Musical Tidbits 2.0

Hello there, everybody!

In his most recent post, Nathanael has presented some fun topics for conversational comments. Since my comments are usually fairly lengthy, I decided to turn them into a post at the outset.

(You know, Thanael, I'm going to stop typing as though for a crowd and address this message directly to you.) :]

Ah - I love the sound of different instruments combined! Choosing a single favorite grouping is difficult indeed!

For a three-player setup, I'd go with violin, piano, and flute. Add another bowed instrument (either a cello or another violin) and this becomes the arrangement used in one of my favorite sets of recordings, the English Country Dance CDs by the band Bare Necessities. Even leaving out for a moment the stellar musicianship of each of the players and their evident joy in working together, from a solely instrumental point of view, the texture of each instrument is distinct from the others, yet they blend together and interact with each other beautifully.

For a two instrument grouping, I'm partial to violin and guitar, though preferably two of the former with one of the latter. Stringdancer is the example that comes most readily to mind here. :]

Regarding the sitar situation - on behalf of the public, I accept your apology. ;]

You're entirely right in saying there is value in expanding one's musical interests!

My comfort zone in music... well, that depends on whether it's music I'm playing or that I'm listening to. :)

When playing chords on the plectrum banjo, I prefer the major keys of C, D, F, G, and Bb and their relative minors. Melodies are a bit easier for me to do in other keys; I'm fairly comfortable in A major, but I don't do well with keys at or above four sharps or flats.

When listening to music - in all honesty, I can't tell and thus don't care. The only distinction I can consistently make between keys merely by listening is identifying whether the mode is major or minor. I tend to hear the intervals between tones as opposed to the pitch classes of the tones themselves.

With regards to meter, both in playing and listening, I am fully with you in preference for waltz time. This is still more true if dancing is an option. :]

Ah, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald! The bros and I were just talking about/watching a video in parody of/listening to that song a few days ago! Nathanael, you may not know that you were indirectly responsible for me having first heard it! It was your family that introduced ours to Tim Hawkins' comedy, and thus it came about that we came upon this video:

This clip is how the bros and I first heard of the song you've brought up. :)

As Tim Hawkins noted, the song is long. (He did well summarizing the fourteen stanzas in one verse, don't you think?)

In fact, the song is so long that the bros and I only just today listened to it in its entirety. :/
One slight drawback to the song is that the melody, while a pleasing one, is incredibly repetitive.
Minor melodies have long been established as favorites of mine, and I'm quite fond of the "side-to-side short sway" feel of the 6/8 timing.
So, the short answer there is - yes, I've heard it, and liked it very much!