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Lathkill Music Publishers

Four Guitars : Grieg arranged by Gary Spolding

Norwegian Dance No. 2 by Grieg arranged for four guitars by Gary Spolding

Norwegian Dance No. 2 by Edvard Grieg is a piece worthy of its fame, and this arrangement for four guitars or guitar orchestra by Gary Spolding makes an instant crowd pleaser. The melody is one of the biggest earworms in all of classical music and particularly familiar to fans of the ‘The Adventure Game’. (Incidentally, the same programme also had a very famous guitar duet as its opening theme tune.)

Lasting 3 minutes, the arrangement will suit an ambitious and enthusiastic group of guitarists who have reached grade 2 to 4 standard. Each guitar has a very distinct role but also gets to be part of the melody. Guitar 1 needs to be comfortable reading high ledger lines, Guitar 2 carries the majority of the melody and is the easiest to play, Guitar 3 requires a player used to reading 3 note chords, and Guitar 4 is written mainly in low ledger lines.

If you work in education, this arrangement has these useful features…
- D.C. al Fine
- pizzicato in Guitars 2 and 4.
- bars rest to count in Guitars 1 and 4.
- whole group crescendos along with sudden and extreme dynamic changes that are lots of fun in an ensemble situation.
- a high B in Guitar 1 - the note that many players are desperate to see a legitimate use for!


This piece is one in a series of arrangements by Gary Spolding for beginner guitar ensembles. Each arrangement has at least one guitar part that is accessible to a player of ABRSM grade 2 standard and the other parts are never more difficult than grade 4. They can be performed as guitar quartets with one player to a part or by guitar orchestra with multiple players per part making them ideal for guitar societies or school concerts.

If you like the look of this arrangement then Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik first movement may also be of interest.

3 page score and separate parts each 1 page.
Grade 2-4
£6 as a pdf
Not available as a book
LMP 172