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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 26, 2005 5:56:19 GMT
Does anyone know of a music camp or workshop for Chinese music in the USA (hopefully West) this summer, especially erhu? One for Vietnamese music would be great as well. I know about Lark Camp, but something more targeted to Chinese music would be my preference.
If there is no such thing, maybe we should do one ourselves.
Best wishes,
David Dahl Portland, Oregon
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 13, 2005 7:51:02 GMT
At my last erhu lesson, I was provided a new book accompanied by a CD with the accompaniments rendered by synthesizer. What fun! The first tune I was assigned has a Chinese title, is notated in jianpu, and looks like it should be Chinese, but sounds a lot like Edelweiss. <g> Maybe be this is from a Chinese Sound of Music set in the Himalayas. Wouldn't Richard Rogers be surprised.
I would love to find more such book and CD sets, with beginner erhu tunes, especially Chinese tunes. Simple accompaniment by something like yanqin would be particularly fun. Does anyone know of such an animal?
Thanks.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by calden on Mar 13, 2005 17:57:11 GMT
At my last erhu lesson, I was provided a new book accompanied by a CD with the accompaniments rendered by synthesizer. What fun! The first tune I was assigned has a Chinese title, is notated in jianpu, and looks like it should be Chinese, but sounds a lot like Edelweiss. <g> Maybe be this is from a Chinese Sound of Music set in the Himalayas. Wouldn't Richard Rogers be surprised. David David: When we lived in China we found that Edelweiss was one of the very much loved popular tunes that everybody, and I mean everybody, seemed to know. Our students - about 300 of them - sang it as a group to welcome my wife and I to the University. We heard it everywhere. Our city's Chinese Association's big New Year shindig program originally had that on the roster as one the male quartet - of which I was in - was supposed to sing. We cut it for time reasons. For some reason, totally incompehensible to Americans, this song has wormed its wormy way into Chinese hearts. There are a few others like that, too, but they have escaped my memory, thank God. Oh no, I just remembered - some Carpenters songs were popular, too. I tried introducing some newer music to students. I had brought along some rap and rock and bluegrass tapes, and distinctly remember translating "Yesterday" as it was playing. They loved the Beatles, and had NEVER heard of them before. Carlos
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Post by Dick on Mar 13, 2005 22:56:55 GMT
Oh, yeah. I get requests for Edelweiss virtually every time I whip out an instrument where Chinese relatives are present. Another fave is "Red River Valley" and there is at least one set of original Chinese lyrics for it.
But this one stopped me in my tracks, found in a beginner dizi book. The jianpu, marked in 3/4 time, goes like:
/ 1 1 5. / 3 3 1 / 13 5 5 / 43 2 - / 23 4 4 / 32 3 1 / 13 2 5. / 7.2 1 - //
It's My Darling Clementine! But the down beat is shifted one to the right. zow.
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 14, 2005 1:05:44 GMT
LOL! I remember my surprise while in a restaurant in Hanoi, when the house band segued from some traditional VN music to "Oh, Susannah". It turns out to fit the pentatonic model quite well, with passing tones of course.
I am surprised that the Beattles are not better known in China. Western icons otherwise seem to have become entrenched. Touring the Vietnamese countryside accompanied by Stevie Wonder and the Eagles was not what I expected. I guess I should be grateful that it was not the Carpenters. <g>
The next tune in my new book after Edelweiss is "Way, down upon the Swanee River". I wonder if my search for Chinese tunes is misguided, and I should just find a book of Stephen Foster. He seems to be as Chinese as anything else (Way down upon the Yellow River..)
I wish that Chinese music was better known and appreciated among Western audiences. There are some wonderful chestnuts among Chinese music. It is pretty common for Westerners to know the Japanese tune "Sakura", but I cannot think of a single Chinese tune that I knew before pursuing Chinese music.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 14, 2005 1:13:00 GMT
But this one stopped me in my tracks, found in a beginner dizi book. The jianpu, marked in 3/4 time, goes like:<snip> It's My Darling Clementine! But the down beat is shifted one to the right. zow. <g> This is an interesting trick that I have heard elsewhere. In a recording I have of Frere Jacque to Vietnamese lyrics about a yellow butterfly (Kia con buom vang), there is a similar shifting of the beats that threw me at first. It is fascinating how such tunes come to belong to no one particular culture, but rather to everyone. Best wishes, David
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Mar 15, 2005 15:37:25 GMT
I can't believe my scale, or eyes.
I just received 6 Golden Strained- Small-leaved Red Sandalwood Erhu today, and they sound PERFECT!
Hey, they weight nearly 1kg each, annd the mean weight is 950 grams, and there is not a piece of lead at the base. All pure sandalwood... Think about the high luscious materiaLS, AL STRAIGHT GRAINED, ALL LARGE Scaled snake skin. Think.. and imagione..
An average erhu weigh only 750 grams, most weighed down with lead or tin. Already 1 will be sold to USA and 1 to UK, for only $650. With shipping it hardly comes to 740, and still comes with a money back warranty..
Now thats a deal.
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Post by davidmdahl on Mar 15, 2005 23:48:59 GMT
I can't believe my scale, or eyes. I just received 6 Golden Strained- Small-leaved Red Sandalwood Erhu today, and they sound PERFECT! <snip> Now thats a deal. Yes, but how are they at making coffee? <g> Best wishes, David
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Mar 16, 2005 16:28:48 GMT
I'm not too sure, they never asked me to coffee....
David, your Ebony Sandalwood Erhu si on the way, and it really is something you'll love. Same maker as the Erhus i described, except I paid 200% more for material price for the instruments decribed above.
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 1, 2005 6:51:30 GMT
I received my ebony sandalwood erhu from Cadenza and have been playing it at every opportunity this week with great pleasure. This evening I had my first opportunity to show it my erhu teacher, and he confirmed my high opinion of the new instrument. It is really on a higher quality level that he usually sees. The workmanship is high, the wood and snake skin is outstanding, and even the case is excellent. I don't have a lot of experience playing different erhu, but it is certainly the best one I have played.
Now I want to take a few days off of work so I can really get in some good practicing. <g>
Best wishes,
David Dahl Portland, Oregon
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Apr 1, 2005 10:57:33 GMT
My Erhu isn't coming back!?!?!?!
There, my friend was sad, but she paid for another Golden Sandalwood one, and to his surprise, HER TEACHER COULD'NT Put it dowwn!
My Housebrands are getting more and more delightful. The next batch in within 1 week. Its really good, and some teachers have expressed interest in buying already.
I urge all members here to purchase one if u wish to have an ultimate erhu, before prices of my erhu gets jacked up by ppl other countries. We sell to everyone at uniformed price, unless they buy enbulk (save shipping). They might sell at weird prices, which i have no control over!
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 6, 2005 6:18:25 GMT
I had a great time this afternoon with a friend playing erhu duets. This is not only a lot of fun, but is great for developing the ear and ensemble skills. I enjoy practicing by myself, but making music with others is better yet.
Besides another erhu, or yangqin, are there other good combinations? Any favorite duet/ensemble books?
Best wishes,
David
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Apr 6, 2005 15:42:54 GMT
Sure!
Erhu Dizi Pipa Yangqin Cello and Guzheng, my favourite gigue troupe (Cadenza Group).
Xiao and Pipa and Guzheng, OR Gaohu and Guzheng (You Zhou Chang Wan), OR Pipa and Dizi (Legend of Narcusius) things like that!!
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Post by Dick on Apr 7, 2005 2:00:30 GMT
Gotta admit, I would listen to flute duets (xiao/xiao, dizi/dizi, dizi/xiao) the livelong day, if only other business didn't keep intruding...
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Apr 7, 2005 3:48:49 GMT
Hi
Dick, Have you played "Xi Xun Chuan Lai Le Kai Huai" before?
Its a dizi duet piece i really liked, and i played it as a constant repertoire when i played in the arts troupe for the army.
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Post by Dick on Apr 7, 2005 15:21:16 GMT
I'm not familiar with that piece. If you can point me in the direction of a recording or (even better) a manuscript, it would be much appreciated!
thanks!
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 7, 2005 15:55:57 GMT
For those who were not able to download the erhu scores from Cadenza.biz, I have uploaded the ones I grabbed to the following location. f2.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/davidmdahlYou will need a Yahoo account and email it to me (just the user name, not the password), and I will add you to my 'friends' list who have access to the directory. I am looking forward to the day when I have enough experience to play these tunes. They look fun. Best wishes, David
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Post by James on Apr 12, 2005 7:28:15 GMT
hiya! I'm new here. I hav been playing the erhu 2 to 3 yrs ago I was wondering if anyone has the carmen fantasy or "cold craw playing wif water" scores for the erhu???
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 20, 2005 3:59:11 GMT
I am a long way from playing the Carmen Fantasy on erhu, but still it is a lot of fun. I am taking my first steps away from the key of D. G is certainly not a strange key in traditional music, but it is funny how my fingers are not used to the different intervals. Even funnier is the switch going off in my head now that the jianpu numbering scheme is moved to a different relative position with "1" a G rather than a "D". I am confident that I will get the hang of this, but I would appreciate suggestions.
Best wishes,
David Dahl Portland, Oregon
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Post by paulv on Apr 20, 2005 13:28:41 GMT
Hi David,
I just kept on studying the fingering charts. Since I was trained in Western music, I tend to translate the number notation in my head to staff notation while I'm trying to play and watching my fingers.
There's an old saying about not be able to teach an old dog new tricks -- It's because the old dog doesn't want to learn -- not that he can't learn!!
Regards, Paul (Old Dog) Valente
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 20, 2005 19:58:58 GMT
I just kept on studying the fingering charts. Since I was trained in Western music, I tend to translate the number notation in my head to staff notation while I'm trying to play and watching my fingers. Regards, Paul (Old Dog) Valente <g> I feel like an old dog myself. Hopefully the music will help keep us young. My teacher has encouraged me to sing the solfege syllables (do, re, me,...) while I play, but I am not so sure it helps me. I have not been mapping the jianpu to staff notation in my head and that surprises me a little. Thanks, Paul. Best wishes, David
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Apr 20, 2005 22:47:01 GMT
Hi!
This is weird!
I have been doing solfege my rntire 21 years, and now, when i'm taking exams for Shanghai, I am so forced to use staff notation, which, looks to me like bean spouts, and was never able to correspond properly to dizi notations.
Any methods, of how to transpose/trancribe?
Rember there at 7 fingering systems, 12 different dizis and asd many keys in major scales nd as many in monor.....
Carman fanatsy sound good on erhu, and so does Gypsy Airs and Czardas.... So much so that its a common repertoir nowadays...
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Post by paulv on Apr 21, 2005 14:56:36 GMT
Hi David,
My teacher also encourages me to use solfege even though I keep resisting it. Luckily, he also plays violin, so he tolerates my "occidental" ways. One thing I did when I first started playing was to make a large fingering chart and have it next to the score I was practicing -- this way, the fingering was staring right at me. As months passed, I made the charts smaller and just glance at then when needed.
Hi YouLan,
I don't know of any translation tools to go to/from number/staff notations. There are several staff notation software tools out there so you could create scores, but no translations. I've done some transcribing by hand and its a real headache! At least the note durations are pretty close in both notations. If you just need to learn the treble (G) clef, this will simplify things.
My first exposure to number notation was when I first got started learning erhu. I feel that number notation is good for instruments like dizi, which are "cut" for specific keys. In the case of erhu, as we all know, is fully chromatic, number notation doesn't make sense to me. But since I want to play erhu, and all the music is number notation, I'll suffer through it.
Regards,
Paul ("Old Mangy Dog Incapable of New Tricks") Valente
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Post by Dick on Apr 21, 2005 15:31:46 GMT
It is amazing how that notation thing keeps popping up over and over in these forums. I (still) say the best thing is to strive for a comprehensive ability to interpret any notation available.
"The map is not the terrain" -- that's another way of saying the printed page is not music, just a reminder about how to re-create someone's idea of the music.
Jian pu and wu xian pu differently emphasize two facets of actual music, both of which are necessary to any meaningful performance or interpretation. Wu xian pu emphasizes melodic aspects, in contrast with jian pu which makes harmonic relationships more explicit.
Solfege-based, harmony-centric notations have persisted in western music, too. What do you think 17th century figured bass was all about? Contemporary text books by John Mehegan (who taught at Juliard, okay?) insist on the use of harmony-centric numbers for jazz improvisors.
Invoking the precedence of some "tradition" or imagined cultural or historical preference for one kind of notation over the other is simply argumentive. Not to mention unsupported by history. Here's a fun fact: Solfege and staff notation were introduced into China at approximately the same time, shortly before the turn of the 20th century.
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Post by YouLanFengChune on Apr 21, 2005 15:47:32 GMT
Hi!
Thanks! I appreciate softwares, but i need to learn staff scores for conservatorium exams...dec 2005.
There are 5 fingering systems for dizi, and in theory, you can play any key on any dizi. The only problem comes when i need a certain fingering style, suiting a certain technique, using a certain method.
It boils down to experience.
I changed my plans. I'll be going to Hangzhou early july to meet Jiang Guo Ji and Shanghai to meet Yu Xun Fa for masterclasses.
If anyone would be going then, it'll be great!
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