Question: How can I tell what is new or updated?
Answer: Look for the graphic.
Question: What is the best MIDI player for these tunes?
Answer: If you are trying to learn the tunes on a Windows PC, I recommend Notation Musician. This player lets you control tempo, change keys, mute voices and see the notes as they play. It will even convert MIDI to standard notation sheet music.
Question: Do you teach fiddle?
Answer: I teach beginning through intermediate fiddle. My wife and I give music lessons under the name Earth Harmony, LLC in Hudson, MA. We also perform as October Rose doing demonstrations of 19th century music in the Boston Metrowest area.
Question: The fiddle, banjo and guitar sound unnatural.
Answer: MIDI is a set of digital instructions which drive the output of a synthesizer. MIDI is not music in the conventional sense. Playback quality is dependent on your computer's hardware. Unlike mp3 or wav files, MIDI does not use recorded sound for output.
Question: How do you decide if a tune is in the Public Domain?
Answer: I start with the age of the tune. It must be at least 75 years old. I check with BMI and ASCAP. If the tune is not listed with them it is most likely unpublished or the copyright has expired. I also check online discographies for performance information.
Question: What is a diatonic scale?
Answer: A diatonic scale is a seven-note scale consisting of half-step and whole-step intervals. It is the familiar do-re-me scale you probably learned in elementary school. The white keys on a piano correspond to the diatonic scale of C major (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C), with the notes 1 whole tone apart, except for E-F and B-C, which is an interval of 1 semitone (half a tone).
The diatonic scale can be further broken down into major and minor scales and the minor scales can be further divided as natural, harmonic and melodic.
A diatonic scale can also be broken down into Modes. There are seven modes for each major scale. You can read a discussion of Modes on previous page.
Hetzler's Fakebook
Hetzler's Fakebook
