In the format for the C21MP Research Challenge the Rationale / Hypothesis section consists of the proposals by the practice research participants that outlines their initial ideas and approach.

Sirisan Sobhanasiri’s initial proposal

Musical Collaborations: Capturing the Spirit of Isan Music with Classical Guitar

This project develops a new composer-performer collaborative framework to create new classical guitar works expressing the Isan musical instrumental styles. Isan, the northeastern region of Thailand, is predominantly inhabited by people within the Thai-Lao heritage whose culture blends Buddhism, animism, and Hinduism. Isan music, within the Thai-Laos culture, is known for its light-hearted, energetic, and uplifting character, distinguishing it from the folk music of other regions in Thailand. Adapting Isan music to classical guitar is challenging due to its reliance on sustained drone intervals and natural resonance, which are inefficient to replicate on standard tuned guitar. This project addresses these limitations by rethinking tuning as a primary site of cultural translation. This tuning is derived from a unique method developed by Kammao Perdtanon, a phīn (Thai mandolin) master from Roi Et, Thailand, who combines multiple phīn tunings to allow the phīn to perform various styles of Isan music without the need to retune. Adapting this concept for classical guitar enables idiomatic access to the key drone intervals of the 2nd, 4th and 5th, facilitating authentic performance of Isan styles. The presentation will include demonstrations of the new guitar tuning, adapted techniques, and excerpts from newly composed collaborative works.

Works performed by Sobhanasiri in this video:

Mahakit Mahaniranon – Dance of the rain offering 1st Mov. (2025)

Waris Sukontapatipark – May Sudsanan 1st Mov. (2024)

Chawin Temsittichok – Fai Laam Toong (2025)

Stuart Ironside’s initial proposal

My general performance style also incorporates elements of meditative, improvised grooves and repeated melodic fragments. This style is especially influenced by my experience with music of the West African Mande griots, who have a repertoire built up from repeated grooves that are then improvised and elaborated on as well as Indonesian gamelan.

Building on the work of Derek gripper (who devised the method of playing this music based on the tuning of DADF#Be) I have taken these principles and use them in making my own arrangements of West African music as well as arranging traditional songs from the UK and Estonia. This has inspired me in my own compositions to explore tunings such as these and others in improvisations and compositions.

A central part of my technique is embracing tunings that allow me to play fretted notes and open strings at the same time, giving the guitar both a resonant and percussive sound with many harmonics. I would be interested in exploring this technique on camera with a totally new tuning that has not been suggested to me, either in improvisation or of an arrangement of a traditional song I have not.

Past tunings used include:

DADF#Be

DAC#F#Be

EAD#G#Be

EBDGBE.