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  8. ↪ LouLouK: Intensely enjoyed Countryfile feature on mediavel musical instruments. I know want a harp. I was supposed to be learning to fiddle :0)

    @loulouk a harp is probably perfect for someone with “hyper extendy fingers” :) If you want to go fully medieval, get one with bray pins for extra buzzing. You’re in London, right? There’s an Early Music Shop outlet there, IIRC they have a bunch of harps and would probably be delighted to let you try one earlymusicshop.com/London.aspx

  11. Practice Notes 2014-09-25

    By chance, I have access to a piano in my apartment for the first time… ever, actually. Trying to work through sight-reading some of J.S. Bach’s two-part inventions (score, warning: PDF). Inventio 4 in D minor is a favourite, and I can get through either part on its own without too much trouble, or both together VERY slowly.

    Also put simple chords to De Montford and played along with a rather excellent video by Starymonetti, who I met half of in Vienna this summer:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXgsgGT0gI

    Also: explained the inner workings of the hurdy gurdies’ mysterious buzzing sound to my roommate. It’s not actually effectively explained anywhere on the web as far as I can tell, so if you’re curious:

    One (or more) of the strings rest on bridges which are not adhered to the instrument but rather sit in a slot and can pivot. A string (the “tirant” en Français) applies force to the non-vibrating part of the string, pulling the pivoting bridge down firmly against the soundboard. The amount of tension on the tirant sets the threshold of energy with which the string must be vibrating in order to pivot the bridge, at which point a slip-stick cycle starts to happen, repeatedly pivoting the bridge before it slips back, hammering against the soundboard.

  14. I love @allofbach but the website is not at all optimised for actually listening to/learning about the music. A potential redesign removes extraneous clicks and puts the focus completely on the music and performance:

    Additional possible improvements: link to wikipedia article, IMSLP page (e.g. BWV243)

  16. tradition.is was thoroughly enjoyable and filled with excellent music+dancing — met new friends, learned new tunes+dances+singing styles and generally had a good time. Longer blog post upcoming, for now here’s my post-festival :

    Not all necessarily related to the festival, but learned about in the duration. Amusingly, last.fm/music/BLM has a big photo of the BLM which performed at tradition.is, but is about someone completely different!

  18. Had a wonderful time playing at Stóri Eyglóar-dagurinn — thanks to all who came and supported Eygló! Played my new tunes The Taste of Words and Jellyfish 500 (not yet notated), and accompanied Eygló singing Vísur Vatnsenda Rósu and Sofðu unga ástin mín.

    I didn’t video it myself but hope to have one to link to in a week or so.

  20. I love that feeling when you play music with someone/some people and it just works, straight away. It feels like cheating but it’s not, it means you’re doing something right.