GrapeKoolaid posted on Apr 03, 2008
| views: 225
Music is an important part of my life. It's a soundtrack of sort. I get pieces of music stuck in my head and I have a hard time getting it out sometimes. That is, until I hear the piece. Once I hear the piece, it's gone, only to be replaced by another piece of music. I spend a big part of the day humming to myself while I'm looking for that specific piece of music so that I can get it out of my head. It's a vicious cycle, you see...
So while I was searching for pieces of music, I thought I may share them with you.
The first piece is Lara's theme from the movie, Dr. Zhivago. Also titled, "Somewhere, My Love".
The piece is set to 6/8 time, which means it has six eighth-notes to a measure. Three beats. So that means you can count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 throughout the whole piece. Or was it 3/4? It doesn't matter. They're pretty much the same. Three quarter notes and six eighth notes equate to be the same, you know?
Here's another example of a 3/4 piece. It's the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss Jr. When the piece starts to move, you can count, 123123.
4/4 time, which is also known as common time, has four quarter notes that makes up a measure. It's sometimes referred to as a "duple", where you just count two beats per measure. As opposed to the triple, which are the beats divisible by three, the duple and the common time is divisible by two. Simple enough, right? Most music is in common time, actually. Just about anything you can tap your toes to is in common time.
Here's an example. It's called the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss Jr. again.
Then you get those weird pieces with strange time signatures, right? It's not often, but it happens once in a while. Take the second movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony, the pathetique, for example. The time signature on the piece is 5/4, which means you have to count five quarter-notes for a whole measure. You'd be counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5" throughout the piece. Think of it as a waltz with a limp. :)
Another piece that is pretty well known that has a 5/4 time signature is a song called "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. This one, even though it's in 5/4, it's much easier to count, "!, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2".
Hope you enjoyed all this music with me today.
Glad you stopped in...
Grape.
Comments
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PAPERBACKWRITER said on Apr 03, 2008....
listening . . .
paper ~
p.s. had to giggle at waltz with a limp! XD
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GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 03, 2008....
Well... That's what it sounds like, dunnit? :D [hobbles away]
Glad you stopped in. :)
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uniquely-ironic said on Apr 03, 2008....
I've tried to explain this timing thing to Bill who is learning to play an instrument. It's been a little frustrating on both sides since he's more scientific and I'm definately NOT. It's like having to justify breathing or something.
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GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 03, 2008....
Perhaps you can explain it to him in terms of mathematics... Once he internalizes the rhythm, then it becomes more natural like breathing, but until then, he's going to have to count inside his head. Do you have a metronome? -
uniquely-ironic said on Apr 03, 2008....
I've been able to scrape up all the math I've ever learned and explain the basics. I've encouraged him to get a metronome, but no, we don't have one yet. It all seems illogical to him and I get frustrated because he won't just "go with it".BTW, I like the 5/4 music best because of it's "bumpity" cadence. (I'm sure that's not a word) I am also a fan of 3/4 time music because it typically moves along nicely. -
GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 03, 2008....
bumpity... I like that. :) I'm not sure how I feel about all this new-fangled time signature. I mean, 3/4 is bad enough!!!
Common time... common time... :)
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Lucytorial said on Apr 03, 2008....
You know what I really like??? I like pieces that change.... as in
3/4 to a 8/4 then back again then you get a surprise with a 3/6! that totally rocks!
Aha now I remember the composer...Bartock! (spl??) bartock rocks!! he's like the holy grail of camel nuts! I swear...
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uniquely-ironic said on Apr 03, 2008....
The holy grail of camel nuts?!!! Where do you come up with these expressions?
Now I'm going to have to find him and listen
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Lucytorial said on Apr 03, 2008....
He's very unusual! brutal even with some pieces... -
Lucytorial said on Apr 03, 2008....
Here bartok sonato piano... -
CreativeWoman said on Apr 03, 2008....
Very nice post, Grape. I love being introduced to some music I haven't heard before. I remember keeping musical time from high school choir years ago.
CW
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phoeby said on Apr 04, 2008....
Hi,music is such a great way to unwind. Are you a musician yourself?phoeby -
GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 04, 2008....
Lucy: Bartok?!! You had to bring up Bartok, didn't you? All that newfangled time signatures... Next thing I know, you're going to bring up a raga by Ravi Shankar or something...
There's something unsettling about weird time signatures, you know? It makes me uncomfortable... But then, good art is supposed to make people uncomfortable, so...
Uni: I like his folk pieces(Hungarian and Romanian) pieces much better. His folk dances are pretty awesome.
CeeDub: Glad you could stop in. :) I was a four year choir boy myself.
Phoebes: Hey you... I agree. But it does more, don't you think? It suits our various moods. Adds a soundtrack to whatever's happening in our lives...
A musician? Not really. I mean, I sing and play a couple of instruments and I'm in a band and stuff, but I wouldn't call myself a musician. An appreciator of music, a hobbyist, maybe... :)
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phoeby said on Apr 04, 2008....
so so true. i can actually remember songs and soundtracks that reflected certain times in my life and now when i hear them i am taken back to those times. good and not so good. but sometimes i dunno... if i'm feeling sad and i listen to music that fits 'sad' it makes me feel worse rather than better. and i don't like feeling worse.But then sometimes when i feel sad and hear a sad (ish) song or melody, the lyrics can make me think of some other aspect of my sadness or the situation and i can then go deeper into the problem or see it from a different angle. it's strange how that happens sometimes. (I tend to take notice of lyrics rather than the melody and instruments. But it depends).You're in a band but you don't call yourself a musician? i wonder why you don't?? which instruments do you play?i'm about to start learning piano again after a million years! and i'm getting singing lessons too! bit nervous.phoeby -
GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 05, 2008....
Phoebes: Sometimes you need to continue making yourself sadder and more miserable until you reach the inevitable catharsis. You know, a phoenix has to burn in order to be reborn. That type of thing. Sometimes, you need the proper time and space to grieve.
Lyrical content is a big part of music. It adds much, for it conveys a specific message.
Although I suppose I can say that the first eight notes of Beethoven's fifth symphony represents fate knocking on the door...
Instruments? Let's see... I play the piano, the guitar and the bass. I don't play any of those instruments particularly well, though. I've always lacked the discipline. The thing about musical instruments, at least the ones I've played, are easy to pick up, but impossible to master, you know? So I can fudge through a few songs, but I wouldn't call myself a musician by any means. An enthusiast. :)
Good luck on your piano and voice lessons. It'll be fun. Don't fret. :)
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phoeby said on Apr 07, 2008....
Hi there, yeah....i know what you mean about catharsis. i was sort of doing that type of healing for a while there recently, but had some trouble with it. see, i can never seem to pull myself out of the depths it seemed to propel me to. Although i can do it better in stages if that makes sense. so i can feel safe knowing i'm not getting in too deep. I do feel though there are very emotional parts of me that i've avoided embracing fully or even acknowledging. im just too scared to go there. :(i'd love to listen to that beethoven. i can't recall it off the top of my head. but i sense it's probably quite a famous one so i may have heard it a lot without knowing what it's called!ahh you sound pretty well versed in music, generally. And so long as it moves you and you love it and you're having fun, mastery isn't important (imo). yep lol...i lack discipline with learning sometimes too, the intention is there but i get easily distracted!thanks! I have found a wonderful teacher who is using a method that cuts quite a bit of time off the theory side of things (you still get a thorough base of knowledge though). i'm a tiny bit nervous about singing in front of her though eek.phoeby. -
GrapeKoolaid said on Apr 07, 2008....
Phoebes: [Is it alright that I call you Phoebes? Or do you prefer Phoeby?] You've heard of Beethoven's fifth. It's probably the most famous piece of classical music. As a matter of fact, they say that the CD is 74 minutes in length because they wanted to fit the entire thing on to a single disk. Funny how technology evolves with history...
That's another topic for another post, though...
Here's the 1st movement to the 5th. Conducted by none other than Herbert Von Karajan. Try to listen to the interplay between the various instruments. As one instrument fades out, the other comes in. It's very much a dialogue.
Perhaps you could grace us with a song one day? ;)
Comment on "Time..."
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