Wet tuning is the practice of slightly detuning two pitches to give a richer sound. It’s often used in accordions. Here, I detune double melody strings on a chord zither. And I offer two possibilities.
Entries Tagged as '*Music'
Study in wet tuning (diatonic)
June 6th, 2022 · Comments Off on Study in wet tuning (diatonic)
Interlude in C
May 29th, 2022 · 2 Comments
This interlude uses five pitches around middle C: 250, 255, 260, 265, and 27o Hz. I retuned a chord zither, but a digital keyboard would also work.
Melody in A
May 10th, 2022 · Comments Off on Melody in A
Seven pitches are used: 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, and 470 Hz. I retuned a chord zither, but a digital keyboard would also work. Here’s the first page:
Gegenschein
April 24th, 2022 · Comments Off on Gegenschein
A quiet sonic glimmer for glockenspiel or vibraphone and piano, dodecaphonic but not exactly serial.
“Music From Elsewhere” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
February 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on “Music From Elsewhere” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
I’ll be presenting my concert/talk on “Music From Elsewhere: the music of spirits, fairies, aliens, and other questionable beings” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art on February 20. It’s in conjunction with the show “Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art,” curated by Robert Cozzolino, which runs from February 19 to May 15. The program […]
It All Went Pfft
January 31st, 2022 · 2 Comments
My new album, It All Went Pfft, is now available on Bandcamp! It includes 20 songs, plus the eponymous piano piece. The selections are: 1. Oh Dear, Oh Dear 2. Let’s Not Leave the House Anymore 3. Laughter 4. A Different Point of View 5. A Few Essential Principles 6. Bread and Honey 7. Get […]
A Slot Machine for Wooden Nickels
January 10th, 2022 · Comments Off on A Slot Machine for Wooden Nickels
“A Slot Machine for Wooden Nickels” is a set of seven pieces for either keyboard or violin and ‘cello. Each is 49 measures long, divided in different ways; the first is 7 x 7, the second 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10, the third 10 + 10 + […]
Scuttles of Petals
December 28th, 2021 · 2 Comments
“Scuttles of Petals” was written by assigning letters of the alphabet to the top 26 pitches of the keyboard, and then spelling the names of flowers, yielding pitches that follow linguistic, rather than common-practice, patterns. The names go from 13 to 4 letters, a sequence that is repeated three times. The first set is: chrysanthemum, […]
Quand vient le solstice
December 21st, 2021 · Comments Off on Quand vient le solstice
Happy Solstice! This song was written for Meg Reichardt’s annual Holiday Recording Party. I wrote it in French, since Meg is a Francophile. Here’s the translation: The nights grow longer when the solstice comes, which is favorable for nights of dreaming. When the nights are short, the long days are sunny, but empty of dreams. […]
Lasciate l’ombre
October 29th, 2021 · Comments Off on Lasciate l’ombre
A setting of part of Il Vendemmiatore, by Luigi Tansillo, which I encountered quoted by Giordano Bruno in his dialogue La Cena de le ceneri. The part I set is: Lasciate l’ombre, ed abbracciate il vero; Non cangiate il presente col futuro. Io d’aver di miglior già non dispero; Ma per viver più lieto e […]