Page 712 - OCTOBER 1920 Arthur P. Schmidt Co, VOCAL, Metcalf , Joli n W . Jibiwanisi (low or high voice). PIANO. Grant-Scliaeffer , G . A . "Tales of the Red-Man." IIow the Rabbit Lost His Tail. In Her Canoe. Little Papoose. Old Indian's Lament, The. Puk-Wudjies Dance. Wooing. Clayto n F . Summ y Co . PIANO. Miller , Horac e A . Melodic Views of Indian Life (Collection). Arranged for the piano). Mokrejs , John . An Indian Idyll. Prom a Tama Pow-wow. Old Chief Metaatakwa. White-Smit h Co. SONGS. Cadman , Charle s Wnkemaii . From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water. He Who Moves in the Dew. Her Shadow, Canoe Song (Shanewis). I Found Him in the Mesa. Spring Song of the Robin Woman (Shanewis). The Doe-Skin Blanket. Nevin , Arthur . Indian Lullaby. SONG CYCLES. Cadman , Charle s Wakefield . Four American Indian Songs. From Wigwam and Tepee. VOCAL DUET. The Warrior Departs (soprano and baritone). FOUR-PART SONGS—OCTAVO. Four American Indian Songs (men's voices). Four American Indian Songs (women's voices). GRAND OPERA. Shanewis. . PIANO SOLOS. Intermezzo (Shanewis). Prelude (Shanewis). Wah-Wah-Tay-See (Little Fire-fly). PIANO CYCLES. Idealized Indian Themes. Thunderbird, The. ORGAN. C a d 111 a n - E d «1 y . From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water. VIOLIN AND PIANO. Cadman , Charle s Wakefield . Wah-Wah-Tay-See (Little Fire-Fly). C a d li i a 11 -Yost . From the Land of the Sky-Bine Water. 'CELLO AND PIANO. Cadman-Hamhonrg- . From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water. Willi s Musi c Co . VOCAL. Bliss , Panl . The Mound-Builders (An American Cantata for Chorus, Soprano, Alto and Bass). The Feast of the Red Corn (An American Indian Operetta). Note—In each of the above works the composer has introduced Native Indian Themes. THE ETUDE Bow Many Parts are There ? AVAILABL E TALKLX G MACHIN E RECORD S O F IJTDIA N MUSIC . These records have been issued by the Victor Talking Machine Company, under the direction of Mrs. Frances E. Clark, head of the Educational Department. ORIGINAL—SUNG BY INDIANS. Gambler's Song—Glacier Park Indians (Blackfeet Tribe). (Reverse)—Navajo Indian Songs' (Tom-Tom Accompani-ment) Geoffrey O'Hara Medicine Song—Glacier Park Indians (ISlackfeet Tribe). (Reverse) —(a ) White Dog Song, (b) Grass Dance. Glacier Park Indians (Blackfeet Tribe). Penobscot Tribal Songs (Traditional) ..Princess Watohivaso (Reverse) — (a) Papupoon (Pueblo Farewell Song). (b) The Sacrifice (Indian Mourning Song) . .Princess Watohivaso ADAPTATIONS OF INDIAN THEMES. By the Weeping Waters (Thurlow Lieurance) Princess Watohwaso (Reverse) — (a)Aooah (Pueblo Love Song), (b) Her Blanket (Navajo Song) (Lieurance) Princess Watohwaso By the Waters of Minnetonka (Thurlow Lieurance) Princess Watohwaso (Reverse)—Sioux Serenade (Thurlow Lieurance) Princess Watohwaso (a) Hiawatha's Childhood—Ewa-yea ! (b) Wah-wah-taysee (from ''Hiawatha's Childhood") (H. W. Longfellow-Bessie M. Whiteley) (with piano and strings) .Elsie Baker (Reverse) — (a)By the Shores of Gitchie Gumee. (b) Then the Little Hiawatha (from "Hiawatha's Childhood") (H. W. Longfellow-Bessie M. Whiteley) (with piano, violin and flute) Grecn-Whecler-Dnnlap IDEALIZATION OF INDIAN THEMES. From an Indian Lodge (from "Woodland Sketches" of Mac-Dowell) okSonsa's Band Indian I ^anient (Dvofak-Kreisler) Krcisler Largo (fi) m "The New World" Symphony) (DvoMk) Victor Concert Orchestra Little Firefly (Charles W. Cadman) Maud Powell From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water (from "American Indian Songs") (Eberhart-Cadman) . . . .Florence Hinkle Natoma—Dagger Dance (Herbert) Victor Herbert's Orchestra Natoma—Spring Song (Herbert) Alma Gluck By Chas. Johnstone, Mus. Bac. IN no other point in music is there such a widespread lack of understanding as in the matter of time. How few pupils, when called upon to count a passage, can promptly and accurately do so. In a general sense t:i s arises from a lack of knowledge of general principles. But in a specific examination it has two causes. The first of these is a hazy and confused idea of the Time-Signature, and its meaning. How very few grasp the fact that it is the loivcr figure of the Time-Signa-ture that is all-important. It is what might be termed the "Commercial" indicator in music. In commerce, wood is sold by the cord, coal by the ton, cloth by the yard and meat by the pound. A clerk, till he knows the price Of one cord, ton, yard or pound, cannot sell five or ten. Tw o things that the clerk must know are the standard selling price of the goods and the value of every coin presented to him. Otherwise he is very apt to cheat either his employer or his customer if they do not watch him. The music student must know what is the standard value of a count and also the kind and value of the note he is looking at. Now, it is just this lower figure of the Time-Signature that shows the standard price of a count. Till the pupil knows what kind of a note gets one count, how can he know what kind would get two, three or four counts? If the lower figure is 2, 4 or 8, it shows that a half, quarter or eighth note respectively gets#one count. Having found out that, he should, before starting to count a passage, have a clear conception of the relative values of all other notes. Thus, supposing the lower figure to be 4, he should, before starting, grasp the following relative values: 4.11 ! 4 • 0 0 Or supposing the lower figure to be s, then h h h h h IN 0 0 0 0 0 0 h h h h h h 0 0 0 0 0 0 etc. Other figures will be read in a similar manner. Till this is fully grasped there are sure to be mistakes. The number of counts in a bar, as indicated by the upper figure, is of minor importance, save in knowing the class of time used and its consequent rule of accent. It is more important for a clerk to know the price of one yard of cloth than to know how many yards there are in the piece. He cannot sell more yards than the piece contains. You cannot put four quarts into a three-quart measure, nor can you get four counts in a three-count measure. So, as already stated, it is the lower figure that measures and is all-important. Two or More Parts But while this is the foundation of all time in music, there is another very important difficulty in the path of the pupil. This occurs where there are two or more parts moving together on the same staff. The first thing to be done in this case is to find out how many parts there are and then be sure to count the different parts individually and collectively. I make all of my pupils commit the following rule to memory: "liach note in each part lasts till the next note comes in the same part." You cannot count a note in one part by . a note in another part. Not only in the counting of the parts does confusion arise, but also through the sym-pathy of the fingers with each other in the playing. Because a note is released in one part, a finger, holding a note in another part, is very apt to come up, too, though the time of that note is not completed. It it, just a matter of finger sympathy. This is difficult to overcome, but must be done. An illustration will make the matter of individuality of parts clear. j' 1 pmmmm ly-M& J, rlTfil •RTIBJ. I F i •J The above excerpts are taken from the pianoforte arrangement of Wagner's overture to Tannhauser. The piece is written in time. In measures 2 and 4 it would seem as though there were six counts in the measure. But you cannot get six counts in a three-count bar. On closer examination it will be seen that the octaves with the stems upwards count a complete measure, whilst the inner quarter and half notes with the stems downwards also form a complete bar. Hence we have two parts on each staff proceeding simultaneously. An important point for the student to remember is that in pianoforte music the number of parts may change at any time. For instance, in bar 3 in the treble, for the first two counts, there are three parts moving together, but on the third they have merged into one part only. In the bass of the same measure on the first two counts there are three parts, whilst on the third count there are four parts. As the dotted half note is a complete bar in itself, it cannot come in after the quarter-note D, or there would be four counts in a three-count measure. There-fore the two Ds both come in on the first count, but representing two different parts, each of which is a complete measure. I have drawn a line, showing the continuity of each part in both excerpts. The great point, then, in counting is first to find out how many parts there are moving together. If this is done; the counting becomes easy, but a clear idea must be kept, so that "each note in each part may last till the next note comes in the same part" quite independently of what the other parts are doing. Speed in GENERALLY speaking, the more slowly an idea is pre-sented to the mind the better it will be grasped, for this gives more chance to observe and inwardly digest it. Most people don't practice nearly slowly enough, especially when trying to cure mistakes. Suppose, for example, you have a pupil who has always stuck the fifth finger in the air while playing scales. Make him play slowly, note by note, lowering the finger whenever it seems disposed to jump up. After a certain time, a new habit of keeping the finger down will be formed naturally; but, if instead, he goes on practicing rapidly the mind never has a chance to make this new habit, and the "gramophone" part of it will throw the finger up-wards in the same old way every time. As you practice observe the sizes, shapes and patterns of intervals, chords and runs. If an artist does not ob-serve what a thing is like, he cannot hope to draw it correctly; nor can you play a thing correctly until you understand what the notes are and in what order they come; what curve, line or mass they make upon Practice the keyboard. NEVE R "BLUFF " A DIFFICUL T PASSAGE ; UNDERSTAN D IT, and you will soon remember it and reproduce it as easily as the simpler forms. If at first it seems uncomfortable to the hands, remember the law of growth, and don't be impatient or despairing. All that is needed is patient repetition, and in due course the necessary muscular development will come. But remember this: Although you practice slowly, LE T TH E MOVEMENT S THEMSELVE S B E QUICK , or your touch will be sluggish and the tone dull, and when later on you wish to play fast, the fin-gers will rebel against the endeavor to hurry them. THIN K as long as you like, in order that you may make the correct movement; then make the movement quickly, immediately placing the hand in position for whatever comes afterwards as far as is possible. By this means when you desire to play your passage rap-idly the quick, necessary movements will present no dif-ficulty.—E. DOUGLAS TAYLOR, in Successful Practice.
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