Music Links & Learning     

Malden Music
Keeping in Tune with SEMO Music



New Schumann Piano Piece Discovered
Researchers have discovered the manuscript of a previously unknown piano piece by German Romantic era musical composer Robert Schumann. Experts are referring to it as a "sensational" discovery.  The 24 bar piece, named Ahnung, is not dated but is believed to have been written in 1838. The piece will have its premiere in September 2009, when it will be performed in the town of Oberlingen on the Bodensee where it was discovered in April 2009.

Robert Schumann was born in Germany in 1810 and died in 1856. During his short career he composed four complete symphonies, a piano concerto, some chamber music as well as numerous shorter works for piano.
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I found this website to be very helpful for finding old hymns which are in the Public Domain. They are photo copies of piano arrangements out of hymn books.

http://www.breadsite.org/hymns3.htm



Free sheet music for a variety of different musical instruments:

http://www.8notes.com




Gunther Anderson has a large list of songs with lyrics and guitar chords ranging from rock and pop to show tunes. To check out his site:

http://guntheranderson.com/v/toc.htm

 
                                                               


Symphony Orchestra Links

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra 
www.slso.org 

Springfield, MO Symphony Orchestra 
www.springfieldmosymphony.org

Memphis Symphony Orchestra  
www.memphissymphony.org 

Dallas Symphony Orchestra 
www.dallassymphony.com
The DSO also has an excellent children's website which features music theory, seating charts for an orchestra, instrument pages, youth concert information and too many other things to mention here.  Check out this awesome website by clicking here:
www.dsokids.com


For free classical and fingerstyle guitar music:


http://www.guitardownunder.com


             

This site will let you download 3 free pieces of sheet music daily; or you can buy a membership and have unlimited downloads:

http://www.easysheetmusic.com



For free, easy to play piano sheet music:

http://www.easybyte.org



More free sheet music for multiple musical instruments:


http://www.music-scores.com



This is a website I use very often when I look for lyrics and chords. You can create a songbook and even transpose the chords into any key you want.  Search under artists or song names. Give them a look:

www.chordie.com



I love this website! You can print guitar necks for showing chords or piano keyboards for notes and other cool stuff.

http://www.projectsandhobbies.com



Click
 
below for music links to all kinds of things:
 
http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078297567/student_view0/chapter1/

This link will take you to so many different music sites that I can't list them all-give them a look!

 




Gootar is a great site for looking up chords by name or by chord position. There are many other options on this website also.
http://www.gootar.com

  

SEMO Musician Network:

 http://semomusic.webs.com


Top 10 Classical Works You Know, but You Don't Know

You can sing it, but you can't name it!

By Aaron Green, About.com

No. 1: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff

  • By far the most inquired about classical work, O Fortuna is played in hundreds of movies, television programs, commercials, and other forms of media. Many who have heard this famous piece can hum the melody and often describe it as haunting, foreboding, and big. O Fortuna is the opening movement to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work for large orchestra, choir, and solo vocalists.
  • Hear O Fortuna in the movies Cheaper by the Dozen, Natural Born Killers, and The Bachelor.

No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, by Franz Liszt

  • When I heard this piece for what I thought was the first time, I was surprised by how familiar it was. After listening to it several more times, it suddenly hit me… I heard it in a Bugs Bunny cartoon 15 years ago (Rhapsody Rabbit, 1946). He was performing the piece in front of a large audience amongst many distractions. I don’t think cartoons are made like that anymore.
  • Hear Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor in the movies Delirious, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Shine.

No. 3: Sous le dôme épais (Flower Duet) from Lakme, by Delibes

  • Already well known, Delibes’s Flower Duet was made ever-increasingly popular by British Airway’s use of the work in a fairly recent advertising campaign. This classic piece features a duet between a coloratura soprano and and a mezzo-soprano.
  • Hear Delibes’s Flower Duet in the movies The American President, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, and Meet the Parents.

No. 4: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin

  • Almost anyone can recognize Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Like, Orff's O Fortuna, Rhapsody in Blue is featured in many movies and television shows. Some consider it strictly jazz while others say it's classical, when in all actuality, it's a perfect combination of both. Here's an interesting fact, when Gershwin was commissioned to write the piece, he wrote it so speedily he didn't have time to compose the part for piano. At its first performance, Gershwin improvised the piano part. Later, it was finally composed.
  • Hear Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in the movies Fantasia 2000 and Manhattan.

No. 5: Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem

  • A great “power” song, people all over the world, even those who dislike classical music, appreciate this work. Verdi’s Dies Irae is arguably the most well known and recognizable movement of the work. Although, many classical music lovers can tell you the name and composer of the piece, the great majority of the world cannot. Its heart pounding rhythms and driving melodies are truly awe inspiring.
  • Hear Verdi’s Dies Irae in the movies Battle Royale and Water Drops on Burning Rocks.

No. 6: Dies Irae from Mozart’s Requiem

  • Although drastically different from Verdi’s, Mozart’s Dies Irae does not lack in intensity and ferociousness. Composed in 1791, this was the last work written by Mozart. The Requiem is a very popular piece, not only due to its beauty, but also for its mystery. There are many myths surrounding the exact details on how the Requiem was completed. Mozart died before the work was finished; it was Süssmayr who actually completed the work.
  • Hear Mozart’s Dies Irae in the movies X-Men 2, Duplex, and The Incredibles DVD – Jack-Jack Attacks.

No. 7: Nessun Dorma from Turandot, by Puccini

  • Nessun Dorma, a deliriously beautiful aria, is known by millions of people, but if you ask them to sing it, they can’t. Why? Because many of them don’t put the name with the song. Nessun Dorma became a household tune, possibly due to the huge success and marketability of the three tenors (Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo), as well as being played in many movie soundtracks.
  • Hear Puccini’s Nessun Dorma in the movies Chasing Liberty, Man on Fire, and Bend in like Bekham.

      No. 8: Movement 2 from Symphony No. 7, Beethoven

    • The second movement, or Funeral March, of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is an extremely memorable piece. Its ethereal melodic line, repeated throughout the movement’s entirety, gives its listeners chills as it progresses. This movement is the most popular of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Completed in 1812, it has been enchanting audiences ever since.
    • Hear Movement 2 of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in the movies Mr. Hollands Opus, Immortal Beloved, and Cowards Bend the Knee.

        No. 9: Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre, by Wagner

        • Featured in cartoons and movies, and everything in between, children and adults alike are very familiar with this piece. To many, Ride of the Valkyries represents the stereotypical large opera female festooned with braids, horned helmet, and metal breastplate with spear in hand. Although a wonderful piece, Ride of the Valkyries loses some of its magic among all this pop culture.
        • Hear Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries in the movies Apocalypse Now, The Blues Brothers, and Full Metal Jacket.

        No. 10: Peer Gynt Suite No.1, 'Morning', by Grieg

        • Synonomous with the rising sun, Grieg’s 'Morning' from Suite No. 1 is known by one and all. Children become familiar with this piece early on, as it is played in many cartoons. Unfortunately, the song titles of songs played are not credited in the ending credits, and even if they were, would kids even notice? I doubt it.
        • Hear Grieg’s 'Morning' from Suite No. 1 in the movies Raising Cain and Soylent Green.
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        STANDARD MUSICAL NOTATION FOR BEGINNERS

        Below is a chart of musical notes and their names in treble clef; most 6 string guitars play notes in the treble clef. The treble clef sign is seen at the far left on the musical staff-5 lines & 4 spaces. Each line and space designates the name of the note that sits on it.

        The four spaces, starting at the bottom and moving toward the top represent the notes F-A-C-E.(try to remember "FACE on the space.") A note that sits in the 1st (bottom)space is given the name F; one in the top of 4th space is E.

        The five lines of the staff, starting from the bottom and moving toward the top represent the notes E-G-B-D-F. Remember "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and take the first letter of each word and you have the treble clef line note names.

        For notes that fall above or below the staff ledger lines are added. Ledger lines are short parallel lines added above and below the staff which represent a continuation of the staff. For instance, the note which sits on the space below the first line is a D. To go one note below this a ledger line is added and the note is C; this also happens to be Middle C. As long as you remember the musical alphabet of A,B,C,D,E,F,G and count either forward or backward you should be able to learn to read music with a little bit of effort. Reading musical notation will open lots of musical doors for you and provide endless opportunities.

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        MUSICAL CHORDS

        Do you ever wonder what musicians mean when they talk about chords? Major, minor, diminished, 7th, etc?

        First of all the definition of a chord is three or more musical pitches sounded simultaneously. Now for more on some different types of chords.

        MAJOR-a chord which follows the key signature; a "happy" sounding chord; Scale degrees 1-3-5 (C-E-G)

        MINOR-a major chord with the 3rd tone flattened (lowered a  musical half step); a "sad" sounding chord; Scale degrees 1-3b-5 (C-Eb-G)

        AUGMENTED-a major chord with the 5th tone raised 1/2 step; think of it as "more major than major"; Scale degrees 1-3-5# (C-E-G#)

        DIMINISHED-a minor chord with the 5th tone flattened; think of "more minor than minor"; Scale degrees 1-3b-5b (C-Eb-Gb)

        SUSPENDED-a chord with the 3rd tone raised (suspended) 1/2 step; Scale degrees 1-3#-5 (C-F-G)

        DOMINANT 7th-a major chord with the flattened 7th tone of the scale added; Scale degrees 1-3-5-7b (C-F-G-Bb)

        MAJOR 7th-a major chord with the major 7th tone added; Scale degrees 1-3-5-7 (C-E-G-B)

        MINOR 7th-a minor chord with a flattened 7th tone added; Scale degrees 1-3b-5-7b (C-Eb-G-Bb)

        There are many other types of chords than these I've listed here but this will help explain these basic types. There are also some exceptions to what I've written about 7th chords. For flats, I've used the symbol "b" and sharps "#"; this is similar to what sharps and flats look like in written music.

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        Malden Music student wins 2nd place in Talent Show



        Makayla Turner, a piano student of mine and a 2nd grader at Bernie Elementary, won 2nd place in the Bernie Elementary School Talent Show held May 20, 2009.  She played 2 piano pieces for the panel of 3 judges as well as the students and faculty of Bernie Elementary.  Good job, Makayla!!
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        Baby, Oh Baby!

                         
        Pictured above is the beautiful Decker Brothers baby grand piano at the First Presbyterian Church in Malden.  I grew up in this church and can always remember the piano being there in the basement, but, like a lot of things, I didn't pay much attention to it back then.  Now that I'm "almost grown up" I'm seeing this treasure in a whole new light.

        From the limited research I've done I've found out a little more about this piano's background.  It was manufactured by Decker Brothers Piano of New York, NY, probably between 1886 and 1892.  I believe it is a Victorian Baby Grand with a length of 5 feet 7 inches and made of mahogany in what was called the Eastlake style.

        Decker Brothers Pianos of New York was founded around 1862 by brothers David and John Jacob Decker, originally from  Pennsylvania.  They were considered master piano builders of their time, in the same league as Steinway or Chickering pianos.  The brothers were owners of many innovative patents for piano building, many of which are still used today.  Decker Brothers pianos closed around the turn of the century, due to the death of John Jacob in 1895.  The piano historians I've contacted all feel that Decker Brothers would have gone on to greater fame and perhaps surpassed Steinway as the premiere piano builders if they had remained open.

        In addition to the Victorian Baby Grand, they also produced a square piano, circa 1874, a 9 foot Concert Grand, a Victorian Concert Grand which measured 6 foot 11 inches, the unusual Janko piano (six keyboards) and numerous upright pianos.  A coin operated piano was also made by the company.   A restored Decker Brothers grand piano can sell for as much as $30,000.

        This piano was given to the church by  Mr. and Mrs. Jake Mewhirter, the grandparents of present day church members, Doug Dirks and Al Mewhirter. Al has done quite an extensive family genealogy and said that the piano belonged to his grandmother's family, the Rannys from Cape Girardeau. They had a home on North Main Street in Cape and a farm, Spring Farm, between Cape and Dutchtown.  His grandmother Wathena Ranny married Jake Mewhirter and the piano was probably inherited by her from the Ranny family.   He thinks that after Jake and Wathena moved to Malden, the piano may have remained at Spring Farm until around 1960 when the First Presbyterian Church added a basement and the piano was donated to the church for use in the new basement. 

        When my music students have their recitals, we use the basement of the church specifically so they can play on this piano.  And while it's a little out of tune with a couple of keys that stick from time to time, how many other chances would students from this area have to perform on such an historical musical instrument?
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        1895 Pump Organ Still Going Strong

        This is my newest musical acquisition, an 1895 Kimball pump organ, given to me my my sister, Mary Beth Broughton of Jefferson city, MO. It still works but will need quite a bit of restoration which I plan to do my self so if anyone has any experience with or knowledge of these wonderful old instruments please contact me. I have about a million questions.
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        Link to the Chamber Music super group     
        'Pacifica Quartet'

        www.pacificaquartet.com  
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        Key Signatures & the Circle of Fifths



        What is a key signature? As defined by The Harvard Dictionary of Music it is an arrangement of sharps or flats (or the absence of both) at the beginning of each staff that defines the principal pitches used in a composition. Probably everyone has heard musicians say they are doing a song in "G" or "C"-this refers to the key the song is in. By looking at the key signature of a song, you can easily tell what key something is in.

        Even though I didn't learn keys from the Circle of Fifths, I do find it useful in helping in this regard. Look at the top of the circle and it says 0# with a C under it-this means that if there are no sharps or flats in the key signature (found right after the clef and before the time signature) of C major. Go to the right and you'll see that 1 sharp in the key signature puts you in the key of G major; 2 sharps is the key of D major. etc. Look to the left and you'll find the flat keys-1 flat is F major, 2 flats Bb major, etc.

        All the major keys have a relative minor key which shares the same key signature. I'll have more on relative minor keys soon.
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        The most expensive musical instruments as sold by Christie's Auctions:
         Violin: Stradivarius "The Lady Tennant" (made 1699) for $2.03 million April 2005
         Piano: Steinway Model Z owned by John Lennon, $2.08 million October 2000
         Cello: Stradivarius "Bonjour" (made 1696) for $1.03 million 1999
        Guitar: Fender Stratocaster "Blackie" owned by Eric Clapton, $959,000 June 2004
         Flute: Powell Platinum (made 1939) for $187,000 1990



        For the latest on the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra, click below for their website:

        mormontabernaclechoir.org