Bassoon and Contrabassoon

[FMiguelez]

.

Yup. Good point, MLC.

What I meant was in terms of the root motion only, not taking into account the key signatures. But you are totally correct in pointing that out. Technically speaking, what you mentioned is fully correct. I must get rid of that bad habit of calling that progression circle of 5ths! I hate the name anyway

[Tomas E]

The problem with bassoons is they're so freakin expensive. Only a handful of people can afford to give their kids bassoon lessons (as is the case with a few other instruments). It really is a shame.

Regarding dynamics, they may not have the dynamic range of other instruments, but with double reeds a little goes a long way. They have a way of cutting through. When an oboe or basoon player opens up, there's no question as to what's going on. I love the way Tchaikovsky handles reeds. Umm, just me babbling. I'll shut up now.

Phil

[Tomas E]

.

Hey, E-Snobben, it's cool you're getting into this stuff.

I agree with the comments above suggesting you get yourself a GREAT orchestration book, and take the time to learn about each instrument separately, then in families/ensembles, then in a whole orchestral context.
The Adler book is excellent. Besides, it comes with the CDs, which is extremely convenient. BUT, my PERSONAL favorite of all is:
Anatomy of the Orchestra, by Dr. Norman del Mar. AMAZING book. Witty, informative, different...

That progression you quoted it's called "the circle of fifths", BTW. And we use the word Fagot in Spanish for the bassoon too. Actually, I think most countries use some kind of derivation from Fagot to name the instrument.

Now, if you REALLY want to know the instrument inside out, I would suggest first, read and study all you can about it from text books. Then, go to a music university and buy a Fagot player lunch in exchange for a demonstration of the instrument. You could have all your questions answered, and just listening and seeing it 1 meter away from you would be a great learning experience. Maybe you can write a Fagot passage, and have the student play it for you and comment on it.

This is a wonderful world, my friend. Enjoy and have fun

Yeah, it's quite interesting now that I have the time. Oh, I see you suggest another book as well. I'll try to get a glimpse at both of them before deciding which one to buy.

Acutally it's not more than about 50 km to the School of Music where I got my education. Or maybe I could ask some local musicians.

[Tomas E]

...chord sequence which is often used in other connections. I don't have the English word for it. For example Am - Dm - G - C - F - Bm7b5 - E - Am.

What our friend is referring to is a chord progression based on the interval of a sequence of fourths, but it is incorrect to refer to that as the "circle of fifths."

Not exactly. Maybe you don't have a word for this sequence? We refer to it as a "fifthfall" or "fifthsfall" if that sound better in English. This is because if you were to play them downwards, the following interval would always be a fifth. In the example above you have to make one of them diminished in order to stay in the same key. This is thus a "tonal" ditto. The other one would be a "real" one. That one will not stay in the same key of course: A7 - D7 - G7 - C7 - F7 - Bb7 - Eb7...

BTW, a "real fifhsfall" was what I unawaringly discovered when playing the guitar as a child. My improvised songs sometimes ended up in another key (D instead of A for instance).

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Not exactly. Maybe you don't have a word for this sequence?

There is probably a word for it, but I just don't know it. LIke "12 bar blues" which implies a specific set of chords and a structure, there is probably something for your progression. Fifthfall sounds good to me, but I'd want to play "Hey Joe" (Hendrix - although he did not write it). That goes: C-G-D-A-E and is usually the first song many people learned to play on the guitar back in the 60's.

[FMiguelez]

...chord sequence which is often used in other connections. I don't have the English word for it. For example Am - Dm - G - C - F - Bm7b5 - E - Am.

What our friend is referring to is a chord progression based on the interval of a sequence of fourths, but it is incorrect to refer to that as the "circle of fifths."

Not exactly. Maybe you don't have a word for this sequence? We refer to it as a "fifthfall" or "fifthsfall" if that sound better in English. This is because if you were to play them downwards, the following interval would always be a fifth. In the example above you have to make one of them diminished in order to stay in the same key. This is thus a "tonal" ditto. The other one would be a "real" one. That one will not stay in the same key of course: A7 - D7 - G7 - C7 - F7 - Bb7 - Eb7...

BTW, a "real fifhsfall" was what I unawaringly discovered when playing the guitar as a child. My improvised songs sometimes ended up in another key (D instead of A for instance).

I know EXACTLY what you mean. But technically speaking, MLC is correct in terms of where it comes from, and the key signatures concept. But the root movement you mean down by fifths, as you originally mentioned, we do call it (incorrectly) circle of fifths (because of the root motion).

Fithfall sounds like a much better name for your progression. Actually, I'll adopt it

[Tomas E]

Thank you very much MIDI Life Crisis and FMiguelez, for your support of my newly invented English term for this sequence! I must say you made me feel quite proud of myself.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thank you very much MIDI Life Crisis and FMiguelez, for your support of my newly invented English term for this sequence! I must say you made me feel quite proud of myself.

No problem. You should hear my Swedish. Ya. (Want to hear more?)

[FMiguelez]

Thank you very much MIDI Life Crisis and FMiguelez, for your support of my newly invented English term for this sequence! I must say you made me feel quite proud of myself.

No problem. You should hear my Swedish. Ya. (Want to hear more?)

How about this:

SKOLL

I HOPE it means what I think it means (cheers). But it could be a bad word...

[FMiguelez]

,

[Tomas E]

No problem. You should hear my Swedish. Ya. (Want to hear more?)

I was just about to write "Hmm...nea". But now that FMiguelez has gotten into it as well it could be rather funny.

[Tomas E]

How about this:

SKOLL

I HOPE it means what I think it means (cheers). But it could be a bad word...

You're right, it means cheers. To pronounce it as accurate as possible you could use the word "all" as a preference and add the sk in front of it. It's spelled sk - "a" with a circle above - l, thus almost like this: SKAL!

BTW, the word "skal" spelled with a regular "a" (as you see it here) is the word for peel or shell depending on what you're talking about.
To peel a banana = Att skala en banan

I add one more I came to think of: "Skala" can also mean a scale, now that we're into music.

/End of lesson no.1

[Tomas E]

Today I recieved the third edition of:
THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION
WORKBOOK FOR THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION
SIX ENHANCED MULTIMEDIA COMPACT DISCS TO ACCOMPANY THE STUDY OF ORCHESTRATION

I'm really impressed just by browsing through the material! Hope I will be able to make some money on my music in a year or so.

Thanks bkshepard!

[FMiguelez]

.

Man, it's such a FANTASTIC book!!!

I have the older edition, and have been meaning to get this new one.

If you THOROUGHLY go through every chapter, reducing all the examples, listening to them, and do the workbook exercises, you will be very well trained. Really. You have under your hands a first-class resource!

Congratulations on your purchase.

Later, when you "finished" studying the book, you should get another one, just to have a different perspective. The other one I would recommend, VERY highly, is Dr. Norman del Mar's Anatomy of the Orchestra. It doesn't come with CDs, but it's such a great book too. Very witty. Kind of like the Forsyth, but newer.

[Tomas E]

.
If you THOROUGHLY go through every chapter, reducing all the examples, listening to them, and do the workbook exercises, you will be very well trained. Really. You have under your hands a first-class resource!

Congratulations on your purchase.

Later, when you "finished" studying the book, you should get another one, just to have a different perspective. The other one I would recommend, VERY highly, is Dr. Norman del Mar's Anatomy of the Orchestra. It doesn't come with CDs, but it's such a great book too. Very witty. Kind of like the Forsyth, but newer.

Thanks for the tip!

Do you know where to find the teacher's manual, with answers to the workbook questions? Otherwise the workbook will probably be of no use.