Throw away your basses! A new note has been invented...

[Fender32]

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with heavy heart that I recount to you this, my tale of musical woe!

Our band have recently rented out a new practise room, which we share with another (German) band. The other band are relatively new to making music, but seem the be a very ambitious and determined lot.

Anyway, I was in the room last week, jamming with our drummer, when I noticed some sheets of paper sitting on the music stand, which weren't there last time. Being the curious sort, I had a look, to see what the other band were working on.

And that's when I got the shock of my (musical) life: This undiscovered bunch of complete new-comers have pulled off a musical miracle .... they have invented an 8th note !!!!

Above the lyrics to their latest song, they had penned guitar chords and some bass tab, but the progression went (something like), G / G / C / D / G / G / C / H

(rewind) H ?? H ???????

What the ... ?

All of my basses and our guitarists guitars, have the octave markers at the 12th fret position. That means that we can't possibly rip-off the other bands songs, because they're obviously using guitars with 14 frets per octave. The sneaky b*stards!

I haven't actually heard this song of theirs yet, but I expect that it will make them instantly world famous (not every day that you get to hear an Hm chord is it)? So, I expect that you will all being seeing them soon, smugly peering at you from the cover of "Guitar Player" magazine.

In the mean time, the rest of us have to start thinking about what to do with our (soon to be defunkt), worthless instruments .

Not a happy start to the new year, I know, but the sooner you all hear about it, the better!

[deaf pea]

I seem to remember, from out of the past (the mid 60's, to be exact) learning something like that in music theory . . .

B = Bb
H = B natural

I might have just been dreaming, who knows . . .

[leffe luffer]

I´m if your post was a serious or not bute here in Sweden we often write H instead of B for some odd reason. I think its some oldschool thing that have kind of just hanged on with time.

[Jazz Ad]

An it's the same in Germany, not only Sweden.
Way to mock others for your own ignorance.

[Fender32]

Originally Posted by leffe luffer

I´m if your post was a serious or not bute here in Sweden we often write H instead of B for some odd reason. I think its some oldschool thing that have kind of just hanged on with time.

Thanks for that! Actually, I had assumed that the guitarist had written an "A" that just happened to look a lot like an "H". I honestly didn't know that it was common to write the letter "B" in that way! Amazing what you learn on TB.

Actually, that explains a lot. He once wrote me a note, asking me if he could "JOIN MY HAND FOR A SESSION ONE NIGHT". I must apologise for my reaction, next time I see him.

[wdinc01]

Originally Posted by Fender32

Thanks for that! Actually, I had assumed that the guitarist had written an "A" that just happened to look a lot like an "H". I honestly didn't know that it was common to write the letter "B" in that way! Amazing what you learn on TB.

Actually, that explains a lot. He once wrote me a note, asking me if he could "JOIN MY HAND FOR A SESSION ONE NIGHT". I must apologise for my reaction, next time I see him.

The whole world suddenly makes sense now!

[GaryM]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acciden...of_accidentals

The three principal symbols indicating whether a note should be raised or lowered in pitch are derived from variations of the letter B: the sharp and natural signs from the square "B quadratum", and the flat sign from the round "B rotundum".

In the early days of European music notation (4-line staff Gregorian chant manuscripts), only the note B could be altered (i.e. have an accidental applied to it): it could be flattened, thus moving from the hexachordum durum (i.e. the hard hexachord: G-A-B-C-D-E) where it is natural, to the hexachordum molle (i.e. the soft hexachord: F-G-A-B♭-C-D) where it is flat; the note B is not present in the third hexachord hexachordum naturale (i.e. the natural hexachord: C-D-E-F-G-A).

This long use of B as the only altered note incidentally helps explain some notational peculiarities:

* the flat sign actually derives from a round B, signifying the B of the soft hexachord, that is, B flat (hence the name of the flat sign in French "bémol" from medieval French "bé mol" — modern French "bé mou" — or "soft b") and originally meant only B♭;

* the natural sign derives from a square B, signifying the B of the hard hexachord, that is, B natural (hence the name of the natural sign in French "bécarre" from medieval French "bé carre", earlier "bé quarre" — modern French "bé carré" — or "square b") and originally meant only B natural.

In the same way, in German music notation the letter B designates B flat while the letter H, which is actually a deformation of a square B, designates B natural.

[Basshole]

This is why I've never learned to read music. It's like trying to describe a color - it's just stupid.

[beyondhairy]

Originally Posted by Fender32

they have invented an 8th note !!!!

when i read that i thought "wait, doesnt that come between a quarter and a 16th? lol

[Scottgun]

Yeah, I remember being baffled when I picked up a Choral book of Bach's Messe in h-moll.



Scott

[iplaybassguitar]

Originally Posted by Basshole

This is why I've never learned to read music. It's like trying to describe a color - it's just stupid.

thats the dumbest thing i have ever heard.

you can read english cant you? and you can speak it too
why is is so rediculous to learn to read music if you wish to speak it too?

[Dave Grossman]

Originally Posted by deaf pea

I seem to remember, from out of the past (the mid 60's, to be exact) learning something like that in music theory . . .

B = Bb
H = B natural

That is true, particulary in Germany, I think. Though, I didn't realize that people still used that terminolgy.

In fact, Bach wrote a fugue on his name B A C H as have many others.

- Dave

[vindy500]

H=second fret on the a string in denmark

[mjolnir]

Amazing the things one can learn on TB...

[spudmaster34]

I did not know that

[Stanley Design]

It also could have been a progression and H could have represented holding the last note.

[Poop-Loops]

I also remember from my music classes (forced, don't remember much and didn't learn much anyway) in Poland as a kid, instead of B they use H.

[Cloggy]

Also:
C = 1st Harmonic
G = 3rd
E = 5th
Bb = 7th
D = 9th
(F= 11th,out of tune,1/3 is better)
A = 13th (also bad tuning)
B (H) = 15th

[Basshole]

Originally Posted by iplaybassguitar

thats the dumbest thing i have ever heard.

you can read english cant you? and you can speak it too
why is is so rediculous to learn to read music if you wish to speak it too?

Yeah, but curiously enough, the true intent of what one means to convey is often lost in written. How many times have you seen someone get offended online because the appropriate "smiley" wasn't used.

Written English doesn't have the subtle inflections that the spoken word does...just like written music can't convey the subtle things that learning a part by ear can.

I stand by what I said. While I sometimes wish I could read, the fact is my ear is so well developed to compensate, that it hasn't really harmed my career much if at all. By the time the rest of the band is running a chart down for the second time, I already have the whole piece commited to memory. When the gig comes around, those who fall back on their reading are still struggling to squint their way through the damn chart...while I already have my eyes closed, locked with the drummer, laying the groove down like a mother f@#$er.



Oh, and yeah...I don't have to get into stupid esoteric discussions about letters of the alphabet...like "H".

"Todays show is brought to you by the letters F and U boys and girls"...sheesh. Gimme a break.

Oh... alomost forgot; smiley! ...so no one gets offended.

[Poop-Loops]

lol @ celebrating ignorance