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| English Horn - Cor Anglais - Music-Instruments of the World |
Monday, June 5, 2017
ENGLISH HORN - Cor Anglais - Music-Instruments of the World
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Classical Gas - An Enigma Of Modern Music
Classical Gas is one of the most requested and most familiar instrumental pieces of all time. In an episode of The Simpsons called "Last Exit to Springfield" Homer leads the workers of the nuclear power plant in a strike to recover their lost dental plan. While they picket the plant, Lisa plays a bleak worker's song. As she finishes, Lenny shouts, "Play Classical Gas". Lisa plays the guitar and everybody watching the episode on TV goes, "Oh, yeah, THAT tune!" Classical Gas is always asked for whenever a bunch of people and a nylon string acoustic guitar are in the same room. It is not really a great technical showcase for finger style guitarists but it is a great vehicle to show off the sound of the classical guitar.
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| Mason Williams - Wikipedia |
Classical Gas was released into the world in 1968. A song by The Doors prevented it from turning into a number one hit but it remained in the second place for two weeks. Forty years later it is still among the most familiar tunes of all time and, along with The Anonymous Romance and Leucona's Malaguena regarded as an essential element of the classical guitar repertoire. And nobody can say why.
The impact of Classical Gas is way more than the sum of its parts. There are very few musical ideas in the tune. It is mainly repetition of a theme made up of a few notes. There are a few parts that are unforgettable "surprises" making use of syncopation, scales, strums, and abrupt time signature changes. Somehow all the bits link together like pearls on a necklace, and the final note adds a sublime resolution.
The composer, Mason Williams, states on his website, "I didn't really have any big plans for it, other than maybe to have a piece to play at parties when they passed the guitar around. I envisioned it as simply repertoire or "fuel" for the classical guitar, so I called it Classical Gasoline." Mason Williams' day job was as a comedy writer and stand-up comedian who had lots of other projects besides writing a classical guitar instrumental.
It was Mason Williams' work on the Smothers Brothers' "Comedy Hour" which gave him the opportunity to have his pet composition heard by the American public. The original score of the piece shows only chords and a few notes. Mason Williams had a twenty-three year old composer named Mike Post finish off the arrangement.
At the Grammys it won Best Instrumental Composition and Best Instrumental Performance for Mason Williams and Best Instrumental Arrangement for Mike Post who has had a career full of triumphs in the field of TV theme music. His latest victory is the theme(s) for the "Law And Order" series.
Classical Gas has been employed as the theme music for several news programs, the background music for the Apollo 4 movie, and featured in a number of other movies and TV shows. Many people have mistakenly attributed Mason Williams' solo version of the tune for a cover by Eric Clapton.
Classical Gas is quite an easy piece to play, the challenge is to play it with passion and dynamics because it appears to non-guitarists, more difficult to play than it really is. Maybe this is the reason it is among the most requested guitar pieces ever.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
ORGAN CONCERTO in F major, “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”
A concerto is different from a concerto grosso in that it is written for one soloist, rather than a group of soloists, and orchestra.
One of Handel’s most popular concertos for organ and orchestra is known as “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”, because the second movement imitates the sounds of these birds.
This work provides a good example of how Handel used previously composed music in his compositions. It contains material from his Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No.9, and from his Trio Sonatas N . 5 and 6. Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.3, No.2
A concerto grosso is a musical composition written for a group of soloists (concertino) and orchestra (ripieno). The concertino and the ripieno sometimes play in unison, but more often they play in contrast with each other.
In or about 1720, Handel produced a series of six concertos for string instruments. One of them was the Concerto Grosso in B flat major,
Op.3, No.2. In this piece, the concertino is made up of two oboes and one bassoon, which introduce the melody or theme. Throughout the piece, this melody is passed on to other instruments and transformed into different variations.
While Handel did not invent this style of music, he developed it to a new level of sophistication.
Friday, June 2, 2017
The Genealogical Timeline of The CLARINET FAMILY
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| Bb- and A-Clarinet, German System (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The clarinet family are some of the most expressive instruments in any orchestra, woodwind ensemble, or jazz band. They have a very distinguishable sound spanning all of the ranges: low, medium, and high. We are so attracted to the sound of clarinets because they sound so much like us. The "licorice stick", as it was once called, can express a full range of emotions from serious, happy, sensuous, exhilarating, sexy, dark, loving, dreamy, or melancholy.
The Beginning of the Clarinet Family
Clarinets were not invented, per se, but originally existed as folk shawms. Shawms can be dated back to the 1400 and 1500's and were known in France as "bombardes" or "chalameux" and in Germany as "pommern". They were slightly conical, had a narrow bore, 6 fingerholes, an open key inside a protective cylinder for the small finger, and a double reed like the oboe. In the late 1600's the renowned woodwind maker Johann Christian Denner of Nuremberg turned the chalameux into the clarinet when he made them into the shape of an oboe.
Clarinets were the first reed instruments to have a cylindrical versus a conical bore and were made of boxwood. Wooden tubes were cut into several joints with a separate bell. Early clarinets were played with the reed tied to the mouthpiece with twine and against the player's top lip, which often produced a shrill sound. It wasn't until 1831 in Paris that the reed was switched to the lower lip providing for a more pleasant tone.
The first clarinets in the clarinet family had a key above the front holes to produce a' and another key on the opposite side for b' and were pitched in C. In 1720 Denner's son modified the clarinets by moving the b' hole towards the top. With the vent hole at the upper end of the cylinder, the scale of fundamentals could sound a 12th higher. The hole was covered by a speaker key. When the third key was added, the range was extended down a semitone to make it possible to play the missing b. During this time it was difficult to play in different keys, so the body of clarinets were divided into 3 sections so the player could use interchangeable joints of different lengths.
In 1750 the fourth (Ab, Eb) and fifth (F#, C#) keys were added and clarinets were no longer just solo instruments, but were now accepted into the orchestra. Further refinements came in 1790 when the sixth (C#, G#) key was added and the pear-shaped barrel disappeared. Although, the mechanics improved with the addition of keys, there continued to be ongoing difficulties with fingering, correct embouchere, and intonation, so different clarinets were made for playing sharp keys and flat keys. Finally in 1809 Iwan Muller developed the prototype of what became the modern Bb clarinet with 13 keys. In 1817 this model was improved upon by using pads over the countersunk tone holes and the metal ligature was invented. In the mid 1800's the final major modification was made by Hyacinthe Eleanore Klose' who used ring keys like those that Boehm had used for flutes in order to make the fingering system more simple.
Bass Clarinets
The first bass clarinets in the clarinet family were developed in 1772 by Giles Lot in Paris. They were called basse-tubes. They are in the keys of Bb, C, and A, have an Eb key, and are an octave below the clarinet with the ability to span 3-1/2 octaves. Between 1772 and 1836 different musicians in various countries constructed bass clarinets, including Adolphe Sax in 1836. The bass clarinet is similar in appearance to the saxophone in that it has a curved bell and the mouthpiece is attached to a curved neck. Their tone is full and deep and are more popular in free jazz or avant garde versus jazz.
Alto Clarinet
Within the clarinet family the alto clarinet in the key of G existed in 1792 and was later changed to the key of F and Eb. It never acquired a role in the orchestra, but was used as a tenor clarinet in British military bands since the saxophone was not in existence yet. Its best quality was its ability to project sound extremely well.
Contrabass Clarinets
Another member of the clarinet family was the Bb contrabass clarinets which were in existence since the 1800's. They are an octave below the bass clarinet, have a rich tone, and are easily blown. Leblanc of France made a collapsible model with a mechanism which straddled the double tube. It was used in the London Symphony Orchestra.
Double Bass Clarinets
Playing at two octaves beneath the clarinet, double bass clarinets have a tone that is solid and full. Beginning in 1808, different versions were developed, but it was not until 1890 that finally an excellent one was made by Fontaine-Besson of Paris. The downside of this music instrument is that it was very expensive, so it was not used much.
Cousins To The Clarinet Family
Basset Horns
Basset horns were first made in 1770. They were made out of wood which was split lengthwise, then the two halves were hollowed out, and then glued together to form a crescent shape. This was then covered with leather. In 1800 the horn shape was changed to being sharply bent to an almost right angle. It underwent another shape alteration a few years later when Heinrich Gresner in Dresden tried to give it a straight form as it is today. Basset horns are basically an alto clarinet, but with a narrower bore, thinner walls, and four semitones below the low e.
Contrabasset Horns
Contrabasset horns were first developed in the beginning of the 1800's by Georg Streitwolf in Gottingen. They are in the key of F and one octave below the basset horn. From the 1880's into the 1900's some musicians tried to revise them, but they were not used much and are rare.
Even though the clarinet has been quite popular, especially during the early jazz years, not everyone knows that it has taken quite a long time for the clarinet family to evolve since its early beginnings as a shawm in the 1400's. It has many family members that are unique in their own way, yet very similar to the clarinet, just like any human family members. The sound of clarinets has also developed from a shrill, unpleasant sound to a tone that that is pleasant and captures a full range of emotions of the human spirit.
By Dianna Joseph - Article Source: EzineArticles
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Thursday, June 1, 2017
HAYDN's "Creation"
No other work has contributed to the fame of Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) like his oratorio "The Creation", however, no other expresses the inner wealth of the composer, the greatness of his art, in such an outright manner. To establish Haydn's immortality his symphonies and quartets would have already been enough, however, without "The Creation" we would not able to estimate the whole scope of his talent, because this composition does not only exceed his usual range of instrumental music, but it led the composer to entirely new ways of the musical development of thought and structure.
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| Haydn was one of the first composers to write a pitch change as well as a written out solo for the timpani in a symphonic movement. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The poetic voyage in "The Creation" from pole to pole of the visible and invisible world makes it an especially complex oratorio, Haydn has solved the challenging demands he had to face with incomparable confidence and added unexpected and peculiar characteristics to the poetic representation, in which also humour has its place. In Haydn's interpretation the psychic and mysterious character of the act of creation steps back behind the joyous gratitude to the creator. The music unfolds an unsurpassable inventiveness.
The composition is especially admired for its form. Only a composer like Haydn could join the immense plenitude of the subjects and scenes so clearly arranged, comprehensively and, nevertheless, impressively. The artistic freedom and beauty of "The Creation", which have inspired many artists since its first performance, will be continually considered exemplary for music.
As can be proven by his early oratorio "Il ritorno di Tobia", Haydn was mainly influenced by the Italian school, he had already encountered Händel's new art in Vienna, "The Creation" owes, but in London it had effected him with all its splendour. During his second stay, Haydn received the text for "The Creation", which a poet, unknown in the history of literature called Lidley (more recent research claims it was written anonymously) allegedly had written for Händel, who had probably rejected the text because of its length, however, it was composed in the three act order typical to Händel's oratorios. Not until his return to Vienna did Haydn decide on the composition, at the instigation of the well-known Händel-admirer Baron van Swieten, who amateurishly translated the English original himself. The composition took the three years from 1795-98, a strenuous endeavour of which he complained over and over again, both orally and in writing.
The success of the, at first, privately performed oratorio - on the 29th and 30th April at the Schwartzenberg palace, then on the 19th January and 19th March at the Viennese Burgtheater - was unequalled. "The Creation" brought to the composer constant honour, within and outside Germany it was performed over and over again and highly celebrated. Church music took over single choir parts, German "Kurrenden" (boys choirs) sang them until well over the middle of the 19-th century. Another remarkable effect is also of special interest: "The Creation" inspired the founding of many choir clubs and music institutes, among them the "Allgemeine Schweizer Musikgesellschaft". Haydn's composition entailed an increase in the performance of the oratorios by Händel, an independent German oratorio school evolved, which could finally overcome the rule of the Italian style.
At Digital Sheet Music, you can download any Haydn's sheet music for free. Article Source: EzineArticles |
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Best VIOLIN Intonation Exercises
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| A girl playing violin in The Hague (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
For violin intonation exercises, there are really thousands of possibilities for exercises and etudes you could practice that will improve your intonation. Practicing anything itself properly and with good intonation is bound to cause an improvement on some level even if the exercise or piece of music isn't specifically geared towards that goal. If you need to improve your violin intonation, here are some good exercises to get you started on the right track.
The first and most important violin intonation exercise is the scale. 90 percent of the music played on any instrument is based on scales. They are everywhere and are the most important and most basic building block of playing the violin. Do not under any circumstances underestimate this! Keep your scales cleanly polished with hours in the practice room and do not allow yourself to slump this off. It will cost you a lot of good violin intonation in the end.
Next, try a sing and play exercise. Take a scale or a simple piece you are practicing and practice it slowly while humming it alongside your instrument. This simple intonation exercise will force you to mentally and physically recognize the sound produced on each note. If you are playing too high, simply drop down on octave and keep humming. This will be very annoying at first, but will definitely help your mind to understand and interact with the violin intonation you are playing and thus improve your results dramatically.
Another great exercise is the arpeggio. If 90 percent of music is built on scales, a remaining 9 percent is built on arpeggios, which means that between these two, you have the vast majority of violin intonation covered. Arpeggios can be complex to master, so when you first start, play a single octave at a time and don't allow yourself to make any mistakes. This may mean slowing down and working carefully through each arpeggio, spelling out each note clearly and with good violin intonation, but if that's what it takes to play properly, then keep at it!
Regardless of what exercises you do, nothing is as important as getting yourself a fine teacher to learn from. A talented and experienced teacher can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to playing the violin. Don't ever forget the importance of this. To make true dramatic improvements in your intonation, get yourself a good teacher.
Eric Conklin is a violinist and a blogger who specializes in helping new musicians find lessons that help them grow quickly and efficiently. Article Source: EzineArticles |
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
KARAOKE 101: Some Basic Facts Of KARAOKE
Have you ever wonder why this little music machine attracts so many people in the entertainment world? Have you ever tried singing a good song using a karaoke?
Today, the utilization of karaoke is rapidly gaining a fair share in the market. In most entertainment places like bars, merry-making will not be complete without these remarkable music machine known as the karaoke.
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| A trio of karaoke machines. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
However, many people are wondering what this karaoke is all about. How come that this new technology had quickly gained the people’s attention in a short span of time.
Moreover, there are many people wondering why, is spite of the close interaction between and among karaoke users, still, they do not know what karaoke is all about.
So for those who wish to know everything about karaoke, here is a list of some facts that will help those who want to land a big score in this remarkable music box.
1. When name matters
It is obvious that the word “karaoke” is a foreign name.
In reality, karaoke is actually a Japanese term, which means “empty orchestra,” where “kara” in Japan means empty, while “oke,” from the Japanese term okesutora, which means orchestra.
No wonder why using karaoke literally creates a small orchestra where the performer and his audience are having a grand time.
2. The origin
Karaoke first originated in Japan during the 1970s, where people are known to be “entertainment aficionados.” At a later stage, this wonderful music boom box was distributed to the East Asia during the last part of the 1980s and entered the United States on early part of the 1990s. From here, karaoke gradually dominated the whole world.
3. The technology
The basic technological concept of karaoke machine is based on the utilization of “audio input” and “audio output.”
This technology uses the concept of “subcode,” which, in turn, makes the encoding of the lyrics absolutely possible.
With this device, seeing the lyrics on the screen was made possible.
On the other hand, the technology that is being used by the karaoke machines has the capacity to modify or alternate the “pitch of music” so that the singers will be able to establish a good connection with any available source of music. This can be done by preferring a particular key based on their “vocal range.”
4. The authentic look
What the modern people may not realize is the fact that the first forms of karaoke resemble to that of a cassette player. This is because karaoke in the past uses compact discs or CDs. The only difference this karaoke CDs make with the other CDs is that it combines standard graphics capability known as the CD+G.
5. Utilization of newer technology
With the fast pace of technology, one item seem to evolve with another item that is more technically superb than its first form.
Take for example the emerging new technology of karaoke. With the help of the new technology, karaoke fanatics may no longer stay in clubs and bars just to get hold of the microphone and sing. This is because karaoke is already available over the cellular phones, Internet, and computers.
All of these three use special software that when attached to the machine, the audience will be able to make the best performance.
Indeed, karaoke are known for its entertainment purpose. So one should keep in mind that the only best way to enjoy karaoke is to be entertained to the fullest.
Monday, May 29, 2017
TRUMPET or CORNET - Frustration Keeps Us From Answers!
As a trumpet / cornet player continues to grow in their playing abilities, we all reach frustrating times with various skills that we either can't seem to master, or can't seem to get a grasp on quickly. To master trumpet/cornet playing, a student must have patience and tenacity! Both are required to help trumpet students through the frustrating times.
Most answers are simple than what our minds will let us accept. There have been many times that I've practiced something and it seems to fly out of the trumpet. Usually what goes through my mind is "it can't be that easy, I've been struggling so long with this!"
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| Photo by .christoph.G. |
The quick answer is - yes, it can be that easy. Most people let the simple solutions escape them because of built up notions of complexity. Something that isn't performed easily within the first few tries, becomes more and more frustrating to the cornet/trumpet player. From double tonguing, high notes, better tone, playing pianissimo, controlling rhythm, performing difficult passages in a piece of music, learning scales, etc. These can all present challenges to each individual trumpeter or cornetist.
Working on major scales for younger students can be not only boring, but a daunting task because they are looked at as difficult in many ways. The F sharp major scale is one that has most notes sharp (or raised half step). What most students don't think about is that there are only 7 notes in each major scale. The F sharp scale has 6 sharps, so why not focus on the one natural? By practicing slowly and taking each note one by one, within a few practice sessions, this scale becomes easier. Within a week, the scale can be memorized. Within a month, it will play as easily for the trumpet student as the C major scale with no sharps or flats. Again - tenacity and patience!
Article Directory: EzineArticles |
Sunday, May 28, 2017
A Study In BANJO Lessons
Ah, I remember the good old days when I had my first banjo lesson. Actually, it wasn’t exactly my first lesson. I had been using the internet to improve my “skill” for a while, and I was slightly conceited since I thought I had some idea about what I was doing. I watched videos of a real expert playing the banjo while the tabs were available as well. I learned a few songs and techniques that sounded interesting, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.
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| Brooklyn Museum - The Banjo Lesson - Mary Cassatt (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When I had my first real lesson, it broke down all those illusions I had of being a decent player. I tried to show off, but as soon as his deep eyes met mine I missed a chord. It was my first time to ever play any instrument in front of anyone, and I didn’t think I would get nervous. After all, I’ve always been a gifted public speaker. The only one in the room was my teacher, and I was having a terrible time.
I’m having a hard time seeing my future in banjo playing, especially since I can’t even whack up the ginger to play something in front of my own teacher. He’s a nice guy, and he can play the banjo like no other. He’s already taught me several exercise I can use for my next lesson. It’s also a great experience just to watch him play, since his skill far outweighs mine. I just hope I will sound at least slightly more decent the next time I have a lesson.
But if I always freeze up when I try to play at my lessons, I’m worried that my instructor will never be able to give me the help I truly need. It’s impossible to get feedback and constructive criticism if everything I play is absolute garbage. I think I will start recording my lone practice and playing it back for him. Hopefully I won’t freeze up just knowing that he will be listening to it soon…
Saturday, May 27, 2017
How To SING Like An Angel and Create Beautiful VOCAL Tones
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| Singing Cast (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
One of the more challenging tasks of becoming a singer is creating beautiful vocal tones while singing. This is a work in progress and any "singer" who says that he has his tonal work figured out is probably not the best model for a beginning singer.
The first step in creating beautiful vocal sounds is by exploring your voice's unique tonal qualities. Here are three steps that will reveal to you the actual tonal quality of your singing voice:
1. Draw a breath and try to sigh for as long as possible. It pays to be relaxed when performing this vocal exercise.
Your muscles should be loose and flexible when you sigh, especially the muscles around the head, throat, and shoulders. Make sure that your posture is correct when singing.
2. The next exercise will help reveal your high and low notes. To explore your high and low notes, take a deep breath and imitate the sound of a loud siren.
Make sure that you imitate the low and high intervals of a siren. Listen to your siren imitation or you can even record it to so you can examine your voice later.
3. Lastly, imagine that you have become a millionaire overnight. Whoop as loudly as you can, and as many times as you want. The loud whooping sound also releases your vocal quality.
When you are done exploring your voice's tonal quality, try to find songs that match that tone. You may be surprised at the variety of songs that you can easily perform using that unique voice of yours!
You see, it is important that you always learn from listening to your own voice. Singing voices can always be improved with method, remember that. A non-singer with some talent can become a superstar with the right method. We can't all be like the late Whitney Houston or John Legends, so for those of us who need to learn how to sing, we must focus on the best techniques.T
The next step to creating beautiful vocal tones is to learn now to properly release your vocal power.
1. Before singing, gently massage all of the muscles surrounding the face, jaws, neck, and shoulder area. These are your "final frontier" muscles, since they will be fully responsible for making the final transmission/projection of your voice. If muscles around these areas are not relaxed, you will not be able to sing with ease.
2. People usually use their chin as a reference point when opening their mouth. This is not the way to do it when you are singing. Instead of using your chin as a reference point, I want you to release your jaw using your lower jaw hinge as a reference point. Your chin should drop straight down but the conscious movement should be centered on the lower jaw's hinge
The last step to producing angelic vocal tones is knowing how to position your voice box or larynx for optimal tone. Yes, believe it or not, it can be done!
The larynx or voice box is made of flexible, cartilaginous tissue that vibrates to create the sound that you hear when you sing or talk. This amazing organ is capable of producing hundreds of different sounds. You only have to know how to produce the sound yourself, and the voice box will be responsible for generating the sound that you want to hear.
The voice box works better if it generates sound from a low position on your throat. How will you do that? Should you push it down with your finger? Definitely not, as this might cause physical damage to your voice box.
Instead of touching your voice box, I want you to smell the air as if you smelled the most delicious food in the world. Why? Because when a person smells this way, even the throat muscles respond, and the movement automatically lowers the position of the larynx. At this position the larynx is ready to produce a wider range of tones, from low bass to high soprano.
There you have it. Now you have the tools to create beautiful vocal tones.
My name is Jamie and I've been teaching countless students how to sing for more than ten years. In that time, I've gained a lot of knowledge about the best methods that novice singers should learn if they really want to learn how to sing. As a vocal coach and music teacher, it is my goal to help anyone who wishes to advance their singing skills, so I'd like to share my knowledge with you, free of charge. Article Source: EzineArticles |
Friday, May 26, 2017
Repetitive STRAIN INJURY in Musicians and Especially SAXOPHONEPlayers
Sadly musicians have an increased risk of developing repetitive strain injury. Many factors contribute to this including less than ergonomic instrument design, high stress levels when performing and relentless lengthy practice sessions. My first piece of advice to any musician who thinks they've developed repetitive strain injury is don't panic! Whilst this infliction can be physically very painful and mentally crushing, it is a sign from your body that change is required. With the right energy and commitment the healing process can be a time of positive reflection and will only serve to benefit you in the long run.
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| Cantigas musicians (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
There are many more problems causing repetitive strain injury in musicians than a short article can cover so I am going to focus on one in particular which I've found prevalent. This is tension in the neck and shoulders. When we're worried about performing, scared of making mistakes or over worked and stressed this often manifests physically as tightness in the shoulders. Over time this puts pressure on the nerves and tendons running down your arms and into your hands.
For many musicians with repetitive strain injury, simply removing this tension can go along way to relieving the symptoms. The first step to achieving this is to sit and relax. Focus on breathing in the tension in your shoulders and then letting it go as you breathe out. As you do this, say in your head "my shoulders are relaxed". After practicing this for a few weeks everyday, you can begin to try and maintain the relaxation as you practice. It sounds simple, but you will find a great deal of concentration is required to really focus on letting go of the tension. This process alone can be very therapeutic.
You will probably find the tension comes back soon after you've begun practicing as your attention is diverted back to playing. Don't worry. Simply stop, do the relaxation without your instrument, and then come back to it. It will take time and patience, but after a while you will begin to feel more relaxed whilst playing and start to lessen your risk of repetitive strain injury. Naturally when playing for extended periods you may find the tension begins to come back. Not to worry, as long as you learn to recognise this and act appropriately, you will be able to look after your body.
As previously mentioned, repetitive strain injury in musicians is provoked by a number of factors. This article is a brief introduction and it would be advisable to see a number of medical professionals to gain many points of view. Regardless, it is important to remain as positive and calm as possible in order to achieve recovery.
Making music for me all boils down to the moment on stage when you're tuned in with the band and your audience to create a higher energy visit my website at www.andrewneilhayes.com to start your journey
Article Source: EzineArticles |
Thursday, May 25, 2017
MUSIC of the 70s
We all associate songs and music with events in our life. Many songs hold special memories for us. We fondly remember the songs that were playing when we went to our first dance, the songs the school band attempted to play during half time at the high school football games, the songs that we heard on our first date, or the songs we heard on the radio while driving our first car.
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| Bee Gees. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The music of the 1970's is probably the most impressive and most recognized of any era. The artists of the 1970's provided us with numerous songs we loved to dance to and sing along with. At that time most bands actually played their own instruments and didn't need to sequence part of it.
Remember how we used to listen to the music then? At first we had eight track players in our cars, then we moved upward to cassette players. Vinyl records were the most popular way to listen to our favorite music. Every week you could go to your local variety or record store and pick up the new #1 song on a 45 record for under $1.00. Of course, there was always the radio to listen to - most of the popular channels were on am radio. We had many styles of music to listen to, including the bubble gum music of David Cassidy
and the Partridge Family, soft rock of Barry Manilow
, the great dance tunes of the Bee Gees and the Commodores, rock of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, the brass band sounds of Chicago, or the disco beat of Chic and Donna Summers
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and the Partridge Family, soft rock of Barry Manilow, the great dance tunes of the Bee Gees and the Commodores, rock of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, the brass band sounds of Chicago, or the disco beat of Chic and Donna Summers.
The nostalgia of the 1970's music lives on today. We can listen to it on our local 70's'radio station, on cds, on mp3, download it on our computer, and burn it onto cds. For those of us who prefer records, we can still purchase them at record stores, antique or second hand stores, or yard sales. Of course, many of us have held on to our own record collections and record players and can pull them out at any time when we need to relive those nostalgic days of the 1970's. Some bands are still performing after more than 30 years. There's nothing like seeing your favorite 1970's performers live in concert!
The music of the 1970's is still popular with people of all ages - not just those who grew up with it. It never grows old. It only gets better with each passing decade.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Broadway MUSICALS - CATS
Some of the greatest Broadway shows are no longer available as live performances but have been recorded so that they bring out people get to see them even in future, long after the show as already has been performed.
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A playwright by the name Andrew Lloyd Webber created a show that was known as the Broadway musicals cats. This has been proven to be one of the most exhilarating shows to ever have been made. It grasped audiences in multitudes. People could not stop talking about it long after it was performed. This is always a great reward for the playwrights. The reviews for this show were also very worthwhile.
A script could be amazing but the troupe meant to bring out the story could be horrendous. It is therefore of great importance that the troupe act out the story well. The troupe who did the story of the Broadway musicals cats was magnificent. The story being about how cats survive in the world, you could actually be forgiven to think the cats themselves did the acting. This tells you how well the troupe played the roles.
Some people are skeptical about Broadway shows and think that they are only for a certain age limit. The truth is that a show like the Broadway musicals cats is for everyone, be it young or old. The younger ones however seem to have much more fun with the shows than the adults. This is true because of the strong imagination they have. The cats in the show are not like your ordinary Garfield, they have different colors like red and blue. How is that for imagination!
| By Peter Gitundu
Peter Gitundu Creates Interesting And Thought Provoking Content on Broadway Dancers.
Article Source: EzineArticles
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Monday, May 22, 2017
Sunday, May 21, 2017
BALLROOM DANCING - Slow Fox Trot
There are several different theories on the origin of this ballroom dance's name. The most often told story is that the dance was made popular by a young man named Harry Fox who was a vaudeville comedian with the Ziegfeld Follies. Another story says that the dance is so named because of the similarity to an equestrian gait that was dubbed the Foxtrot by the military. It is a gait where unlike a normal trot where the front left and rear right (or front right and rear left) legs are moved at the same time causing a somewhat jerky motion, the Foxtrot has the animal moving each leg one at a time making for a smooth trot that is easier on the animal and the rider. This trot actually led to the development of a breed of horse known as the Missouri Fox Trotter. Still a third suggestion is that the dance (in its earlier version) resembled the way a fox walks (with one foot in front of the other leaving a single track).
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| Ballroom dance lesson (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In the early fox trot the feet were placed in a single line one in front of the other. It wasn't until the 1950's that this ballroom dance was revised to have two different dance lines, one for each foot. Around 1922 the jerking, trotting steps of the dance were exchanged for a more relaxed movement called a Saunter. By 1927 the jumpiness was gone and the steps were smooth and gliding and the dance was now referred to as a Slow Foxtrot.
This ballroom dance is composed of walking steps and side steps. When on a crowded dance floor like in a night club short steps are used. For ballroom dancing long, smooth, easy gliding steps combine to give the Fox Trot its unhurried appearance.
The Fox Trot is danced with the same type of hold that is used in the standard waltz, with a combination of long slow steps and short lively ones. The timing of this ballroom dance is of great importance. The slower steps are done on the heels while the quick steps are done on the toes.
The Fox Trot can be danced to most any music regardless of whether it is slow or fast. In the 1920's the Fox Trot was embraced by America's youth. They loved this ballroom dance, which started out as a bouncy trot-like step that had been incorporated into the vaudeville act of Harry Fox. The Fox Trot has become one of the most loved ballroom dances to date. It is also one of the hardest to learn.
There is also what is referred to as an American Smooth style of Fox Trot that differs in as much as the hold can be broken throughout the performance so you will see more open movements and underarm turns.
Ballroom dancing has undergone many changes and one of the most significant developments was the use of the quick and slow steps of the Fox Trot allowing the dancers more variety than the earlier one and two step dances.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Five Steps To Embellishing A Song At The PIANO
Sheet music for a piano arrangement of one of Marguerite's songs
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You love playing the piano but are increasingly frustrated with only being able to reproduce what is in front of you. No sheet music, no play. Oh you only have it in the key of Eb? Well sorry I can't play that. Does this sound like you?
Several years ago I could only play exactly from the piano sheet music in front of me. If I looked up from the music for a fraction of time I lost my place. I was only comfortable in the keys of C, F, and G. Sometimes D and Bb. But I longed to play and smile at the congregation in my church. Or check the worship leader to see if he was going to add another stanza. Then I started to learn Pachelbel Canon in D. Ever heard it? A study on the D scale. It opened my eyes to improvising or embellishing on a song at the piano.
Here are five key things to remember to help you do the same.
- Learn and practice your scales in all keys. Nobody likes this. It's not fun but it can greatly increase your playing proficiency if you are diligent.
- Learn and practice chords. Especially the odd ones such as diminished, augmented, 6ths etc. These can quickly give color and style to your songs.
- Fake it. Use a fake book to play. This will greatly encourage you to add to the harmony and melody because you only have a chord symbol and one melody line in front of you. It will sound very dry so you will be motivated.
- Use the whole piano. Play those same notes just an octave higher. Now try one more octave
- Don't get discourage by your first results: You may not like your first results but don't give up.
Visit the Struggling Church Musician Piano page for more resources to playing the piano by ear and chord piano.
Friday, May 19, 2017
ORGAN MUSIC: About Ballo Del Granduca by Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) was a legendary Dutch Master organist, composer, and pedagogue of the 17th century. He is most renown for not only for his great polyphonic choral writing but also for being a founder of the North German Organ School. He is also frequently called "Maker of German organists" because of his influential teaching activities that helped propel and flourish the renown North German Organ School. His most famous students include Samuel Scheidt, Heinrich Scheidemann, Melchior Schildt, Jacob Praetorius II, and Anders Duben among many others.
Sweelinck's keyboard style was influenced mostly by two major trends: Italian vocal polyphony and English virginal composers. From Italians the composer inherited beautiful linear counterpoint writing with mostly constant number of parts in the composition. From the English virginalists, he took over their virtuosic figurational writing which consisted of frequent passages, runs, arpeggios, flourishes, diminutions and various other types of figuration.
Ballo del Granduca is one of today's favorites pieces by Sweelinck. Its authenticity is doubtful as it might have been composed by Samuel Scheidt. The title of the piece refers to the Balleto (or little dance of joyful character of the Renaissance) of the Great Duke. It is a set of theme on a dance tune and 4 variations, although the opening section is called variation 1. Variation 1 consists of many colourful and joyfully sounding chords with a characteristic long-short-short rhythms. It contains 5 sections each one with a duration of 4 measures and ends with strong closed cadences at the end of each phrase. The cadences are in G major (the tonic key of the piece), C major, A minor, G major, and G major. The first and the fifth phrases are repeated.
The second variation features many passages and runs in the right hand part with eighth or sixteenth notes rhythms while the left hand plays chordal accompaniment in two or three voices. In variation 3, the hands switch: eight note diminutions are transferred to the left hand part and the accompanimental role is given to the right hand part. The 4th variation contains most of the virtuosic sixteenth note passages and diminutions in the right hand part which are so characteristic of Sweelinck's style. The variation cycle ends (variation 5) with eight note motion in the right hand part (in double thirds and sixths). Technically speaking, this is the most challenging variation and therefore a culmination of the entire set of variations.
By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide: "How to Master Any Organ Composition" here: http://www.organduo.lt/organ-tutorial.html Article Source: EzineArticles |
Thursday, May 18, 2017
OBOE REEDS: Learning How to Experiment
Oboist Albrecht Mayer preparing reeds for use. Most oboists scrape their own reeds to achieve the desired tone and response (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As you may have heard before, being consistent in your reed making helps ensure consistent reeds. A simple but powerful statement indeed.
Reed making is a rather long and varied process, and most successful reed makers would recommend that you do the same thing every time. That way you can slowly make corrections without losing your point of reference.
But what if you want to try something new?
The spirit of adventure definitely has a place in reed making, as long as you have the time (and patience) to do some experimenting. There is so much new equipment available to oboists today that can help (or hurt) your reed making adventures.
There are new kinds of staples coming out all the time, and someone is always introducing either a new gouging machine or shaper tip to the market.
Sometimes it is possible to borrow these new "toys" from friends to try, and other times you may be able to try a shaper tip on loan from a double reed company.
Just remember, don't be afraid to try new things! That's how you learn.
But here is a tip to make your experimenting as productive and efficient as possible:
Whatever you do, don't get too caught up in the frenzy and try to change more than one thing at once.
It may go without saying, but reed making with any new materials at all is just like a science experiment. Remember those days back in lab class?
You never change more than one variable at a time when testing something new.
You want to be able to determine just how the new change affects all areas of the experiment.
Some things you might try:
change the length you tie the cane on try gouging your cane a few millimeters thicker
Try these and many other things! As long as you keep everything else exactly the same, you will have conducted a successful experiment and you will learn something.
It is surprising and fun to see how your reeds will change, and sometimes (hopefully most times) it will be for the better!
Oboist and entrepreneur Maryn Leister helps beginner, intermediate and professional oboists become happier oboe players.
She is owner of the oboe learning company MKL Reeds and publisher of the Reed Report and Oboe Success Tips Newsletters. Each newsletter is full of straightforward tips on becoming a better oboe player and on taking control of your oboe reeds.
Get your free subscription to the Reed Report newsletter and start your own journey towards a more rewarding oboe future right away. Sign-Up now and get your FREE Oboe Reed Tips!
Article Source: EzineArticles
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