Accessories Help from the cleaning kit.

[Alc.]

Just discovered that my 12 gauge shotgun cleaning brush fits an alto mouthpiece perfectly. (New brush of course)

 

[jbtsax]

I hope it is a bristle brush and not a wire or brass one that could scratch the interior.

 

[kevgermany]

It's a cunning plan to migrate to an old style large chamber...

Worthy of Baldric methinks.

 

[Alc.]

It is material similar to that of a pad-saver, probably dense cotton. It's used to keep a shotgun bore dust-free.

 

[jbtsax]

That should work quite well. You could even run it back and forth with some cool water and dish washing detergent or even tooth paste if you like. When you said "brush" my mind went to those gun cleaning brushes with metal bristles.

 

[Alc.]

Tooth paste sounds like a good idea. Hadn't thought of that.

Since I just recently picked up a sax again, after a very long interval, I ordered and received a beginners instruction book for alto. I hadn't paid attention to it being a British edition, so some translation was called for. I had never heard of semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavers, or semiquavers. Likewise a stave was unfamiliar. Once I translated these into whole-notes, half-notes, quarter-notes, eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes, it cleared up considerably. Also I began finding the notes on the staff, which I did remember. Wasn't it Churchill that commented on two nations being separated by a common language?

 

[Ivan]

[quote="Al C., post: 146658, member: 3523... it cleared up considerably...[/quote]
I pleased to hear it

Do you think it was catching?

 

[Tenor Viol]

The challenge with American style notation, is what do you do when you get longer note values such as breves, longa and maxima? Just had a look at wiki and it says that a maxima is an "octuple whole note" (that's 32 crotchets, sorry quarter notes ).

Fortunately, unless you perform weird Renaissance or Medieval music like me you're unlikely to see too many of those lurking around jazz standards

PS I think jbt posted a dictionary to help translate recently...

 

[MandyH]

Tooth paste sounds like a good idea. Hadn't thought of that.

Since I just recently picked up a sax again, after a very long interval, I ordered and received a beginners instruction book for alto. I hadn't paid attention to it being a British edition, so some translation was called for. I had never heard of semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavers, or semiquavers. Likewise a stave was unfamiliar. Once I translated these into whole-notes, half-notes, quarter-notes, eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes, it cleared up considerably. Also I began finding the notes on the staff, which I did remember. Wasn't it Churchill that commented on two nations being separated by a common language?

Yes, when I decided to teach myself Music Theory, I bought an "idiots guide to music theory". Whilst it was pretty good in its content, it was written with American terminology, so like you, I have done the conversion course (but in the opposite direction)
Other challenges with the differences between English and American musical scores include that American scores only have the Key Signature at the start of the first bar, whereas English scores have the Key Signature at the start of every line. So at that moment when your (English) eyes glance back to the start of the line to remind you of the key signature, there is no Key Signature there.

 

[Alc.]

The more I study the more I wonder why I should want to stray from playing by ear. (to learn, fool) Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting, all part of my bucket list. I've always respected those who could play from a page with a jumble of what might have been found on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am seeing a glimmer of light, even though as a rank beginner I am required to practice nursery rhymes. It's O.K., though. Baby steps don't bother me, as long as I'm playing from a printed page. When it is time to quit for the day I can recharge the batteries by going back to memory, maybe In a Sentimental Mood, or Mood Indigo. I've always been a sucker for Ellington. Sorry. Blabber-time is over.

 

[MandyH]

The more I study the more I wonder why I should want to stray from playing by ear. (to learn, fool) Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting, all part of my bucket list. I've always respected those who could play from a page with a jumble of what might have been found on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am seeing a glimmer of light, even though as a rank beginner I am required to practice nursery rhymes. It's O.K., though. Baby steps don't bother me, as long as I'm playing from a printed page. When it is time to quit for the day I can recharge the batteries by going back to memory, maybe In a Sentimental Mood, or Mood Indigo. I've always been a sucker for Ellington. Sorry. Blabber-time is over.

I was lucky enough to learn to read music while still in primary school - maybe aged 7 or 8 - we had a very enthusiastic recorder teacher.
I then had to teach my younger sister to read music and to play the recorder. She is now a Head of Music teacher at a secondary school (maybe I should ask for a payment for aiding her on her career path!)

And I would desperately love to be able to play by ear. I can improvise a bit, but the though of someone just saying "off you go then" and not having any dots would fill me with fear!

 

[Alc.]

Sorry, Mandy. I guess I leap-frogged and posted after you posted. So you had some frustration, too, but in the opposite direction, as you said. Your method of self-instruction must have been successful, judging from your avatar. The big boy on the right is where I am heading. The bari is practically unachieveable from a financial standpoint, but I have prospects. Right now the important thing for me is the learning. Continued success.

 

[Alc.]

Damn, it happened again. I posted again, posthumously, you might say. That must have been a genuine learning experience, being placed in the position of teacher. Reinforcing what you knew. The only joy of playing by ear came from being, as a teenager, able to pick up a horn and perform when my peers, real musicians, had no music to refer to. It was great fun at the time, and the girls liked it, but some of the boys were less than supportive.