What do you think of the course so far?

[Garritan]

A lot of us have GPO and either a sequencer or notation program that supports GPO. Those files that generated the scores and the GPO audio streams must be on someone's disk. Any chance you'd make them available for download in a format easily supported for import by either Sibelius/GPO or Finale?

I thought about making the files available. The problem is that some people have Finale, others Sibeliiius, others Overture, Noteworthy or Sonar, ProTools, Cubase, Logic, Garageband, Tracktion, Digital Performer, MasterTracks, Orion, FL Studio, encore, MIDInotate, Capella, Band in a Box, Digital Orchestrator, SuperConductor, MIDI Maestro, Nuendo, Samplitute, SAW, etc. etc.

If a file was made in one format, others would be excluded. MusicXML may provide a way for many people to use the same files. This is important to us and we have something we are working on in the future where everyone may be able to share the same experience.

Gary Garritan

[carlmsmith]

Cantabile-

Thanks for the tip. Yes, that should work. I confirmed it in the Sonar manual. (If all else fails, read the manual!)

I'm still wrestling with the idea of transposing instruments. I have found listings of transposing instruments in Adler, but no explanation of why they came about. I know that for my own instrument (guitar), which sounds an octave lower than written, the notes would awkwardly fall between treble and bass on the staffs unless transposed.

Anyway, thanks.
Carl

[Pierre Laroche]

Gary,

Coupling a good book from a well-known composer with samples we can listen to is invaluable.

THANK YOU Gary,

[kejero]

Great initiative!

Just one suggestion: maybe you could add some of the questions and answers that have been posted at the bottom of the lessons concerned. People have posted some interesting additional material!

An offline version available for download and/or purchase would definitely be handy. You know, for when the Internet explodes.

Personally I wouldn't mind if the lessons were released quicker after eachother. But I can see the disadvantages too, so I don't mind

[jack meginniss]

The course is great naturally. Being a user of GOS, GPO, Gigaharp, and now the Strad, I knew what to expect regarding quality.

I guess that you, like Jack Bower, never sleep. : )

[Joey D]

Gary,

Great course! I bought the book sometime ago and was enlightened deeply. RK is a great writer and orchestrator. I think the most valuable thing here is the Professor comments and all the discussion. The Professor comments really help to bring things in to a practical view.

Keep up the good work!

Joe

[jazzobizz]

Cantabile-
I have found listings of transposing instruments in Adler, but no explanation of why they came about.
Anyway, thanks.
Carl

At the beginning all basic instruments were in UT(except saxophones cause A Sax took the same key system as clarinet and at that time the B flat one was the most used).That's the pressure of both players and composers to extend the instrument's range that we now have the transposed instruments:in the lower register the only way to go down on wind and brass instruments is to build a bigger/longer "tube".And to keep the different versions of say clarinet playable by every clarinet player, they choose to keep the same fingering thus transposing the instruments.About say the D trumpet the purpose was to make an easier instrument for high notes and more over to get a brighter sound.
Well that's what I understood but maybe I'm missing something else......

[marnen]

At the beginning all basic instruments were in UT(except saxophones cause A Sax took the same key system as clarinet and at that time the B flat one was the most used).

Actually, Sax originally introduced two series of saxophones: the band series in Bb and Eb, and the orchestral series in C and F. Only the band series survived (though you do occasionally see C soprano, C melody (=tenor), and F mezzo-soprano (=alto)). So I'm not sure it was just a case of copying the Bb clarinet.

Besides, clarinets have been transposing virtually from the beginning. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because the original instrument was the C clarinet? (The C clarinet has never been as popular as the Bb or A, FWIW, and it has more or less died out.)

And to keep the different versions of say clarinet playable by every clarinet player, they choose to keep the same fingering thus transposing the instruments.

Yup. AFAIK, the idea is that one note on the staff represents one fingering. It makes doubling easier.

Recorders alternate C and F just the way saxophones do, but they're all written untransposed (or octave transposed). It means that any recorder player has to learn two note mappings for the same set of fingering, kind of a pain.

About say the D trumpet the purpose was to make an easier instrument for high notes and more over to get a brighter sound.
Well that's what I understood but maybe I'm missing something else......

No, I think that once again, it's a "one-note-one-fingering" principle, but in this case, the "fingering" is a position in the overtone series.

In the case of octave-transposing instruments such as the double bass, I think that the motive is probably to keep the notes on the staff without ridiculous use of ledger lines -- compare a bass part to a similar tuba part (written at concert pitch) and you'll see what I mean.

[jazzobizz]

[quote=marnen]Actually, Sax originally introduced two series of saxophones: the band series in Bb and Eb, and the orchestral series in C and F. Only the band series survived (though you do occasionally see C soprano, C melody (=tenor), and F mezzo-soprano (=alto)). So I'm not sure it was just a case of copying the Bb clarinet.

Besides, clarinets have been transposing virtually from the beginning. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because the original instrument was the C clarinet? (The C clarinet has never been as popular as the Bb or A, FWIW, and it has more or less died out.)
Well you're right: the old clarinets (successor of the chalumeau) couldn't play all chromatic tones so players had different instruments in different keys to play.Later the Bb became standard(don't know why) and finally the german brought the A one to get the low C#(in ut). As you said the C/F saxophones were quite not used probably designed for fanfare music in mind;but the choice of Bb and Eb comes from the clarinet fingering.(A Sax wanted his instruments to be used in symphonic orchestra and thought that the clar players could play the saxophone which happened)



Yup. AFAIK, the idea is that one note on the staff represents one fingering.

Yes so that's why you got transposing instrument: a note on a staff represent a fingering : D on staff for example sounds C on a Bb clarinet or B on an A clarinet..easier than asking a player to change all his fingering technique

Recorders alternate C and F just the way saxophones do, but they're all written untransposed (or octave transposed). It means that any recorder player has to learn two note mappings for the same set of fingering, kind of a pain.
yes, same for double French horns with the F key added...don't want to think about playing this



No, I think that once again, it's a "one-note-one-fingering" principle, but in this case, the "fingering" is a position in the overtone series.

Same as above and of course it's a combination of mouth/fingering stuff.

In the case of octave-transposing instruments such as the double bass, I think that the motive is probably to keep the notes on the staff without ridiculous use of ledger lines -- compare a bass part to a similar tuba part (written at concert pitch) and you'll see what I mean.

Sure,that's right and goes the same in reverse for piccolo flute for ex.

[Leaf]

I love this course, it is awesome.

I'm going a little slow because of music inexperience and just now got a keyboard to go with Finale and GPO, just now learning to use them.

Not having to much of a struggle understanding the reading material, but a few snags along the way on things like when it says "open two instances of GPO" and I don't know exactly how to do that.


...but I'm trudging along nicely and learning a lot.

I think someone already posted about this, the way you can't view the whole score, top and bottom of the page, or woodwinds and strings, while the player is playing the music. I don't know if this would be an easy or hard html thing to do, but it would be nice if the black banner at top (or window or border or whatever it is called, the... page header?) could be temporarily turned off or rolled up so the full score can be viewed while playing.

Best Regards,
David