Doug Skinner: An Archive on Your Gizmo

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Entries Tagged as '*Music'

Hiatus

September 5th, 2022 · Comments Off on Hiatus

A quiet piece for Bb whistle and percussion. The Bb whistle is lower than the standard instrument in D; it’s like the viola to the D’s violin. No percussion sound is repeated.  

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Tags: *Music · H

Millay Songs

August 16th, 2022 · 2 Comments

Three songs with words by Edna St. Vincent Millay: “Song of Shattering,” “Spring,” and “The True Encounter.” Here’s the beginning of “Song of Shattering.”

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Tags: *Music · M

Music for Two Monochords: Sophie Germain and Safe Primes

July 21st, 2022 · Comments Off on Music for Two Monochords: Sophie Germain and Safe Primes

A duet for two monochords, based on dividing the strings by Sophie Germain and safe primes. (A Sophie Germain prime is any prime for which 2p + 1 is another prime, and that second prime is the safe prime. So, 5 is a Sophie Germain prime, and the safe prime is 11.)

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Tags: *Music · M

Music for Two Monochords: Elevens

July 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on Music for Two Monochords: Elevens

Two monochords play a duet, using segments of the string that are divisible by eleven.

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Tags: *Music · M

Crimp

July 5th, 2022 · Comments Off on Crimp

A piece for two melody instruments and keyboard.

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Tags: *Music · C

Casting Pearls Before Oysters

June 20th, 2022 · Comments Off on Casting Pearls Before Oysters

A brooding piece for bass recorder and piano.

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Tags: *Music · C

Study in wet tuning (chromatic)

June 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on Study in wet tuning (chromatic)

Here’s another study in wet tuning, the practice of slightly detuning two pitches to give a richer sound. It’s often used in accordions. Here, I detune double melody strings on a chord zither. As in the diatonic study, I offer two possibilities.

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Tags: *Music · S

Study in wet tuning (diatonic)

June 6th, 2022 · Comments Off on Study in wet tuning (diatonic)

Wet tuning is the practice of slightly detuning two pitches to give a richer sound. It’s often used in accordions. Here, I detune double melody strings on a chord zither. And I offer two possibilities.  

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Tags: *Music · S

Interlude in C

May 29th, 2022 · 2 Comments

This interlude uses five pitches around middle C: 250, 255, 260, 265, and 27o Hz. I retuned a chord zither, but a digital keyboard would also work.

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Tags: *Music · I

Music for Two Monochords: Sixes and Sevens

May 15th, 2022 · 2 Comments

Two monochords play a duet: one plays segments of the string that are divisible by six, the other segments that are divisible by seven. All ends harmoniously on 84.

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Tags: *Music · M