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I often wonder why some folks seem to have a problem with conscious choice in music (or any of the arts for that matter).

You'd be surprised how quickly chords and counterpoint become easier when you do it frequently enough.

My wife is a singer and often asks me to transpose accompaniments. On the piano, it's really...

If by "all three clefs" you mean that you read treble, bass, and alto, that means that you can quickly learn some transposition by thirds/sixths:

If you have something in treble clef that you need...

As a composer and arranger, I prefer alto clef but I know that not everyone is comfortable with that. I always provide both alto clef and 8vb treble clef part with all my pieces. It's easy enough in...

I always write the sounding pitches. I find the other way to be too clumsy and confusing – like reading a bad pseudo-tablature.

FYI for interested parties: As part of a thread on a perfromance of a Chinese piece called Camel Bells on the Silk Road, I transcribed the piece from the Chinese jianpu notation for mandolin or...

So, since I'm on Spring Break, I decided to transcribe this into notation from this jiǎnpǔ notation:

116989

I transcribed it for mandolin or octave mandolin tuned GDgd:

116991

and for...

The example that you posted is jiǎnpǔ, a Chinese number notation and NOT a tablature.

It is fairly easy to read. In a very short amount of time, I've learned to be able to sight read it. It's...

Thanks, James!

As for the level of the applause: I think it was recorded from the back of the hall. Probably student workers who need a bit of sound training...

1) Blind Mary (by Carolan)
2) Blarney Pilgrim
3) The Cameronian Reel

Thanks. I wish it was louder too. Concert Services at the Conservatory took care of the video...

Yes, standard tuning.

And thank you all for the comments.

It depends on a number of factors, of course.

Boston area - $60 an hour (I'll also do $30 per 1/2 hour and $45 per 3/4 hour)

Be careful not to undercut your fellow music teachers (notice I did...

The video was recorded at a very low level, evidently. It's not you...

My wife, Maggi and I have a concert tomorrow in the Boston area:

"A Bouquet of Celtic Spring-Songs" with Jim Dalton and Maggi Smith-Dalton 6 p.m. March 2, 2014, St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church,...

Hi folks,

I don't post here often and when I do it's usually under classical. But I also play quite a bit of Irish music. This is a video of me playing at World Fest 2014 at the Boston...

Just a reminder:
On Friday, I'm playing Webern's Fünf Stücke Op. 10 (5 Pieces for Orchestra) with the Boston Conservatory Sinfonietta.

Details: Friday, February 21 at the Boston Conservatory, 31...

One of my students played it here last week. Louis Andreissen was the composer in residence for our Contemporary Music Festival, hence his dominance of the proceedings.

Both guitar parts are hard....

Our performance of the Webern will be on Friday, February 21 at the Boston Conservatory, 31 Hemenway Street, studio 401, Boston at 8 p.m.

Jim -- on my computer it seems to be a few seconds earlier ~2:50.

The mando bits are fairly sparse and mostly very quiet.

Nothing at all in movements I & II.

A four-meaure tremolo "D" begins...

Yes, it does have both guitar and mandolin. One of my students is playing the guitar part. She also handled the other guitar part in De Staat. Not bad for a flute major...

Hi all,

I just began rehearsing Webern's Fünf Stucke Op. 10 (5 Pieces for Orchestra) with the Boston Conservatory Sinfonietta.

I'm having a great time with it. It's different than most other...

My apologies for the late notice.

Attention Boston area folks:

This evening, February 1st, I will be performing my three-movement solo mandolin composition, Gifts of the Bard at a concert of the composers collective The Ninth Ear....

always happy to try a new pick

The Calace Moto Perpetuo is not a transcription of the Paganini but an original composition.

There's no reason why one couldn't just play the Paganini right from the violin part, though.