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bridges_counterpoint:title [2017/07/27 02:52] – brian | bridges_counterpoint:title [2018/09/02 19:40] – brian |
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==== On The New Digital Edition ==== | ==== On The New Digital Edition ==== |
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To say that the musical primer [[http://amzn.to/2uwBoq2|Counterpoint]] by [[wp>Frederick_Bridge|J. Frederick Bridge]] lacks popularity as a counterpoint text is a gross understatement. Indeed, I had never heard of it before stumbling across it on [[https://archive.org/details/counterpoint00briduoft|archive.org]] during the summer of 2017. So what is the reason for updating and digitizing a textbook that's over 100 years old? | This digital edition is by [[http://bondari.com|Brian Bondari]]. |
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| To say that the musical primer [[http://amzn.to/2uwBoq2|Counterpoint]] by [[wp>Frederick_Bridge|J. Frederick Bridge]] lacks popularity as a counterpoint text is a gross understatement. Indeed, I had never heard of it before stumbling across it on [[https://archive.org/details/counterpoint00briduoft|archive.org]] during the summer of 2017. So what is the reason for updating and digitizing a textbook that's over 130 years old? |
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For starters, the usual suspects for university-level textbooks on Counterpoint typically cost in excess of $100. These textbooks are updated infrequently and rarely come with supplementary materials, such as workbooks and audio CDs/DVDs. Having taught Counterpoint numerous times now, I always feel large twinges of guilt every time I list one of these books as //required// on my syllabus. | For starters, the usual suspects for university-level textbooks on Counterpoint typically cost in excess of $100. These textbooks are updated infrequently and rarely come with supplementary materials, such as workbooks and audio CDs/DVDs. Having taught Counterpoint numerous times now, I always feel large twinges of guilt every time I list one of these books as //required// on my syllabus. |
1. Updated structure, formatting, and vocabulary | 1. Updated structure, formatting, and vocabulary |
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**Structure**: While Bridge's text is organized into chapters (which I left untouched), the content of each chapter is broken into numbered paragraphs, turning each chapter into a kind of large, organized list. I have omitted the paragraph numbers for this edition and have instead imposed appropriate headings, such as "Rules 1-5", Rules 6-10", and so forth. Each chapter now also has a wiki-style Table of Contents menu with links one can click to swiftly navigate through the headings within each chapter. | **Structure**: While Bridge's text is organized into chapters (which I left untouched), the content of each chapter is broken into numbered paragraphs, turning each chapter into a kind of large, organized list. I have omitted the paragraph numbers for this edition and have instead imposed appropriate headings, such as "Rules 1--5", Rules 6--10", and so forth. Each chapter now also has a wiki-style Table of Contents menu with links one can use to swiftly navigate through the headings within each chapter. |
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In the original edition, Bridge made frequent references to specific paragraphs (//e.g.// "see par. 87"). In place of this cumbersome structure, I have replaced these references with easy-to-access footnotes containing the entire referenced text, plus a link to the specific chapter from which the reference came. | In the original edition, Bridge made frequent references to specific paragraphs (//e.g.// "see par. 87"). In place of this cumbersome structure, I have replaced these references with easy-to-access footnotes containing the entire referenced text, plus a link to the specific chapter from which the reference came. |
2. Updated musical examples, complete with media players: | 2. Updated musical examples, complete with media players: |
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**Updated musical examples**: There are 129 musical examples in this book, each of which I digitally recreated with the [[http://lilypond.org|Lilypond]] typesetting program. Despite being a heavy Finale(tm) user for many years, I used this opportunity to gain familiarity with the open-source Lilypond program, which has two significant advantages over commercial, graphical programs. First, Lilypond creates beautiful output with no additional tweaking. Secondly, and more importantly, with a little knowledge of scripting language, one can harness the power of scripts to automate tasks that would take numerous hours in a commercial program like Finale. For instance, my typical workflow when creating this edition was to create a separate Lilypond text file for each example per chapter. When completed, I simply ran a single script that did the following for //all// those new examples: | **Updated musical examples**: There are 129 musical examples in this book, each of which I digitally recreated with the [[http://lilypond.org|Lilypond]] typesetting program. Despite being a heavy Finale(tm) user for many years, I used this opportunity to gain familiarity with the open-source Lilypond program, which has two significant advantages over commercial, graphical programs. First, Lilypond creates beautiful output with no additional tweaking. Secondly, and more importantly, with a little knowledge of scripting languages, one can harness the power of scripts to automate tasks that would take numerous hours in a commercial program like Finale. For instance, my typical workflow when creating this edition was to create a separate Lilypond text file for each example (per chapter). When completed, I simply ran a single script that did the following for //all// those new examples: |
* Created cropped images in a resolution of my choice | * Created cropped images in a resolution of my choice |
* Created a MIDI file for each example | * Created a MIDI file for each example |
My script can run in mere seconds, saving me hours of potential work. If, in the future, I want to change the resolution of the images or the bitrate of the audio files, I simply have to change a couple of variables in the script and then re-run it. | My script can run in mere seconds, saving me hours of potential work. If, in the future, I want to change the resolution of the images or the bitrate of the audio files, I simply have to change a couple of variables in the script and then re-run it. |
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Digitizing all the musical examples also provided me the opportunity to clean up some issues with the original scan, such as notes that were hard to read. | Digitizing all the musical examples also provided me the opportunity to clean up some issues with the original scan, such as notes that were difficult to read. |
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**Media players**: The main advantage, however, is in the addition of media players beneath each musical example. Textbooks on music, even so-called "modern" ones, lack the ability to play the musical example straight from the page. Usually the process of hearing a musical example in a textbook involves fumbling with a CD/DVD, logging into a specific web portal from the publisher, or just giving up and searching YouTube. | **Media players**: The main advantage, however, is in the addition of media players beneath each musical example. Textbooks on music, even so-called "modern" ones, lack the ability to play the musical examples straight from the page. Usually the process of hearing a musical example in a textbook involves fumbling with a CD/DVD, logging into a specific web portal from the publisher, or just giving up and searching YouTube. |
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No longer. Now students can study an example and listen to it straight //from the page//. There's something satisfying about a 100+ year-old textbook in the public domain receiving a modern facelift, both in looks and in function. Indeed, this ability gives it a significant advantage over newer sixteenth-century counterpoint texts, at least from a functional perspective. | No longer. Now students can study an example and listen to it straight //from the page//. There's something satisfying about a 100+ year-old textbook in the public domain receiving a modern facelift, both in looks and in function. Indeed, this feature gives it a significant advantage over newer sixteenth-century counterpoint texts, at least from a functional perspective. |
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==== How To Use This Book ==== | ==== How To Use This Book ==== |
You can also read this book by downloading an EPUB, which is viewable on an e-reader (Nook, Kobo, etc) or on any computer/smartphone/tablet with an e-book app. The EPUB format supports audio, but your individual e-reader may not, so I cannot make any guarantees as to the functionality of the e-reader version. I have personally tested it with Apple iBooks, and it works fine. | You can also read this book by downloading an EPUB, which is viewable on an e-reader (Nook, Kobo, etc) or on any computer/smartphone/tablet with an e-book app. The EPUB format supports audio, but your individual e-reader may not, so I cannot make any guarantees as to the functionality of the e-reader version. I have personally tested it with Apple iBooks, and it works fine. |
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===== Acknowledgements ===== | EPUB download: [[https://bondari.com/data/uploads/documents/Counterpoint_Bridge.epub|Counterpoint_Bridge.epub]] (52 MB) |
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| ===== Acknowledgments ===== |
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Naturally, I am grateful to Sir J. Frederick Bridge for the 1878 version of his text, without which this new edition would not be possible. Additionally, I express my gratitude to my friend [[http://jonathankulp.org|Jonathan Kulp]] at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who served as the inspiration for this project. ((Kulp has selflessly created numerous //free// resources [[http://jonathankulp.org/gratis.html|relating to music theory and music history]].)) | Naturally, my best thanks are due to Sir J. Frederick Bridge for the 1878 version of his text, without which this new edition would not be possible. Additionally, I express my gratitude to my friend [[http://jonathankulp.org|Jonathan Kulp]] at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who served as the inspiration for this project. ((Kulp has selflessly created numerous //free// resources [[http://jonathankulp.org/gratis.html|relating to music theory and music history]].)) Thanks, Jon! |
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And finally, I am also thankful for my wife Katrina's enduring patience and kind responses of, "Yes, Daddy is still working...." in response to our kids' endlessly repeating question: | And finally, I am also thankful for my wife Katrina's enduring patience and kind replies of, "Yes, Daddy is still working...." in response to our kids' endlessly repeating question: |
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> Is Daddy still //playing// on the computer? | > Is Daddy still //playing// on the computer? |
//July//, 2017. | //July//, 2017. |
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| This work is licensed under a [[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License]]. |
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| {{:cherubini_counterpoint_and_fugue:cc-88x31.png?nolink|}} |
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