December 2014
For this month we have a Xmas song co written with members of Musical Literacy Pantomime players. I wrote this back in 2005, It came up during rehearsals that we should do some Xmas carols, and I said "how about we try a new song," they got excited by the melody and rhythm of it, and in an hour improved on the words. Same week we recorded on a portable recorder which I had not used over 5 years, very rusty at the knobs, it was very basic, sounded reasonably ok, we decided to leave it as it is. It will be fixed in the new year. lol. If you like this carol and wish to make a version for yourself so can be a present for friends on facebook with a generous donation we will also send you the latest improved backing tracks to voice over, so that you can create your own new Xmas song.
New Xmas song "Santa Claus Brings Presents"
Santa Claus brings presents to town
Santa Claus brings presents to town
Santa Claus brings presents, presents to town
Xmas lights Xmas lights
Shining sparkling all so bright
In the sky way up high
Sits the star this Xmas nights
I can hear the church bells ringing
Musical chimes that fill the air
People singing Xmas carols
Candles burning oh so bright
Xmas cheers, all around
The world is celebrating........
I can hear the sleigh bells ringing
Jingle jangle through the night
Rudolph leads right up front
The Red Nosed Reindeer the shining light
Flying through the Midnight Sun
Santa's having so much fun
Chorus finish like intro.
For this month we have a Xmas song co written with members of Musical Literacy Pantomime players. I wrote this back in 2005, It came up during rehearsals that we should do some Xmas carols, and I said "how about we try a new song," they got excited by the melody and rhythm of it, and in an hour improved on the words. Same week we recorded on a portable recorder which I had not used over 5 years, very rusty at the knobs, it was very basic, sounded reasonably ok, we decided to leave it as it is. It will be fixed in the new year. lol. If you like this carol and wish to make a version for yourself so can be a present for friends on facebook with a generous donation we will also send you the latest improved backing tracks to voice over, so that you can create your own new Xmas song.
New Xmas song "Santa Claus Brings Presents"
Santa Claus brings presents to town
Santa Claus brings presents to town
Santa Claus brings presents, presents to town
Xmas lights Xmas lights
Shining sparkling all so bright
In the sky way up high
Sits the star this Xmas nights
I can hear the church bells ringing
Musical chimes that fill the air
People singing Xmas carols
Candles burning oh so bright
Xmas cheers, all around
The world is celebrating........
I can hear the sleigh bells ringing
Jingle jangle through the night
Rudolph leads right up front
The Red Nosed Reindeer the shining light
Flying through the Midnight Sun
Santa's having so much fun
Chorus finish like intro.
Music Scale Breakthrough Logos
Each month we feature a logo of a scale from a country.
Each LOGO is the easiest way for understanding scales/modes of every
culture around the world.
It helps musicologists or anyone, in the study of ethnomusicology. It is so handy to have a common reference chart to research on each culture and also the ease of comparing one culture from another.
It simplifies the study of modes ..... how many of the so called scales are simply a modal derivation starting from another key. These are quickly identifiable as to their authenticity or roots.
The month of sept/oct 2013, we featured
'ALOHA HAWAII" - THE HAWAIIN SCALE. Possibly the most famous island of the Pacific
Ocean. A remarkable group of islands dotted with many live volcanoes that only
recently joined the United States. It's history included the Han Dynasty (Hakka)
Chinese migrants and many other Polynesian cultures. The most prominent
contribution of this island is it's Hawaiin Cultural dance (with grass skirts)
and of course the most beautiful flowing music of the Hawaiian slide guitar, and
the most popular instrument the Ukelele... "Hula Love" was a song first sung in
1911, by Jones and Murray. The 1957 version by late Buddy Knox became a top 10
hit. So many movies have been made in the 20th century featuring its exquisite
flora and fauna and the biggest surfs that roll on throughout the year. It is
the place to be away from the turmoils of this planet. It is one of the
"paradise" islands in the Pacific. President Barack Obama of the United States
birthplace is on this island! What a great beginning.
C D Eb F G A B C Hawaiian Scale
October 2013,
we have the 'EGYPTIAN SCALE" - the letters are
C D F G Bb.
It has a symmetry in it's harmonic concept which is reflected by the LOGO
which we will email to you if you wish to know more.
An Islamic nation,
amongst the Arabic states. It is distinct as it is in the African continent. The
Suez canal was built where all shipping goes through from the Western countries
to the East. It owns the oldest, biggest ancient monuments, the Pyramids,
dotting close to the river Nile river and beyond.
It is featured prominently in the world news of late due to it's current civil unrests.
Musically it is influenced by Mohammedans,
Malian, Ethiopian's music, etc. and it still uses a whole range of ancient percussions
and stringed instruments in it's modern/cultural music. Belly dancing is a
cultural phenomenon, most popular form of entertainment, exotic. It influences
many pop icons like Shakira, etc.
November 2013
features the "MONGOLIAN SCALE" logo. The music letters used are C D E G A. Many European countries have been influenced by this scale when the Mongol armies, of Ghengis and Kublai Khan conquered and occupied many
parts of Europe. The folk/cultural songs of European countries such as of Rumania, Poland, Bulgaria, Albania, Ukraine, Balkans, etc reflects historical links with 'throaty' singing style of their songs.
They also amassed a biggest array of music styles through their conquest and occupation. They own the most
exotic instruments from so many cultures, and adopted amongst their own. Being
able to own the best artisans of every country into their courts in the peak of
their kingdom has resulted in the richest diversity of music in the modern world.
December 2013
Features an AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS SCALE. By hearing the last recorded song sung by
Fanny Cochrane Smith was the last pure blood aboriginal
alive on island Tasmania. The recording of her talking and singing this song 1889
- 1903, able to establish the scale to be a PENTATONIC SCALE pitched in Eb.
This scale was never mentioned only about their dance, music, didgeridoos and singing, etc. In my analysing of their songs, they too use a variety of scales, there are also influences from neighbouring cultures in the
northern region.
This scale is also similar to the CHINESE/MONGOLIAN SCALE.
A Pentatonic Scale pitched in Key Eb. The notes are Eb F G Bb C.
It has an eerie haunting feeling in it's rendition.
A Tribal song of the Yirrkala tribe of north east
Arnhem
land, Northern Australia.1953, uses an unusual
4 note
scale pitched in D.
The 4
notes are D E A B. It uses a sustained bass note
D (2 octaves lower with a didgeridoo).
It also
introduces F#, which is not a part of the scale at
intermittent intervals, giving a bold contrast to the melody
during the 2 minute song.
January of 2014,
due to the civil unrest in Sudan, its a good idea to find out where Sudan is, and to look
into the Sudanese Music Scales. Features one of the richest cultures of the world in music, rhythmically and
harmonically. sandwiched between Egypt and Ethiopia, is currently going
through civil unrests. The music is a hybrid of the Egyptian, the Ethiopian
and Malian also using the Pentatonic Scale Being sandwiched between Egypt and Ethiopia, it
also uses the Pentatonic Scale of C D F G A, that of 5 notes and or in a modal
form. There are so many hybrids linking across the borders as far west to
Mali, where Malian Music, which has been understood that Blues
music first originated from there.
.
The slave traders of the colonial days criss-crossed this region and along the River Nile, thus dispersing many local people as slaves abroad and many into the US as cotton field slaves. The slave music gave rise to the greatest
Delta Blues players of the Missisippi River, such as greatest bllues guitarist Robert Johnson. Which in time also evolved into modern contemporary
country and rock music. This Pentatonic Scale
is also used in many other cultures, like the Chinese/Mongolian.
A diagram will illustrate how they all connect as one fingerprint but based on different orientation, thereby changing the feeling and mood and also with the use of different rhythm setting spells them apart from
each other or a mix of the 3.
February, 2014
is the start of the Chinese New Year, we feature the Chinese Scale as a LOGO.
It is the Year of the Horse. (see events). China has a population of over 1.3 billion! It uses the Major Pentatonic scale. C D E G
("Gung Hee Fatt Choy". (Wish you grow lots of wealth) and you can add a tongue in cheek "Hung Bow Dow Loy",
(and because I wished you so I deservedly begiven a Red Packet). I tried this on a Chinese Yum Cha owner, but she says "it is not so because she instead should be the recipient because she is younger than me". I just
learnt more of my own culture).
The Scale closely resembles the Mongolian Scale, a Pentatonic scale. C D E G A C'. It
omits F and B, uses only 5 notes of the 7 music letters of the Major scale which has
C D E F G A B C'.
Many of the songs starts in the relative mode starting at A.
A C D E G A'.
The feeling is usually less bright than the Mongolian style, more reflecting towards an inward sadness as compared to the
Mongolian that leans towards bright and 'moving forwards' as they are one of greatest conquerors of other nations in historical times.
A scale always repeats the first letter again at the octave to make it sounds complete.
March 2014.
Due to the current unrest in Ukraine, to know more of the country, the
Ukrainian Music scale is featured as a LOGO.
It is called the Ukrainian altered Dorian scale or mode. It uses the Dorian mode of the Major scale, by having a raised 4th degree forming a tritone.
D E F G# A B C.
Ukraine is incredibly rich in folk music and also a huge array of ancient musical instruments, many still being used for performances. They dated back further before Ghengis Khan era. The national instrument is the
Bandura, a stringed instrument like a harpsichord which sits vertical on the same chair of the player. The left hand
plays the bass strings and the right plucks the melody, etc.
April 2014April.
Features the Japanese scales.
There
are 2 types, 5 notes and 7 notes. They can be quite complex due to variations observed by different researchers. Many of the scales are modal to each other. Each of the scale notes can be a tonic within a family, thus giving the impression of more scales. There are also the variations in descending and the use of auxiliary notes. It also uses the Major, Minor Pentatonic and also the
Blues scale too. There is the
Hirajoshi
C Db F G Ab
In
is Hirajoshi pitched in D with auxiliary notes of F and C
Insen is
D Eb G A C
Iwato
is 4th mode of Hirajoshi pitched in C
Ritsu
is 5th mode of Blues scale pitched in E. The Auxiliary notes of G and D when in use sets it apart.
Ryo
is a Major Pentatonic pitched in D. Auxiliary notes of G, G#, C, C# when in use sets it apart.
Yo
is the 4th mode of the Major Pentatonic pitched in D.
May.
Native American music. Is based on both Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales. It also uses
their modal derivations starting in different keys. Besides the various
percussions and drums, the native American Flute gives the best structural bases
of their songs and music.
June The Mayan Music Scale has its own pitch system. With modern influence it is based on the Minor Pentatonic A B C D E F G A'. Immersed in micmicking a wide variety of sounds of exotic insects, birds and animals sounds as they have a very close relationship with nature. The whole region reflect a symphony of the rainforests and is included in their music.
July The civil unrests starting in Irak draws our attention to the music of the oldest civilizations., that of Mesopotamia. It embraces a myriad of ancient cultures. The musical culture is inseparable from Turkish, Persian, Kurdish, Indian, Arabic, Jewish, etc. The Major Scale Tonality is used a lot with a strong tendency to be biased on the Dorian Mode Tonality. It practically uses most of the semitones or a fractional use of them to give the intonation up/down on these pitch links, which gives it the distinctive sound of the Middle Eastern music or Arabic/Mohammedan music.
Aug The current conflict between Israel and Palestine Hamas led us to look into their cultural music styles and scales. Both these cultures have very similar musical background as they both have strong ties to the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, Islamic, (Arabic influences of the Middle East) even to the Indian Musical scales. A good example is the Indian Raga Hanumat Todi using C Db Eb F G Ab Bb with the Jewish Ahaba Raba in Key E, (E F G# A B C D) transposed to C for easy understanding becomes
C Db E F G Ab Bb
This Jewish Scale raises the Minor 3rd into a Major 3rd.
There are 2 other Jewish Scales called Adonai Malakh and Magen Abot which goes above an octave, are 9 Note Scales.
D E F G A B C D' Eb'
Db D E F A B C Db' D'
A standard example of a Palestinian scale is the Natural Minor Scale. This is most frequently used in their popular songs with a modal emphasis from the 4th returning to A and later closing with the modal 5th before returning to the A centre.
A B C D E F G A
Sept Russia is a very vast continent stretching from Eastern Europe to Mongolia. A real resource for studying the variations of musical styles ranging from European, Mid Eastern, Indian to Mongolian and Chinese .. Folk music is able to reflect the cultural diversity. Music is always the living art in all their activities ranging from work, weddings, ceremonies, soldiers song, rituals dance, etc... Their Classical Music composers are the forefront of academic music pursuit in the 19th and 20th century. Their Ballet and Ballet music is unsurpassed till this day. The other is the artistry and standards imparted into their musicians. eg. a concert master who taught at my music school once told me that he was reading a book while accompanying/rehearsing the students at the Victoria College of the Arts. Lol. I could not help but laugh, imagining it is kind of boring to repeat over and over again for the dance students going through their motions daily. What else better if you have the skill to do both.
In general the academics composed music using Minor, Major, Pentatonic and experimented on equal tempered Chromatic Scales, and Atonal music.
Their skills are so well recognized that in the 20th century a high percentage of all the Philharmonic Orchestras around the world have Russian emigrant musicians.
Oct
The Ancient Greeks invented the letters of the Alphabets calling them Alpha, Beta, etc. They contributed the terminology of the Modes,a series of ancient music which are very complex. Western Cultures adopted and simplified them to become the Major/Natural Minor Scale based on the first 7 letters. Which are also spelled out as the 7 Modes with each letter as a Tonal Centre featured below
They are
Major Scale (Ionian Mode)
C D E F G A B C'
Dorian Mode
D E F G A B C D'
Phrygian Mode
E F G A B C D E'
Lydian Mode
F G A B C D E F'
Mixolydian Mode
G A B C D E F G'
Natural Minor Scale (Aeolian Mode)
A B C D E F G A'
Locrian Mode
B C D E F G A B'
These Modes are featured in our Musical Literacy Pantomime.
Nov
"Malian Blues" The origin of Blues Music came from Mali. Currently is the very first case of a child dying of the Ebola disease.
The Malian music uses the Minor Pentatonic scale which is 5 notes. Minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th and minor 7th. 3 more are used through changing the minor 3rd to become a major 2nd and minor 7th to a major 7th creates 3 more scales.
Commonly played on guitar in E. The following are transposed to key C for easy recognition.
C Eb F G Bb Type 1
C D F G Bb Type 2
C Eb F G B Type 3
C D F G B Type 4
to be cont'd
Nov
"Malian Blues" The origin of Blues Music came from Mali. Currently is the very first case of a child dying of the Ebola disease. The Malian music uses the Minor Pentatonic scale which is 5 notes. Minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th and minor 7th. Changing the minor 3rd to become a major 2nd and minor 7th to a major 7th creates 3 more scales.
Commonly played on guitar in E. The following are transposed to key C for easy recognition.
C Eb F G Bb Type 1
C D F G Bb Type 2
C Eb F G B Type 3
C D F G B Type 4
Dec
The Zulus are always remembered for their bravery, they were able to defeat the British in the first battle of the Anglo Zulu war, 1879. For the Zulus it was remarkable, but for the British it was unthinkable. They were the colonial masters. It also shocked the world. The British empire went into damage control and sent in more reinforcements and over time, eventually the Zulus were defeated. (see Google)
Their war chants/cries were scarily/eerily powerful before the attack. Their spears hitting the back of their shields add intensity for effect.
2 notes are predominant. Each step in preparation is connected to a word, sound and pitch. Here is an example
C G / D G / F G / G E / F G C / E C / E G / E /F G / E C / F C, etc. There is usually a leader(s) that calls out and the thousand warriors answers.
Their music also include very many exotic scales used with intricate rhythmic patterns that is so exciting to experience.
The most commonly used is pentatonic scale
C D F G A C
An interesting one reaches to 2 octaves
C C# D E F G G#
Jan 2015
2 weeks before the new year starts, a sudden disappearance of yet another passenger plane in the Asiatic region, this time in Indonesia, which brings our attention to the music cultures of this vast Archipelago of over 18,000 islands. The music is mainly based on Slendro (Pentatonic Scale) and Pelog (Major Scale).
Slendro
C D E G A C
Pelog
C D E F G A B C
The other more exotic music is the Gamelan Orchestral Music .... in a study of a song played by the orchestra, with its wholly unique native instruments, it seems to be only using
C D Eb G A C (a Minor Pentatonic Scale)
Mar
This month we go north to Cambodia, a country whose traditional music culture is greatly influenced by Hindu, Chinese and the Western pop music. The traditional music is based on Major and the Pentatonic Scales.
C D E G A C is the Pentatonic Scale. In general it uses the Tonality based on the A mode.
A C D E G A
For music or songs used with the Major Scale. It similarly uses the A Modal Tonality.
C D E F G A B C Major Scale
A B C D E F G A A Mode (Also is an A Natural Minor Scale)
April
Yet another plane disaster led us to focus on Germany. It is probably one of the notable music country, able to bring forth some of the greatest Classical composers. Just to name a few, the top 3 are Johan Sebastian Bach, Mozart and Beethoven... (ranging from 1700 - 1800, marks the height of the Classical Period). It is the most academically and aurally orientated music country that has evolved from approx. year 1000 to modern times. Other composers also contributed to the 12 tone concept that leads to equal tempered tuning of the modern piano. Some of the most popular works "Air on the G String" by Bach, ("A Whiter Shade of Pale" pop version modernized by Procol Harum), "Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven .... just to mention a few that is still regularly featured between popular/classical entertainment, put into productions or played over the airwaves. The Musical Style/Theory is strongly based on the Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor, also uses a lot of modulations between keys/scales within different movements.
May
The current Earthquake in Nepal gives an opportunity to focus on their cultural music. It is one of the highest in spiritual music for relaxation and calmness ... a lot of music for healing are derived from their cultural music. It has Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, In this Earthquake it may risen higher? due to the pressure underlying fold mountain.
Music is their main features in their festivities.
Two scales are used in their cultural music.
the Major Scale and the Major Pentatonic Scale.
C D E F G A B A C Major Scale... the 6th Mode is always featured predominantly. (Natural Minor)
C D E G A C Major Pentatonic Scale .....again the A Mode is also the main feature.
June
The plight of the refugees in South East Asia from Myanmar due to the unrests caused by Religious intolerances.
The musical style of this country is mainly influenced by Chinese cultures and Hinduism.
Again the predominant scale is the Pentatonic of the Major kind.
C D E G A C
July
Tunisia just had a Jihadist attack. A paradise lost. At the Northernmost coast of Africa in the Mediterranean, is sandwiched between Algeria and Lybia and Mali beyond. The Malouf traditional music is the main style in the region. The Oud is the predominant pluck string traditional instrument. The music scales used is like the Major Scale except it is centred on the Phrygian Mode and also the Aeolian Mode (Natural Minor or Relative Minor of C Major) too, in which the 5th or Dominant is the Phrygian Mode.
E F G A B C D E
Diag to be added
see Home Page for updates
***
Monthly is featured a World Scale as a logo.
We have had Hawaiian, Egyptian, Mongolian Scale. In December 2013, we have also a newly discovered, Australian Indigenous Scale, (by analysing the last recorded song by Fanny Cochrane Smith, 1989-1903, the only remaining pure blood of the Indigenous tribe/clan in Tasmania. If you wish to know more, this logo will be emailed to you and be excited by the simplicity of the academic breakthrough. see events heading)
January 2014, due to the civil unrest in Sudan, its a good idea to find out where Sudan is, and to look into the Sudanese Music Scales.
February, is the start of the Chinese New Year, we feature the Chinese Scale as a LOGO. It is the Year of the Horse.
March, due to the current unrest in Ukraine, to know more of the country, the Ukrainian Music scale is featured as a LOGO. It is called the Ukrainian altered Dorian scale or mode. I t uses the Dorian mode of the Major scale,
April. Japanese scales. There are 2 types, 5 notes and 7 notes. It also uses the major, minor pentatonic and also the blues scale too. (see events)
May. Native American music. Is based on both Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales. It also uses their modal derivations starting in different keys. Besides the various percussions and drums, the native American Flute gives the best structural bases of their songs and music. (see EVENTS HEADING)
June The Mayan Music Scale has its own pitch system. With modern influence it is based on the Minor Pentatonic A B C D E F G A'. immersed in wide variety of sounds of exotic insects, birds and animals sounds as they live and reflect close relationships with nature.
July The civil unrests starting in Irak draws our attention to the music of the oldest civilizations., that of Mesopotamia. It embraces a myriad of ancient cultures. The musical culture is inseparable from Turkish, Persian, Kurdish, Indian, Arabic, Jewish, etc. The Major scale Tonality is used a lot with a strong tendency to be based on the Dorian Mode Tonality. It practically uses most of the semitones or a fractional use of them to give the intonation up/down on these pitch links, which gives it the distinctive sound of the Middle Eastern music or Arabic/Mohammedan music.
Aug The current conflict between Israel and Palestine Hamas led us to look into their cultural music styles and scales. Both these cultures have very similar musical background as they both have strong ties to the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, Islamic, (Arabic influences of the Middle East) even to the Indian Musical scales. A good example is the Indian Raga Hanumat Todi using
Jewish Ahaba Raba in Key E, (E F G# A B C D) transposed to C becomes
C Db E F G Ab Bb
This Jewish Scale raises the Minor 3rd into a Major 3rd.
There are 2 other Jewish Scales called Adonai Malakh and Magen Abot which goes above an octave, are 9 Note Scales.
D E F G A B C D' Eb'
Db D E F A B C Db' D'
A standard example of a Palestinian scale is the Natural Minor Scale. This is most frequently used in their popular songs with a modal emphasis from the 4th returning to A and later closing with the modal 5th before returning to the A centre.
A B C D E F G A
Sept Russia is a very vast continent stretching from Eastern Europe to Mongolia. A real resource for studying the variations of musical styles ranging from European, Mid Eastern, Indian to Mongolian and Chinese .. Folk music is able to reflect the cultural diversity. Music is always the living art in all their activities ranging from work, weddings, ceremonies, soldiers song, rituals dance, etc... Their Classical Music composers are the forefront of academic music pursuit in the 19th and 20th century. Their Ballet and Ballet music is unsurpassed till this day. The other is the artistry and standards imparted into their musicians. eg. a concert master who taught at my music school once told me that he was reading a book while accompanying/rehearsing the dance students at the Victoria College of the Arts. I could not help but laugh, imagining it is kind of boring to repeat over and over again for the dance students going through their motions. What else better if you have the skill to do both.
In general the academics composed music using Minor, Major, Pentatonic and experimented on equal tempered Chromatic Scales, and Atonal music.
Their skills are so well recognized that in the 20th century a high percentage of the Philharmonic Orchestras around the world have Russian emigrant musicians.
Oct
The Ancient Greeks invented the letters of the Alphabets calling them Alpha, Beta, etc. They contributed the terminology of the Modes, a series of ancient music which are very complex. Western Cultures adopted and simplified them to become the Major/Natural Minor Scale based on the first 7 letters. Which are also spelled out as the 7 Modes with each letter as a Tonal Centre featured below
They are
Major Scale (Ionian Mode)
C D E F G A B C'
Dorian Mode
D E F G A B C D'
Phrygian Mode
E F G A B C D E'
Lydian Mode
F G A B C D E F'
Mixolydian Mode
G A B C D E F G'
Natural Minor Scale (Aeolian Mode)
A B C D E F G A'
Locrian Mode
B C D E F G A B'
(Lost data Accidental Nov to Feb deletion).
March 2017
It brings back the attention of the Indigenous music in of Tasmania due to the UFO sighting which created big headline news in Tasmania.. In the end it was a reflection of the gas of the plane during sunrise.
The last full blooded indigenous person remaining Fanny Cochrane Smith was able to record just one song she sang only song recorded of her tribe 1903. The scale is Pentatonic in C: C D E G A C' (she sang it like yelling it out) one part of the melody ..... and then C D E D C A G A. Extremely sad and soulful.
May 2017
It looks likely the go ahead of the biggest coal mine in Australia will be signed which brings us to the attention of the Music Scales of India where this mining company is from. Surprisingly Indian government have given up coal gone green and this company faces a lot of past legal issues of ECO degrading and pollution problems, etc. and not entertained in their own country and now ended up here about to start the biggest coal mine in world in Australia. Are our pollies thinking right to entertain maximum pollution in Australian history? and close proximity at the hub of the biggest tourist precinct we proudly present, already 2/3rds of Great Barrier Reef stretching thousands of miles south from Green Island have died bleached chalk white! It is so easy to sign a piece of paper to get started but impossible to sign any paper to clean the mess afterwards.... the pollies passes the buck too easily in this country.... the bleached corals are a good example as pollution is out of control. Check the coal dust spread of the Abbots Point containers after cyclone Debbie that destroys the lagoon beside it that will further spread into the Great Barrier Reef furthering the destruction of the remainder of the Reef.
India has some of the most elaborate music structures that uses notes smaller than the equal tempered 12 semitones that most scales are calibrated from. The most obvious observations are the notes being bended up and down, the slide of string instruments and the intensity of the breath for the wind instrument to achieve them, ditto to achieve these sounds. It is almost or impossible to notate them as they can be in between and this style is passed on by masters and expert teachers of their various instruments to each individual students. Percussions too the rhythm patterns are most unique, detailed and ornate, elaborate where dancers able to move in shaping the spirituality of the beats and rhythm which is academic. It probably influenced the belly dancers of the neighbouring Middle East Cultures.
June 2017
For this month it is a good idea to explain the most popular scales in the world. It is the Pentatonic Scale. If one is to do a math study of the black notes on the keyboard you will find that if you play them like a scale they are A# C# D# F# G# A# (or Bb Db Gb Ab Bb).. underlined is below middle C. Spaced 3, 2, 3, 2, 2 semitones apart.. no single semitone apart. To make it easier to understand we shift key down a semitone.
Thus will read A C D F G A .
if you start from C,
CDFGAC' .... C' is the octave. It is the Pentatonic Scale in C
Starting from D,
DFGAC'D' it is the Minor Pentatonic Scale in D (Blues scale)
Starting from F,
FGAC'D'F' it is the Major Pentatonic Scale in F (Country scale)
If you want to convert the D Blues Scale to E key then you need to add 2 semitones to each letter
E G A B D' E' .... They reflect the guitar tuning of E A D G B E'.
Music logos makes these conversions really quick... (see diagram)
Dec 2017
Having covered most countries unique scales we proceed to look at how each instrument is constructed analyse their formulation. The violin is the most popular of the strings in western orchestra. The lowest string is tuned to G below middle C. All 4 strings are tuned in 5ths. The next string up is D then A and the top string is E. The music logos easily feature their locations and each of them is a 5th higher and is 7 semitones apart.
(See diagram of music logo)
As the bridge is curved it only allows the bow to play maximum 2 strings at a time. It is therefore ideal to learn discover the sounds of intervals of 2 strings bowed together. The stretch of the bow gives a sustained harmonic response to ones senses as to how long to bow perceive feelings it gives. Starting with G and D together.... One can start playing from first bottom string with the second string GD, GE, GF, GG'. Then equally G'A, G'B, G'C (which are inverted.. G being the higher note). Thus one can play to stretch this into sequence G'A, G'B, G'C, GD, GE, GF, GG'. It is more interesting starting this way to understand it's formulation. One can do the same for D with A and then A with E. Music literacy having the letter sounds embedded first can take advantage of music logos to explain the spacing music maths distance between each interval. It saves the teachers so much time and at the same time it gives child or student easy recognition much more confidence how maths sound and fingering all put together at same time. Also can exercise A 2nd letter from G... AD, AE, AF, etc.. A booklet with the diagrams makes it easy for child to play through.
***
Children's Books
To help childcare staff to associate with the Musical Literacy Play, each of the song in the Musical Literacy Play is available as a "READ TO THE CHILDREN BOOK" to very young children ages ranging 0 - 6.
Lovely Day
Instead of singing the song, it can be read/narrated as a story for children. It is the most popular of the songs in the play. It catches the imaginations of children ranging from age 0 to even 14.
It allows everyone to participate in an eco trip up hills, down valleys to be connected with nature, the birds, animals and thick growths, shadows of the rainforests.
Children march, climb, sing, experience and mimic the actions of the animals and the birds, the wonders of nature in display, the insects, the billions of microbes under the dead leaves lying along the pathways that we tread upon without realizing it. The ambience of the surrounding is awesome. A cd comes with it.
Diag to be added
Welcome Song
This second book is about the concert held by the A to G Kids after the eco trip. They invited all their friends, but there is more, 40 uninvited kids heard about it and trying to get through the door!!!. The house is already full!!! "What are we going to do?" says the A to G kids? Instead of sending them away, they opened all doors and windows for the new guests to peer in to watch and to listen, even can stand on the sills and ledges of the windows. They are also able to quickly write a song to welcome them. Thus is called the "Welcome Song". A cd comes with it. It is the original version. You can see the difference with a cast of over 12 singers, awesome!!! rehearsed over 6 months! (A cover version is mentioned above).
Diag to be added
A to G Song
The concert finally begins with the A to G Kid's greatest hits. The A to G Song. Besides being so entertaining it also teaches music literacy. It demonstrates music is here, there, everywhere and is all around us. It features the music letters like the alphabets of the ABC song and in this case the 'ABC' letters for music making. Teaches children to recognize visually and sound wise; singing and making the sounds like the spelling of the English alphabets and then to top it all able to sing their pitch.
It introduces the Major Scale Tonality and then into the Minor Scale Tonality, together they address the relativity of music letters during the singing/playing of the chorus, which creates a beautiful transition from C tonality to A tonality, making it so easy to teach the two tonalities in the years to come and also re-establishing A as a start for music literacy.
This is so essential for early childhood, to get it right from the word go! removing/reducing all the complexities! of the musical stave, making it forever user friendly, simply through a wholistic approach. At last music literacy is on a par with that of English and Math literacy.
Planting the seed of pitch early addresses the missing link, that finally completes the Engine of music making.
This song creates the aural awareness for tonality, harmony and theory and most importantly immediately able to develop Sight Singing and Sight Reading by age 4, latest 6.
Start singing this song today to solve the 700 year problem of the musical stave.
This book illustrates how the children line themselves up to sequence the singing of these letters from a C tonality to become an A tonality. Ideal for childcare centres and equally so for primary schools.
Diag to be added
Stepping Through
This book provides the illustrations of the 4th song in the Musical Literacy Pantomime. The narration of the words of the song and the events leading to it.
"Stepping on the edge of reality heading for the unknown" is a philosophy for mums about whatever their children learn now is for the future which is the unknown.....Schooling children in music literacy removes ignorance, gives the tools for children to be confident in dealing with all types of music.
Diag to be added
Other Children's Music Books
These books feature another 4 songs of the next play.
Diag to be added
Go Yabbie!
The narration is about a yabbie living by the Mary River Valley further north past Sunshine Coast is a Historial Site of Gold fields in the Gympie area. The area is ideal for sightseeing tours, and of course the Mary Valley Rattler is still in good condition chugging away to the most remote parts of the historic area. Recently stopped due to the need to replace the tracks used by date. On side of Creeks and tributaries and outlets into the Mary are always you can find holes!!! They are the home of the Yabbies. They have 2 big claws and they come out at night to feed in the water. A cd comes with i.
Here are more Bush songs too
Billabong Blues/12 Ducks/Red Kangaroo/Rooster Cop
to be contd
The Music Literacy Pantomime
shows parents how this song works while having so much fun participating or simply watching.
The workshops will feature the play for parents and child to participate.
No actual trying, simply having fun singing while doing movements with a
song!!! Children learn by association and the sooner that parents, usually mums learn this song or be a part of the play, the more skill the child will have. It is like the ABC song each child hears over 2 years before they start to recognize the letters by age 5 or 6. This is also repeated in childcare centers by staff or by grandparents. The more familiar the faster is the recognition of the alphabets to form words and in this case for music. It also speeds up phonetics and the learning of the ABC song!!!
Diag to be added
Songs in the Pantomime
"Welcome Song"
Morning brings us big surprise
40 Kids have come to join us
To hear us singing the A to G Song
What we gonna What we gonna
What we gonna What we gonna
What we gonna What we gonna / do
The house is full /we cant fit them all in,
All in
What we gonna do We just cant leave them
Outside the door
A to G, A to G
We are the A to G Kids
We start the day together
Singing the A to G song.
This is an abstract of the "A to G song"
You can sing one, two or three verses... eg Music here, Music there
Music Music everywhere
Music makes such beautiful sounds
Music Music all around
I know my ABCDEFG
I know my music letters before I sing
ABCDEFG .....A to G!
Music is loud, Music is soft
Music is a whisper, Music is silent
Music makes such beautiful sounds
Music Music all around etc
Music goes up, Music goes down
Music goes up and down, Music stands still
Music makes such beautiful sounds
Music Music all around etc
CHORUS GFEDC/FECC/B
GFEDC/FECC/B
GDCBAGF/FECCBC
can be demonstrated with voice, strings, violin, viola, cello perfect pitch of the letters
PERFECT PITCHING ABCDEFGA'
when the letters are sung faster it gives the feeling/tonality of the Minor Scale when played in thirds becomes chords ..in arpeggios
and when 2 thirds are played together they form a triad. Also it features the tonality of the major and minor scales.
It gives the music literacy foundation by activating the voice to sing perfect pitch of the letters just like a song. It gives music teachers supports in the years ahead leading in primary schools/or private music lessons. This will enhance and saves several years of music lessons by being able to acquire them early during early childhood. It gives children a natural faster speed in pitch recognitin thus results in reducing learning time in music lessons in the years ahead..
***
The author has more children's songs. Shown here are some brief abstracts.
They are:
Rooster Cop (E) Medium Rock
I'm a rooster cop,
I crow from morning until night
And when the 'crims' they see me come
They run for cover and hide their weapons
Really, really, really, really fast
Really, really, really, really fast
I drive my squad car really fast
Keeping the City free of crime
Sirens wailing as I close them crims
All them cars stops just to let me pass
Round up crims all over town
Round up crims all over town
Billabong Blues (C) Country rock
Ain't no rain for the past 5 years
The Billabong is as dry as you can see
All the animals and birds they don't come billabong no more
Yeah I got the Billabong Blues
The sun comes up
There's no cloud in the sky
No green grass as far as I can see
The wind started a-blowing into a mighty dust storm
Day turns to night
I can hardly breathe
Am choked by the Mallee bull dust
No kangaroo, cane toad, emu, wombat
Cockatoo, koala bear, kookaburra....
No wallaby, dingo, platypus, flyng foxes
Python, goanna, echidna.....
No cassawari dragon flies wild horses parrots
Barramundi wild pigs blue tongue rabbits ***
A to G Song
The concert finally begins with the A to G Kid's greatest hits. The A to G Song. Besides being so entertaining it also teaches music literacy. It demonstrates music is here, there, everywhere and is all around us. It features the music letters like the alphabets of the ABC song and in this case the 'ABC' letters for music making. Teaches children to recognize visually and sound wise; singing and making the sounds like the spelling of the English alphabets and then to top it all able to sing their pitch.
It introduces the Major Scale Tonality and then into the Minor Scale Tonality, together they address the relativity of music letters during the singing/playing of the chorus, which creates a beautiful transition from C tonality to A tonality, making it so easy to teach the two tonalities in the years to come and also re-establishing A as a start for music literacy.
This is so essential for early childhood, to get it right from the word go! removing/reducing all the complexities! of the musical stave, making it forever user friendly, simply through a wholistic approach. At last music literacy is on a par with that of English and Math literacy.
Planting the seed of pitch early addresses the missing link, that finally completes the Engine of music making.
This song creates the aural awareness for tonality, harmony and theory and most importantly immediately able to develop Sight Singing and Sight Reading by age 4, latest 6.
Start singing this song today to solve the 700 year problem of the musical stave.
This book illustrates how the children line themselves up to sequence the singing of these letters from a C tonality to become an A tonality. Ideal for childcare centres and equally so for primary schools.
Diag to be added
Stepping Through
This book provides the illustrations of the 4th song in the Musical Literacy Pantomime. The narration of the words of the song and the events leading to it.
"Stepping on the edge of reality heading for the unknown" is a philosophy for mums about whatever their children learn now is for the future which is the unknown.....Schooling children in music literacy removes ignorance, gives the tools for children to be confident in dealing with all types of music.
Diag to be added
Go Yabbie!
The narration is about a yabbie living by the Mary River Valley further north past Sunshine Coast is a Historial Site of Gold fields in the Gympie area. The area is ideal for sightseeing tours, and of course the Mary Valley Rattler is still in good condition chugging away to the most remote parts of the historic area. Recently stopped due to the need to replace the tracks used by date. On side of Creeks and tributaries and outlets into the Mary are always you can find holes!!! They are the home of the Yabbies. They have 2 big claws and they come out at night to feed in the water. A cd comes with I.
Sing Matilda (G) Country (arpeggios)
We all sing Matilda (11 times!)
Sweet Susie Brown, her hair is undone
Lying by the camp fire
The billabong is dry
We started a packing
Heading for the bright lights
Maybe we'd make a living
Working nine to five......
Go Yabbie (E) Pop
Go yabbie go yabbie go go go!
Go yabbie go yabbie go go go
I live on the banks of the Mary Valley River
I dig them holes I call my home.....
Red Kangaroo (C) Country/Folk/Indigenous/Protest
The red Kangaroo and the Bandicoot
Hop along the dusty road
Don't forget the Emu and the little Echidna
All the animals in the bush
We are a happy family
Heading North on Highway 1
'Gonna' catch the winter sun
Know a guy from Uluru
He plays the didgeridoo
He does the rain dance
When the sun is shining bright
He never stops, never does
Until the rain comes pouring down
We go to Jamboree
To meet our elders, tribes and all our clans
They come from North South East and West
We dance all day and we dance all night
Buffalo cooking in hot coals
Kangaroo and Iguana too
Women plays them rhythm sticks
Make us forget boomerangs that don't come back
We talk to big brother
See no face only hear the voice
He sounds so American, British and Canadian too
I'm so confuse living in Gonwanna Land
I could be eating, sleeping, dreaming in Paddington Square
Or New York Times Square for all I know
Playing didgeridoo on the pavement
Told to leave 'cos they hear no phone
12 Ducks (C) Lullaby
(This is the quickest way to put children to sleep. This song is based on making quacking sounds)
One little duckling going to sleep,
Quack quack quack quack quack quack quack, etc
Mary Valley Rattler (D) Delta Blues Style
(This song was written when there were no bus service in the Mary Valley area)
Aint no bus to Kandanga
Aint no bus to Imbil
Aint no bus to Amamoor
What am I 'gonna' do
So I hitched a ride to Gympie town
To do my shopping for the week
Day is done and I'm overloaded
How am I going to get home
Mary Valley Rattler make a special trip for me
Take .....me....... home
Mary Valley Rattler make a special trip for me
Take...... me....... home
Diag to be added.
The following 3 are featured in the first acts of the Music Literacy Pantomime. The fourth, lyrics of "Stepping Through" is by Margi of Margiart.com. They are:
LOVELY DAY (Country - Children's eco study of the bush and animals of the Mary Valley area)
WELCOME song (Medium Rock - featured by Alpha-Z, a pre-view that can be seen on U tube.. Children's Music Expo)
A to G song (Lullaby, also the Music Literacy song, sung by classical singer Brooke Metcalf/Newcastle Conservatorium Graduate. 2009, original version, gives best results for early childhood)
STEPPING THROUGH (Blue Grass - Philosophy towards the unknown future). Lyrics by Margi of Margiart.com
Other none children songs
Fresh Love/Blue Babes/Love Me Only/If Your Imagination Fails/Magic Moments/Hard Driving/Cant Get Along Without You/Last Post Eureka/Mary Valley Rattler/Kiss Dance/Nothing Lasts Forever/We All Sing Matilda/Eve and Adam/Someone to Give (Nah)/When it Be/Love to Share