Michael Bester

Sakura (“Cherry Blossoms”) is a very well known Japanese folk song which evidently dates back about 400 years or so to the Edo period.

In his arrangement, Sakura Variations the Japanese guitarist and composer Yuquijiro Yocoh took the melody and set it against a counterpoint line. To that, he added 4 variations which are evidently intended to evoke the sound of a Koto by using playing techniques such plucked harmonics and tremolo. Certainly Yocoh’s best known work, Sakura Variations has earned its place as a popular piece in the classical guitar repertoire. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of it.