healey.cj

Hi, I'm having a bit of trouble. I have a student doing AMEB's new Music Craft syllabus, currently on grade 5. The problem is that there is no accompanying teacher's books, and what is given in the student book is vague and more learn-by-inference. This would be fine because I know all the material we are covering... However, I'm uncertain about the counterpoint stuff the books cover. There is NO WHERE that gives a definitive list of which rules they are testing. And there are quite a lot of variations where counterpoint is concerned. Oh sure, no consecutive perfect consonances etc. Avoid awkward leaps. First species is note against note etc. etc. BUT some counterpoint systems allow minor and Major Sixths in first species... Some allow both ascending, but only the minor 6th descending. etc. And some say no more than a tenth between the voices, others an octave. Other say that the span should be proportional to the span of the C.F. And so on. It's really bothering me because I could teach her the Fux rules etc and she get her exam back and find out that there was some non-fux rules that applied etc. And like I said... I can't find the AMEB info anyway. Can anyone with AMEB Counterpoint experience please clarify the applied rules if possible? Thanks!

LOL :D Perfect Timing haha To be honest, I don't think the iPad is really that overpriced. What can you really buy for $800, either Laptop, Netbook or Desktop (with screen)? Not a great deal really. Although I do think it is a bit crippled. I think it should have a usb port so that when you want to make and edit documents (as Apple has made a iPad version of iWork) you can easily move it to a computer if you need to without having to plug the whole tablet in. But I really like the idea of a touch screen for composing anyway. I have this ultimate vision in my mind of being able to grab a stylus and write the music on the screen and it gets converted into the electronic version which you can then playback. No more clicking and typing. But I don't think any of the iPad generations will be able to facilitate that. There are a few Windows 7 "slate" or tablet device due out at the end of this year, which will be interesting to see as well. Although, after having the equivalent Windows-Mobile type iPhone, and then buying an iPhone, I've realised that, for me at least, i'd rather a product is a bit limited in what it can do, but does those things to perfection. The flip side is you have a product which has the potential to do looots of things, but can't really do any of them all that well. That's the Mac idea I think... Simplicity through limited function. lol I'd LOVE to see the HP slate when it comes out and find that it kicks the iPad's donkey, is easy and user friendly, but also elegant and with more functionality. I'm not brand-biased. I just want the product that works best! :D

Hey, Well you've probs all heard the stuff about the iPad... Seriously though, if finale made an iPad version, I'd probs go buy one on release day haha Anyone tried any of the other composing apps in the App Store?

Hey, I accidentally selected "double size" when I loaded a movie with finale the other day and now all I get is the top 1/4 of the video taking up most of my page, and I can't get at the controls (which are off the screen) to reduce the video size. Closing it and opening it doesn't help reset it. (Yup, even restarted my comp) And since I've maximized the window, I can no longer see the movie window in other finale files... It shows that it is ticked, but it is no where to be found! So just making a new finale document and copying doesn't work either. Please help asap! I'm need to get this film music finished so I can record this afternoon!!! Thanks!

Oh, I was just ranting :-) Actually, while I didn't say it, I was hoping some of you might have advice/suggestion for how to develop this skill? hehe It is a skill I really want to learn, but I've ended up using finale anyway now because I can't stand the thought of the first time I hear it being with performers and discovering that it doesn't sound like it was meant to. Maybe I'll write some simple music on the side, to get a feel for it, and then gradually allow myself to get more comfortable with the process, because at the moment, I'm ending up at a complete stop where it is like loop of doubt: "I can't be sure that what I wrote sounds like it is supposed to, so how can I be sure what the next section should sound like?" Let me be clear that I do come up with all my materials and ideas before using finale, but I still seem to need it to verify that it sounds the same on paper, and if not the same, then good none the less.

Fair enough. I'll bin the book.

lol Mozart is the first person *known* to have composed twinkle twinkle little star, so for all intents and purposes he might as well have written it. Before Mozart it was really just a poem that was sung. I'm surprised by the criticisms posed at the Levitin book, because he does reference studies etc throughout?

hehe not twatter... just a distraction lol If this was a tonal piece it'd be no problem but it's not and I'm just being a cry-baby, I know :D Time to get started again then.

Argh...! I'm writing my first decent-sized composition by hand. I've been using finale for years and really do think it is worth taking the time to do it by hand. The piece is for full orchestra (for now anyway) and finale wouldn't have a hope in creating anything that sounds even remotely like the beginning section as it will use largely bowed cymbals and bowed marimba and also some quarter-tonal vibrato stuff from the strings. I have noticed that my ideas for this piece are far more sophisticated than they would be with my usual finale-based approach. I think If I can ever get it down on paper, it will be something worth listening to. Unfortunately, the writing of this is painfully slow and is making me incredibly anxious because I am in a constant state of self-doubt LOL Sigh. It will get better once I start trusting myself, I'm sure, but for now, it is just painful.

Good post, Gavin!

Yup, So does this mean on the narrow edge of the gong? Or simply towards the outside (generally black-coloured) area? Anyone know where I can hear the difference?

You're welcome, Gardener :-) ---- I have to wonder if the "ugliness" of dissonance has actually come from movies and T.V.? I mean, people hear the Psycho theme and they can't help but imagine that scene in the shower... I am forced to wonder weather a life-time of similar associations has lead to dissonance being "ugly" because it invokes emotions and images related to rather disturbing acts. It is the same with Major and Minor chords probably. Minor sounds "sad". We've all heard this, but does it really or have we just attached a sad emotional reaction to it? Any other thoughts?

A recurring theme I see on this site is that music is has harmony, melody, or both. I think of music as organized sound. Sound that has been put together in a certain way to achieve a certain result. Ligeti is wonderful, but it is focused on the actual texture and timbre, not melody and harmony. Just like people will often put on a recording of the ocean or other areas of nature to relax - it doesn't have harmony or melody, but it is immensely pleasing. Just relax when you listen to it, let yourself actually experience it and you might be pleasantly surprised by how interesting and alive the music is. It is a completely different experience than listening to Beethoven, but it is none-the-less an amazing experience if you stop fighting with ideals.

Puke green doesn't make you feel sick - unless you associate what you are seeing to puke. It isn't the colour, it is the association you have with it. haha you are totally right. Radiohead is a good example indeed. But then, why? I don't think it is the music, because what's being played in concert halls is often far from the most out-there music, but there is a stigma attached to it... Or at least, that is the way it seems.

Then why does no one come to performances of Contemporary Classical music, but millions will go and see Andre Rieu? Or is it just that classical music is dead full stop and Rieu is only drawing crowds on showman ship? I do agree with you though, I have some friends who are 'classical' guitarist who seem to think things should always be 'pretty' whatever that is supposed to me. EXACTLY!!! That was what I was trying to get at.