The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey
  • Home
  • My Musical Musings Blog
  • Easy Piano Solos and Duets
    • Pop Christmas Easy Duets
    • Easy Piano Solo Disney Songs
    • Beatles Songs Easy Piano Solos
  • What's New
    • Weary Not - solo
    • Ring! Glad Christmas Bells - SATB
    • Glory to God on High - SATB
    • How Exquisite Was My Joy
    • Did You Think to Pray? Mezzo Bar Duet
    • I Stand All Amazed - SATB with Piano, Flute and Oboe
    • I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go - SATB and SA
    • Have I Done Any Good? - SAB
    • What Child Is This? SATB, Soloist, Flute, Clarinet
    • Christmas Day Round 3-Part
    • America the Beautiful SSAA
  • Patriotic Anthems and Pioneer Songs
  • Praise and Thanksgiving
  • Christmas and Easter
    • Easter - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas - Sacred Chorals
    • Christmas Choir Scripts
    • Christmas Novelty Songs
  • Featured Songs
    • The Bread of Life - TTBB
    • My Promised Land - SATB
    • Forget Me Not, O Lord - SATB
    • Come Unto Him - SATB
    • Love At Home - SSA 2 Flts.
    • Keystone of Our Faith - SATB
    • Sing a Song of Christmas - SSATBB
    • Mary Had a Pretty Little Baby - SA
    • O Tidings of Comfort and Joy - SATB
    • On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night - SATB
  • Sacred Solo Song Collections
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 14
    • The Praiseworthy Singer Vol. 15
  • More Solos and Duets
  • Choral Anthems and Hymn Arrangements
    • Choral Anthems and Octavos
    • Sacred Original Chorals
    • Easy Choir Hymn Roadmaps
    • Hymn Arrangements
  • Women's, Youth and Men's Chorus
    • Women's Chorus
    • Youth Chorus
    • Men's Chorus
  • Fun Tongue Twister Vocalises
  • Fun and Easy Warm-up Songs for Choir
  • Music for Home and Family
    • Songs of Home and Family
    • Family Choir Arrangements
  • Sacred Songs for Children
  • Fun Songs for Kids
  • Echo Songs, Rounds and Partner Songs
  • Visual Aids and Strategies for Teaching Primary Songs
    • Song Leader's Bag of Tricks
    • Fun With Music - Nursery and Jr. Primary
    • Pop-Up Books, Word Strips, and Melody Maps
    • Puzzles
    • Dress-Ups and Costumes
    • Examples of Visual Aids
  • Electrical Conduit Chimes
  • Instrumentals
  • Janie Thompson Songs
  • Contact Info
  • About Me

Crazy Rhythm

11/15/2013

0 Comments

 
Crazy Rhythm - Recovered Blog Post 10/14/2013

          "Crazy Rhythm here's the doorway.
          I'll go my way, you go your way.
          Crazy Rhythm, from now on we're through!"

          Sight singing a complicated, rhythmic piece can be so exasperating!  We were reading through a piece for the broadcast next week and pulling our hair out!  This piece was written in 12/8 meter with segments fragmented in duple meter punctuated with syncopations in random places.  First off, it was difficult to read with so many unusual tied notes and accidentals.  Secondly, the harmonies were ultra-modern, not normal for us.  Thirdly, singers probably deserve the reputation that they are not "musicians" when they complain about doing vocal calisthenics!  Once we got better acquainted with how to decipher the writing, it became easier.  But then, once you "get it," the crazy rhythms won't leave you alone!!!!

          "Here is where we have a show down.
          You're too high hat, I'm too low down.
          Crazy Rhythm, here's good-bye to you!"


          Like a worm that get's into your system and takes a firm hold, rhythms sometime take hold and won't let you alone.  I love the old 1920's tune "Crazy Rhythm" because the lyrics are so apropos.  When a crazy rhythm has got me, I get to the point where I want to just kick it out of my brain!  The music in my head can be DEAFENING!!!

          "They say that when a high brow meets a low brow 
          Walking along Broadway,
          Soon the high brow, he has no brow.
          Ain't it a shame, and you're to blame!"


          Sometimes the classical musical styles and popular styles collide.  Occasionally, in choir we will sing popular songs carefully notated to reflect the highly stylized syncopations of a folk singer taking "liberties" with the melody. What the folk singer will simply feel, we are forced to "read."  Talk about hard! You wouldn't believe all of the tied notes and syncopated rhythmic notations!  The music can look ultra complicated even when it sounds very simple.  But that's what we have to go through to keep 360 voices exactly together.  Those crazy rhythms!  Sometimes they drive me crazy!!!!!

          "What's the use of Prohibition?
          You produce the same condition!
          Crazy Rhythm, I've gone crazy, too!"

 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Betsy Lee Bailey.  I enjoy singing and writing all kinds of music.  I have performed and directed or taught music all of my life.  This blog is dedicated to all of the people who have been encouraging me to write about my experiences.

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Chiasmus
    Children's Music
    Children's Storybooks
    Children's Theater
    Choir
    Christmas
    Classical Sacred Solo
    Classical Singing
    Composer
    Composition
    Conducting
    Copyrighted Music
    Cub Scout Music
    Elementary School Music
    Family
    Janie Thompson
    John R. Sweeney
    Lds Church Music
    Lending Library
    Luthier
    Lyrics
    Missionary Anthems
    Mormon Tabernacle Choir
    Mormon Tabernacle Choir
    Performance
    Pioneer Anthems
    Poetic Devices
    Primary Songs
    Relief Society Songs
    Singing
    Song Writing Tips
    Teaching Strategies
    Treble Chorus
    Worship Service
    Worship Service

    RSS Feed