DESCRIPTION:
Tempo Mental Rap, for solo guitar is a series of 6 variations based upon a rap (spoken phrases) performed by Frank Zappa that was transcribed by the guitarist Steve Vai. The original melody has been re-notated by myself.

This video is a pairing of the handwritten musical notation and a recording of an April 2006 performance by Stefan Östersjö at the University of Santa Cruz, Music for the Third Ear April in Santa Cruz Festival of Contemporary Music

The intent is not to faithfully reproduce the Zappa performance, particularly the details of articulation and performance that Steve Vai indicated, but rather to base the variations primarily on the rhythmic structure and less so on pitch or the other variables.

In the performance of my composition Tempo Mental Rap the original melody may be performed or not this depends on the desires of the performer. IF the guitarist decides to play the original melody, then this should precede the performance of the variations proper.

Tempo Mental Rap received the prize: Kompositionspreis der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart in 2007 and,

received its German premiere at: attacca.Geistesgegenwart.Musik_ECLAT Festival Neue Musik Stuttgart, 25. April 2008