Failure to Fracture, Ep. 0: Introduction

Sheet Music

Soundslice is an incredible web app that offers HTML5 sheet music without the need for Adobe Flash or any other plugins. It’s super-duper awesome and is hosting the sheet music you see here.

What Are We Learning?

For the past 15 years or so, I’ve been intensely studying a piece of music called Fractureby King Crimson and have developed a unique type of expertise: the expertise of failure. Fracture is, without a doubt, the most difficult piece of music I’ve ever tried playing. Through study, practice, blogging, and YouTube videos, I have failed more visibly and effortfully than most anyone else on the internet attempting to play this song. This video series is an attempt to share what I’ve learned through my failures to save others the time and energy as they attempt to learn and play the piece.

Purchase King Crimson’s Fracture on iTunes 

Or, purchase the album on Robert Fripp’s website 

More specifically, I will only be focusing on the moto perpetuo section, which starts at about 2:50 in the original recording and lasts (endures!) for about 4 minutes. “Moto perpetuo” is an Italian term meaning “perpetual motion.” It applies here because this section of Fracture is a barrage of 16th notes (or “semiquavers” as Robert Fripp, the British composer and performer of the song, might say).

People all over the world have contacted me about playing this song. They’ve kindly sharing videos of their own, offered their time via Skype to talk to me, etc. It’s been such a fun and humbling experience and I’ve met people from every continent! There is quite a community of Fripp-following guitarists and I’ve been overjoyed to meet so many of them!

Also, please note that I am not teaching anyone how to play Fracture, but rather showing you all the ways I’ve discovered that will prevent or inhibit progress.

Practice Videos

In case you’re interested, I have a page of practice videos for Fracture and FraKctured. You may find some value in it.