Andrew

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A.B.D. -- Saxophone Performance, University of Minnesota
M.F.A. -- Saxophone Performance, University of Iowa
B.M.E. -- Music Education, B.M. -- Composition, Wartburg College

	2,478 reputation	bio	website		visits	member for	2 years, 1 month
522 badges		location	Minnesota		seen	May 28 at 3:14

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49 Comments

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Jan 16	comment	Instrument grade exams I'm from the USA, and I took a look at the Grade 8 exam for saxophone just as an example. Passing that exam would indicate a better-prepared student than probably 95% of those entering undergrad, but it would not (or at least should not) be sufficient for graduating with an undergraduate degree in music.
Jan 16	comment	What would be the a good tuning for an instrument with a limited amount of tones? @neilfein I don't think that "purely theoretical musings" are necessarily off topic. Further, the author did provide a real problem by comment, and it would not have been difficult for others to come up with instruments in which a limited number of notes are available (since, actually, all acoustic instruments fit that category by virtue of having a range, and there are more specific examples such as Orff instruments usually intended for children).
Jan 10	comment	What should I look for when buying a used trombone? @ReinaAbolofia Of course, mouthpieces can be replaced. If the only problem with the instrument is the mouthpiece, get recommendations on a new mouthpiece. I'm also a woodwind player, so I would not know what to recommend to a trombonist in this regard.
Dec 7	comment	F# major vs Gb major? The usual, obvious suspects for such a key choice are not present in this piece as far as I can tell. Worthy of further investigation... I'm sure a scholarly analysis would address the topic, but I have not yet located one. I will keep looking.
Dec 5	comment	Is there a formal term for a recording's pitch being “in the cracks”? First, this happens even on modern recordings. Second, when dealing with winds and/or strings, the pitch can change through even a live performance. Strings tend to go flat, while winds tend to go sharp. The group may or may not adjust for this difference to stay at the same pitch level as when they started playing.
Dec 4	comment	Choosing the appropriate flute for my preschooler The action is a little different between an instrument with open holes for tone holes and an instrument with keys to push that happen to have holes to cover as well. It does add another dimension to the technique necessary, though, and if it is not necessary to frustrate the preschooler, why frustrate the preschooler?
Nov 29	comment	Choosing the appropriate flute for my preschooler For a preschooler, you would definitely need the shrunken keywork. I would stay away from open-hole transverse flute. Yes, there are plugs for the holes, but it's just another small piece to get lost or worse.
Nov 28	comment	Sousaphone for child We might need a few more details to be of assistance. First, how old is your grandson? Second, which instrument exactly are you seeking -- a sousaphone or a tuba? There is such a thing as a "convertible tuba" that can be used for marching, but I wouldn't recommend that a beginner try to walk and play the tuba at the same time.
Nov 18	comment	Practicing drums with metronome and not hearing it's tick If you are seeing the cue and are sure you are with it, then the only suggestion I have would be the timbre change (and possibly headphones, as others have suggested).
Nov 8	comment	Is assignment of notes to measures totally arbitrary? I changed the title of this question to be more germane to the actual questions you are asking. Anyone who has a better suggestion, feel free.
Oct 31	comment	Are whole and half note rests supposed to only be written on specific lines? Notational conventions do exist; certainly the meaning would not change, but if there is no reason (like multiple voices per staff) to change the convention, one should not do so. In that sense, it does matter where the rests are written, and it is at least technically incorrect to do otherwise.
Oct 31	comment	Are whole and half note rests supposed to only be written on specific lines? Note that multiple voices on the same staff can become an exception to the general rule of where to place the whole and half rests; in those cases, you would essentially place them for clarity. Realistically, you would not likely be using a whole rest in that context, though. And, yes, as a theory instructor, I deducted points for nonstandard notation.
Oct 14	comment	How does someone safely develop intensity at an extremely high tessitura? @MatthewRead I suppose that's somewhat related, yes, though the singer may or may not actually be singing all that loud. It just sounds "intense."
Sep 23	comment	Adjusting clarinet or saxophone reeds I haven't watched these videos just yet, but do you have anything specific you are trying to accomplish? Any specific problem(s) you are trying to solve regarding your reeds?
Sep 23	comment	How can I improve my fingering on the saxophone in the high notes and overtones? Just so I'm clear on your question, are you having issues with the left-hand palm key notes (which would start at D above the treble staff, written pitch) or are you having issues with the octave above that? The way your question is written suggests either, and the answers would be quite different.
Sep 22	comment	How to select a key-signature for a song There are a lot of good answers already, so I'll just add one thing. A song you hear on a recording may not even be performed in the key you hear on the recording. Post-production, especially in certain styles, will sometimes raise the pitch a little to increase energy both by raising the tempo and through the implication of a higher tessitura requiring more energy. This does not happen so much in reputable classical recordings, but I understand it is very common in some pop styles.
Aug 21	comment	How can I generate nice-sounding random chord progressions? What do you already know about the topic? Where are you having trouble?
Aug 19	comment	How do I continue improving my saxophone technique? Your question seems a little broad. What are your goals with the saxophone? Are there specific areas where you feel deficient?
Jul 29	comment	Is it possible to write a song without a key? Nice melody. Can you base a symphony on it now?
Jun 1	comment	How far “off” can a piano unison be and still be considered “in-tune”? @Rein Henrichs I think @jbm means that the individual strings (typically three of them) that are all supposed to be the same pitch are actually the same pitch. If you've ever pressed a key on an old, out-of-tune piano and heard multiple, out-of-tune pitches, it's because the three strings are out of tune with each other. Poster seems to be asking how far out of tune is acceptable.