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Enharmonic Substitution in Bernard Herrmann's Early Works
Enharmonic Substitution in Bernard Herrmann’s Early Works By William Wrobel In the course of my research of Bernard Herrmann scores over the years, I’ve recently come across what I assume to be an interesting notational inconsistency in Herrmann’s scores. Several months ago I began to earnestly focus on his scores prior to 1947, especially while doing research of his Citizen Kane score (1941) for my Film Score Rundowns website (http://www.filmmusic.cjb.net). Also I visited UCSB to study his Symphony (1941) and earlier scores. What I noticed is that roughly prior to 1947 Herrmann tended to consistently write enharmonic notes for certain diatonic chords, especially E substituted for Fb (F-flat) in, say, Fb major 7th (Fb/Ab/Cb/Eb) chords, and (less frequently) B substituted for Cb in, say, Ab minor (Ab/Cb/Eb) triads. Occasionally I would see instances of other note exchanges such as Gb for F# in a D maj 7 chord. This enharmonic substitution (or “equivalence” if you prefer that term) is overwhelmingly consistent in Herrmann’ notational practice in scores roughly prior to 1947, and curiously abandoned by the composer afterwards. The notational “inconsistency,” therefore, relates to the change of practice split between these two periods of Herrmann’s career, almost a form of “Before” and “After” portrayal of his notational habits. Indeed, after examination of several dozens of his scores in the “After” period, I have seen (so far in this ongoing research) only one instance of enharmonic substitution similar to what Herrmann engaged in before 1947 (see my discussion in point # 19 on Battle of Neretva). -
Finale Transposition Chart, by Makemusic User Forum Member Motet (6/5/2016) Trans
Finale Transposition Chart, by MakeMusic user forum member Motet (6/5/2016) Trans. Sounding Written Inter- Key Usage (Some Common Western Instruments) val Alter C Up 2 octaves Down 2 octaves -14 0 Glockenspiel D¯ Up min. 9th Down min. 9th -8 5 D¯ Piccolo C* Up octave Down octave -7 0 Piccolo, Celesta, Xylophone, Handbells B¯ Up min. 7th Down min. 7th -6 2 B¯ Piccolo Trumpet, Soprillo Sax A Up maj. 6th Down maj. 6th -5 -3 A Piccolo Trumpet A¯ Up min. 6th Down min. 6th -5 4 A¯ Clarinet F Up perf. 4th Down perf. 4th -3 1 F Trumpet E Up maj. 3rd Down maj. 3rd -2 -4 E Trumpet E¯* Up min. 3rd Down min. 3rd -2 3 E¯ Clarinet, E¯ Flute, E¯ Trumpet, Soprano Cornet, Sopranino Sax D Up maj. 2nd Down maj. 2nd -1 -2 D Clarinet, D Trumpet D¯ Up min. 2nd Down min. 2nd -1 5 D¯ Flute C Unison Unison 0 0 Concert pitch, Horn in C alto B Down min. 2nd Up min. 2nd 1 -5 Horn in B (natural) alto, B Trumpet B¯* Down maj. 2nd Up maj. 2nd 1 2 B¯ Clarinet, B¯ Trumpet, Soprano Sax, Horn in B¯ alto, Flugelhorn A* Down min. 3rd Up min. 3rd 2 -3 A Clarinet, Horn in A, Oboe d’Amore A¯ Down maj. 3rd Up maj. 3rd 2 4 Horn in A¯ G* Down perf. 4th Up perf. 4th 3 -1 Horn in G, Alto Flute G¯ Down aug. 4th Up aug. 4th 3 6 Horn in G¯ F# Down dim. -
To the New Owner by Emmett Chapman
To the New Owner by Emmett Chapman contents PLAYING ACTION ADJUSTABLE COMPONENTS FEATURES DESIGN TUNINGS & CONCEPT STRING MAINTENANCE BATTERIES GUARANTEE This new eight-stringed “bass guitar” was co-designed by Ned Steinberger and myself to provide a dual role instrument for those musicians who desire to play all methods on one fretboard - picking, plucking, strumming, and the two-handed tapping Stick method. PLAYING ACTION — As with all Stick models, this instrument is fully adjustable without removal of any components or detuning of strings. String-to-fret action can be set higher at the bridge and nut to provide a heavier touch, allowing bass and guitar players to “dig in” more. Or the action can be set very low for tapping, as on The Stick. The precision fretwork is there (a straight board with an even plane of crowned and leveled fret tips) and will accommodate the same Stick low action and light touch. Best kept secret: With the action set low for two-handed tapping as it comes from my setup table, you get a combined advantage. Not only does the low setup optimize tapping to its SIDE-SADDLE BRIDGE SCREWS maximum ease, it also allows all conventional bass guitar and guitar techniques, as long as your right hand lightens up a bit in its picking/plucking role. In the process, all volumes become equal, regardless of techniques used, and you gain total control of dynamics and expression. This allows seamless transition from tapping to traditional playing methods on this dual role instrument. Some players will want to compromise on low action of the lower bass strings and set the individual bridge heights a bit higher, thereby duplicating the feel of their bass or guitar. -
Pipa by Moshe Denburg.Pdf
Pipa • Pipa [ Picture of Pipa ] Description A pear shaped lute with 4 strings and 19 to 30 frets, it was introduced into China in the 4th century AD. The Pipa has become a prominent Chinese instrument used for instrumental music as well as accompaniment to a variety of song genres. It has a ringing ('bass-banjo' like) sound which articulates melodies and rhythms wonderfully and is capable of a wide variety of techniques and ornaments. Tuning The pipa is tuned, from highest (string #1) to lowest (string #4): a - e - d - A. In piano notation these notes correspond to: A37 - E 32 - D30 - A25 (where A37 is the A below middle C). Scordatura As with many stringed instruments, scordatura may be possible, but one needs to consult with the musician about it. Use of a capo is not part of the pipa tradition, though one may inquire as to its efficacy. Pipa Notation One can utilize western notation or Chinese. If western notation is utilized, many, if not all, Chinese musicians will annotate the music in Chinese notation, since this is their first choice. It may work well for the composer to notate in the western 5 line staff and add the Chinese numbers to it for them. This may be laborious, and it is not necessary for Chinese musicians, who are quite adept at both systems. In western notation one writes for the Pipa at pitch, utilizing the bass and treble clefs. In Chinese notation one utilizes the French Chevé number system (see entry: Chinese Notation). In traditional pipa notation there are many symbols that are utilized to call for specific techniques. -
Written Vs. Sounding Pitch
Written Vs. Sounding Pitch Donald Byrd School of Music, Indiana University January 2004; revised January 2005 Thanks to Alan Belkin, Myron Bloom, Tim Crawford, Michael Good, Caitlin Hunter, Eric Isaacson, Dave Meredith, Susan Moses, Paul Nadler, and Janet Scott for information and for comments on this document. "*" indicates scores I haven't seen personally. It is generally believed that converting written pitch to sounding pitch in conventional music notation is always a straightforward process. This is not true. In fact, it's sometimes barely possible to convert written pitch to sounding pitch with real confidence, at least for anyone but an expert who has examined the music closely. There are many reasons for this; a list follows. Note that the first seven or eight items are specific to various instruments, while the others are more generic. Note also that most of these items affect only the octave, so errors are easily overlooked and, as a practical matter, not that serious, though octave errors can result in mistakes in identifying the outer voices. The exceptions are timpani notation and accidental carrying, which can produce semitone errors; natural harmonics notated at fingered pitch, which can produce errors of a few large intervals; baritone horn and euphonium clef dependencies, which can produce errors of a major 9th; and scordatura and C scores, which can lead to errors of almost any amount. Obviously these are quite serious, even disasterous. It is also generally considered that the difference between written and sounding pitch is simply a matter of transposition. Several of these cases make it obvious that that view is correct only if the "transposition" can vary from note to note, and if it can be one or more octaves, or a smaller interval plus one or more octaves. -
EDUCATION GUIDE History and Improvisation: Making American Music “We Play the Same Songs but the Solos Are Different Every Night
EDUCATION GUIDE History and Improvisation: Making American Music “We play the same songs but the solos are different every night. The form is the same, but the improvisations are what is really what makes that music what it is…Jazz is about being creative, all the time.” – Scotty Barnhart LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will view the MUSIC episode from the PBS series Craft in America. The episode features the skilled craftwork required to make ukuleles, trumpets, banjos, guitars, and timpani mallets. Students will hear musicians playing each of the instruments. Students will also hear the musicians talk about their personal connection to their instruments. Additionally, the program illustrates how a study of American music is a study of American history. After viewing the episode, students will investigate connections between musicians and their instruments and between American music and American history. The studio portion of the lesson is designed around the idea of creating a maker space in which students experiment with and invent prototype instruments. Instructions are also included for a basic banjo made from a sturdy cardboard box. Note: While this lesson can take place completely within the art department, it is an ideal opportunity to work with music teachers, history teachers, technical education teachers, and physics teachers (for a related study of acoustics.) Grade Level: 9-12 Estimated Time: Six to eight 45-minute class periods of discussion, research, design Craft In America Theme/Episode: MUSIC Background Information MUSIC focuses on finely crafted handmade instruments and the world-renowned artists who play them, demonstrating the perfect blend of form and function. -
Tuning Forks As Time Travel Machines: Pitch Standardisation and Historicism for ”Sonic Things”: Special Issue of Sound Studies Fanny Gribenski
Tuning forks as time travel machines: Pitch standardisation and historicism For ”Sonic Things”: Special issue of Sound Studies Fanny Gribenski To cite this version: Fanny Gribenski. Tuning forks as time travel machines: Pitch standardisation and historicism For ”Sonic Things”: Special issue of Sound Studies. Sound Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Taylor & Francis Online, 2020. hal-03005009 HAL Id: hal-03005009 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03005009 Submitted on 13 Nov 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Tuning forks as time travel machines: Pitch standardisation and historicism Fanny Gribenski CNRS / IRCAM, Paris For “Sonic Things”: Special issue of Sound Studies Biographical note: Fanny Gribenski is a Research Scholar at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and IRCAM, in Paris. She studied musicology and history at the École Normale Supérieure of Lyon, the Paris Conservatory, and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales. She obtained her PhD in 2015 with a dissertation on the history of concert life in nineteenth-century French churches, which served as the basis for her first book, L’Église comme lieu de concert. Pratiques musicales et usages de l’espace (1830– 1905) (Arles: Actes Sud / Palazzetto Bru Zane, 2019). -
Music Synthesis
MUSIC SYNTHESIS Sound synthesis is the art of using electronic devices to create & modify signals that are then turned into sound waves by a speaker. Making Waves: WGRL - 2015 Oscillators An oscillator generates a consistent, repeating signal. Signals from oscillators and other sources are used to control the movement of the cones in our speakers, which make real sound waves which travel to our ears. An oscillator wiggles an audio signal. DEMONSTRATE: If you tie one end of a rope to a doorknob, stand back a few feet, and wiggle the other end of the rope up and down really fast, you're doing roughly the same thing as an oscillator. REVIEW: Frequency and pitch Frequency, measured in cycles/second AKA Hertz, is the rate at which a sound wave moves in and out. The length of a signal cycle of a waveform is the span of time it takes for that waveform to repeat. People generally hear an increase in the frequency of a sound wave as an increase in pitch. F DEMONSTRATE: an oscillator generating a signal that repeats at the rate of 440 cycles per second will have the same pitch as middle A on a piano. An oscillator generating a signal that repeats at 880 cycles per second will have the same pitch as the A an octave above middle A. Types of Waveforms: SINE The SINE wave is the most basic, pure waveform. These simple waves have only one frequency. Any other waveform can be created by adding up a series of sine waves. In this picture, the first two sine waves In this picture, a sine wave is added to its are added together to produce a third. -
History Special Tools Hardware Dulcimer Wood Onlineextra
onlineEXTRA Issue #80 (Dec/Jan 2018) Make a Mountain Dulcimer More Dulcimer Info History Mountain dulcimers are attributed to the Scotch-Irish who settled in Appalachia, with drone strings reminiscent of bag pipes. Part of the appeal of the dulcimer is that it could be built from locally available wood with basic hand tools. Traditional designs range from a rough rectangular box held together with nails, bailing wire frets, and ‘possum gut strings—to beautifully crafted instruments with graceful curves, inlay, intricate carving, and satin finish. Special tools A look through a luthier’s catalog will present you with a dizzying array of special saws, clamps, jigs, and other instrument-making tools. A modestly equipped shop has just about all the tools needed. The one exception is the fret saw. It is a fine-tooth narrow kerf back saw designed for cutting slots for frets. It is also a great saw for making fine cuts on other projects, so it is well worth the investment. A special clamp for holding the back and soundboard to the sides can easily be made from 11/2" schedule 40 PVC. These are about 1/4" wide with a 1/2" gap. You can make a couple dozen in just a few minutes and, like the fret saw, they will prove useful in other woodworking projects (and make decent shower curtain rings, too). Hardware There are a few “store bought” parts (fret wire, tuning pins, and strings) that make the assembly much easier and the playing more user friendly. You might want to order these now, so you won’t have to wait when you’re ready for them. -
Tuning a Guitar to the Harmonic Series for Primer Music 150X Winter, 2012
Tuning a guitar to the harmonic series For Primer Music 150x Winter, 2012 UCSC, Polansky Tuning is in the D harmonic series. There are several options. This one is a suggested simple method that should be simple to do and go very quickly. VI Tune the VI (E) low string down to D (matching, say, a piano) D = +0¢ from 12TET fundamental V Tune the V (A) string normally, but preferably tune it to the 3rd harmonic on the low D string (node on the 7th fret) A = +2¢ from 12TET 3rd harmonic IV Tune the IV (D) string a ¼-tone high (1/2 a semitone). This will enable you to finger the 11th harmonic on the 5th fret of the IV string (once you’ve tuned). In other words, you’re simply raising the string a ¼-tone, but using a fretted note on that string to get the Ab (11th harmonic). There are two ways to do this: 1) find the 11th harmonic on the low D string (very close to the bridge: good luck!) 2) tune the IV string as a D halfway between the D and the Eb played on the A string. This is an approximation, but a pretty good and fast way to do it. Ab = -49¢ from 12TET 11th harmonic III Tune the III (G) string to a slightly flat F# by tuning it to the 5th harmonic of the VI string, which is now a D. The node for the 5th harmonic is available at four places on the string, but the easiest one to get is probably at the 9th fret. -
Following the Trail of the Snake: a Life History of Cobra Mansa “Cobrinha” Mestre of Capoeira
ABSTRACT Title of Document: FOLLOWING THE TRAIL OF THE SNAKE: A LIFE HISTORY OF COBRA MANSA “COBRINHA” MESTRE OF CAPOEIRA Isabel Angulo, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Directed By: Dr. Jonathan Dueck Division of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, School of Music, University of Maryland Professor John Caughey American Studies Department, University of Maryland This dissertation is a cultural biography of Mestre Cobra Mansa, a mestre of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira angola. The intention of this work is to track Mestre Cobrinha’s life history and accomplishments from his beginning as an impoverished child in Rio to becoming a mestre of the tradition—its movements, music, history, ritual and philosophy. A highly skilled performer and researcher, he has become a cultural ambassador of the tradition in Brazil and abroad. Following the Trail of the Snake is an interdisciplinary work that integrates the research methods of ethnomusicology (oral history, interview, participant observation, musical and performance analysis and transcription) with a revised life history methodology to uncover the multiple cultures that inform the life of a mestre of capoeira. A reflexive auto-ethnography of the author opens a dialog between the experiences and developmental steps of both research partners’ lives. Written in the intersection of ethnomusicology, studies of capoeira, social studies and music education, the academic dissertation format is performed as a roda of capoeira aiming to be respectful of the original context of performance. The result is a provocative ethnographic narrative that includes visual texts from the performative aspects of the tradition (music and movement), aural transcriptions of Mestre Cobra Mansa’s storytelling and a myriad of writing techniques to accompany the reader in a multi-dimensional journey of multicultural understanding. -
Pedagogical Practices Related to the Ability to Discern and Correct
Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2014 Pedagogical Practices Related to the Ability to Discern and Correct Intonation Errors: An Evaluation of Current Practices, Expectations, and a Model for Instruction Ryan Vincent Scherber Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES RELATED TO THE ABILITY TO DISCERN AND CORRECT INTONATION ERRORS: AN EVALUATION OF CURRENT PRACTICES, EXPECTATIONS, AND A MODEL FOR INSTRUCTION By RYAN VINCENT SCHERBER A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2014 Ryan V. Scherber defended this dissertation on June 18, 2014. The members of the supervisory committee were: William Fredrickson Professor Directing Dissertation Alexander Jimenez University Representative John Geringer Committee Member Patrick Dunnigan Committee Member Clifford Madsen Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For Mary Scherber, a selfless individual to whom I owe much. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this journey would not have been possible without the care and support of my family, mentors, colleagues, and friends. Your support and encouragement have proven invaluable throughout this process and I feel privileged to have earned your kindness and assistance. To Dr. William Fredrickson, I extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude. You have been a remarkable inspiration during my time at FSU and I will be eternally thankful for the opportunity to have worked closely with you.