Week 39 - Spotify, making a transcription with Sibelius and studying Medieval music history

1. Stuff done this week


Yeah! I'm proud to say that my band's debut album is now available from Spotify. It is rather an oldie (2 years old?) and I'm sort of embarrassed by the quality... but heck: I'm still proud!
Please, feel free to check it out on Crimson Inc on Spotify. (Or rather: feel free to buy it, to sponsor my further musical education ;-).

 Further started mess around with the music notation software Sibelius to transcribe an Irish Traditional: The Galway Hornpipe. I used an audio file of this tune being played by my mandolin teacher. I believe it is pretty accurate. Haven't figured out how to add grace notes yet.




The Galway Hornpipe transcribed by Nils Bruijel



2. Listening done this week

I attempted a listening assigment. From the list of music pieces below I attempted to try to identify whether they were written in duple, triple or quadruple time.

 Tritsch Tratsch Polka (Johann Strauss)
I found this rendition of Strauss famous composition by conductor Willi Boskovsky and the Wiener Philharmoniker (1997). My answer: I'm guessing this is written in duple time; it has a strong marching feel. One-two, one-two...
Correct answer: Duple time.

Sarabande in D minor (George Frederic Handel)
My answer: Beautiful, slow piece with a repeating melody played by the string section and then the horn and woodwind section of the orchestra. I'm having trouble determining the time signature. It is does not fit quadruple time, but it does seem to fit duple time and triple time. My guess it is triple time.
Correct answer: Triple time.

 The Sailor's Hornpipe (Traditional, performed by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys)
Sorry, but couldn't help myself. I had to include a bluegrass version of this Celtic favorite. I just love Kenny Baker's melodies on fiddle. I feel confident in labeling this duple time. It definitely has the strong-weak beat couples.
Correct answer: Duple time.

 We will rock you (Queen)
Boom, boom, clap, rest. That must be quadruple time.
Correct answer: Quadruple time.

 Feed the birds (from Mary Poppins) 
I believe I can discern a One-two-three beat; this makes it a triple time song.
Correct answer: Triple time.

 Finale from William Tell (Gioachino Rossini)The overture has a strong march feel. I believe this music piece is written in duple time.
Correct answer: Duple time.

 Libertango (Astor Piazzola)
I believe I am discerning a One-two-three-four beat: quadruple time.
Correct answer: Quadruple time

 The times they are a-changing (Bob Dylan)
One-two-three, One-two-three. Surely this is triple time.
Correct answer: Triple time.

 In the hall of the mountain king (Edvard Grieg)
I thought this was a duple beat.
Correct answer: Quadruple beat.

3. What I learned

Listening to the pieces, I was able to identify the time signature. Admittedly, I had some trouble discerning quadruple from duple time.

The way to discern them from one another is by listening for a strong - weak beat (duple time) or a strong - weak - medium - weak beat (quadruple time). I need some more ear training, to improve my accuracy. Coming weeks I shall try and focus on identifying time in songs I hear.

4. Sources

Boskovsky, W. & Wiener Philharmoniker (1997). Tritsch-Tratch-Polka, Op. 214. [download]. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/track/7GsdIATBI5V3RWRJcQ6n41 [Accessed 29 Sept. 2016].

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