ClassicalCode

Original Song: “Driving”

Nov 28

Music 1 Comment

As of this week, Chelsea and I have been going out for three years and after countless barbershop tags, covers and miniature songs I have finally been able to write her an honest-to-goodness song song. I’ll admit it’s cheesy and trite and doesn’t properly rhyme, but it’s a song. A real song. Finally.

For Chelsea, after three years: “Driving”

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Twitter Bot: UkeChord

Nov 27

Software 2 Comments

I would like to introduce you all to my new creation UkeChord. UkeChord is an automated Twitter robot who will send you ukulele fingerings for any chord you request. Please share your thoughts or improvements in the comments below.

Goal: To offer Ukulele chord fingerings via text message.

Preparation:

1. Follow Twitter user “ukechord“
2. Configure Twitter to forward direct messages to your phone.

Getting a chord fingering:

1. Text Twitter (40404) with: “@ukechord” followed by the chord name.
2. Receive chord fingering.

Below are the chord names it understands. C can be replaced by any note sharp (#) or flat (b):

It may be able to figure out other chords, but it is guaranteed to understand these.

Colors of The Wind (Alice n’ The Irving Street Kidz)

Nov 22

Ukulele 2 Comments

Alice n’ The Irving Street Kidz are back with another hit single. This time it’s ‘Colors of The Wind’ from the major motion picture Pocahontas. We believe that our rendition is a vast improvement on the original.

• Vocals – Alison
• Ukulele, chimes, backup vocals, egg shaker – Jordan
• Epic Howl – Noah

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Multitrack Barbershop Tag With Josh Beld

Nov 20

Barbershop 2 Comments

Tonight my friend and fellow baritone Josh Beld came over and naturally, things eventually devolved to multitracking babershop tags. After attempting three different tags, only the first and simplest ended up being suitable for sharing. This was Josh’s first attempt at multitrack recording and he is already better than me. Hopefully this will be the first of many.

When It’s Sleepy Time Down South:

• Baritone and Lead: Jordan Eldredge
• Bass and Tenor: Josh Beld

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Eight-Part Barbershop Tag In Parallel Fifths

Nov 14

Barbershop 2 Comments

I have recently observed, on Youtube, a very interesting method of turning any barbershop tag into a jazzy eight part tag: simply double each part a perfect fifth higher. Or, said another way, have a second quartet simultaneously sing the same tag a fifth above.

Despite everything I was taught in college, I have been curious to try this myself. However, due to sound bleed-through from my upstairs neighbors, I can’t really record in my apartment these days. So I multitracked this one tonight in my car on my Zoom H4. Although I am sure I looked quite suspicious, I think it was worth it.

You can hear the original four part arrangement here.

I present to you “In Dixie Land Where I Was Born” from David Wright’s collection: Classic Tags for Men’s Voices in parallel fifths:

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Update: I have typeset the complete octet in the key of “C” as a pdf file and also generated a midi file.