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.
cfle

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

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

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.

cfl

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.

cfl

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!!
cfl

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.
cfl

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