# Composer that composed with a guitar in bed



## SilasMortimer (Apr 16, 2016)

Hi. I'm new and I have a question that hopefully someone here can answer.

I was driving yesterday and caught a quick conversation that was happening on a local classical music station. One person was talking about how a famous composer used to compose from his bed by guitar. She said that you could tell by some of his music that it was written on a guitar. The composer _may_ have been Richard Strauss, but I'm just not sure - I can't remember.

Being someone who composes on guitar myself, I'd like to know who it is and read more about them and the way they composed. Does anyone know who this was? Do you know a source where I could read about the way he composed?


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## Zhdanov (Feb 16, 2016)

sounds like it was Elgar or Britten.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I _think_ I heard something like that about Schubert, that he kept a guitar by his bed he would sometimes compose on.


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

The guitar was the only instrument Berlioz could play. 

Perhaps it was him.

As you were, apparently he could also play the flute.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Dr Johnson said:


> The guitar was the only instrument Berlioz could play.
> 
> Perhaps it was him.
> 
> As you were, apparently he could also play the flute.


He _could_ play the piano, just not very well.


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

Chronochromie said:


> He _could_ play the piano, just not very well.


Fair enough. But he played the guitar to a high standard. Whether in bed or not is the question.

Re the possibility that the supine guitar strumming composer was Schubert the two articles below seem to suggest not:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/franz-peter-schubert/franz-schubert-and-the-guitar/10150855341548220/

http://www.jacaranda-music.com/Schubert.html


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## SilasMortimer (Apr 16, 2016)

Thank you all for the answers.

Yeah, it looks like it was Schubert she was talking about, and it appears she had her facts wrong. I kind of wondered if it was a myth when I heard it. Made for an interesting story regardless.

I will definitely have to look into the others mentioned.


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