Klarinet Archive - Posting 000641.txt from 2001/02

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Frank G`s Enharmonic perplexity
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:52:04 -0500

All you need do is relate to the alphabet. You will be able to recite A to G
quickly. Before you progress onto the enharmonic equivalents, learn to
recite it backwards just as fluently and quickly as forwards. GFEDCBA
Recognising the enharmonic equivalent then becomes easy.

Rising, A# becomes Bb, - easy, as is all the rest. Leaving B# well alone for
the moment. C# becomes - think alphabet @-----. You work out
the rest.

Descending, Gb becomes, think alphabet backwards @-----. You work out the
rest. Two pieces of cake.

Leave B#, C,Cb, and E#, F,Fb alone for the moment, until you feel
comfortable with the more usual ones.

The alphabet should be in your thinking as a "route" or "highway" to reading
music generally/constantly/primarily. [{("Scales are <only> alphabet")}].The
difference that reading music has, compared to reading written language,
(what you are reading now), is that in music, one has to read up and down,
(vertically) at the same time as reading horizontally. It`s the vertical
aspect of reading music that uses different "planes", (different levels -
think of an elevator ascending or descending, stopping at the 5th floor,
then directing you to the food market (F#) and groceries (Gb) - both on the
same floor, yet both using different signs).

It`s these different planes which determine whether the harmonic content of
the music has been correctly applied. Some composers ignore this aspect.
Sometimes the music warrants it. When I write something I try to combine a
bit of both, with the overriding factor that ease of reading is paramount.
Cb Bb Ab would be followed with Gb and not F#, because the mind is fluently
tuned in to flats. If F# were suddenly introduced, there would need to be an
instantaneously applied additional thought process in order to cope with the
whole phrase.

Sketch the alphabet vertically on a piece of plain paper. G

Gb¬

F#_I SAME NOTE

F

E

Eb¬

D#_I SAME NOTE

D

Db¬

C#_I SAME NOTE

C

B

Bb¬

A#_I SAME NOTE

A

Ab¬

G#_I SAME NOTE
and photocopy it. Pin one up somewhere, and carry the other round with you.
J - - - - what a pain that was. I`m glad I`m not an e-mail administrator!!

Best,
Tony W.

----- Original Message -----
From: "fpg" <fpg@-----.us>
Subject: [kl] Enharmonic perplexity

> I'd appreciate some advice. I'm at the point where I am beginning to
> tackle scales in F# and C# Major (and d# and g# minor). Most of the
> exercise books I've seen seem to use F# and C#, but there are some that
> give the exercises in Gb and Db Major (and eb and ab minor). Whew! I
> realize that the fingerings for the enharmonic keys are the same (I
> think), but it appears as if there are eight new keys to learn instead
> of four. Any suggestions on how to approach this? (And does anyone
> ever use CbMajor)? TIA
> Frank P. Galiani (bewildered in Bloomington)

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