Frequently, when we finish playing and older classical transcription in band or sometimes modern pieces trying to sound more classical, the director gets all excited and asks “does anyone know what the name of that chord was that ended that piece?”, we all know it must be a Picardy third because that is the only time we get asked that type of question. The other time there is excitement not related to any music theory is when we "stick the landing" which means we all finish at the same time. But what is a Picardy third?
From Wikipedia, “A Picardy third, Picardy cadence or in French, tierce Picardy, is a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key. This is achieved by raising the third of the expected minor triad by a semitone to create a major triad”. What!? I play music for fun and while I like to know some music theory so I can answer Jeopardy questions, I really need to have the theory explained in very basic and descriptive terms for me to understand. A brief survey on the web helped explain the term a little more. Basically, it is a technique that began in earnest around the 15th-16th century and used frequently during the Baroque era where a piece of music that was written in a minor key ends with a major chord. For those that really need more descriptive help here, music written in a minor key is often described as moody or sad sounding and music written in a major key is often described as happy. So adding a Picardy third to the end of a piece was the musical equivalent of creating a happy ending to an otherwise sad sounding song. And of course a description with an example is always helpful. To hear a notable example of the use of Picardy thirds, listen to the ends of each section of the Coventry Carol as performed by the U.S. Army Band Chorus. The button below will take you to a Wikipedia page with a recording of the piece. Some composers are more subtle in its use and it is more difficult to hear but if you know what to listen for, the moody sound that turns happy at the end, you will now be able to impress friend and exclaim “Did you just hear that Picardy third!” when you hear it played on the radio.
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We learned a new term in NHO today that applies to the intro that is used in many fiddle tunes. The usual 4 counts or 8 counts done by one fiddler before the beginning of the song are called potatoes. I tried to figure out why it is called potatoes and it seems the origins are as clear as mud. One site joked that it is a variation of the request to give 4 beats (beets) at the beginning of a song. Another site suggested that it comes from a children’s rhyme that counts 1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4. Some suggested it really should be called taters because the intro rhythm is usually more like what we often hear from a clawhammer banjo player playing a “bum ditty” rhythm or “one tater” or written out in musical notes as one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes. All seem to agree though that the purpose is to establish the tempo for the song. So the lead player will play 4 potatoes to establish how fast the song should be played then everyone else jumps in at the same tempo.
I though it was quite apropos seein’ as how half of the NHO players work in the potato research program at MSU during the day and now we get to play potatoes at night. In the coming weeks I will try to interview some of the members of the East Lansing New Horizons Music (NHM) family. The basic idea behind NHM is that it is a place for ordinary people to play music together for the fun of playing. It is not a professional musical organization though we comport ourselves in a professional manner with respect towards all the musicians and guests that participate in and support our musical endeavors. We are amateurs that enjoy playing music and want to share that enjoyment with others by encouraging them to participate with us by playing or enjoying a performance in the community. If you are interested in joining our group please contact the MSU Community Music school or continue reading on this site to get more information. NHM: Tell me a little about your background. Where you call home. Daniel: I grew up in Lansing and for all but a few years when I went to Wisconsin for graduate school, I have spent most of my time in the mid-Michigan area. I always enjoyed music as I grew up and participated in the music programs in school when they were available with the one regrettable exception that I did not play in High School because an orchestra was not offered. I started playing my current instrument, Alto Saxophone, after I graduated high school because when I was in Junior High I had heard someone play the sax and I really liked the sound. I took lessons for a little over a years until my teacher moved away then I stopped playing because there were no real outlets for playing for a beginner and I was getting busy with my college classes and work. NHM: What did you study in school. Daniel: I think the better question is what didn’t I study. I started out at MSU wanting to do something in science - biology. But I didn’t like the way classes were taught so I switched to Math for a semester but wasn’t very good so switched to English then dropped out of school for a semester but couldn’t find a good job so went back to biology then tested theater for a semester (really out of character for me) before starting botany. Then I talked to an advisor and she said there was no future in botany so I took classes in microbiology. By this time I had accumulated enough credits to graduate but I hadn’t taken enough core classes in any major to complete my degree so as a senior I took a couple of 100 level biology classes to get my BS. During that last year though I discovered that I really liked microbiology and ended up spending an additional year taking classes to get a second BS in microbiology and public health. Then I went to Wisconsin and got an MS in bacterial genetics. Finally I came back to Michigan State and completed my graduate work in Botany and Plant Pathology but my focus of research was in plant molecular biology. NHM: What drew you to your instrument in the New Horizons Band? Daniel: I think everyone has a sound that attracts them. Saxophone to me has an enticing sound that gives me a chill down my spine when I hear it played well. Although I appreciate the various genres that have adopted the saxophone, I really love the sound of classical sax, especially when performed by saxophone ensembles. NHM: Do you have any future goals musically? Daniel: I want to continue improving on my instrument to try to get a closer match of the sound of the instrument that I am playing to the sound in my head. Last year I did a 100 day practice challenge on my other instrument I’m learning to play, the violin, and saw some improvement so am planning on a similar challenge on the sax this spring. NHM: A 100 day practice challenge can be, well, challenging. What other activities keep you busy? Daniel: When I do the challenge, I think I will do it a little more relaxed than I did last year - meaning, if I miss a day because of work, travel or if I get sick, I am going to allow skip days and not feel guilty about it. I do have a pretty busy schedule because I work full time at MSU in the Potato Breeding and Genetics lab as the lab manager and heading up or assisting on several research projects. I also am co-owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited nature shop in East Lansing and while my sister manages all the day to day operation, I try to help when I can and deal with some of the financial management side of the business. My wife and I also have two kids in East Lansing schools that need driving around all the time so I add chauffeur to my list of job duties and homework supervisor and all the other things that go with being a parent. But music is my escape that helps me relax when everything else is going crazy. NHM: Thank you for answering my questions. Good luck on the practice challenge, maybe we can follow up later. Daniel: Thank you and keep up the good work on your website. I hope it encourages lots of people to try and enjoy playing music. |
AuthorDaniel Zarka Archives
March 2019
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