CIRCLE WITH A DOT

Not enough typos mistaking crabs for carbs. Or vice versa. Sad.

Lots of missed opportunities for amusement there.

#wordplay

tfw my entire feeling of self-worth is tied to my level of achievement on the cello, and my motivation to practice is nil because of my difficult childhood / family history around the instrument. I take gigs to make myself practice, like a kind of punishment for past sins. I dunno. No way forward, no way back.

My favourite niche factoid (today, at least) about Sibelius (music software, not composer) is that you can create a notehead style that is both headless and stemless. Which leaves… nothing*.

And I make use of this a lot for some composers, mostly where aleatoric things are happening, to fill bars where something unnotated is happening, which avoids multirests appearing in the part.

* okay, not nothing in all cases: if you put an accidental on it, that will show, as well as any articulations.

#music #classicalmusic

@dusepo Aha, yes the strings are not good early music strings definitely. Could be all wrong, as you say.

I need to see what the shop wants to do: the focus is on maximising the value of the donation, of course. But that usually does not extend to fixing or improving anything. Or anything beyond cleaning, to be honest. They might say it should be sold as seen.

I need to talk to them a bit. All they want is an answer to ‘what price’ but I know there are too many unknowns yet.

@dusepo I *think* 60cm vibrating string length. Does that sound right? I was also dealing with a mandolin-banjo and may be mixing up my measurements. (I’ve left the shop now but can double check if necess. )

@dusepo Great sleuthing, thanks. I’ll point the shop at that link.

@dusepo If I knew what pitch it should be I would have tuned it properly. The top string (looks like nylon) felt tight around E4 (A440).

@dusepo Thank you! Yes, very unusual to have as donation. I agree with what you say about likely being a kit. Also the pegs are of a softer wood than I expected (me being a cellist) so there was a surprising amount of give in them when I tried to tune it.

@dusepo Hi, can I ask your advice about the attached?

The charity shop I volunteer at has just had this lute donated. I know very little about lutes, and less than I thought!

It’s 7-course, no maker’s label. Any idea a) what it is, and/or b) if it has any second-hand value in its present condition?

Any advice gratefully received!

@the_roamer I’m so pleased you like it! It is a masterpiece.

Decided to have another listen to (part of) Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato. It’s a really strong piece of minimalism, and not short, but does a thing to my brain that I find really helpful.

Might make this all three of my #ThreeGoodThings today.

#minimalism #classicalmusic

https://youtu.be/K-4bh8J84Go

RE: https://mas.to/@IanDSmith/116101599891449976

Ach I am grumpy, but sales is not profits. Starbucks is not being run ethically or morally, in my view, but this isn’t the stat to convince people of that.

Worked later than intended, and now don’t want to deal with the whole food / nutrition / energy problem. I maybe need to shop. Or just succumb to a takeaway. Hmmm.

Well, that’s not going to help.