From: "st. stephen" <ST402836@brownvm.brown.edu>
Subject: Re: The dead and Mixolydian Mode
Reply-To: ST402836@brownvm.brown.edu
Organization: The Internet
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 15:50:31 GMT



brown@sunspot.noao.edu (Todd Brown)  writes:

|In article <BsxKrC.60C@news.udel.edu> moffitt@chopin.udel.edu (Curtis Moffitt)
| writes:
|>
|>to the NET so we can keep a discussion going....  Thanks and later, Curt
|
|So is it the combined opinion of the group that these discussions
|of brilliant understanding of musical education should continue
|or would it not be best for those concerned to take this discussion
|to email or start their own group tech.music. anaylisis of gdead:-)

   I think it's completely appropriate to discuss the music of the
Dead here.  Isn't that in part what the newsgroup is for?  I mean
aside from flames wars over ticketless hordes or first amendment rights,
aren't we supposed to spend a little bit of time on the music?
I get really sick and tired of people constantly trying to squash
discussions on the net with this tireless "take it to email" campaign.
If everything was taken to email there wouldn't be any newsgroup to follow.
If you're looking for a low volume list with just the latest facts about
tours, tickets, etc. then I submit that rec.gdead is the wrong place for you.
   Further, I don't see what the objection is to this thread.  I mean
we put up with the "Donna sucks" thing, which was essentially contentless,
for a long time.  Now we have a discussion with real content, something
some of us can learn from, and you want it to go away?  Seems to me
this discussion might show some people a new aspect of the Dead's music,
a new way to look at (or hear it, as it were ).  You make some appeal
to the "musically educated" nature of the discussion.  Is there something
wrong with using our intellects?  Are we afraid of thinking?  Are we
afraid that not everyone will understand the terminology and so we
should just skip the discussion?  Maybe we should write like the newspapers
do; for a 6th grade level.  USA today is certainly a fine source of
information and analysis.


|A thought if Phil is the only "educated" musician in The Dead, how
|is it that they have managed to do so well over the years playing
|all this highly technical educated modal type music? Could it come
|naturally or is it a developement caused by a high rate of experience
|and experimentation.

   Just because Phil is the only formally educated musician in the band,
I don't think that it should be construed that the other members do not
have any musical understanding.  Certainly Jerry understands music
theory; chord construction, harmony, rhythm, etc. as well as any formally
educated student.  OK, so maybe he's not going to write a symphony, but
he certainly understands Miles' concept of modal playing, or Ornette
Coleman's inovation in harmony/melody (evidence: Ornette inviting Jerry
to play with him on a recent disc).
   Mickey had some formal training in drumming, and played for a while
with big bands.  His understanding of percussion playing from around the
world certainly attests to his skill and knowledge.
   My main point is that it doesn't follow that because few of the
band members had formal music training they don't think about their music
in these terms, or understand it from teh viewpoint that's been discussed.
In addition it should be clear that we also do not have to go to Berkely
for a music degree in order to begin to understand the music from this
point of view.   All it takes is a little thought and close listening.
Further, I think it's worthe the effort for the greater apperciation it
brings.
   So, I hope this discussion doesn't get squashed,

peace,
steve