Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Hello from Ohio(plus request!)
Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 (0 votes) 
Avatar
Dan-Hur

Advanced member
Members
May 16, 2014 - 8:17 pm
Member Since: May 16, 2014
Forum Posts: 93
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hello everyone,

My name is Daniel. I started playing the violin in December. Actually, I started playing in the seventh grade, but couldn't afford lessons to keep it up(plus, I was intimidated by the instrument). I took lessons during the spring semester at school this year and they just ended. I won't be able to take formal lessons next semester but I do want to keep playing. It's a lot of fun, but it sounds god awful at times. Anyhow, I've got a request that might actually be asking a lot, but here goes. I want to learn how to play Camille Saint-Saens Danse Macabre solo for Halloween this year, but the sheet music I've seen is way, way, way above my level. Does anyone know of(or would be willing to arrange, 'cause I don't know how!) a simplified version of the piece for beginners? I don't know if it's possible(I'm still pretty musically ignorant), but if anyone could help out, I'd appreciate it!

Avatar
BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
May 17, 2014 - 12:47 am
Member Since: March 22, 2014
Forum Posts: 3744
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I see you like a challenge ( as a beginner, I can feel free to say that ! ) ... out of interest I tired to find some stuff which I might use were I to attempt this -
I found a set of parts, written in ABC notation - even THAT is way too complex.
But then I found this - an 8 or so part MIDI file - http://www.classicalmidiconnec.....s/dmacbre1
I loaded into a midi editor (Anvil Studio as it happens) - and from there of course you can separate out parts - cut out the "clutter" - home in to the melody which I guess is what you want at the end of the day....
Were I insane enough to even attempt that piece, that's how I would approach it. Other possibility I might use is to pick up a simplified version, as used in the theme tune to a UK TV series - and just "play by ear" to that......
Just ideas for you Dan....
**EDIT - oh - and welcome, by the way !

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

Avatar
Mad_Wed
Russia, Tatarstan rep. Kazan city
Members

Regulars
May 17, 2014 - 5:17 pm
Member Since: October 7, 2011
Forum Posts: 2849
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Welcome to the forum, Dan-Hur!
Nice tune choice, i like it too. Thanks for remind XD!

Avatar
Dan-Hur

Advanced member
Members
May 17, 2014 - 7:34 pm
Member Since: May 16, 2014
Forum Posts: 93
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Thanks guys. This piece is actually one of the main reasons I started playing again. There are others, but I love the sound of this one. I appreciate your help, Bill, but I'm not real familiar with MIDI. That intro theme is pretty much exactly what I want. What were the ABC bits you found? Is that kind of like guitar tabs?

Avatar
BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
May 18, 2014 - 1:32 am
Member Since: March 22, 2014
Forum Posts: 3744
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hi Dan - no - ABC is an "alternative" musical notation which originally started out years ago as a simple plain-text "description" of a score. It has evolved over the years with software ABC players that can transform this simple text format into (something like) a score sheet - here for example is the ABC notation for the tune Dark Island
X: 13
T:Dark Island
R:Waltz
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
E2|"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B3 AG2|"Bm"Bd3D2|"Em"B4d>B|"D"A4E2|
"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B4d>B|"D7"A4B>A|"C"G3 AG>F|"G"G2B2c2|
"G"d3 DD2|B2A2G2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B3 AG2|"Bm"Bd3D2|"Em"B4d>B|"D7"A4E2|
"Am"A3 BA2|"Em"G3 AG2|"C"EC3E2|"G"D4GA|
"G"B4d>B|"D7"A4B>A|"C"G3 AG>F|"G"G4 z2|]

-- and using a ABC player ( this is from EasyABC ) - you get a score sheet - e.g.

abcscore.JPGImage Enlarger

Frankly, I can't be bothered much with either MIDI or ABC - but - if someone has already gone to the trouble of generating a reasonable-sounding version, I will pick that up and use it as my "starter for ten" - simply because my sight reading is nowhere near fluent enough to work directly from sheet.

This is a link to the ABC notation for Danse Macabre - take one look at it, and you'll immediately see why it's not really a good idea !

http://www.thefatlute.eu/rapid.....ong/d/8127

.....as a "non-sight-reader" what I could suggest is - get the sheet - listen to the version I posted earlier - it almost certainly will not be identical - but - pick out the section of interest and score it up to your own needs - the (proper) sheet will give information beyond simply notes and duration - and with a bit of effort you should end up with something that is representative of what you want.

sp_PlupAttachments Attachments

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

Avatar
Dan-Hur

Advanced member
Members
May 18, 2014 - 6:06 pm
Member Since: May 16, 2014
Forum Posts: 93
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Yeah I see what your saying. I found some sheet music that doesn't seem too difficult, but right now I'm practicing the Swan Lake bit that the Fiddlerman has posted. Boy does makes it look easy . . . and sound nice.

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online: Strabo
Guest(s) 41
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today Michael Browder, EBurrell
Upcoming Sofia Leo, TKDennis, FiddleDetroit, CookiesViolin, JPferrman, Designer 88, LyleA, Stephen, Dorque, Trisha, Elaisa, Gordon Shumway, dougga, Russionleo, JohnG
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 7758
ABitRusty: 3914
Mad_Wed: 2849
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
Oliver: 2439
Gordon Shumway: 2425
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2149
damfino: 2113
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31660
Moderators: 0
Admins: 7
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 81
Topics: 10588
Posts: 134211
Newest Members:
edwardcheng, Oscar Stern, bryanhanson, bittruster, fiddlecastro, jackdaniel, romanmills08, creativestringsinfo, rubble_b, mariachi
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16429, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3744, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 5305