Dear friends,
MbiraTab Volume 4 is finally available for instant
download at http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/scores-mbiratabvo4.php.
Featuring four tunes most typically performed in gandanga tuning (Phrygian
mode), MbiraTab Volume 4 may be the only resource for mbira tablatures in
this distinctive tuning. Tunes include Marenje, Dangurangu, Mbavarira,
and Vasina Katura. As with all volumes of MbiraTab, proceeds
will go to Erica Azim’s charitable organization, MBIRA. Tabs are in PDF format,
with MP3 recordings in Bb gandanga tuning. I hope you’ll take a look.
Volume 3 of MbiraTab is now available on the website, featuring four of the most challenging tunes in the mbira repertoire; Chakwi I (taken mostly from Stella Chiweshe’s version), Nyuchi, Chakwi II (Mujuru version via Erica Azim), and Dangurangu (from Ephat Mujuru’s last recording, “Ancient Wisdom,” in which he performs in nyamaropa tuning). As in all 3 volumes so far, the demo recordings are done in Erica Azim’s “workshop tuning,” nyamaropa in B.
Proceeds from the sales of all MbiraTab publications go to Erica Azim’s non-profit organization, MBIRA, so when you purchase a download, you’ll be helping Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers. Next up for MbiraTab Volume 4: Four tunes in gandanga tuning!
For djembe enthusiasts, we have a new article on the website: “Mamady Keita’s Djembe Kan,” a transcription and analysis of this mind-boggling virtuoso improvisation. Click here for the score http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings/DjembeKan2009a113.pdf and here for the article. http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings/MamadyKeitaDjembeKanText.pdf
Also, my concert arrangments of Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre and Gounod’s Funeral March are now available as instant downloads at reduced prices; $25 for Danse Macabre and $20 for Funeral March. These are terrific transcriptions from the original orchestral scores.
Happy New Year to all! There are some new offerings on the website, including a couple of new articles: “Frame Drum Chops” originally appeared in “The Drum and Percussion Cookbook,” edited by Rick Mattingly and published by Meredith Music. “Mamady Keita’s Djembe Kan” was written for www.drumchattr.com. If you haven’t been to drumchattr, you’ve been missing out! Click the link above and find out all the cool stuff you’ve been missing.
For the new articles, click here: http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings.php
Adam Snow and I went into the studio last week and recorded the examples for MbiraTab Volume 3. It should be going up on the site soon. Volume 3 contains Chakwi I, Nyuchi, Chakwi II (Mujuru family version – recorded by Erica Azim on her album, “Mbira Dreams”), and Dangurangu (Ephat Mujru’s version in nyamaropa tuning recorded on his last album, “Ancient Wisdom”).
There are two new frame drum solos in the pipeline as well: Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve for bodhran is inspired by rhythms from John Cage’s early percussion works such as the Constructions, Living Room Music, and Amores. RJ No. 2 was premiered by Chad Boyles at NAFDA South in Atlanta last October. Rhythmic Journey No. 3: Post Minimal for riq was written for Will Keith, Graduate Assistant in Percussion at Winthrop University. The piece is inspired somewhat by Steve Reich’s newest work, Mallet Quartet. Bob Dylan used to say about his narrative songs taken from newspaper articles, “Everything in this story is true. Nothing has changed except the words.” That pretty much captures how much my new riq piece is like Steve’s music. RJ No. 3 will be premiered at Will Keith’s graduate recital in April.
Happy music-making!
Michael
MbiraTab Volume 2 is now available on my website. This volume contains tablature notations and MP3 recordings of Hangaiwa, Shumba yaNgwasha, Chipindura, and Bukatiende. 34-page text with background information and tablature notations plus MP3 recordings of each variation. $20 for an instant download. Proceeds go to help Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers via Erica Azim’s organization, MBIRA. You can order MbiraTab Volume 2 here:
http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/scores-mbiratabvo2.php
Also, be on the lookout for two new frame drum solos Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve for bodhran and Rhythmic Journey No. 3: Post Minimal for riq coming soon! Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve was premiered by Chad Boyles, a student of mine for whom it was written, at the recent NAFDA Southern Frame Drum Festival in Atlanta. The work is based on rhythms from several of John Cage’s early percussion compositions. The title has a double meaning. It is said that the bodhran was originally made from a sieve used for separating the grain from the chaff. In Rhythmic Journey No. 2, I used the bodhran as a sieve to identify Cage’s rhythms that worked with the lap style bodhran technique.
Rhythmic Journey No 3: Post Minimal has just been finished. Written for Will Keith, Graduate Assistant in percussion at Winthrop University, RJ No. 3 reflects Will’s growing fascination with “post minimal” composers such as David Lang, Paul Lansky, and of course, Steve Reich. I hope to have these pieces published by early 2011.
Dear Friends,
I am very excited to announce the release of my latest web offering. MbiraTab is a new series of mbira transcriptions in tablature notation. Each volume in the series explores four classic mbira tunes in the style of presentation first used in my 2001 book, Learning Mbira: A Beginning… In essence, this new series picks up where Learning Mbira left off, introducing four completely new tunes in each set in a downloadable format including a PDF text document and MP3 audio examples for each variation. Volume 1 includes Baya Wabaya (eight variations), Kariga Mombe yeKare (“the older version of Kariga Mombe” – four variations), Nyamamusango (seven variations, including a kutsinhira part), and Shumba (five variations, including a kutsinhira part). Background information is provided for each tune, including source material on recordings from various artists. Proceeds go to Erica Azim’s non-profit organization, MBIRA, supporting Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers.
Volume 2 is in the works now, and will include Hangaiwa, Shumba YaNgwasha, Chipindura, and Bukatiende (Mukatiende). The entire series will eventually number as many as six volumes, and possibly more! All recorded examples are in Erica Azim’s “standard workshop” tuning (nyamaropa pitched in “B”). At least one volume will be devoted specifically to tunes in gandanga/mavembe tuning.
The series is available only as a download in a convenient ZIP file. This offer is not available in stores!
Drumhead commemorating Ludwig's 100th anniversary 1909-2009
The Winthrop University percussion studio recently toured Ludwig Industries in Monroe, NC. I remember touring Ludwig when they were located on N. Damen Avenue in Chicago while attending graduate school at Northwestern University in 1976. In the early 1980s the entire facility was moved to North Carolina. Many of those old machines I saw in action at the Damen Avenue facility are still in use today. “We had some incredible engineers designing machines,” said plant manager Jim Kinsey. “When we moved to Monroe, we figured ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ so we’ve just kept using those great old machines.”
Some little-known facts I learned on this tour:
Since there is such limited demand for 20″ fiberglass timpani, they don’t use a mold for the 20″ drums. If you order a complete five-drum set of fiberglass timpani, the 20″ will be made of aluminum and painted the same copper color. The original color of the fiberglass is whitish grey, and the original color of the aluminum is a dull silver.
Rack of timpani bowls ready for drilling
Drilling timpani bowl for the tuning gauge assembly
It takes two hours of sanding on a specially-designed machine to bring a copper timpani kettle to the mirror-like finish we are accustomed to.
(read more…)
I first met Artie Lieberman through Peyton Becton, Principal Percussionist with the Charlotte Symphony, several years ago (see the post from October ’09 about Peyton’s recent visit to Winthrop
here). I was playing with the symphony and made a remark to Peyton about their new orchestra bells. Peyton said, “They’re not new. Artie Lieberman refurbished them — even replated the bars.” I looked Artie up. Soon he was retuning all the mallet instruments at Winthrop University. Turns out Artie had apprenticed at the old Deagan factory in Chicago as a young man. He had grown up in New York and studied with Fred Albright since childhood. It was Freddie Albright who encourged Artie to learn more about the manufacturing process and set up the apprenticeship with Deagan. Although Artie would eventually make his living in the automotive industry (starting with gas stations, then moving on to car dealerships and eventually the oil business), he never lost his passion for percussion instruments.
Today, Artie’s business, Mallet Instrument Service (with its subsidiary, Vintage Percussion) is thriving. When I first met Artie, I knew of Bill Youhass’ work with Fall Creek Marimbas and Gilberto Serna’s of Century Mallets in Chicago, but I had no idea we had an expert tuner and repairman right in our own community! “Been doing this for years,” said Artie. “Right now I’m working on the Boston Symphony’s xylophone, the London Symphony’s bells, and Bob Becker’s Deagan Artist Special.” But Artie,” I exclaimed, “you don’t even advertise!” “Don’t have to,” he replied in all sincerity.
- Lionel Hampton’s 1920s vintage Deagan vibraphone
Artie’s father was a bread deliveryman in Manhattan. One of his best customers was Lionel Hampton, who liked to have his breakfast at a certain coffeeshop in Greenwich Village at 4:00 AM, when Mr. Lieberman typically delivered fresh bread. Artie’s father asked Lionel Hampton if he would recommend someone to teach his son to play drums. Hampton referred Mr. Lieberman to Freddie Albright, who agreed to teach young Artie, on the condition that they must begin on the xylophone. Once Artie learned to read music on the xylophone, they could begin to split the lessons between xylophone and drums. Lessons progressed nicely, and later on Mr. Lieberman again approached Lionel Hampton asking about the purchase of a used vibraphone for his son. Hampton replied that he happened to have one he wasn’t using and would sell it for $300.00. The recently refurbished instrument remains in Artie’s collection and is pictured above.
(read more…)
Hello All,
I recently revisited Chartwell’s Shumba YaNgwasha in nemakonde tuning and discovered some errors in my original transcription. Check out the original post and you’ll find the corrected version, which includes some funky additions of the RT 1 key (on beat 2 in the 3rd and 4th quarters) that I had simply neglected earlier, as well as an easier movement to UL 1 on beat 10 of the 2nd quarter. This correction makes for a much nicer harmonic movement that I simply didn’t hear the first time. Check it out and let me know how you like it.
BMW
Here is a version of the mbira piece “Taireva” that is a bit different from the one published in my book, “Learning Mbira: A Beginning…” I call it “Taireva Basic” because it really is a more basic version, and includes the essential melodic material of the vocal melody. This basic melody can be heard by playing the right hand notes alone, yielding the following tune in solfege:
do sol sol mi mi
do sol sol fa mi
do sol sol mi re
re fa fa mi re
This transcription also reflects the metric orientation I hear when I play the piece alone (that is, without the kushaura/kutsinhira interlock). In this orientation, I hear the first note as a “pick up” rather than a “downbeat.” This is the version I teach to any student new to “Taireva.” Once the student has a firm grasp of this basic version, we move on to the versions presented in my book.
Enjoy!
BMW
Peyton Becton, Principal Percussionist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, presented a clinic on orchestral percussion techniques at Winthrop University October 2nd, 2009. Peyton covered essential techniques and repertoire for snare drum and tambourine.
Peyton Becton demonstrates his flawless thumb roll technique!
Peyton Becton demonstrates roll techniques on snare drum
Peyton Becton with Winthrop Percussionists
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