168 - Eggs & Sausage
Speaking of which, the number of people that subscribe / view this "blog” on a daily basis is, frankly, miniscule. While it’s not going to stop me from continuing to post these, it would be nice if more people tuned in, so if you have any suggestions how to make this grow, feel free to share them.
A Name? Let me elaborate.
I dance and lead English Country Dance. If I search for that phrase, I find like minded groups worldwide.
You lead Mandolin Orchestra. I didn't know they existed until you brought it to my (our) attention.
ABC music. That's how I found you. I love how I can write out a few lines, and that describes a melody, perhaps with chords.
So, what name can I ascribe to daily (weekly, occasional) Lead Sheets? If I wanted to find another person or two who does what you do, what would I seek?
By giving something a memorable name, and by others also using it, it becomes a group.
I lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario for a few years. Each year they had a New Music festival, where authors from the university and college would meet and showcase their new creations. Some were dreadful, such as pieces involving bowing across brass cymbals. But that is the price we pay to find new melodies and pieces.
Churches often have choirs, and recent authors such as Avro Part have non-traditional harmonies. Michael Eskin of ABC recently discussed his microtonal additions to his online ABC tool; this is another niche many avoid.
I digress.
Telling strangers is rarely helpful. Finding curious people in fields that are near to your own might attract the interest you seek. I think finding the name for your field of music is a good start. If it doesn't have a name, we (ok, you) should create a name for it.
You are clearly writing a melody with chords and rhythm. For people who like the melody, I'm certain if they pay or even ask sweetly, you could provide the ABC, and then the tune could be shifted to a Folk Key (C, F, G, D, A).
I'm a weak musician, but find that music sounds the same if we don't stretch out to new key signatures, new time signatures. And yet, I can't learn a tune that is too complicated. Perhaps writing for the weekly Bluegrass circle won't do the trick.
You go through considerable effort to provide a format for readable notes, playable ABC, repeatable publishing. It's not easy when the tools available don't always get it right. Oops, I am rambling once again.
Find a name for your genre. Then we can start to rally around it. -dave
>> While it’s not going to stop me from continuing to post these, it would be nice if more people tuned in, so if you have any suggestions how to make this grow, feel free to share them.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Posting tunes in six sharps will immediately put off 98% of the people who might try and play tunes from lead sheets. Unless you expect performers to have instruments tuned in meantone tunings (unlikely), if they are in equal temperament (likely), there is absolutely zero advantage in posting in other than the home keys of folk instruments (C, G, D, maybe A), and considerable downside. Please reconsider your target keys.