Serrana (composition)
| "Serrana" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Jason Becker from the album Perspective | |
| Released | 1996 |
| Genre | Neo-classical metal |
| Length | 8:39 |
Serrana is a solo guitar etude that relies heavily on arpeggios and the technique of sweep picking. It was written and composed by neo-classical metal guitarist Jason Becker.
Though the final orchestral trumpet version appears on his 1996 album Perspective, its roots can be traced to almost the mid-1980s.
History
Serrana was composed in the late 1980s 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.
Melodically, 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: D major, G major, A major, D major, F♯ minor, B minor, E minor, C minor, G♯ Minor, E♭ major, D diminished, C minor, C diminished, G Major. 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 a half step and back down.
Becker's father played the trumpet part backwards on guitar on the introduction of the studio version of the song. The recording was then played in reverse. Jason mentions this during the Atlanta performance of the song. His ex-girlfriend and still best friend shares the song's name. He thought her name suited this piece perfectly.