Instrumentality
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Instrumentality

A mad musical adventure

Instrumentality
  • Labwerks
  • Instrumming
  • Sparks
  • Alchemy

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11 posts

Ideas and opinions related to music composition

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Five Beats in Baroque

  • November 7, 2023
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Music with five beats in the bar was almost unheard of in the baroque period of classical music. All the more reason to see whether it would have worked. So I wrote this short piece for harpsichord in 5/4 time to test out the idea. Would Bach have approved?
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Is Rubato dead?

  • September 1, 2023
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Rubato is not something you eat for pudding, it’s an important musical concept that makes a big difference to how music is performed and, consequently, how we respond to that…
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A simple thought, an epigram – music in miniature

  • July 24, 2023
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An epigram is a short poem that makes a single statement. So why not musical epigrams - musigrams, epitunes? With an old friend, I set about making some just to see.
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Going round in circles – exploring harmonic sequences

  • June 8, 2023
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The harmonic sequence was a favourite tool of Baroque composers such as Bach but it also finds itself in songs such as I Will Survive and Hotel California. We take a look.
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Fifty years on: re-imagining The Queen Of Love

  • April 17, 2023
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The Queen of Love is an almost forgotten masterpiece of psychedelic folk music, written by Robin Williamson and recorded by The Incredible String Band in 1970. Back in 2020, during lockdown, I set about arranging an orchestral adaptation of the piece to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Here it is.
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  • Melody

Can cellos play the blues?

  • April 11, 2023
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Cellos have a pretty serious image. They're seen primarily as classical instruments, whereas the violin gets to play everywhere. So I set out to put this right and give the cello a chance to play the blues.
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Composing with a notation app on an iPad without access to an instrument

  • September 13, 2022
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Most music is composed on an instrument but what can you achieve when there's no guitar or keyboard in site - just an iPad and a notation app?
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In praise of the humble harmonica

  • January 12, 2022
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The harmonica is one of the most plaintive instruments available and also one of the least expensive. Perhaps it's time to give it another airing.
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Music is not a sport

  • January 6, 2022
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Guitar player
Do you find lightening fast guitar and piano playing just a turn off? Yes, so do I. Why? Because music is not a sport.
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Why might a guitarist use a virtual guitar?

  • June 13, 2021
  • admin
Virtual instruments are usually for people who don't have access to the real thing. But virtual guitar software could just be the real guitarist's best friend.
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