Making Music Magazine Nov/Dec 2009

Making Music BETTER LIVING THROUGH RECREATIONAL MUSIC MAKING®

Lifetime TV Star

Nicole Sullivan o Finds a Rockin’ R le

www.MakingMusicMag.com November/December 2009

got drumsticks?

Celebrate Drumming during International Drum Month Now’s the perfect time to play the drums. The Percussion Marketing Council is giving you a pair of drumsticks and bonus book or DVD absolutely FREE. No purchase necessary, no strings attached.

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Beginner’s Pack contains one pair of drumsticks and one of two books or a DVD courtesy of Alfred Publishing, Hal Leonard Publishing, and Hudson Music.

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Mail this form to: Percussion Marketing Council P.O. Box 33252 Cleveland, OH 44133 Offer expires 12/31/09 Offer valid in Continental US only.

Form can be downloaded at Playdrums.com

For direct links to all our members and their products visit the PMC’s website: www.playdrums.com 2009 NAMM Foundation Grant Recipient

Since introducing Clavinova® digital pianos in 1983, Yamaha has steadily advanced towards its goal of achieving perfect acoustic tone and touch. For the Clavinova’s 25th Anniversary, Yamaha developed several breakthroughs that close in on perfection: Pure CF Sampling captures a Yamaha CFIIIS 9' concert grand piano tone in every exacting detail. The Tri-Amp (Triple Amplifier) System delivers wide frequency response across the sound spectrum. Natural Wood and GH3 keyboards establish an authentic, responsive feel. And the exclusive Damper Sensor improves articulation and allows sophisticated playing techniques.

Yamaha invited several world-class pianists to critique the features, then fine-tuned until these demanding judges approved.

The result —the ultimate in acoustic realism —is the classic Yamaha Clavinova CLP300 Series.

www.clavinova.com

Nov/Dec 09 Happy Hands How to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome.

Dulcimers 101 Explore the differences between a hammer and mountain dulcimer.

Piano Options

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How to choose an acoustic or digital piano.

Features Keeping Tabs

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

A detailed guide on reading guitar tablature.

Florida marching band makes a splash in the Big Apple.

Carol of the bells GIFT IDEAS

A community handbell choir plays to sold-out crowds each December.

Find the perfect holiday gift for every musician on your list.

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Nicole Sullivan Rita Rocks star lives the garage band dream in her Lifetime sitcom.

column Brian Charles, a Juilliard-trained oboist, on finding happiness in your practice routine.

Departments 6 LETTERS 10 VIBES 20 FORTE 36 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

37 TUNED IN 44 COVERED 46 DESTINATION 52 HARMONY

18 www.MakingMusicMag.com

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Making Music

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 | Vol. 5, Issue 6

Editor-in-Chief Antoinette Follett afollett@MakingMusicMag.com Editor Cherie Yurco cyurco@MakingMusicMag.com

By Antoinette Follett n When speaking with people who have started

to learn or revisit a musical instrument they used to play, I’ve noticed something neat happens: they become aware of other recreational musicians out there and how music permeates almost every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s a street performer playing the saxophone, a community handbell choir, or the person playing the piano at your child’s school play, there are countless adult musicians just like you, who continue to play music.

Around the holiday season you will probably notice even more musicians than usual. You may pay more attention to the choir at a church service, carolers in the town square, or the bands on TV at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Now is a great time to be part of your music community.

In this issue of Making Music, we look at music in the media through our cover story subject, Nicole Sullivan, star of the Lifetime original sitcom, Rita Rocks. In the show, Sullivan’s character, Rita Clemens, forms her very own garage band with a friend, a neighbor, the mail carrier, and her daughter’s boyfriend.

Inspired by the show’s message about making music with friends, Sullivan got bit by the music bug, singing her own parts while trying her hand at guitar on the set.

Another big name is also promoting the recreational music movement on TV. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee introduced NAMM’s Wanna Play? Fund on his FOX News Channel show back in September. Huckabee, a former cover subject of Making Music and avid bassist, features live musicians on his weekly show and champions the benefits of music for people of all ages. Read more about the Wanna Play? campaign at www.wannaplaymusic.com.

If you’re still stumped on what gifts the musicians in your life want this holiday season, check out our gift suggestions in the Tuned In section. To find more unique music gifts browse Making Music’s Marketplace at www.MakingMusicMag/marketplace.

If you receive a fun or unusual musical gift this season, drop me a line at afollett@ makingmusicmag.com and tell me all about it. I hope you enjoy all the music this holiday season has in store for you.

On the Cover MADtv and King of Queens actress Nicole Sullivan picks up the guitar as a garage band leader in her Lifetime sitcom, Rita Rocks. Sullivan, a former violinist, clarinetist, and sax player, returns to her musical roots after an almost 20-year hiatus.

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November/december 2009

Staff WriterS Jackie Saunders Liam McCabe Meredith Laing Art Director Lisa A. Mergler-Santoro Graphic Intern Ron Rabideau Photo Credits Richard Mulye Chuck Wainwright music consultant Stephen Laifer Marketing Director Honore Stockley honore@MakingMusicMag.com web/marketing manager Richard Mulye richard@MakingMusicMag.com Advertising Manager Krista Galster kgalster@MakingMusicMag.com subscription COORDINATOR Andrea Fragassi afragassi@MakingMusicMag.com Publisher Bentley-Hall, Inc. 221 Walton St., Ste. 200 Syracuse, NY 13202 315-422-4488 315-422-3837 fax www.MakingMusicMag.com Subscriptions–1 Year: USA: $30; Canada: $60; All Other Foreign: $105 US Funds Only.

Circulation and subscriptions, phone: 315-422-4488 ext. 116. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: Making Music; 221 Walton St., Ste. 200; Syracuse, NY 13202 Nationally distributed by Rider Circulation Services Phone: 323-344-1200. Online: www.gorcs.com Making Music, ISSN (1552-2946), is published six times annually. Making Music is a registered trademark of Bentley-Hall Publishing. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2009 Bentley-Hall, Inc. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in Making Music are those of their respective contributors and are not necessarily those of its publisher, editor, or staff. All advertising material is subject to publisher’s approval.

All materials intended for publication should be directed to Making Music; 221 Walton St., Ste. 200; Syracuse, NY 13202; fax: 315-422-3837 or e-mail: afollett@MakingMusicMag.com.

Making Music assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to unsolicited articles, photographs, or art.

BETTER LIVING THROUGH RECREATIONAL MUSIC MAKING®

and had just been asked to join a racing team in August 1981.

One week later, he tied the Kansas State champion in a team time trial.

Staccato

Then, on September 15, 1981, Sharp was hit by a car driving 55 miles per hour. On impact, the back wheel of the bike shattered and punctured his left calf muscle, his chin slammed into his sternum, severely bruising it, and he was thrown through the air, over two lanes of traffic. He landed in the median on his head and right shoulder.

COUNTING IN GUITARS

A CAPPELLA n Mike Sharp was a competitive bicyclist as a freshman in college

The accident caused many injuries including broken teeth, torn hand ligaments, and a severe concussion. After eight days in the hospital, followed by six weeks in bed at home, Sharp recovered.

Although he went on to run track in college for two years, and participates in various bike rides for charity, he continued to suffer from severe medical problems like cervical vertigo, thoracic outlet syndrome, and chronic pain. He has had 14 surgeries because of complications from the accident.

Music has helped Sharp cope with all the medical issues he faces.

“Ten years ago I started clarinet lessons to cope with my medical problems,” he explains. “I have since added the flute, trumpet, sax, and plan to take up the guitar as well. Music has been a lifesaver.

If not for this outlet, I don’t think I would still be here.”

Sharp is greatly inspired by people like Melody Gardot, who was also hit by a car at age 19 and recorded her first CD while in her hospital bed. “I can only play for a few moments each day and sometimes I go weeks without playing because I am in pain,” says Sharp. “The moments that I do play boost my spirits so much. If I can sound good to me, it makes me happy.”

Read Mike Sharp’s entire story at: www.MakingMusicMag.com/ staccato/sharp.html

RECREATIONAL MUSIC MAKING INSIGHT

Weight in pounds of the world’s largest playable guitar, the Monster Flying V, made by 11 high school students.

2,244 >> 0.01 >>20,000 >>

Length in millimeters of the Nano Guitar, the world’s smallest axe.

Length in miles of the strings the Fender Factory produces in one year.

1,377

>>

Number of participants in the world’s largest group guitar lesson at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music.

Did you Know? n The electro acoustic guitar was actually the first type of electric guitar created. In the 1930s, guitar players began adding magnetic pickups to the sound holes or neck joints of flat-top and arch-top acoustic guitars. Despite this hybrid guitar’s popularity with big band and jazz musicians, the logistical problems of feedback and poor sound quality led to the invention of the solid-body electric guitar.

A major breakthrough in the evolution of the electro acoustic guitar occurred in the 1960s with the introduction of the piezoelectric pickup by Ovation.

“

We may be coming to a new golden age of instrument making.”

—Cellist Yo-Yo Ma www.MakingMusicMag.com

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Fall in love...

The New Stonetree

NRS Guitars The most acoustic thin body guitar you’ll find!

letters Fun for All Instruments n I like that Making Music takes a simplified approach to talking about music.

You don’t have to read music to understand the articles and it’s easier to read articles on instruments you don’t play.

your article? The way everything was laid out, it was an invitation to me to get out there and start playing whenever I can. I really missed it!

I am also now going to play during the ROCK4XMAS tour which takes place across the Northeast area.

Peter Smith Waterford, Michigan

Papa Joe DeMaio Danielson, Connecticut

Recording Tips, Please n What a great magazine, I liked the

interview articles, the articles about teaching kids, and technical recording stories … most of it, in fact. I hope you include more articles on home recording and related software.

• A true acoustic unplugged

• Custom built, American

n Your article layouts are so informa-

Simon H. Bowditch Newton, Connecticut

tive and easy to read! I’m new to MM and love it already! It has stories of musicians at all levels that inspire.

There are great tips on improving skill and techniques with guitar, bass, organ, drums. Your magazine is truly unique.

Back in the Saddle

Vincent B. Simon Baltimore, Ohio

n I read your magazine whenever I

• Extremely light weight

Easy on the Eyes

can, or if I need some info on this or that. Well, in your May/June issue there was an article on preparing for open mike night. You outlined everything in 12 easy steps. I followed all but number one (I had been to the venue before) and had an exceptional reception from the crowd, entertainers, and those who came just to watch.

Since the first night, I have played out every chance I get, three times this month, not counting a reporter who is doing a feature on me and my music in one of the local Connecticut papers!

Did I mention that I hadn’t played out for over 10 years before reading

Rockin’ Retirement n I got my first issue today and haven’t put it down. I belong to a New Horizons band here in Lexington, Kentucky, that is made up of people who are 50 and older, who have never played before or were looking to get back into music after a long period of time. We have a great time and are big on the nursing home and senior citizen circuit. I retired in July so I have time to practice my euphonium every day. I bet my neighbors wish I was still working!

Mitch Estepp Lexington, Kentucky

made

• 7 models to choose from & customize

• Eliminates feed back www.newsoundacoustics.com

Making Music and Toca have teamed up to give away these Toca congas with a stand.

To enter to win, simply visit the Making Music website and answer our simple trivia questions. Contest ends December 31, 2009.

One winner will receive these congas valued at $400, plus some extra goodies from Making Music and Toca.

Enter to Win

www.MakingMusic Mag.com

We appreciate comments and suggestions, and we encourage readers to send them to us via our website (www.MakingMusicMag.com), by e-mailing afollett@MakingMusicMag.com, or by writing to: Making Music; 221 Walton Street, Ste. 200; Syracuse, NY 13202-1211.

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November/december 2009

t ea Tr y a -D ey k r Tu ’s d n a B g in A March

e d a r a P y a D g in iv g s Macy’s Thank

by Liam McCabe

With all the parades that wind through downtowns, up main streets, and across country fields, marching bands have endless opportunities to don their tall hats, toot their horns, and bang their drums as the center of a community-wide party. But even among the best of the best parades, one stands out as the ultimate destination: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. n

The parade is a tradition dating back to 1924 that has grown into a major national event. Today, more than 2 million spectators line the streets and another 44 million tune into the television broadcast to watch the bands, floats, and gigantic cartoon balloons stream down the streets of New York.

“The biggie has always been Macy’s,” says Bill Findeison, leader of The Awesome Original Second Time Arounders (The Rounders, to the hip), who marched in the 2008 parade. “It is the best parade in the country. There is absolutely no doubt that if you can get into Macy’s you have really done something.”

The Road to Herald Square The whole process, from the application deadline up to the day of the parade, is about two years. Macy’s receives about 500 band applications each year, from which the parade committee selects just 10 to march in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. (A representative from Macy’s says that there is no

scientific method for choosing the parade bands, but talent, presentation, and character are certainly considered.) The lucky bands are notified by phone, 18 months ahead of the parade. Since the groups have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs, they need all the time they can get to raise money, especially the high school bands. Macy’s dictates the requirements for the performances in the parade and in Herald Square, and the rest of the time is spent practicing, practicing, and practicing.

The Rounders of St. Petersburg, Florida, are a special kind of band—members are former high school, college, or military marching band members and range in age from 18 to 85. It’s a big community band for anybody that wants to give marching band one more go-around. So their experiences were unique in many ways.

The Macy’s committee was so impressed

by The Rounders’ audition and story that they flew down to inform them, in person, that they were the number one pick to march in the parade. They were also the largest band to participate, with 512 members (not to mention the family members that came along for the trip).

And since the members are all adults, the fundraising wasn’t as big of a deal— though the members certainly appreciated the 18 months they had to come up with the $1,200 for airfare, a few meals, five nights accommodations in Newark, and bus transportation between their hotel and the practice space.

On the day of the parade, the entire band departed their hotel at 2 a.m. on 14 buses for a 3:30 a.m. rehearsal, which was “a logistical nightmare,” as Findeison puts it. After a run-through of their bit, they camped out at Planet Hollywood for breakfast until 6:30 a.m. They returned to the parade route, eagerly waiting at 77th St. and Central Park West for the cue to join the parade.

“It was probably the most exciting, moving time for the band,” Findeison says.

“We had people who had been wanting to do it their whole lives, waiting for the parade to start with tears in their eyes.”

“Each parade is special, each one has its own excitement,” says Findeison, “but I can say that the Macy’s parade is the crowning jewel of everything we’ve ever done.” www.MakingMusicMag.com

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Babiracki snapped this photo while observing a musical wedding celebration in Jharkhand, India.

By Meredith Laing

Many people jet off to exotic destinations when they need a change of pace and a break from everyday life.

But for ethnomusicologists like Christopher Blasdel and Carol Babiracki, trips to foreign locales are just part of the job—and the most important part, at that. n

Ethnomusicologists are like musicians and anthropologists combined; they study music in both cultural and social contexts. Often, they focus their work on a particular region or group of people, and the best way to do that is to immerse themselves in the culture.

Blasdel gives a performance on the Japanese shakuhachi, an instrument dating from around the 17th century.

“Intellectual research is all well and good, but it’s actually making music with people where I find that I learn the most.

Those are the most valuable moments,” says Babiracki, 57, who is an expert on the music and dance of India. Babiracki travels to India about once a year to do hands-on research, or “fieldwork.” Back in the US, she’s a professor of world music at Syracuse University.

Blasdel, also 57, has actually become a permanent resident of Japan, where he studies and teaches traditional Japanese music. “Music in Japan is very much connected with social climate, social structure, and history,” he explains. “In order to play the music well, I think you have to learn the language and the background.”

Born in the USA

PHOTO: Eiko Hosoe

Babiracki and Blasdel both grew up playing musical instruments, but of course, neither could imagine where their hobby would eventually take them.

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November/december2009 2009 November/december

Babiracki started piano lessons at age eight, but soon fell in love with the flute. “I always felt that flute was more my instrument. I had my heart set on being a flute performer,” she remembers.

With that aspiration, Babiracki started degrees in music performance and music theory. By the middle of her college career, though, a congenital defect on her right lung threatened her future as a musician.

Her lung collapsed a total of five times, and she came to the realization that she could no longer continue as a flutist.

Babiracki did, however, decide to finish her degree in music theory. Then, just as graduation was approaching, she spotted something that would change her life. “I was walking down the hall of the music department and I saw a little poster that said, ‘Would you like to do independent study in South India?’ And I said, you know I would!” she laughs.

Also a flutist, Blasdel played in his high school marching band in his Texas hometown and continued with the instrument in college. When he learned that his small school happened to have an excellent study abroad program in Japan, he decided to take advantage. “It was a matter of good luck, circumstance, and fate,” Blasdel says.

Once she arrived in India, Babiracki, too, had a feeling that she had met her fate.

“There was something about the music of India that filled a gap for me that had been left by giving up flute,” she explains.

“Concerts in India are very intimate, with the audience sitting on the floor with the musicians. And because it’s such a heavily improvised music, the audience response is very important. I guess I felt like I had a part in the music making, which filled a need for me at that time.”

Babiracki decided to focus her independent study on South Indian classical flutists. She interviewed and took lessons from different native players, got insight from touring musicians, and went to local performances. “That really gave me a taste of ethnomusicology: doing it rather than reading about it,” says Babiracki. “I was going out and studying through making music, talking to people, and being a part of their performances.” She enjoyed it so much, in fact, that she returned to the US to pursue a master’s degree in ethnomusicology.

In Japan, Blasdel channeled his flute background in a different direction when he became interested in the shakuhachi,

a vertical bamboo flute. “I liked that the shakuhachi had this spiritual and cultural connection in Japan,” Blasdel recalls. And it certainly didn’t hurt that he was able to study with one of the master performers and teachers of the instrument, Goro Yamaguchi. “It would be like going to New York to study piano and someone saying, well Arthur Rubinstein lives down the street, why don’t you go and study with him?” he says.

View from the Top “At a point I realized, if I had the good fortune to meet these great teachers and performers, there must be a reason for it,” Blasdel remembers. “And now that most of those people have passed away, I feel like it’s up to me to continue that tradition.”

With a master’s degree in ethnomusicology, and as the first of only two non-Japanese students to be accredited as a master of the shakuhachi by Yamaguchi himself, Blasdel is more than qualified to do that. His famous teacher even honored him with a professional name, Yohmei, which loosely means “alliance from afar.”

Blasdel has written two books on the shakuhachi, published in both English and Japanese. He also performs frequently and teaches college courses on Japanese music.

Like most musicologists, this puts him in the ironic position of being a “foreigner” who often understands more about the music culture than the natives themselves.

“The Japanese are still very much focused on Western music,” Blasdel points out.

“Some of the great masters of Japan’s music are not even recognized by the Japanese public.”

Babiracki has had similar experiences in India. “I’m sometimes asked to act as a source of village information,” she says. “I’m asked to teach things about the music; I’m sometimes asked to choreograph dances.

It’s an odd position to be in when I’m teaching indigenous students.”

But the distinction between insiders and outsiders of the culture isn’t one that either side seems to dwell on. Blasdel explains, “I’ve always felt that being an outsider actually works to my advantage because I can have a very objective view of the society and the music. It’s like standing on a hill and looking at what’s going on from a distance.”

“The idea of learning from someone who knows is more important than their ethnic identity. That came as a real surprise to me,” adds Babiracki. “Music can really transcend language and flow across borders and boundaries of all kinds.”

Valuable Souvenirs Blasdel has found that Japanese music has transcended cultural and national borders to an extent that he never would have expected. For example, in 1998 he served as co-organizer of the World Shakuhachi Festival in Boulder, Colorado: the first to be held outside of Japan. He was an invited guest for a similar festival in New York in 2004, and more recently, was co-organizer of a large-scale shakuhachi festival held in Sydney, Australia, in 2008.

In addition, Blasdel has taught and performed at a shakuhachi summer school in Prague for the past four years. “To think that a Japanese instrument is being taken up by the city of Prague as part of their own musical venue is pretty amazing,” he exclaims.

For Babiracki’s most recent trip to India last June, she focused on collecting and studying instruments to take back to the US. Her findings will be displayed at a musical instrument museum to open in Arizona.

During her trip, she also had time to enjoy a regional “mela,” which is like India’s version of a state fair. Along with some other musicians, she was invited—spur of the moment—to get up on stage and perform, and it was an experience that she will not soon forget.

“Now, this was the time when the monsoon should have been coming, but it was late, and crops were dying,” Babiracki begins her story. “And as we were dancing around on stage, we saw this black cloud coming, and this wave of joy went through the crowd and everyone on stage. The wind was whipping us around, the rain finally came and just drenched us, and we just kept dancing and playing in this moment of transcendent joy,” she remembers. “Those are the kind of moments, the high points, that make me love what I do.”

MEREDITH laing would love to study the gamelan music of indonesia if she were an ethnomusicologist. www.MakingMusicMag.com

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Vibes MUSIC & HEALTH NEWS

❱❱ Joyful, Joyful

We Adore Uke

On a Tuesday night in August, the eight-member Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, along with an ensemble of 1,000 ukists, met in London’s Royal Albert Hall to gently strum Beethoven’s masterpiece, “Ode to Joy.” The Ukulele Orchestra hoped to attract 200 ukists and ended up with a little more than 1,000, breaking the world record for the largest ukulele ensemble.

However, the hall was so full, official head counters couldn’t squeeze in so the world record status remains unofficial. Reporters from The Times wrote that the concert was surprisingly quiet. The ensemble, despite its size, did not drown out the eight amplified instruments on stage.

The ukulele was invented one century after Beethoven’s death.

Mr. Sandman, Play Me a Tune n The days of counting fluffy, little, leaping lambs are numbered—now people are using the sound of music to end their sleepless nights.

Researchers at the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital in Taiwan found that listening to 45 minutes of relaxing music before bedtime provided a more restful night’s sleep.

Observing a group of 60 elderly people with sleep problems, the researchers found that people who complained of agitation before bedtime reported a 35% improvement in their sleep when they listened to music. Other benefits included longer nighttime sleep and less dysfunction because of fatigue the next day.

The study’s lead author, professor Hui-Ling Lai, of the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital and the University of Taiwan says, “The music group reported a 26% overall improvement in the first week and this figure continued to rise as they mastered the technique of relaxing into sedative music.”

Time Magazine’s

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Top

Electric Guitarists: ➊ Jimi Hendrix ➏ Jimmy Page ➋ Slash ➐ Chuck Berry ➌ B.B. King ➑ Les Paul ➍ Keith Richards ➒ Yngwie Malmsteen ➎ Eric Clapton ➓ Prince 10

November/december 2009

❱❱ Let’s Hear it

For Musicians Musical training isn’t just fluff for the soul, or something to be cut from school budgets when purse strings tighten.

According to a Northwestern University Study, learning to play music actually fine-tunes the nervous system, making musicians better at picking out a particular sound in a noisy room.

The study, conducted at the university’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, split 31 participants with normal hearing and a median age of 23 into two groups—one with musical training, the other without—and had them listen to sentences presented in increasingly noisy conditions and repeat back what they heard.

The group with musical training had a better idea of what was said amidst the cacophony and superior tone discrimination. “Musical training makes musicians really good at picking out melodies, the bass line, and the sound of their own instruments from complex sounds,” says Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory.

The study results support the theory that musical training can have therapeutic benefits for people with auditory processing and communication disorders. It also stresses the importance of music education in the schools and for the general public.

Music for Moms-to-Be n One study has shown that mothers-to-be who are

experiencing anxiety about their pregnancy can pop in a classical music CD to ease their fears.

The study, conducted at the Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan, observed stress levels and depression in two groups of pregnant women. One group was given music CDs, while the other received normal pregnancy care. The four CDs were lullabies, classical music, nature sounds, and New Age “crystal music” versions of Chinese nursery rhymes and songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” The women were instructed to listen to at least one 30-minute disc all the way through, every day, for two weeks.

By the end of the experiment, the women that listened to music regularly scored lower on the Perceived Stress Scale, than the women in the control group, and their levels of anxiety also dropped.

Thomas Jefferson

loved the violin so much

he made a carrying case that connected to his riding saddle so it was handy during his travels. www.MakingMusicMag.com

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Vibes Off the Beat and Path n Recent research shows that people who are tone

deaf have something in common: a missing brain pathway.

Inability or difficulty in distinguishing between different musical tones is something researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, studied in a recent experiment. Comparing 10 tone-deaf subjects with 10 more musically attuned ones, researchers found that a certain area of the brain that processes tonal recognition was lacking a specific branch or pathway in the tone-deaf people.

Psyche Loui, instructor in the department of neurology at Harvard University, says the better the person could differentiate between two musical tones, the larger that specific pathway was.

There is always room for improvement for the tone deaf. “I think there’s a lot of music training in general that could help enlarge these pathways,” says Loui.

Fender uses alder trees to make their guitars.

The only place where alder trees grow large enough to make guitars is a 200-mile by 50-mile stretch of land in Oregon.

❱❱ Monkey Business Psychologists have long tried to explain why humans react strongly to different kinds of music. Cellist and composer David Teie, of the National Symphony Orchestra, decided to study this phenomenon by composing music for a species of monkeys called cotton-top tamarins.

Teie hypothesized that music relates to the most primitive sounds humans make and respond to—laughter, heartbeats, or a mother’s cooing. “I figured any good theory is testable; so one of the ways to test it would be to see if I could write music that would be affective for species other than humans,” he says.

Working with recordings provided by Psychology Professor Chuck Snowden, who manages a colony of tamarins at the University of Wisconsin, Teie composed music that imitated various emotional sounds, like the screeching of monkeys that felt threatened, or the sounds they make when they are mellow and calm.

“Basically I took those elements and patterned them the way we do normally with music,” Teie says. He played the compositions on his cello, and then electronically transposed them up three octaves to a pitch range that mirrored the monkeys’ voices. Monkeys didn’t respond at all to music written for humans, but they did respond when they heard Teie’s compositions—moving around during the agitating sounds or remaining calm during the mellow monkey sounds.

Teie hopes to use this experiment on different animal species to gauge their reactions.

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November/december 2009

Learn from video tips and techniques, gear demonstrations, and inspiring stories from musicians like you.

Find music related gifts, back issues and so much more! Visit us today.

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Vibes

, y h t l a e H

Happy, Hands Recognize your risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome by jackie saunders

It’s not “the summer of ’69” anymore and playing ’til your fingers bleed isn’t the greatest idea, no matter how sentimental it sounds.

Taking care of your hands and wrists is important to get the most out of your music. Any musician who practices regularly can attest that overuse of the hand muscles can cause pain. Being aware of the risk for carpal tunnel syndrome, whether you play the piano, guitar, drums, or a wind instrument, is essential for developing safe practice habits. n

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist.

This most common nerve entrapment disorder comes from excessive stress and strain placed on the hand and wrist from repetitive or static movement—such as pressing down strings against a fretboard or tickling the ivories on a grand piano. Some early signs may include numbness, loss of feeling, and tingling, says Dr. John T. Knight, medical director of the Hand & Wrist Institute at D.I.S.C. Sports and Spine Center in Marina del Rey, California, who has treated many musicians.

“People may wake up at night and feel like

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they slept on their arm and wrist,” says Knight. “It feels worse at night because when we sleep, we tend to flex the wrist, which increases pressure on any irritability from playing the instrument during the day.”

Carpal tunnel syndrome is more likely to occur in classically trained musicians or professionals, since they spend more time playing. Knight suggests that every musician, amateur or professional, should develop good habits to prevent and treat carpal tunnel syndrome.

Take a Break Knight says that regular rest from playing is the most obvious thing musicians should do to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. For every hour played, the musician should take a 15-minute break. Instead of playing the drums for a straight four-hour session, try splitting the playing time into several shorter sessions. The more one can break up the time played, the better off he or she is, says Knight.

Rev Up Your Muscles “One thing that is often hard to convey to musicians is that it’s important for them to replicate what athletes do,” says Knight. “Don’t run two miles without stretching.” He suggests stretching all of your muscles before a practice session, paying special attention to the neck and arms.

Making sure your body is properly warmed up to play is important to avoid injury. Check out some suggested stretches at the website: www. musicianshealth.com/stretches.

Try this @ home.

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Brace Yourself Besides seeing a doctor, if you think you have carpal tunnel syndrome, there are some at-home remedies to try. If you experience pain in your wrists and hands, Knight recommends taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines like Advil or Aleve. Also, wearing a basic drug-store wrist brace while you sleep can help alleviate some of the discomfort by keeping your wrist in a safe position.

Before you begin any treatment or new exercise regimen to alleviate or prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, consult your doctor. If the problem is severe, your physician can refer you to an orthopedic specialist. Cortisone shots and minimally invasive surgery are last resorts. “It’s always good to see a doctor if you think you have carpal tunnel syndrome,” says Knight.“Increased rest should make it feel better.”

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15

Vibes

Brain

Pow e r

How Music Sharpens Your Neural Pathways by jackie saunders

The “Mozart Effect,” a wildly popular 1993 study, showed that test takers that listened to a piano sonata scored higher than groups that didn’t, and prompted a strong reaction from parents wanting to increase their children’s IQs and college students wanting to boost test scores.

Although the study has never been replicated, prompting many to determine that listening to the classics does not enhance intelligence, there are definite positive mental benefits for those who play an instrument. Joining Making Music for a Q and A on how playing a musical instrument is good for boosting brain power is Dr. Jude Treder-Wolff, a registered music therapist and certified group psychotherapist whose new book, Possible Futures: Creative Thinking for the Speed of Life, discusses the role of music and creativity in success and innovation.

What is the Mozart Effect?

The “Mozart Effect” study —which seemed to show that just listening to Mozart strengthened some cognitive processes— has been pretty much discredited. The study was never replicated, which of course means that no other researchers were able to get those results. That said, there are lots of studies about how musical experiences and music training boost brain power at any point in the lifespan. It’s not just Mozart, or even just listening passively to any music.

How Does Learning a Musical Instrument Sharpen Brain Functions?

Learning to play a musical instrument at any age “beefs up” brain circuitry. It enhances neural coding of speech, heightens audiovisual interaction, and makes a person more emotionally intelligent through an enhanced attunement to the expression of a range of feeling states. Studies show that with musical training a person becomes more accurate at detecting the emotional cues of others and this is a subtle but critically important social skill.

According to the Society for Neuroscience, any experience of making music—from informal singing to personal songwriting to learning to play an instrument or improvising—refines the entire neurological system. It demands precise movements of specific muscle groups, and combinations of physical processes such as breathing, fingering, and possibly foot action, all at the same time. And these skills have been found to translate to other areas of thinking and functioning.

Learning skills in music trains the brain—all across the lifespan—to focus attention, exercise discipline, and realize gradual gains in skills, and these habits of mind translate to and heighten all other areas of learning and development.

Does Passive Listening to Music Provide Mental Benefits?

As a music therapist and music educator, I’ve worked with people who are physically handicapped and stroke patients and there were lots of therapeutic benefits to listening. It helped them to relax, focus, and move their bodies in rhythm to the music. There are definitely some benefits to passive music listening. I don’t know how it helps in terms of learning or improving brain function, but there are therapeutic benefits. The reason music has survived as the earliest art form is because our brains are so in tune and responsive to it.

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Not many community handbell choirs can boast a reputation so great that prospective members move across states to join the group, but then, not every choir is like the Raleigh Ringers.

by Jackie Saunders

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ade up of 16 ringers, this nationally acclaimed community handbell group has performed in 34 states, as well as several cities in France. It has recorded four CDs, had more than 100 pieces of music written specifically for it, and has the world’s largest collection of handbells owned by a performing group (more than 350 instruments). Ringers include stay-athome moms, a nurse, a music teacher, and many who started learning in a church group as children. “It’s nice to make music and push yourself to learn from each other musically,” says Diane vanDijk who is in her third season with the Raleigh Ringers. “Being around a group of people who enjoy the same thing is always fun.”

One person alone can’t play the melody, so everyone has to work together to play a song.”

Despite the notoriety the group holds and the incredible time commitment, not one member is paid for his or her musicianship, and the Raleigh Ringers remain a community handbell choir to the core. “Our members are really passionate about this instrument,” says Dave Harris, founder and director of the group. “One of the things that makes it really unique is the teamwork involved.

Repeat the Sounding Joy

November/december 2009

The choir began in 1990, when a collection of handbell ringers at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, decided they wanted to branch out and play as a group beyond the holiday season. After Harris announced that he wanted to form a community handbell group, 17 people auditioned, one person decided it wasn’t for her, and the rest made up the first group of Raleigh Ringers. “We didn’t have very many gigs those first two years,” says Cindy Massey, 56, a charter member of the choir. “We had to beg our friends and relations to come to concerts.”

During the choir’s first years, the Raleigh Ringers held its holiday concert in a venue with seating for 200 people. “We thought we were big time then,” says Massey. As the years went by, the group’s popularity soared and they moved to Meredith College that held 600 audience members and then to the Stewart Theatre at North Carolina State Univer-

sity, which held 850. Today, the Raleigh Ringers’ concerts, held at the Meymandi Concert Hall in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, almost sell out all three shows to more than 1,600 audience members. Besides the North Carolina Symphony, the Raleigh Ringers command the second largest audiences at the concert hall with their holiday shows. “I think the bells have such a pleasing quality,” says Massey. “I think people love the range of music we can play. We can make our instruments sound like a booming orchestra or like a solo flutist.”

Holiday concerts are generally held two weeks before Christmas. Although the music varies from year to year, every concert ends with “Silent Night.” The Raleigh Ringers pass out battery-operated candles to every audience member and the lights are switched off to reveal a magical glow from the thousand-plus mini lights.

I Hope I Get It No matter how long a ringer has been with the group, each person must reaudition every year along with the new hopefuls. The three-part audition begins

with the ringer playing by herself and being tested on reading and rhythms.

Next, the ringer plays with the group and reads new songs she hasn’t seen before.

The final part is the interview, where the potential Raleigh Ringer has to make sure she can commit to a three-anda-half-hour rehearsal every Thursday night, holiday concerts, various summer and spring shows, and traveling tours.

“This does need to be high on your list of things to do because it does take a lot of your free time,” says Harris. “We travel a lot together and spend a lot of time with one another, so we get to know everyone really well.”

Rock ‘n’ Ring

One thing that brings everyone in the group together is their desire to try songs that most people wouldn’t necessarily associate with handbells. The Raleigh Ringers play “Stairway to Heaven,” a favorite piece for many, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and songs from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

For some of the rock pieces, the group dons tie-dye gloves and t-shirts, as well as rock star wigs.

“All of our songs aren’t necessarily church-related, and while we do play some that are appropriate for that, the reason this group started was to play fun things you can’t play at church,” says vanDijk. “Everybody in the group, for the most part, used to play in a church handbell choir. This is our outlet to play something a little bit different.”

Nancy Ritter, 49, who has been involved with various handbell choirs throughout her life, was so captivated by the Raleigh Ringers that she moved her husband and two children, ages six and nine, from Florida to North Carolina, so she could join the group. Eleven years later, Ritter, now managing director of the group, still appreciates the unique opportunities that come from ringing with the Raleigh Ringers.

“For one thing, the group has the largest collection of different kinds of handbell instruments, so when we play a song, it’s so much more with the added colors from the different sounds,” says Ritter. “The music the group plays is challenging and interesting to the audience, so it’s a whole package of entertainment.”

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Forte MUSIC HOW-TO’S HOW-TO’S MUSIC

A

side from their last names, the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer share only a few traits. They’re both a type of zither—an instrument with strings that extend only to the ends of the soundboard— and they’re both folk instruments not often heard in modern popular music.

Dulcet Tones

By Liam Mccabe

ed er

m

m

ha er

im

lc

du

n Beyond that, the two dulcimers differ

in looks, tone, playing style, and origin.

Nobody is quite sure why they ended up with the same name. Regardless, neither type of dulcimer player gets enough love from the music-making or musicappreciating public, so let’s take a look at these instruments.

Hammer Time The hammered dulcimer was around long before America was even a glimmer in George Washington’s eye. To most people around the world, this is the real dulcimer. It appeared 5,000 years ago in the cradle of civilization. Multiple references to the instrument appear in the Bible. Evidence suggests that it even inspired the design of the piano.

Variations on the instrument appear all around the world, including the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia, parts

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of Great Britain, and Central Europe.

Though it’s not as popular in the US as the mountain dulcimer, it has a following among folk musicians, particularly in Michigan.

The playing technique is like any other percussion instrument. The trapezoidshaped dulcimer rests on a stand angled towards the player, who uses small wooden, metal, or plastic hammers to strike the courses (sets of strings). It has two bridges running down the body—the treble bridge to the left and the bass bridge to the right. The number of courses depends on the size of the dulcimer, but most have a range somewhere between two and three octaves. The bass courses are struck to the left of the bass bridge, while the treble courses can be struck on either side of the treble bridge for different notes. Though chromatic dulcimers are not uncommon, the courses are usually arranged diatonically (see sidebar).

A hammered dulcimer is quite a dynamic instrument and has the potential for a wide variety of musical applications— not just street performances and novelty acts. It’s stuck around for thousands of years and probably has thousands more in it.

Where you can hear it: John Lennon & Yoko Ono: “Watching the Wheels” Rush: “Resist” Billy Bennington: “The Bells of St. Mary’s” Paul van Arsdale: “Fern’s Waltz” Jimmy Cooper: “The Harry Lime Theme”

It’s not a low-calorie seltzer:

O, Appalachia The mountain dulcimer is as American as bacon burgers, the Second Amendment, and tackle football. Also known as the plucked dulcimer or, fittingly, the Appalachian dulcimer, it’s a folk instrument from the southern Appalachian mountains. It was adopted by the region’s Scottish-Irish settlers in the early 1700s, but didn’t appear nationwide until the late 1800s.

The mountain dulcimer is often associated with a romanticized, old-timey view of Appalachian culture, but modern-day greats like Stephen Seifert and Gary Gallier are changing that perception.

u in d lcimer

In recent years, more mountain players are exploring a chordal style, using all the strings for melodies and chord formation. New mountain dulcimer designs have popped up to accommodate the shift, such as chromatic models or models with four single-course strings. Overall, it’s a charming instrument, a slice of Americana, easy to learn, but with plenty of potential for advanced study.

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The playing technique is a mishmash of techniques from other fretted string instruments. Like guitarists, mountain dulcimer players usually use their right hand for picking and left hand for fingering.

(Sometimes with a dowel, for a twangier tone.) Like a lap steel guitar, the instrument sits in the player’s lap or on a table. And like a hurdy-gurdy, it’s diatonic (see sidebar) and traditionally played as a drone instrument, meaning that the bottom two strings resonate continuously throughout the song, while the top string carries the melody.

Think of it this way: A guitar is a chromatic instrument. The interval between each fret is one half-step. Therefore, it can produce all 12 notes within an octave. A traditional mountain dulcimer, on the other hand, is diatonic.

The interval between some frets is one whole step; between others, one half-step. It’s only possible to play seven notes within each octave, but they are arranged in an ear-pleasing pattern. This limits the harmonic possibilities of the instrument, but also limits the possibility of hitting a sour note.

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By the time of the urban folk music revival in the 1940s, the mountain dulcimer’s design was standardized: between two-and-a half and three feet long, shaped like an hourglass or teardrop, fretted, and equipped with three strings (sometimes four if the highest-pitched “melody” string is doubled).

What does diatonic mean? From the Oxford Dictionary of Music:“A seven-note scale is said to be diatonic when its octave span is filled by five [whole] tones and two semi-tones.”

The pattern of intervals within major and minor scales is diatonic. The pattern in the chromatic scale is not.

Where you can hear it: Rolling Stones: “Lady Jane” Aerosmith: “Dulcimer Stomp” Joni Mitchell: “Blue” Stephen Seifert: “Westphalia Waltz” Jean Ritchie: “Gypsy Laddie” Mohave: “Big Alligator”

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a

The cast of Rita Rocks plays out their rockstar dreams. Pictured (L to R) actors Ian Gomez (bass), Raviv Ullman (drums), Tisha Campbell-Martin (keyboards), and Nicole Sullivan (guitar).

Garage Groove

Actress Nicole Sullivan Returns to Music in Rockin’ Role

W

by Liam McCabe

hen the screenwriters’ strike ended in early 2008, Nicole Sullivan told herself that she would choose her next job wisely. It had been a few years since her full-time gig on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens ended. She stayed busy in the intervening years, being a mom and making guest appearances on Scrubs and CSI, among other shows, as well as voice acting for some cartoons like Family Guy and Kim Possible.

22

mens, who dusts off her guitar and starts a garage band with a cast of characters from her neighborhood. She deals with the ups and downs of family life—working an unfulfilling job, taking care of the house, and dealing with her rebellious teenage daughter.

Sullivan had been out of work for a few months due to the strike, however, and she needed to find some new employment. She wanted her next job to be something she really wanted, not just the first script she saw after the strike.

Though Sullivan has always been shy singing in front of people, producers Stan Zimmerman and Jim Berg talked her into auditioning for the role. “I just really jived with them and I liked what they were saying about the character,” she says.

“I told them that I feel like I’m too shy to do this, and they were laughing in my face. They said, ‘We’ve seen you on [longrunning Fox sketch comedy] MADtv, don’t tell us you’re too shy.’” She easily landed the job after a network test.

But the first role she was offered turned out to be just the one she wanted. Sullivan signed on in the title role in Rita Rocks, a Lifetime sitcom about a suburban mom, Rita Cle-

Though Sullivan hasn’t played music much since high school, the musical setting of the show is familiar to her. Her parents raised her as a musical child. They put her in violin lessons at

november/december 2009

“I think music makes us better people. It rounds us out in a way that’s really important.” age six and had a piano at home that she could “tinker with,” as she puts it. She joined the concert band in high school, where she picked up the clarinet and saxophone.

Acting became the priority by the time Sullivan was in her mid-twenties, so music moved onto the backburner. In 1995, she joined the cast of MADtv in its first season and stayed around until 2001. The show drew higher Nielsen ratings than Saturday Night Live for three years in a row in the late 1990s.

After leaving MADtv, she joined The King of Queens in the role of Holly. She has also worked heaps of voice acting gigs, most recently as Marlene on The Penguins of Madagascar and Drew Saturday on Secret Saturdays. “Those are some of the best gigs you can have, I’m so thankful for them. You can show up wearing whatever you want,” Sullivan says.

Now that she’s back on a musical set—though the instruments are muted and the music is piped in during takes— Sullivan is playing a little bit again, picking up a few guitar licks here and there, and singing her own parts. Some other cast members have experience too. Tisha Campbell-Martin, who plays Patty the mail carrier and the band’s keyboardist, is quite a singer. She even released an album as a vocalist in 1993. Raviv Ullman, who plays Kip the drummer, plays drums off-camera as well.

Rita Rocks is Lifetime’s first original comedy in over a decade—about as long as creators Stan Zimmerman and Jim Berg had been sitting on the pilot script. The duo have been in TV since the early 1980s, including writing and producing stints with Roseanne and Gilmore Girls. They worked on a number of shows where executives had their hands in the creative cookie jar, so to speak, and they decided they wanted to go back to something where they could express their own unfiltered creative voices.

all that—to get into people’s consciousness. It became the right script at the right time,” Zimmerman says.

The creators also like how they get to pick which songs the band covers on the show—tunes from all different genres, like “Love Shack,” “Passionate Kisses,” “Evil Ways,” and “Ain’t Nobody.”

As Rita Rocks began its second season in October, Sullivan has now played a musical TV mom for more than a year. She also has two real-life sons, Dashel and Beckett (born in August), which qualifies her as an “expert” for other moms that want to make time to learn or relearn an instrument. Her words of advice: “They deserve it.”

“We thought, what better way to do that than this character [Rita] finding her voice through music,” Berg says. “We also liked that it was an average person just trying to keep the dream alive. We thought that was very relatable.”

“The thing I’ve learned from this show is that when you’re a better person, you’re a better mom,” she says. “I think music makes us better people. It rounds us out in a way that’s really important.”

Berg and Zimmerman wrote the pilot on spec—that is, without any backing or guaranteed deals—and had to wait until their time came. “We’re assuming that it took music becoming part of the American zeitgeist—American Idol and iPods and

Watch Rita Rocks Monday nights on Lifetime.

Liam McCABE keeps the beat with a heavy metal band when he’s not writing about music.

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Forte

Pentatonic Major Scale Follow the scale degree pattern: 1(root) – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6.

Starting on C, the notes are: C, D, E, G, A C Pentatonic Major E B G D A E

0

2

3 C Pentatonic Major

E B G D E A B E G D A E

C Pentatonic Major 3 3

0

2

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2

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2

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2

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2

Pentatonic Minor Scale

How to Start Soloing on the Guitar by jackie saunders

According to many jazz historians, the mixing of AfricanAmerican traditions with European ones heavily influenced the creation of blues in the American South. The style of music, characterized by its use of flatted notes (the 3rd, 7th, and sometimes the 5th) comes from the indigenous music of West Africa and is sometimes also used in English and Irish folk music.

For any budding rock musician and guitarist, knowledge of the blues scale is essential for learning to solo. Here are some tips to get you rockin’ your blues solo in no time.

Learn your Scales “Melodically, most blues licks are derived from the pentatonic major, pentatonic minor, and blues scales,” writes Jesse Gress, author of the Blues Lick Factory (Backbeat Books, 2007). Once you learn the scale patterns, you can use those notes to improvise your own melodies. Then, transpose them into any key by changing the starting pitch and following the same interval pattern.

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november/december 2009

b

b

C Pentatonic Minor Follow the scale degree pattern: 1(root)- 3 - 4 - 5 - 7.

E The flatted notes are lowered by a half step, in relation B to G the major scale degrees.

3 0 1

D

3

A 3 on C, the notes are: C, Eb, F, G, Bb Starting EC Pentatonic Minor E B G D E A B E G D A E

C Pentatonic Minor

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3 3

C Blues E B G D A E

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The blues 3 scale is a minor pentatonic scale with a flatted C Blues 5th added, often referred to as the “blue note.”

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B Starting on C, the notes are: C, Eb, F, Gb, G, Bb GC Blues 3 0 D E A B E G D A E

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Practice the Progression If you understand the chord progression played under your solo, you’ll have a better idea of what notes will sound best in your riffs and licks. The 12-bar blues chord progression, a simple sequence that is frequently used, is made of 12 measures and uses the I, IV, V7 chord. In E major, the sequence of chords would be: E, E, E, E, A, A, E, E, B7, A, E, E. Kathy Unruh, guitar teacher and webmaster of abclearnguitar.com, provides the following lesson to get you accustomed to the 12-bar blues.

Basic 12 Play through the exercise below, inBar the Blues key ofRhythm E, until you can (KeyBlues of E) Rhythm 12 Bar maintain a steady rhythmBasic all the way through.

(Key of E)

TablEdited byKathy Unruh TablEdited byKathy Unruh

Basic 12 Bar Blues Rhythm (Key of E)

           

E      1 2

                                                                           etc...                      etc...

1 etc... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

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    

T A T B A BT A B

4

    

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 0 0 02 2 0 0 0

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 02 0 0 2 0 0 0

1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

                                       

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E  E                                      

1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 0 0 02 2 0 0 0 A

 A           A

0

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2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 02 0 0 2 0 0 0

1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

                       

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

0

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2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

E

7

7 T

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BT A B

0

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TablEdited byKathy Unruh

E

0

1 2 1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

1 2 1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

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1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 0 0 02 2 0 0 0

            0

0

0

0

0

0

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

1 2 2 0 0 0 21 02 0 0 2 0 0 0

1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

                       

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

2 2 2 2 2 0 22 02 2 0

    B7                           

After you are comfortable moving between chords, apply them to the 12-barblues progression outlined above. Then, try transposing the progression into different keys, such as the ones shown below.

I IV V7 E A B7 A D E7 D G A7 G C D7 C F G7

B7

            0 0 0

                       

1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 21 21 0 02 02 0 2 2 0Page 0 1 /02 0 Page 1 / 2

0 0 0

1 2 1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

1 2 1 2 2 0 21 02 2 0

B7

2

2

2

2

2

2

2 0 2 2 0 1 22 2 10 22 1 2

2 0 2 2 0 1 22 2 10 22 1 2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2 0 2 2 0 1 22 2 10 22 1 2

2 0 2 2 0 1 22 2 10 22 1 2

Whatever key you are in, use the root of the chord (letter name of chord) as your bass note. For example, in A major, the I chord is A, and A will be your lowest note. The rest of the chord is built on top of that in thirds: A, C #, E. When you move to the IV chord, in this case D, the chord is built D, F#, A. The V7 chord uses four pitches instead of three, so an E7 chord is built E, G#, B, D.

Page 1 / 2

www.MakingMusicMag.com

25

Forte

Don’t be a

Jam Buster by cherie Yurco

Jam Glossary: break:

a solo

capoese:

chords played with a capo.

Etiquette to Help You Join the Jam Have you always wanted to join a jam, but are too intimidated to just jump in? Generally speaking, everyone is (or should be) welcome. However, there are some unwritten jam manners that should be followed. These may differ slightly from one jam to another. So, unless you are familiar with the jam, it’s better to watch for a few minutes until you understand the dynamics of the group.

n

26

november/december 2009

jam buster: someone who breaks up a jam.

play along: to play only back up and not take the lead.

train wreck: when a tune falls apart in the jam.

turn it around (or tag it):

repeat the last line to end a song.

Here are some tips: Tune your instrument before you join the session.

“Tuners are like mints, if someone offers you one, use it!” say Martha Haehl and Mike Walker, authors of the jamming guide Play Well with Others (How High the Moon, 2009). But never tune in the middle of someone else’s song. If the music has started and you are out of tune, step out of the circle and find a place away from the group to tune your instrument.

Be a good listener. Keep in mind that players rarely garner ill will from playing too softly. Unless you are playing a solo, you should focus on blending in. If you can’t hear a solo (or break) that’s being played, you are playing too loudly. Also, it’s rude to play along with the soloist or talk during a solo.

IN TUNE

wITh ThE

TImES.

Watch the leader. If you want to join, instead of just listening or playing along, you should be sure to make eye contact with the leader. You will rarely get a solo break without having established this level of contact.

Play what you know. If the group is playing a tune that is unfamiliar to you, don’t jump in. Jams are not practice sessions. Alternatively, don’t lead a tune that is too difficult or that the group is not likely to know.

Stick with the jam’s style. When a song or tune is simple and lyrical, don’t try to cram a bunch of notes in it.

Also, keep a good tempo so that everyone can keep up and no one falls asleep.

Wait your turn. Never jump into a jam in the middle of a song.

Circular motion. Often each participant will get a turn to lead the jam, and the lead rotates around the circle. Breaks may also go around the circle, with each person, regardless of ability, taking a turn soloing. If you don’t want to take a turn, you can signal the others by stepping back or shaking your head.

All good songs must end. Often a song goes around the circle once, to give each person a break and the person who started the song then ends it. The person who chose the song may also put his or her foot up or announce “last time” to signal the end.

Silence is golden. When a song ends, stop playing.

Relax and enjoy the ride. Remember that you are there to have fun. Above all else, forgive yourself and others for imperfect music.

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Various musical styles, as well as the traditions of the group, may dictate the unwritten rules. For example, in an old time jam it is fairly common for banjos and fiddles to play a melody in unison, but at a bluegrass jam this would be unacceptable. The book Play Well with Others offers a more detailed look at jamming etiquette. It can be ordered at www. playwellwithothers.com.

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27

Forte

Find the

Perfect Piano

vs.

acoustic

digital

Next to a home and a car, a piano is one of the biggest purchases you can make. With so many choices, it can also be one of the most confusing. If you’ve decided that you want to bring a piano into your home, just remember that preparation yields perfection!

By Meredith Laing n The first question to ask yourself is whether to look for a traditional acoustic piano or a digital piano. Professional pianists prefer acoustic pianos, which allow you to produce a wider variety of tone colors and provide better overall sound quality. On the other hand, digital pianos are generally less expensive, easier to transport, and require far less maintenance. Whichever type you chose, be patient in your search and be sure to take the time to try out many different instruments.

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november/december 2009

Which is right for you?

the 36- to 39-inch spinet, the 39- to 43inch console, and the studio, which is 44 inches or taller. A larger, high-quality upright may actually match the sound of a small grand.

Once you’ve decided between grand and upright, ask yourself whether you want to buy your piano new or used. You can find used pianos for cheap prices, but often the damage to the instrument isn’t worth the discount. Whichever route you go, the following guidelines will help you make your purchase.

First, look for obvious signs of wear: chips in the finish, a musty smell, rust, mold, or cracks. Then, play every key individually and listen for a clear tone all the way up the keyboard. Third, check that all of the pedals—there may be either two or three—are in good working condition.

If the piano has passed those three initial tests, open the top and take a look inside.

There should be a full set of 230 strings: two for each of the bass keys and three for each of the treble keys. Check that the hammer felt is thick, since worn felt can cause buzzing. Examine the soundboard, which is the large, flat piece of wood that amplifies the sound. It should be sturdy, free of cracks, and should not be laminated.

Acoustic pianos have a hefty price tag— anywhere from $2,000 to $100,000. But the good news is, if kept in good condition, pianos retain their value very well and can even increase in value.

For this reason, the general rule is to buy the best piano that your budget will allow.

Not only will a better instrument reward you with a superior sound, but it can be a good financial investment.

Acoustic

When it comes to pianos, bigger really is better: the larger the instrument, the more room there is for the sound to resonate. If you have five to nine square feet of floor space to spare, consider a grand piano, which will typically give you the best sound.

If space is limited, an upright is a more compact option, since the bulk of the instrument stands vertically against the wall.

Uprights come in three different heights:

The bridge­, which is attached to the soundboard and supports the strings, should also be free of any cracks, which can be another cause of buzzing. Finally, inspect the pin block, the piece of wood that holds the strings in place. If the strings don’t seem to be held tightly, or if the pins are not lined up evenly, the piano can easily fall out of tune.

The tone of a piano may be mellow, bright, or somewhere in between; find your own personal preference by trying out many different instruments. Keep in mind that a carpeted, curtained room will mellow out the tone a bit.

Finally, remember that an acoustic piano is not only a musical instrument, but also an elegant piece of furniture. Although it shouldn’t be your primary concern, you will probably want to consider the appearance of the piano and whether it

will fit in with the rest of your décor. You want to be able to enjoy your new piano for many years to come.

Unlike the synthesized electric keyboard, a digital piano can be used for serious piano study.

At about half the weight of an acoustic piano, and virtually maintenance free, a digital piano is a convenient option if you move frequently or if you don’t want to deal with expensive tunings and upkeep.

Or, if you are buying the piano for a child, who may or may not stick with piano lessons, the digital piano is a good way to test the waters without breaking the bank.

You can find a decent model for around $500, with top of the line models priced around $5,000.

Digital

A digital piano uses digital samples from acoustic pianos to produce a realistic sound. You’ll want to make sure that the digital model imitates an acoustic piano as closely as possible in every regard.

Choose one with the full 88 keys and at least a damper pedal with the ability to half-pedal. Make sure the keys are weighted, or in other words, have some resistance, like an acoustic piano would.

Preferably, the keys should have graded weighting, meaning that lower keys are heavier than higher keys.

Digital pianos use sensors to detect the force with which you strike the keys, allowing you to play with different dynamic levels and articulations. When you test out the piano, you’ll want to make sure that it has a wide dynamic range. Also, be sure to play each key, one at a time, starting at the bottom of the keyboard.

Listen carefully and check that there is no sudden change in volume or tone as you move your way up.

Now, listen for whether the sound source is natural: do the lower notes sound like they are coming from the left and the higher notes sound like they are coming from the right? Listen to the decay when you play both single notes and chords: does the sound cut off too quickly or linger unnaturally long? Always test the sound against that of an acoustic piano.

One downfall of the digital piano is that it can only play a limited number of

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29

notes at one time. The better models use acoustic “masking,” meaning that they drop the notes that will be least noticeable acoustically. Keep in mind that if you’re playing chords and using the pedal, or if you are using a sequencing function, the number of notes that you need adds up quickly.

Just like an acoustic piano, the most important thing you need to ask yourself is whether you like the tone and the feel of the piano. The sound quality will be most obvious in the lowest and highest notes: the bottom register should be deep and resonant, and the top of the register should be clear and not at all harsh.

Many people choose digital pianos for the ability to play with headphones and avoid bothering anyone else at home. If you fall into this category, bring your headphones with you when trying out pianos to check that the sound quality remains consistent.

When looking at speakers, follow the same rule given for acoustic pianos:

bigger is better. Even if you don’t need a lot of volume, bigger speakers will produce a better sound.

If you like bells-and-whistles, digital pianos have plenty of features that will be music to your ears. Decide which ones will be useful for your own musical purposes.

MIDI capabilities allow the piano to play back MIDI data from your computer or even other electronic instruments. Sequencing functions allow you to record different tracks and then layer them together, ideal for composers and songwriters. Teaching tools such as light-up keys and built-in rhythmic aids are great features for beginning musicians.

For all of the latest information on the piano market, check out Acoustic and Digital Piano Buyer, a hybrid book/magazine published twice a year. Visit www.pianobuyer.com for more information.

Remember, while it’s nice to have the opinion of a salesperson or a professional pianist, you are the one who is going to be playing and listening to the instrument; only you can decide which one is just right for you. Happy shopping!

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30

november/december 2009

sharpsandflats Mandolin n This is how I keep picks from flying out of my hand. Using a 1.0 mm or heavier pick, take a paper punch and punch half way through it. Then turn it over and do the other side, but in a slightly different spot. These dimples will give you an excellent hold on a pick, without having to squeeze hard.

James Coon, Rochester Hills, Michigan

drums n When I am learning a new rhythm, first I center myself,

taking deep breaths, letting go of the mind chatter. I begin by saying the rhythm, then I start moving my arms, hands, fingers, and sticks very slowly. After I feel I have internalized the exercise, I try to add another pulse rhythm. As time passes, I may add some musical variations.

Rex Bacon, Strongsville, Ohio

general n The key to being able to sightread well: stay with the basics!

First, look at the music’s time signature, key, and tempo indications. Then quickly look it over for repeats, tempo changes, key changes, patterns, possible difficulties/alternate fingerings, dynamics, style, and mood.

Mitchell Estrin, Gainsville, Florida

piano n As a beginner on piano, play what you like and are familiar

with. In time, you will be able to look at a sheet of music and play what is written. After all, we learn to type by typing familiar words, not complicated jargon. The same applies to the piano. Anything you play will develop your skill.

Penny Parsons, San Bernardino, California

How do you practice?

Sharps & Flats are quick and easy practice ideas for all instruments and playing levels. Do you have a tip, trick, or piece of advice (in 150 words or less) that you’d like to share with Making Music’s readers? We’d love to hear it! Send us an e-mail at afollett@MakingMusicMag.com.

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31

Forte

Keeping Tabs

al Does music notation look like Sanskrit?

By Liam McCabe

Tablature (commonly called “tabs”) is a style of musical notation that indicates fingering rather than pitch, as in regular ol’ staff notation. The use of tabs dates back to at least the 14th century, when it was used for plucked string instruments like lutes and harps. Today, it’s the preferred style of notation for guitarists in many genres. n When people talk about tabs, they’re often referring to ASCII-style tabs—text files created on a computer using letters, numbers, and symbols for easy dissemination across the Internet. More traditional, sophisticated systems for tabs are used in books, but ASCII tabs are the predominant style used among guitarists sharing music on the Internet.

Guitar tablature offers some distinct advantages over staff notation. Since a guitar has a range of roughly five octaves and can hit some ledger lines in both the upper and lower registers, guitar music can be a hassle to read. Tabs avoid this problem. A horizontal line represents each string and a number represents each fret. Even a total novice can use tabs to play his or her favorite songs minutes after picking up a guitar for the first time because tabs indicate where each finger goes on the fretboard.

Staff notation requires an extra step of first determining the pitch on the staff, then figuring out how to finger that pitch on the fretboard.

The guitar’s layout lends itself to tablature. The bottom line represents the lowest-pitched string and the top line represents the highest-pitched string. Most tabs label each line with a note that the corresponding string should be tuned to, although some label each line as though it were in standard tuning, even when it indicates a different tuning at the top of the page. The guitarist should read the tab sheet completely before trying to play it. There also may be helpful playing tips included.

32 32

november/december november/december 2009 2009

r a t i u G ight m s tab ou. y r o be f

Are led ger lines as irritatin g an itchy as foot?

Tabs, the Internet, and Copyrights Before you start downloading all the tabs for The Beatles’ catalogue on a peer-to-peer network, there are a few things to consider: When it comes to copyrights, guitar tab websites fall into a gray area. In early 2006, the Music Publishers’ Association (MPA) threatened legal action against some tab websites, if they did not remove their tabs. The MPA says that tabs are copyrighted material, and as such, most tab websites infringe on copyrights because do not have permission to reproduce that material, nor do they pay royalties.

Tab sites argue that most songs are never published as tabs in the first place and there is no

other way for many musicians to learn these songs. Therefore, they feel the tabs should fall under fair use for educational purposes. Though dozens of sites went offline because of MPA threats, none have been taken to court. “Legal” books of tabs are available at music stores and online.

Also, because anyone from a 10-year-old just learning guitar to a seasoned professional can post them, tabs found on the Internet may be incorrect. Remember that tabs are a very basic method of learning a song and don’t allow you to talk about the music with other musicians using notes and chords.

The tab in Figure 1 (below) is in standard tuning. Figure 2 is in Eb, where each string is tuned a half-step down.

The tuning for each string is indicated to the left of lines.

Figure 1: Figure 2: e|---- eb|---- B|---- Bb|---- G|---- Gb|---- D|---- Db|---- A|---- Ab|---- E|---- Eb|---- When a number appears on a line (string), it indicates that the note should be played with the corresponding fret.

When numbers are lined up vertically across a few lines, they’re played at the same time to form a chord. Take a look at these three simple examples.

Example 1: The guitarist first plays the low E string with the first fret pressed down, then plays an open E, then plays the A with the second fret pressed, then plays the D with the third fret pressed.

Example 2: The guitarist plays the bottom three strings simultaneously, pressing down the second fret on both the A and D string. He then plays the bottom three strings at the same time with the corresponding frets pressed. Then he plays the A, D, and G strings simultaneously with the indicated frets pressed, and then plays the top three strings with the corresponding frets pressed.

Example 1:

Example 2:

e|-------

e|------3-

B|-------

B|------4-

G|-------

G|----8-4-

D|------3

D|2-5-8---

A|----2--

A|2-5-6---

E|1-0----

E|0-3-----

Other symbols indicate different techniques, including ‘h’ for hammer-on, ‘p’ for pull-off, ‘/’ for a slide, ‘b’ for bend, and loads more. They may vary from tab to tab, though the best tabs will include a guide.

Example 3: The guitarist plays the first fret on the low E string, hammers onto the second fret, and pulls off back to the first fret. He then plays the third fret on the A and slides up to the fifth fret. Then he plays the fifth fret on the B, bends the string so that it sounds like he’s playing a whole step up on the seventh fret, and releases the bend back to the fifth fret.

Example 3: e|------------B|--------5b7r5 G|------------D|------------A|-----3/5----E|1h2p1-------There are some downsides to using tabs—rhythms are rarely included, and the easy-to-read format gives guitarists a crutch to lean on, so they don’t have to learn staff notation or music theory. But on the whole, tablature is an effective, efficient notation system for modern guitar. www.MakingMusicMag.com

33

Forte clip ‘n’ save

Moving on Up

Understanding Different Types of Scales n Everyone learns to play scales when first starting out on an instrument. Hopefully, you’re still diligent about using them in your warm-up routine. But do you really understand the theory behind what you’re playing?

A scale can start on any note, and then follows a specific pattern of whole-steps (major seconds) and half-steps (minor seconds), depending on the type of scale. The most commonly used scales are major and minor.

Minor Minor scales are a little trickier because there are three different D major: types. For two of them, you actually have to stray from the key signature and use accidentals. However, the simplest minor scale, the natural minor, stays within its key signature. Its interval pattern is whole-half-wholewhole-half-whole-whole.

D minor (natural): D minor (natural):

D major:

Major A major scale consists of seven different notes plus an eight pitch, which is the same as the first, but played an octave higher. We can refer to the notes as scale degrees one through eight. In a major scale, the interval, or distance, between scale degrees two and three is a half-step and the interval between scale degrees major: is a half-step. All of the other intervals seven andDeight are whole-steps. So, the pattern of intervals is wholewhole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. The scale follows the key signature of the note that it starts and ends on, allowing that interval pattern to fall into place.

D major: D major:

minor (harmonic):minor scale is identical to the natural miTheD harmonic nor except that the seventh scale degree is raised by a D major: half-step with an accidental. This means that the interval D minor (natural): between scale degrees six and seven becomes even larger than a whole step; the interval is an “augmented second,” or the equivalent of three half-steps. If you play through the scale, you’ll hear that the augmented second D minor (melodic): gives it an Arabic flavor.





 

D minor (natural):

D minor (harmonic): D minor (harmonic):

D minor (natural):



D minor (harmonic): D minor (natural):









34



november/december 2009



D minor (harmonic):

 

minor (melodic): TheDmelodic minor is the most common type of minor scale. In the melodic minor, scale degrees six and seven are each raised by a half-step on the way up the scale, and then return to their natural positions on the way down.

D minor (melodic): D minor (melodic):



For a fun tool that’s always “at hand,”check out the Chromatic Watches at chromaticwatch.com. The clock numbers are replaced with all 12 music note D minor (harmonic): D minor (melodic): names by half-step, so that you can easily figure out any scale pattern at any time!

D minor (melodic):



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Play more, practice less, find happiness When I was a kid, I practiced just enough to get by. No more, if at all possible. Oboe was my instrument, and even without a lot of effort, I progressed quickly. I sure liked that easy achievement—it gave me time to do many important things, like hanging around with my friends and imagining playing in big concert halls.

BY Brian Charles ven with all that free time, I got really, really good, really, really fast.

Too fast for my own good. There was little in the way of challenge. No struggle to get better. It just came to me. Senior year in high school I was looking at a fat envelope from my first choice school. Along with a scholarship to the music conservatory of my dreams, I also received positive reinforcement of my practice methods.

I didn’t see the brick wall that was just up ahead. Let’s just say the transition from high school to college was not an easy one.

In the big leagues, no effort equals no results. If you knew me in those early college years, you’d know to look for me in the school practice rooms. As it turns out, I wasn’t a prodigy. It might have been a lot easier that way. Instead, I was scared. I had bitten off a lot, and I was choking on it—I could feel the dream of playing in a major orchestra slipping away before I even got a chance to show up for an audition.

At that turning point, I made a decision that has influenced my entire life. I wanted so desperately to succeed and I needed to prove to myself, one way or another, what I was capable of. So … I practiced.

And I practiced and practiced and practiced. Days went by. I progressed just a little at first. Not fast enough to keep up, but enough to keep me going. Weeks went by

and hard-to-play musical passages seemed easier—I was progressing. Continued and accelerated practice led to new sounds and abilities coming under my control.

After months of practice, I could play in tune, with nice tone, for much longer. My teacher was happy with the results. I was happy that my teacher was happy.

Then, something unexpected and wonderful happened. My continued hours of concentration and repetition started feeling less like practicing and more like playing—less like work and more like fun. There was a subtle wink when the shift from practice to play occurred. It’s hidden somewhere in my memory and I can’t recall the point exactly, as much as I try. When I was right in the middle of it, right where I belonged, it passed by on little cat feet, and the moments shifted to the next and the next. I was working at music and then, I was playing music. It was beautiful.

My dad once asked me, “What’s the most important thing in life?” and I was all over the road with my answer. Success? Friendship? Love? Achievement? He shook his head, smiled, and said, “Happiness.”

I found happiness in the incremental results of my struggles back then. The positive feedback I received was still meaningful, but not so crucial. I began to experience the power of having a calm inner sense of what I could do—what I

was capable of when I put my all into my music making. The results were positive and helpful, but it began to become clear that the way I achieved and grew that inner place of calm was through work and struggle.

From my vantage point today, as an experienced professional musician, I can assure you that happiness is not only to be found in the results of your work, but with all its profound implications. It is within and during the concentration and repetition itself. There is happiness waiting for you in the daily challenges of the practice room.

There is no reason to practice if you don’t want to get better. And I think we all do truly want to get better­—be better. There is no way to get truly, deeply better without concentrated effort. As a musician, you get to build your future every time you decide to pluck a string or sing a note.

I wasn’t so sure my dad had it right at the time. I believe him now—wholeheartedly.

Practice as though your happiness depends upon it. The rest will come.

Brian Charles is a Juilliard trained oboist who has taught and performed in many countries. He owns Charles Double Reed Company (www.charlesmusic.com) and North Conway Music Shop. read his blog at northconwaymusicblog.blogspot.com/ www.MakingMusicMag.com

35

inthe spotlight n Carl Franklin’s mother started him and his older brother, Jay, on the piano when they were four and five years old. “She had us singing choral music in the Westerly, Rholde Island, Community Chorus when we were eight,” recalls Franklin. “I started playing guitar at age 10, and by age 15 my brother and I were playing gigs at local bars. Jay picked up bass around age 13. Interestingly, he taught himself guitar by watching me and I taught myself bass by watching him.”

After high school, Franklin attended Berklee College of Music in Boston for a year, then Full Sail School for Recording Arts in Orlando, completing a comprehensive course in recording engineering. “I played in bands for a while and drifted into software development, a field I was extremely interested in,” he explains.

GEARGuide

Now firmly established in the software development business, Franklin is also a songwriter/singer who plays guitar, bass, piano, drums, and dabbles with trumpet. “I also fancy myself a pretty good producer, my sharpest skills being mixing, EQ, and production,” he says.

Picks: Dunlop extra heavy (1.5

mm) picks. “The heavier the pick, the less I have to work to hit the string just right.”

Who are your musical influences?

I grew up listening to The Beatles, Eagles, Steve Miller, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Frampton, Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, etc.

In the ’80s I was fascinated with Talking Heads. I later got into jazz listening to Bird, Satchmo, Miles, then Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Dave Brubeck, and more recently Medeski Martin & Wood, The Meters, Jon Cleary, and other New Orleans bands.

Why do you continue to make music?

To satisfy my soul. It’s that simple. I love how music stimulates both halves of my brain. I can craft out a story in lyrics, compose music to fit the scene, and lay down a recording with high-tech gear, but if the performance isn’t on, none of that matters. That’s why I love having my own studio. I can keep coming back to the music until I get it right.

How do you continue to learn?

I learn best by listening. I will take a solo apart note by note. It doesn’t matter what instrument. I listen and I play it back, melding it into my own style. On the rare occasions when I get to sit down and study with someone I admire, I soak it in like a sponge.

What benefits have you found to making music?

Financially, none. It has been an expensive craving to feed.

But, I honestly don’t know what I would do without music in my life. It’s my lifeline to eternity.

How do you make time for music in your life?

Guitar: 2009 Gibson Johnny A with a Bigsby tailpiece, “From the first time I played the Johnny A it sang in my hands. It was a magical vibration.”

Eventually, Franklin started his own developer training company and he now produces and hosts podcasts on Microsoft .NET programming. The advertising revenue has enabled him to build the recording studio of his dreams. He’s even recorded jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut and produced an unreleased album for Ray LaMontagne.

“I have even taken to recording videos where I play every instrument and sing all the parts,” says Franklin. “You can find them on YouTube or on my blog: shrinkster.com/18XU.”

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carlfranklin

november/december 2009

The question is, how do I make time for my life with all the music going on? I have integrated it that far into my work and life!

What advice do you have for someone getting back into music later in life?

Let your instrument be your best friend. It’s a cliché, but nobody lays on their deathbed wondering if they worked hard enough. Usually the laments are around not taking time to satisfy the soul. I want to leave no stone unturned.

What is your best memory of making music?

When I was 17 I played Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” at an outdoor concert for about 10,000 people. I ripped the solo pretty much note for note. The crowd was so into it. Another great moment was a guitar solo I did in a cover of “Stir It Up.” I had a direct line from heart to brain to fingers. The notes just sang.

Tuned In PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Tortoiseshell Picks ❱❱ These were the premium picks back before the celluloid days. Originally made from flattened shells of nowendangered sea tortoises, they go for a smooth $30 per pick. Modern producers use substitutes like Tortex and New Tortis to mimic the no-slip grip and feel of tortoiseshell.

Try this: Tortex Standard by Jim Dunlop

Fingerpicks Used for a little extra edge when fingernails can’t quite cut it, these slip over the fingertips and around the thumb and should sit snugly and comfortably without wrecking a fine manicure. They are available in stainless steel, brass, celluloid plastic, and other materials.

Try this: Thumb and fingerpicks by Planet Waves

Coins Brian May of Queen and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top are big fans of coins. May’s favorite is out of mint, so he has a custom pick to match his beloved British sixpence coin. Gibbons uses pesos polished by a specialty company. Be sure to file away the raised edges before playing with a coin—it’ll make your strings last longer.

Try this: Some Dude’s Peso Picks

Bass Picks Though they aren’t usually marketed specifically for electric bass, some picks are so heavy that the only logical application is for the thicker strings and low end on the four-stringer. Bassists need that extra weight to get a good tone at the right speed.

Try this: Big Stubby by Jim Dunlop

Pick Wisely n Picks are a type of plectrum, the catch-all term for an object used to strum or pluck a stringed instrument. Like many small accessories, they’re available in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of styles—enough for any musician to find the right one.

The modern era of guitar picks began in 1922, when Luigi D’Andrea accidentally made the first celluloid picks. He stumbled upon a few sheets of tortoiseshell-colored plastic and hammered out a few hundred heart-shaped trinkets, which he later sold to a music store.

Most of today’s commercially available picks are made from synthetic materials like celluloid, nylon, and Tortex (also known as Delrex), though some are still made from yesteryear favorites like stone, ivory, or tortoiseshell. Some players prefer a DIY approach, using plastic cut from or punched out of credit cards.

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top uses a Mexican Peso coin, polished and filed into the shape of a regular pick.

Picks also come in a wide variety of thicknesses (pun intended), usually measured in millimeters.

Anything under .38 mm is considered very light, while any pick thicker than 1.5 mm is very heavy, though they come as thick as 3.5 mm. (For reference, a nickel is about two millimeters thick.)

Rhythm guitarists tend to prefer light-to-medium picks, something that has enough give to allow for fast strumming patterns. Jazz and other lead guitarists lean toward thicker picks for greater clarity, while acoustic guitarists like thicker picks for the added projection they provide. Bassists who use picks need rather thick models to move the heavier strings. Banjo players and finger style guitarists confuse the matter even further with their fingerpicks, which slip onto the ends of their fingers and also come in myriad materials, thicknesses, and designs.

The most common pick shape is one pointy, almost triangular, edge and two rounded edges, and most other designs are variations on a vaguely triangular shape. Some feature ridges or “friction coatings” to add an extra edge to pick scrapes and slides. Check out the US Patent Office’s records for a list of other models—at least 18 by our count.

It’s healthy for guitarists, banjoists, and other stringed instrumentalists to get caught up in the minutiae of plectra—they’re cheap and plentiful and can have a hugely positive effect on playing. They are, after all, the inflection point between the brain’s creativity and the hand’s physical execution. www.MakingMusicMag.com

37

Tuned In

Gypsy-Jazz Goes Electric ❱❱ Gitane’s newest guitar brings the classic Selmer-Maccaferri look into the acoustic/ electric arena. Based on the original Maccaferri design made popular by the great gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, the DG-455 features a sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides, ebony purfling, a bone nut with zero fret, and a mahogany neck joined at the 14th fret. Fishman’s latest pickup, the Aura System, provides the player with a wide range of pure tones and effects suitable for many styles of music. This beauty is sure to please the guitarist on your list.

MSRP: $1,995

For the Home Recorder ❱❱ Turn your home computer into an entire music production facility with easy-to-use, affordable Mixcraft 4 multi-track audio and MIDI recording software by Acoustica. Mixcraft 4 can record your single session or your entire band using its simple interface. But this software is anything but basic. It features Mixcraft 4’s Virtual Instrument, supporting an enormous list of virtual professional instruments, an elegant and powerful interface, custom looping, a large MIDI library, and complete mix down capabilities to MP3 and other audio files.

MSRP: $75

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November/December 2009

For more products visit www.MakingMusicMag.com/tunedin

Cello!

It’s a Bass! ❱❱ NS Design has radically combined elements of the cello and the electric bass guitar. Available in a variety of configurations, the Bass Cello can be either plucked or bowed with the aid of the Boomerang Support System. A fully adjustable Polar Piezo pickup delivers deep acoustic tones, and custom EMG pickups give the sound a more powerful, electric edge. An on-board preamp, EQ, and mixer allow the player to hone in a wide range of tone colors. The bass cello makes a great gift for the musician looking to try something new.

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Get your free box of Rico Reserve Classic clarinet reeds today.

Simply email your name, email address, mailing address and desired reed strength to tryreserveclassic@daddario.com.

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MSRP: $3,580-$4,040

Feeling Grand ❱❱ Casio’s newest line of digital pianos incorporates new technology that more accurately synthesizes the sound and feel of an acoustic grand piano. The Privia PX-130 (pictured), PX-330, and PX-730 come standard with new technology that provides smoother dynamics and a more responsive feel than previous designs. They even imitate the sound of a damper pedal against the strings, and feature improved sensors that more precisely measure key velocity and pressure. One of these three models is sure to meet the needs of whoever you may be shopping for.

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Reserve Classic clarinet reeds are the result of a collaborative project with Mark Nuccio from the New York Philharmonic. They offer the perfect combination of flexibility and projection

Reserve reeds feature:

• Special cane curing process that helps reduce reed warping • Gradual tip shape adding more tonal warmth • Traditional tip thickness for a quick articulation • Offered in 2.0 to 4.5 including a 3.5+ and 4.0+ strength • Like the Reserve line, uses only the densest, lower internode cane for longer durability and consistency

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39

Tuned In

For more products visit www.MakingMusicMag.com/tunedin

Singing Strings ❱❱ D’Addario’s Prelude Cello Strings set makes a perfect stocking-stuffer for a cello player. The strings feature a solid steel core, making them durable and long-lasting.

Heavy tension allows for greater volume and facilitates sound projection, even in the largest and noisiest ensembles. From the clarity and warmth of the low registers to the brilliance of the high registers, it’s hard to believe that Prelude strings come at such an affordable price.

MSRP: $68

A Maui Vacation ❱❱ Even in the winter months, you can almost feel the sand between your toes when you lay your eyes on Ohana’s new CK-60C concert size ukulele. This surprisingly affordable instrument features solid mahogany top, back and sides, rosewood bridge and binding, bone nut and saddle, and high quality Gotoh tuners. Its cutaway body and extended fingerboard increase the functionality of the instrument, and its genuine abalone floral inlay design and elegantly simple position markers add tasteful cosmetic flair. Ohana carefully inspects each instrument before shipping, and the CK-60C is no exception.

MSRP: $349

For the Music Student ❱❱ Superscope manufactures a portable recording device designed to facilitate learning. The PSD340 records directly to CD via its onboard condenser microphone, and plays back through a built-in speaker. The two-CD drive configuration makes it easy to burn duplicates and to play along with an accompaniment track. Playback options include key and tempo control, loop points, and a feature that lowers vocal line volume. PSD340 has XLR and quarter-inch line inputs, standard line output jacks, onboard effects, and a metronome.

MSRP: $1,099

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November/December 2009

Spruce Up Your Holiday

Chromatic Time ❱❱ The Chromatic Watch puts an interesting spin on the concept of time, exploiting the similarities between our system of time and the organization of music by replacing the 12 hours of the day with successive chromatic scale pitches. It also serves as a learning tool by relating the musical alphabet to the common human experience of telling time. Available in three sizes, the Chromatic Watch dial is protected by a gold case and features a leather strap for added comfort and durability. The holidays are a perfect time for a Chromatic Watch.

❱❱ Stone Tree Guitar Company, through newsoundacoustics.com, is providing instruments for the next generation of players looking for genuine tone in an acoustic package. Weighing in at four pounds, the NRS-Spruce is the lightest instrument in the thin-body acoustic guitar class, and a solid sitka spruce top gives surprising tone and volume unplugged. For amplification, an LR Baggs Element pickup and three-band EQ and master volume control deliver clear, undistorted tone, and the absence of a traditional sound hole cuts annoying stage feedback to a minimum.

MSRP: $2,900

MSRP: $39

High-Tech Tunes ❱❱ For the iPhone and iPod Touch users on your gift list, check out this new application.

Bandmaster from RoGame Software offers a virtual band right in your pocket. Providing realistic bass, percussion, and piano sounds, it’s ideal both for composing tunes and practicing along with a band. BandMaster comes with more than 20 song templates that include blues and jazz forms and much more. Starting with one of these templates, you can easily build a standard song to play along with, or even create your own unique composition. Although nothing beats the experience of practicing with a live band, BandMaster comes close.

MSRP: $20

www.MakingMusicMag.com

41

Accents

Tribal Winds

Exploring Native American Flute by cherie yurco

There’s something about the sound of the Native American flute that relaxes listeners, and at the same time, draws them in. The soft and mellow sound makes it pleasant to practice, and because the instruments are tuned to play minor pentatonic scales, all of the notes and combinations of notes played sound good together.

It’s an easy instrument to learn and improvise on and does not require a special embouchure.

n

Though a simple instrument, its unique design makes it the only flute that uses two air chambers. Usually a fetish (often a bird) is tied to the top of the flute. Air is blown into the top (or slow) chamber, where it is split, with part of it going to the secondary chamber and part of it leaving the top chamber. There are two variations on the design. A plains flute has a spacer or a channel carved into the fetish to form a thin, flat air stream for the whistle hole, while on a woodlands flute, the channel is carved into the top of the flute, giving it a less reedy sound.

There are many traditions and legends about Native American flutes and the instruments have been used in rituals, courtship, meditation, and healing. One legend has it that the wind blowing through a woodpecker’s holes in a hollow tree branch inspired the first Native American flute maker. In one tradition, a young man would make a flute and play a song that he and his beloved knew. Upon hearing his flute and understanding his intentions the young lady would join him. He would then discard the flute and never play it again.

Native American flutes were first chronicled by explorers in the 1500s and archaeologists excavating on a Navajo reservation in Arizona discovered flutes as old as AD 620. However, these early flutes were not designed like contemporary native flutes.

As there is no written history, it is unknown how and when the current design developed.

Traditionally, flute making and playing were personalized. Flute measurements were based on the maker’s arm length and hand, finger, and thumb size. The instruments didn’t fit into Western tuning and scales, but instead, followed the personal scales of the flute maker, who would adjust hole size to what

42

November/December 2009

sounded best to him. Songs were owned by the writer and not played by others unless “gifted” to them.

In the early 20th Century, the American government’s attempts to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream culture nearly stopped the flow of Native American oral history, traditions, rituals, and culture to younger generations. Fortunately, a few elders held onto the traditions of flute making and playing, and in the late 1940s, those traditions began to resurface.

Interest in world and New Age music in the 1980s greatly increased the popularity of Native American flutes. Flutist R. Carlos Nakai is considered a pioneer in bringing the instrument into the mainstream. Today the ethereal and soulful sound of Native American flute can be heard in songs from folk, rock, jazz quartets, and even symphony orchestras. Native American flute circles have popped up all around the country.

Native American flutes can be ordered online and are priced from around $50 to $400. Easy Native American Flute lessons can be found on YouTube and will allow you to sound great in less than one hour. If you would like to meet other Native American flutists visit the website of the International Native American World Flute Association to see if there is a flute circle near you.

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www.MakingMusicMag.com

43

Covered RESOURCES

Jazz Piano Handbook: Essential Jazz Piano Skills for All Musicians n If chord symbols on lead

The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars n The Bass Book tells the

story of the electric bass from Fender’s classic Precision and Jazz through five-strings and six-strings, synth bass, fretless, plastic, digital modeling, and more. It covers all the key players from Jack Bruce to Paul McCartney to Jaco Pastorius, and many others. Original interviews with makers and players, along with hundreds of photographs, make it the most complete book on the instrument to date.

The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars, by Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse, Backbeat Books, New York, NY, 2008.

The Opera Companion n The Opera Companion contains synopses of 47 of the most frequently performed operas, with key words to clue listeners in to the action and musical descriptions.

A catalog of major operas lists composers, librettists, as well as dates and places where the operas were first performed. Designed as a reference for devoted opera fans, as well as a guide for beginners, the book explains the structure of opera in chapters on the overture, melody, aria, and recitative. A short history of opera and a glossary are also included.

The Opera Companion, by George Martin, Amadeus Press, New York, NY, 2008.

44

November/December 2009

sheets look like Sanskrit to you, this practical, all-in-one guide is the crash course in jazz piano you’ve been waiting for. Respected jazz educator Michele Weir presents her lessons in logical order beginning with keyboard skills through lead-sheet reading, basic improvisation, chord voicing, and color notes. Fourteen practice etudes, a handy chord chart, and a 24-track demonstration CD are included as well. You’ll need a grasp of fundamental music theory—scales, intervals, and triads—but no experience with the piano is necessary, making this a solid choice for hobbyists and accompanists alike.

Jazz Piano Handbook: Essential Jazz Piano Skills for All Musicians, by Michele Weir, Alfred Publishing, Van Nuys, CA, 2008.

Composing Digital Music for Dummies n More and more musicians are composing and recording their own music tracks and posting them online. This has become possible largely through the latest digital recording technologies, which allow musicians with the right software to compose and record on simple laptop computers. In this book, musician, composer, and computer expert Russell Dean Vines takes you step-by-step through the entire process. Dean explains how to write and record more complex music—ways to enter notes, hook up a keyboard or a guitar, insert drum parts, and mark up scores. A demo version of Sibelius 5 is included on a CD, along with templates and audio MP3 files of examples found in the book.

Composing Digital Music for Dummies, by Russell Dean Vines, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2008.

Unlocking the Masters n The latest books in Amadeus Press’s Unlocking

the Masters series include books on Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, and Jean Sibelius.

Beethoven Symphonies: A Guided Tour is an in-depth exploration of Beethoven’s nine symphonies, placing them in historical and cultural context. An accompanying CD contains selections from all of the symphonies, conducted by the legendary Wilhelm Furtwängler.

Debussy: The Quiet Revolutionary explores the sophistication and refinement of Debussy’s music, pointing out subtleties that it would take years of listening to uncover. It discusses how the composer developed his own sound from a variety of musical inspirations and how those sounds influenced other composers.

An accompanying CD includes selections from the maestro’s masterworks.

Sibelius: The Orchestral Works, An Owner’s Manual looks at more than 80 of Sibelius’s orchestral pieces and invites readers to identify and enjoy the fascinating mix of elements within them. It explores how the composer’s brilliance led to an unprecedented cultural flowering from his homeland of Finland.

Two CDs—one with a rich section of Sibelius’s music and the other a representative selection of the music from his Finnish contemporaries and successors— are included.

Beethoven Symphonies: A Guided Tour by John Bell Young; Debussy: The Quiet Revolutionary by Victor Lederer; Sibelius: The Orchestral Works, An Owner’s Manual by David Hurwitz; Amadeus Press, New York, NY, 2008.

www.MakingMusicMag.com

45

Destination

The Story

Behind theAward

The Grammy Museum Shares Music History by cherie yurco n Last year, while marking its 50th anniversary, The Recording Academy

opened a 30,000 square-foot Grammy Museum in Los Angeles’s L.A. LIVE Entertainment District. The museum uses more than 30 original films and two-dozen interactive exhibits to explore the enduring legacies and creative process behind all forms of music.

“Through the lens of the Grammy Awards, the Grammy Museum tells the story of making music in a new and exciting way,” says Robert Santelli, the museum’s executive director. “Our exhibits and programs explore the process of music making— from songwriting to recording—while celebrating the interconnected histories of all genres of music.”

From the entrance, visitors are whisked to the fourth floor where the interactive tour begins with a tunnel of bold graphics and music opening into a gallery space filled with films, artifacts, and interactive exhibits to capture the legacy of recorded music and its place in social and cultural history. More than 160 genres of music are explored through imagery and song.

46

November/December 2009

Moving downward, the third floor is dedicated to the art and technology of the recording process, from its history to a hands-on studio experience. The voices of musicians, producers, and engineers tell visitors what it takes to create a legendary song. An Everything Grammy exhibit explores the history, glamour, and excitement of the awards, through exhibits showing everything from memorable outfits to how the winners are selected and how the live telecast is put together each year.

The second floor includes a 200-seat Grammy Sound Stage that features a film taking a backstage look at the awards show. A special exhibit’s gallery is home to temporary exhibits shown on a rotating basis. Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred

Wertheimer, a new Smithsonian exhibit will debut at the Grammy Museum on what would have been Elvis’s 75th birthday, January 8, 2010, for three months. These striking images give a glimpse of Elvis just before he became famous.

The museum complements its exhibits with public programs inviting adults, children, and families to explore music through artist interviews, live performances, film screenings, lectures, artists in residence, and classes.

The Grammy Museum is open seven days a week and admission is $14.95 for adults, with discounted prices for senior citizens and youth. Children under the age of five are free.

$74.95 MIDI • Instruments • Loops • Recording • Effects Download a FREE trial at www.acoustica.com/mixcraft *Requires Microsoft Windows

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November/December 2009

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

How did you begin making music?

I still was able to play along with my mom. In high school and college, I played both clarinet and alto sax, but never excelled. After college the instruments went into hibernation and I saw little of them. About 20 years later, my mother visited me and she brought my sax and clarinet. I started to revisit them and a music teacher encouraged me to join a community band. That was 15 years ago and I have been with it ever since. Community music is a joy to participate in.

Pete Grice Flanders, New Jersey n I began taking piano lessons two years

after my teenage son began taking guitar lessons. One day I told him how lucky he was to be able to take music lessons and how I had always wanted to take piano lessons when I was his age. He said, “Why don’t you take lessons now?”

I had some excuses—I didn’t have a piano, I was a middle-aged mom, I was too busy—but I ignored those excuses.

Now I have a nice electronic keyboard and I have been playing for two years and I love it. My son and I learn things from each other and playing music together in the evening is a wonderful and relaxing way to end the day.

Terri Smith Sharpsburg, Georgia n My music background started when I was a child and my mother played the piano though she couldn’t read a note of music. I became interested in the clarinet at about age seven. I took private lessons, but never really had a deep appreciation for the rudiments.

n I began my musical journey when

I bought a large shofar while touring Jerusalem in 1993. It is a horn from a Kudu, an animal that roams the hills of Judea. The horns are cleaned and polished and a hole is bored. I loved blowing (sounding) it in church as it has much biblical meaning. As years went by, I wanted to play a real brass trumpet, so I bought a Bach trumpet on eBay. But I had a problem—embouchure! I couldn’t even buzz the mouthpiece.

n In 1966, when I was 16 and living in

California, my mother encouraged me to buy a cheap Woolworth’s electric guitar for $10 and she got a young college guy from our church to teach me basic chords and music. He started me on Beatles songs. I had an instruction album by The Ventures and learned “Pipeline,” “Walk, Don’t Run,” “Wipe Out,” and other surf tunes. I also took lessons from a guitarist at our local music shop who taught me Rolling Stones tunes. Soon I began composing my own songs using the chords they taught me.

I’ve now been playing for 43 years.

Harry Winters Jacksonville, Florida

Three and a half years ago our church formed a brass band. I wished I could do it, but I still couldn’t buzz. I pressed on and in a few weeks dreams of Harry James began to appear. I took private lessons at home and soon I was playing with the group. Next, I joined a New Horizons Band in Saline, Michigan.

Now I play where I can—nursing homes, public events, and specials on Sundays. I still have that shofar and I even have calls to demonstrate it. I guess I will always be a bone and brass guy.

n I was 14 years old in 1960 and growing up in the Bronx. My friends were getting into playing guitars and banjos, inspired by people like Pete Seeger and the Weavers, the Kingston Trio, etc.

After a period of watching them play, a friend asked me if I wanted to learn a little bit of banjo playing. He showed me the basic pattern of the “frailing” style. When I went home, I asked my dad if we still had the old banjo he had bought at an auction for $1 (and paid $35 to fix up). This is the same banjo I’d taken a few lessons on and never developed much interest. With my friends playing and the chance to fit in and get attention for playing an instrument, I practiced hard. Another friend gave me a songbook with chords in it, and before long, I was playing. I am now a professional player.

Tom Cubberly Michigan Center, Michigan

Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick Niwot, Colorado

What are your musical resolutions for 2010?

Send your comments to Harmony@MakingMusicMag.com

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november/december November/December2009 2009

Local Events FALL 2009 Semi-Finals FEBRUARY 2010 National Finals MARCH 2010 Join in the musical fun of the second annual Atelier Organ Fest and win a trip to compete in the National Finals in Los Angeles, CA.

Want the scoop on how to enter? Go to www.RolandUS.com/AtelierFest for all the details.