[Smt-talk] Keyboards for theory classes?

[Frank Samarotto]

On 5/5/14 11:26 PM, "Stephen Jablonsky" <jablonsky at optimum.net> wrote:

> Many guitarists have difficulty converting from tablature to piano notation. A
> few of them succeed and become college professors of Schenkerian analysis or
> post-tonal note counting for reasons no one can explain!

Hello everyone! My name is Frank and I used to be a guitarist. (³Hello,
Frank!!)

(A rock guitarist, then classical, then lute-like guitar, then Renaissance
lute, then a brief flirtation with Baroque lute.)

Let me stipulate in advance that I was never very good at any of these. But
over time, I was able to learn the following notation types:
Pop lead sheets
Pop tablature
Guitar notation (single staff, up an octave)
Lute modern notation (grand staff, at pitch)
French/English lute tablature (similar to modern tab)
Spanish/Italian tablature (strings flipped upside down)
Simple mensural notation (single part)
Complex mensural notation (for transcription)

This while I learning all C-clefs (not perfectly, I admit) and while my
undergrad theory teachers made me practice chord progressions at the piano,
randomly calling out different keys as I struggled to transpose a Corelli
sarabande in front of the class.

As a result of that, my current fumblings at the piano are probably better
than my guitar/lute playing ever was. Why? Because thinking/audiating first,
fingers later. (Granted, I am technically limited, but I could practice.)

The more you know, the better you play (and students can eventually figure
that out).

Music theory---Catch the feeling!

(Oh yes‹encountering an amazing teacher can help turn one into a college
professor of Schenkerian analysis.)

Frank

Frank Samarotto
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Jacobs School of Music
Indiana University Bloomington

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