Musical questions and answers thread

[Pulcinella]

Thanks both!
Yes, of course rehearsals will sort it out (and part of the commission involves a workshop with the choir) so it really was a genuine notation question.
Our composer said, in response to my query:

I have already changed the time signature here! The emphasis is as you say, but the triplets are the correct speed. It’s a moment rather suspended in time, however, so hopefully the sopranos will be able to emphasise the words in a naturalistic manner. I don’t think there’s a clearer way to convey the rhythm, but I’ll put some tenuto marks under the correct syllables.

I'm not sure what he changed the time signature from.


All that apart, it looks likes being an interesting and rewarding piece to learn and sing.
It's the second of three that my partner has commissioned for us, and is scheduled to be performed on 2 December 2022.
The premiere of the first (delayed by 2 years because of you know what) is scheduled for this coming Saturday, 2 April; rehearsal tonight in our usual venue then final 'top and tail' rehearsal in the concert venue on Saturday afternoon.

[Serial_Apologist]

Best of luck with this concert, Pulcers.

[Pulcinella]

Best of luck with this concert, Pulcers.

Thanks: fingers crossed.
If all goes well, with no more illness (or snow!), tomorrow's rehearsal and concert will be the first time all term we've had the full complement of singers.
There was a plug for it on the 'What are you composing/rehearsing' thread.

[antongould]

Best of luck with this concert, Pulcers.

Indeed ……..

[Dave2002]

That makes sense and my endorsement of the addition of tenuto marks suggestion is merely a "belt and braces" solution in cases where the singers might not be English speakers.

Not at all an expert here - but wouldn't a whole note written (converted to) as a sextuplet with three quarter note duplets do the job?

I think the suggestions that the composer and conductor will get it figured out are the most sensible.

Good luck with the concert.

[Mario]

So, just starting on Grade 6 Music Theory, and I’m asked to compose!!! I’m given a simple melody for the clarinet in F Maj, and I have to compose a melody 8 bars long. The B natural and C sharp tells me its D min. So what should I modulate to?

Well, keeping it simple (for my sake), then maybe down a Maj 2nd to C min, or up a Maj 2nd to E min.

What would you advise please, and why?

I’m really interested in modulation, but know very little about it. As all my studies are distance learning from a UK tutor, the simpler the answers, the more likelihood I’ll understand them.

As usual, most grateful for any help.

Mario

BTW, I’m well aware that there are some highly qualified, highly distinguished posters and professional musicians on this forum who may consider my questions pretty basic, but I have to start somewhere.

Thanks again.

[Joseph K]

So, just starting on Grade 6 Music Theory, and I’m asked to compose!!! I’m given a simple melody for the clarinet in F Maj, and I have to compose a melody 8 bars long. The B natural and C sharp tells me its D min. So what should I modulate to?

Well, keeping it simple (for my sake), then maybe down a Maj 2nd to C min, or up a Maj 2nd to E min.

What would you advise please, and why?

I’m really interested in modulation, but know very little about it. As all my studies are distance learning from a UK tutor, the simpler the answers, the more likelihood I’ll understand them.

As usual, most grateful for any help.

Mario

BTW, I’m well aware that there are some highly qualified, highly distinguished posters and professional musicians on this forum who may consider my questions pretty basic, but I have to start somewhere.

Thanks again.

I reckon your best bet would be to modulate either to the relative major (F maj) or, less likely perhaps, the parallel major (D major). F major would be a safer bet than either C minor or E minor. Probably best to consult the ABRSM books on this topic, assuming that's the syllabus you're doing.

[Mario]

As usual, thanks Joseph.

It is indeed the ABRSM syllabus that I’m following. Rushed over to the website but can’t see any books on either Grade 6 or modulation, but I’ll keep searching.

Modulating to the relative major key is interesting, as somehow, I thought I must remain in a minor key (I don’t know why).

I didn’t know what a parallel key is until I looked it up!

It sounds so obvious to go to the relative major. I’ll take your advice with thanks!

Mario

[Ein Heldenleben]

So, just starting on Grade 6 Music Theory, and I’m asked to compose!!! I’m given a simple melody for the clarinet in F Maj, and I have to compose a melody 8 bars long. The B natural and C sharp tells me its D min. So what should I modulate to?

Well, keeping it simple (for my sake), then maybe down a Maj 2nd to C min, or up a Maj 2nd to E min.

What would you advise please, and why?

I’m really interested in modulation, but know very little about it. As all my studies are distance learning from a UK tutor, the simpler the answers, the more likelihood I’ll understand them.

As usual, most grateful for any help.

Mario

BTW, I’m well aware that there are some highly qualified, highly distinguished posters and professional musicians on this forum who may consider my questions pretty basic, but I have to start somewhere.

Thanks again.

Mario - Sorry to complicate things but the B natural and C# don’t necessarily suggest either F major or D minor as the home key. B natural doesn’t occur in the F maj scale and , without going too deep into things , I would expect Bflat to appear in a D min. melody rather than B Nat. Indeed Bflat is the only note in both the F maj and D minor key signature - the notes that come Immediately after the clef.
What is the key signature of the melody you have been given and what note does it start and end on? I’m assuming you’ve been given the melody in the correct key rather than transposed for Bflat or Eflat clarinet.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

From F major, the nearly related keys are:
D minor
C major (the easiest to modulate to)
B flat major
G minor
A minor

[Mario]

Mario - Sorry to complicate things but the B natural and C# don’t necessarily suggest either F major or D minor as the home key. B natural doesn’t occur in the F maj scale and , without going too deep into things , I would expect Bflat to appear in a D min. melody rather than B Nat. Indeed Bflat is the only note in both the F maj and D minor key signature - the notes that come Immediately after the clef.
What is the key signature of the melody you have been given and what note does it start and end on? I’m assuming you’ve been given the melody in the correct key rather than transposed for Bflat or Eflat clarinet.

Ah, but I’m sorry that you have, although very grateful for your input.

So, some revision (for me).

The key signature starts with a Bb, so I conclude it must be F Maj. But in the 3rd bar, there are both a B natural and a C#, so I conclude it must be a D min key, correct? B flat and C sharp would occur in an ascending melodic D minor key, no?

But the really worrying point you make is that B flat occurs in the key signature of D min. This I don’t get! Surely the B flat is the raising of the submediant that’s required in an ascending D min scale, no? But the raising of the submediant and the leading note are never reflected in the key signature are they?

To answer your questions, as stated the key signature has a B flat, it starts on an anacrusis of a quaver B flat in 6 / 8 time. The next bar is straightforward, but in the next bar, as the scale descends, both the B and C notes have accidentals of a natural and a sharp respectively, which leads me to conclude that the key signature is D min. I searched in the previous bar for these two notes and they weren’t there. The key signature therefore must be D min, no?

Where am I going wrong?

Mario

(sorry if I sound a bit dumb)

(EA's response is really going to take me some time to figure out...)

[Mario]

Sorry, I should've added that we're not told if the music is in written pitch or concert pitch.

Mario

[Joseph K]

Mario, it sounds to me like D minor - obviously accidentals are necessary for a minor key, whether that's harmonic minor or melodic minor (except for an aeolian mode, though). In which case mine and Eine Alpensinfonie's suggestions stand.

There's nothing complicated - sounds like Ein Heldenleben was overcomplicating things. I assumed you recognised the key signature.

[Mario]

Mario, it sounds to me like D minor - obviously accidentals are necessary for a minor key, whether that's harmonic minor or melodic minor (except for an aeolian mode, though). In which case mine and Eine Alpensinfonie's suggestions stand.

There's nothing complicated - sounds like Ein Heldenleben was overcomplicating things. I assumed you recognised the key signature.

Aaaaargh! What's that when it's at home?

No, best not to tell me yet!

Mario

[Ein Heldenleben]

Ah, but I’m sorry that you have, although very grateful for your input.

So, some revision (for me).

The key signature starts with a Bb, so I conclude it must be F Maj. But in the 3rd bar, there are both a B natural and a C#, so I conclude it must be a D min key, correct? B flat and C sharp would occur in an ascending melodic D minor key, no?

But the really worrying point you make is that B flat occurs in the key signature of D min. This I don’t get! Surely the B flat is the raising of the submediant that’s required in an ascending D min scale, no? But the raising of the submediant and the leading note are never reflected in the key signature are they?

To answer your questions, as stated the key signature has a B flat, it starts on an anacrusis of a quaver B flat in 6 / 8 time. The next bar is straightforward, but in the next bar, as the scale descends, both the B and C notes have accidentals of a natural and a sharp respectively, which leads me to conclude that the key signature is D min. I searched in the previous bar for these two notes and they weren’t there. The key signature therefore must be D min, no?

Where am I going wrong?

Mario

(sorry if I sound a bit dumb)

(EA's response is really going to take me some time to figure out...)

Yep I’d sounds like D minor so you are looking at A maj or F maj as likeliest keys to mod to. I am bit confused - has the melody already been partly written out or are the notes you refer to in the harmony ?
Don’t know the whether you play an instrument but as you imply there are two basic minor scales - the melodic minor and harmonic minor . The former has a b Nat, the latter a b flat. Some one like Beethoven will often write scales in the harmonic minor for piano .e.g the opening scale flourish of the C minor concerto. But the interval b flat to C sharp doesn’t sound so “good “ sung ( again massively generalising) so songwriters will often use the melodic minor scale. But equally so does Chopin in some keyboard pieces .Ultimately it’s all about the feel you want to create.