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View Full Version : Altcallahans Reel fast furious fumbly


Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole)
05-06-2005, 02:00 PM
http://www.soundclick.com/flyingtadpolemusic.htm
Alt.callahans Reel (not to be confused with the quite different Callahan's Reel) is currently first on the list.

This is a live MIDI recording: ie Midinotate Composer was recording the MIDI data direct from a performance, onto a double (pianoforte) stave, with the COmposer metronome running in the performer's ear as a click track.

The actual playing was a one-shot run on a single keyboard set to piano (both hands), strings (left hand) and viola (right hand) so the performer was listening to the string effects and varying his keyboard playing appropriately to give the right string phrasing. The touch and fingerwork necessary to do this was of course recorded in the piano midi track.

So to recreate the sound on playback, the two piano staves were copied in composer to another pair of staves, the bass (LH) of which was set to strings and the treble (RH) to viola, and viola! er, voila! the midi playback is the same as the original performance, same speed, same expression, same dynamics, same fumbles. (only works properly on the same machine, of course)

While I will edit this piece, it was just too much fun to let pass. It was fun playing it too, the input ended up twice as long as intended...

It's also a good demonstration of the capabilities of the unbelievably cheap Medeli 710C keyboard when played hard and fast and heavily reliant on its touch sensitivity.

(and for those wondering, alt.callahans is an amazing newsgroup full of shaggy dog stories, amazing puns, much virtual drinking and a lot of fun, based on Callahan's Place of science fiction fame)

Mark Walsen (markwa)
05-06-2005, 09:11 PM
Hello Tim,

This is a fine improvisation you've done. It has a very authetic reel sound. It seems to be already close to a composition form.

When you get the piece to a state that you're happy with, please consider showing us the NoteSoft .not file-- perhaps both the original recording and the final composition, so we can we how you worked.

Cheers
-- Mark

Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole)
05-07-2005, 02:44 PM
Yes, Mark, it's not wholly an improvisation (I wish!) and it's just about there as a composition. The improvised additions are what stretched it to 8 minute mark, and some really serendipitous things happened during them!!! Sometimes this approach works, but I've got to be really on song (I practised scales for a week...).

There are a series of themes which have been rattling in my head for years, and the main figure which cuts in fully at 2:30 was originally a (slower) jig written by me for soprano ("alto") recorder about 1987...with a bit of luck all the demons are now exorcised...

I'll put the single piano line (input) line up shortly. I'm currently cleaning and arranging, so that the viola ("fiddle") and piano can complement rather than copy.

Regards
Tim Fatchen
alt.callahans reel http://www.soundclick.com/flyingtadpole
"Tidewater" CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/timfatchen