Minor 7th is a site that reviews "the best in non-mainstream acoustic guitar music". It is Google-like in its simplicity. And every month you have a chance to win a new CD (which I have done, so it's legit).
I hit the road for Atlanta this afternoon at 1:35. When I got on the highway, I got out the iPod and listened to Derek Webb's album I See Things Upside Down. After that, I dialed it to Shuffle, and here's what played ("Song", Artist, Album):
- "How Long?", Stuart Townend, Pour Over Me
- "Do Nothin 'til You Hear From Me", Dinah Shore, American Songbook
- "Elephants", Rachael Yamagata, The Craft Of Music, ...
- "Joy In The Journey", Michael Card, The Final Word
- "Reverence", John Michael Talbot, Empty Canvas
- "The Way Of A Pilgrim: Pursuit", Phil Keaggy, On the Fly
- "Trois Chansons: II. Quant j'ai ouy le tabourin", Chanticleer, On the Air-Live Radio
- "The Reflex", Duran Duran, Greatest
- "Little Beggar Man", Steve Baughman, Fingerstyle Guitar...
- "Here We Come A-Wassailing", Canadian Brass, A Canadian Brass Christmas
- "In The Wake Of Colmcille", David Bainbridge, Fingerstyle Guitar...
- "Grey Will Fade", Charlotte Hatherley, U2 Jukebox
- "Love Beyond Measure", Eoghan Heaslip, Grace In The Wilderness
- "Night Of Your Return", Fernando Ortega, Night Of Your Return
- "Come Then, Lord Jesus", Katy Bowser, Wake Thy Slumbering Children
- "Atonement Interlude", Shai Linne, Atonement
- "Annie's Song", John Denver, The John Denver Collection
- "Song of Jesus", Michael Card, Sleep Sound in Jesus
- "Danny Boy", Celtic Woman, Celtic Woman
- "St. Augustine", Patty Larkin, Red = Luck
- "All That I Need", Sovereign Grace Music, Valley of Vision
- "Requiem in D Minor, K 626 - 12. Benedictus, Anna-Maria Panzar..., Mozart: Requiem
- "Everlasting Arms", Vikki Beeching, Painting the Invisible
- "God of Wonders", Cliff Young; Danielle ?; Mac Powell, City on a Hill
- "Thank God I'm A Country Boy", John Denver, John Denver: Greatest Hits
- "Come Back To Bed", John Mayer, Heavier Things
- "Cath...", Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs
- "Op 28:10.Spring Carol", Benjamin Britten: Ceremony of Carols
- "Reputation", Derek Webb, I See Things Upside Down
Why did it take me so long to find this?! I've wished that the Trinity Hymnal had orchestrations for some while, but I accidently stumbled onto this tonight.. A real "Duh" moment for me if they've been around for a while. It is a real relief from going back and forth to "The Instrumental Hymnal" orchestrations, some of which sound dated. Thank you Great Commission Publications!
I've been thinking a lot about songwriting recently. And I must say how blown away I was to read John Rutter's reply when asked by NPR Music about the future of his own carols:
What I would like to think is that there is a new John Rutter out there writing lots of lovely new carols, and that mine will have served their day and their time, and they'll quietly be there in the Library of Congress maybe, if you search. But I won't mind a bit if they are forgotten.
Tuning a guitar is easy right? Not necessarily. There are a number of ways to go about it - tuners, adjacent notes, harmonics... But the Guild of American Luthiers has an article (called Data Sheet 45) that describes the best way to tune. I found the article at Gootar.com. Now for the most part, I play a Crowdster Plus guitar (right) built by luthier Tom Anderson. The Crowdster has a tuning system designed by Buzz Feiten. (Here's how it works.) The Feiten system along with my Peterson StroboStomp 2 helps me and the rest of the worship band really stay in tune.
The tuning article from GAL says
Many guitarists are frustrated because of their attempts to tune the guitar to pure chords (free of beats). These particular players have very sensitive ears that prefer pure intervals and reject the mandatory equal temperament. They tune their guitar beautifully pure on one chord only to discover that the next chord form is unacceptable. In too many instances they assume that there must be a flaw in the workmanship on the fingerboard. Their problem is not in the construction of the guitar. It is one of pure tuning verses equal temperament.
You must accept this compromise because the guitar is an instrument of fixed pitch and the strings must be tuned to tempered intervals, not pure. Equal temperament is the name given to a system of dividing the chromatic scale into 12 equal half steps. Guitarists who have been trying to tune to one or another pure chord form must learn to understand and accept equal temperament. (They might be interested to know that to approximate pure chords on all forms would require about three dozen frets within the octave.) The system of equal temperament reduces the number to twelve, thereby making manageable all instruments of fixed pitch.
In a nutshell, they recommend:
1st string: must be in pure unison with the harmonic of the E, 6th string at the fifth fret.
4th string: Play a harmonic on the (in tune) 6th string at twelve, and as this harmonic sounds, adjust the 4th string until the tone E on the second fret is in pure unison.
2nd string: Play a harmonic on the (in tune) 4th string at twelve. As this sounds, adjust the 2nd string until D at the third fret is in pure unison.
3rd string: Play a harmonic on the (in tune) 4th string at twelve and as this sounds, adjust the 3rd string until D at the 7th fret is in pure unison.
5th string: Play the tone A on the (in tune) 3rd string, at the second fret. Listen to this pitch carefully and now adjust the 5th string until the harmonic at twelve is in pure unison.
I've tried it, and it works perfectly. You need to read the whole article. I haven't done it justice in my paraphrase.
1) iPhone
2) Open-source software
3) Virtual synthesizers
4) Portable digital audio recorders
5) Max/MAP
Read about each at Wired.com. How many and which ones do you have? (I have #2 and #4.)
Am i the only one who finds it ironic that the same people who beat the fallen statue of Saddam Hussein with their shoes are now throwing shoes at the one who brought him down?
The good folks at Popular Mechanics say "Brains and charm are fine, but a real guy needs to know how to do real stuff." So to help us out they have provided a way "explore how to perform life’s essential skills, broken down in 10 categories for the competent man". This is a cool list worth checking out.. And I must say, I felt a well of pride every time I came across a skill I have used or knew how to use. (And I felt like a total loser when I saw #68 "Throw a spiral"!) Interestingly but not surprisingly, there is no mention of wooing a woman's heart (unless you count "carving a turkey" or "removing bloodstains from fabric") or knowing one's own heart...but hey, it is Popular Mechanics.
This is an interesting arrangement of Paul Baloche's "A Christmas Offering". I hate to immediately put on my critique hat, but the song feels slow to me personally, and the girl behind Paul is kind of distracting. But Paul, as always, brings it. I love his heart, as it always comes through when he's teaching or leading worship. He's a grace-filled man.
Interesting choices made by NPR listeners for the year's best music. Check it out here. Or go here to read find out who one the in the "best rock, pop, jazz, classical, blues, and undiscovered music of 2008" categories.
Check this out. Very interesting. Joe Satriani Suing Coldplay For Plagiarism
CNN says that this Friday is perfect for dancing in the moonlight, because the moon is actually about 30,000 miles closer to Earth on its "orbital perigee" (it's closest approach) than at its "apogee" (its furthest). So I think I'll reach deep inside and wake the sleeping aborigine within me and go dance a little in the cold moonlight tonight.
NoiseTrade.com is providing an exclusive subscription offer: Paste Magazine for whatever you can afford! I love Paste, and had it on my wish list for Christmas. If you like reading and thinking about culture, music and film, this is a good mag to have around. Check them out here.
When I switched to this new theme the comments link stopped working. I didn't even notice until some friends thought I was blocking them from my site. Sha, right! So in search for a cure I stumbled across Intense Debate, which is a commenting system on steroids designed by four young dudes. It hopefully will rid me of my recent blogger ills. ....Now if we could just figure out a way to rid my family of all our recent sicknesses.
(Stock photo by nkzs)
Advent is a season of expectant waiting. As the Latin word for "coming" (adventus), "Advent" is the translation of the Greek word parousia - which is the common word for Christ's Second Coming. Observed since the 4th century, the season was formerly a time of strict fasting, similar to Lent. Now in many communities it is mainly marked by a spirit of penitence.
However, at my church we observe a softer version of Advent. We light candles at the beginning of the services - each candle representing an episode of the birth of Jesus - and our pastor will preach more seasonally-based messages. We will have a Lessons and Carols service towards the beginning of Advent, but it is not an Advent service, per se; it is a Christmas service. So for the most part, we as a community do not heartily observe 4 straight weeks of "expectant waiting". I don't have any beef with that fact. We simply weren't t raised observing the Church calendar, or many of us already have our own method (hopefully) for daily times of Bible study and prayer that don't revolve around the Church calendar.
And let’s face it, it’s practically impossible to enter into a time of expectant waiting after Thanksgiving. Black Friday finds many of us at the stores at 4AM, Starbucks in hand, waiting in line for incredible deals, while every station we listen to, every channel we turn on, and every page we surf to floods us with the images and sounds of Christmas. And by December 26th we’ve had enough of Christmas, thank you very much.
So how can we enter into this time of expectant waiting? Here are a few thoughts that come to my mind:
- Read your Devotions looking for themes of Advent
8 He will swallow up death forever;I also read from John 21.
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
- Look for themes of Advent in the Scriptures
- Attend Worship!
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
- Look for themes
- Meet and worship with other Christians
- Make reference in your prayers to Christ’s coming
Secondly, in your daily prayers, at mealtime, at bedtime with your kids, beg the Lord to come soon. Train your mind to think about your future home, the Day of his Coming, the trumpets sounding, the dead rising, seeing Christ for the first time in all his glory, his white horse, his judgment throne, our confidence and reverential fear, the last day we shed a tear....think about these things.
- Look for themes
- Meet and worship with other Christians
- Make reference in your prayers to Christ’s coming
- Let his imminent arrival drive you to live less for the things of this world, and more for the things of eternity.
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