Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Following is a solo guitar arrangement of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" (from the Nutcracker). However, the arrangement is just an excerpt (the third page contains arpeggios that are rather difficult on guitar).

The majority of this arrangement (up to bar 18) can be performed on any guitar. Bars 19-22 require an electric guitar, cutaway acoustic guitar, or a guitar with an extended fingerboard.

The B flat in bar 7 should sustain the whole measure so watch the fingering closely.

Bar 18 requires a stretch of a perfect fourth on the high E string (F# to B or the 2nd fret to the 7th fret). If this is not possible you may slide from the 2nd fret to the 7th fret with the first finger then pull off to the open high E string.

Click below on the small graphics of the music to bring up a full page version (with tabulature and standard notation), suitable for printing.

Dance Page 1

Dance Page 2

John Kiefer is a 1989 graduate from the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood and is the composer of "5 Animations for Guitar Solo".

His music appeared in Guitar Nine premier Undiscovered column (August, 1996).

His latest project is Spiral Suite, a CD for Dingo Digital Records scheduled for release in 1996.

John Kiefer