Musical Notes*

Musical Notes *

Gettin' In Tune

The simplest way to get in tune is by using a kazoo to sound the correct pitch. Kazoos don't require batteries and make a very rich sound. It is important to use a steady breath making sure that the pitch you'd like does not waver. One drawback of using a kazoo to tune a fiddle is that water vapor will drip out of the end of the kazoo and it is important to hold the fiddle in a fashion that will divert the water away from the f holes. Bear in mind that it is water and not spit that flows from the kazoo. It is condensation caused by the warm breath meeting the cold metal of the kazoo. So maybe a kazoo is not the best choice for tuning a fiddle but it is ideal for tuning up the old banjo. The rich tones of the kazoo and banjo make a wonderful noise.

The Origin Of Old Time Music In America

In 1798 Napoleon, the great leader of the French Republic and the Grand Army, led 38,000 troops as well as civilian archaeologists into Egypt and commenced to digging around the pyramids and the Sphinx. Buried deep under the feet of the Sphinx he uncovered tunes dating back to the very beginning of civilization, music as old as Egypt herself. Things did not go well in Egypt and he still had the world to conquer, so he decided to sell the tunes and some land to the United States in order to finance his plan to spread the ideals of Democracy and the joys of old time music to all of Europe.

President Thomas Jefferson was a great lover of music and was excited to give these great tunes to the American people as a gift, so in 1803 he purchased these tunes and the land from Napoleon for 15 million dollars. As the tunes were paid for with public funds, these tunes are public domain and belong to every American to do with as we please. My thanks go to Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, and all the great old time musicians and musicologists that have studied and interpreted these fine tunes from ancient Egypt, these great American Fiddle Tunes.

The Foot

Those that have spent time listening to a group of folks sitting around playing old time music will often wonder how it is that the musicians make these wonderful tunes end at the same time. To one unfamiliar with the music and really can’t tell the difference between the A part and the B part and the many variations of the rendering of the tune, let alone the occasional addition of a C part, the ending of the tune by all the musicians on the same note after an indeterminable amount of time can seem quite remarkable in itself. But after a couple of tunes have been played the keen observer will notice that the ending of the tune will be preceded by the lifting of the foot.

What may not be apparent to the casual observer is that it is not the lifting of the foot that announces the end of the tune. Rather it is the sound of the fart* that follows. This signal blast may be lost to the ears of one unaccustomed to the squalling of the fiddle, sounding much like the squawking of a flock of geese flying overhead, but to the ears of the seasoned old time musician it is the signal to play the final note of a wonderful old time fiddle tune.

So next time you listen to a group of old time musicians and you see one of them raise the foot off the ground lean in a little closer and listen very carefully for a cherished and time honored old time musical tradition.

This site made possible by funding provided by the Musical Institute of Esoteric Studies , a subsidiary of the Musical Industrial Complex
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