source file: mills2.txt Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 22:28:59 -0700 Subject: teaching tunings From: bq912@freenet.uchsc.edu (Neil G. Haverstick) Haverstick here...Paul E's layout of his proposed tuning course was monstrous...hard to beat that one. Of course, I teach a lot, and my way of dealing with teaching tunings is pretty modest...since many of my students study blues, alternate tunings is not even our main focus...I have to introduce the subject on the side, sort of...and I must say the response is very positive. At my stage of the tuning game, I think of myself as sort of an advanced beginner anyway, and I am fortunate to get to hang with the heavy dudes in the tuning arena; my studies continue always. So, I am happy just to introduce people to the basic ideas of the whole shebang, and if something develops from there, we'll deal with it. One of the interesting things about my school gig is the wide range of folks I teach, from 12 year old rock enthusiasts, to 49 year old blue collar guys that want to learn some Albert King licks...by letting "ordinary" folks know about this wonderous world of sounds and tunings, it becomes a more natural thing, and if it feels natural, it's easier to accept. By playing blues and other traditional styles in other tunings, on gigs we do around town, brings things right down to street level, and puts it where it belongs, of course. If a kid of 12 (or 7, as my daughter is) can dig it, the sky's the limit. And I'm sure, as my comfort level rises with tunings, my methods may change as well. An idea like Paul's is not too far fetched...we just need enough people to come to the class. By showing folks the utter reality that 12/eq is only one of MANY tuning, we get them to thinking in a new way about music...then, someday soon there will be music in the air in other than the dreaded 12/oct. Hstick Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Wed, 21 Aug 1996 10:54 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA20257; Wed, 21 Aug 1996 10:55:35 +0200 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA20255 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id BAA14153; Wed, 21 Aug 1996 01:55:32 -0700 Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 01:55:32 -0700 Message-Id: <2.2.32.19960821085224.0067aff8@adnc.com> Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu