
Harmonically, the piece is mostly composed of one and two octave major and minor triadic arpeggios within the key of D major. The last half of the piece is composed of various minor and diminished arpeggios.
The piece follows these chord changes: Dmaj, Gmaj, Amaj, Dmaj, F#m, Bm, Em, Cm, G#m, D#m, Bdim7, Cm, F#dim7. The piece ends on the note G.
At the end of the piece, Becker uses his whammy bar on his Floyd Rose tremolo system to bend the notes up half a fret and back down.
[edit] Trivia
- Becker's father learned the trumpet part backwards on the introduction of the studio version of the song.
- Becker's ex-girlfriend and still best friend shares the name with the title. He thought her name suited this piece perfectly.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
You can follow the two links below to watch Serrana.
