Euphonic Remarks

Looking for for some musical play? Contrapunctus Variations is an awesome way to waste time on the internet. You get to compose ditties with mouse gestures for a string quartet. It’s pretty easy to use, my only qualm is that it’s a bit confusing as to what is going on, making it hard to control. Still, the chaotic nature leads to some gems, little snippets of musical goodness that float up so that you may snatch them. Try it out, you may get inspired or may find the basis for a full song,

Musicians should be able to identify intervals. It goes a long way in improving your composing and improvising skills. If you find your skills in this area are rusty, or even completely lacking, there is something you can do. Go over to Michael Ossman’s Big Ears to sharpen your skills. For a more in-depth coverage of intervals, go to the Musical Intervals Tutor. Take some time every day to work on this and you’ll be hearing music in new way.

I found a cool little online drum machine called Monkey Machine. It’s nice to use for when you’re practicing and want a timekeeper that is a little more expresive than a metronome. Be sure to check out WeBirth by the same author. It is an online TB-303 bass synthesizer and TR-909 drum synthesizer. Very cool.

So what happens when Bob Dylan shows up at your doorstep? Once you get over being awestruck, you let him in. It’s reported by the CBC that Dylan took a walk-through of the former home of Neil Young. The home is now occupied by John Kiernan, who sure knows how to tell a story.

“And I’m looking around, and I realize, this guy having a tuque on has really great boots on, these sort of cowboy, motorcycle boots. And he was wearing really nice leather pants. And I realize I’m staring face-to-face with Bob Dylan.”

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Here’s an interesting thing you can do with a cane, play music on it. I came across in my web travels this wonderful gadget cane whereupon a working violin was stuffed into a cane. Now I can’t attest to the sound of it (though I have dug up video on youtube of a Pochette Fiddle which is very much related to a violin cane in size, and no doubt timbre), I’m sure the it’ll do in a pinch for when, say, you’re in a fiddle contest with Satan. Having a fiddle stowed away on person for such occasions could be a life saver. This whole business reminds me of The Steel General in Roger Zelazny’s “Creatures of Light and Darkness” who had a collapsable banjo that fit into a compartment where his heart used to be.

For the perversely curious here are some gorgeous pictures of a mid-19th century violin-cane. Also here is some information on the history and use of these canes. As well here are some more pictures of another such cane.