12-29-2006, 04:25 PM
I have worked up a few, basically they are Alarm/To Arms, Assemble, Recall, Advance, Retreat, Form Line/Reform, Ad Cuneum, Ad Testudinum, Melee. I have to get them scanned into the computer to post them though and have not quite figured that one out yet.
In trying out the horns, I notice most folks can get 3 notes out of a Deepeek cornu or tuba (Brasswinders can get more). They equate very roughly to a low C, Med G, and a High C. Basically I wrote the calls on staff paper using CGC, but for folks with no musical training they can use low medium high, and not worry about the intonation (as the tone of the horns is... horrible).
I used a simple 5C trumpet mouthpiece, not the one that came with the tuba or cornu (I tried a 13a4a bored out from my Strad (trumpet), but the tone was even worse)... the little brass ones that come with the horns...they are painful and bad. Goto the local music store and buy one. They run about $20 or less, but are much easier to get tone on. I suspect you could use a trombone or f-horn mouthpiece too, if you are trained on them. remember, it is not the intonation or actual note that matters, but the movement of notes that makes the call. Taps can be played in any number of keys, but always means the same thing.
Once again... I have no original source for these, and am making them from scratch. If you have found a roman Papyrus with greek musical notation labeled tuba/cornu calls, I would love to see it. These are the calls we could have used last year at lafe, thus their creation. I intentionally did not want to make a thousand calls for every occassion! so these are simple. No Revielle, tattoo or Taps!
I am also doing "word" parallels for the calls to help folks remember them on the fly. For example, ALARM/CALLTO ARMS is:
low (short):low(short):low(short):Med (long)
or in "word" Parrallel: lo:"A" lo:"CALL" lo:"TO" med:"ARMS"
or A-CAL-TO-AARRMMSSS
That probably confused you all... Makes sense on paper.
I will work on finishing these up tonight, and hope to figure out how to post them tomorrow.
In trying out the horns, I notice most folks can get 3 notes out of a Deepeek cornu or tuba (Brasswinders can get more). They equate very roughly to a low C, Med G, and a High C. Basically I wrote the calls on staff paper using CGC, but for folks with no musical training they can use low medium high, and not worry about the intonation (as the tone of the horns is... horrible).
I used a simple 5C trumpet mouthpiece, not the one that came with the tuba or cornu (I tried a 13a4a bored out from my Strad (trumpet), but the tone was even worse)... the little brass ones that come with the horns...they are painful and bad. Goto the local music store and buy one. They run about $20 or less, but are much easier to get tone on. I suspect you could use a trombone or f-horn mouthpiece too, if you are trained on them. remember, it is not the intonation or actual note that matters, but the movement of notes that makes the call. Taps can be played in any number of keys, but always means the same thing.
Once again... I have no original source for these, and am making them from scratch. If you have found a roman Papyrus with greek musical notation labeled tuba/cornu calls, I would love to see it. These are the calls we could have used last year at lafe, thus their creation. I intentionally did not want to make a thousand calls for every occassion! so these are simple. No Revielle, tattoo or Taps!
I am also doing "word" parallels for the calls to help folks remember them on the fly. For example, ALARM/CALLTO ARMS is:
low (short):low(short):low(short):Med (long)
or in "word" Parrallel: lo:"A" lo:"CALL" lo:"TO" med:"ARMS"
or A-CAL-TO-AARRMMSSS
That probably confused you all... Makes sense on paper.
I will work on finishing these up tonight, and hope to figure out how to post them tomorrow.
