#metallophone

The absolutely fantastic minimal glockenspiel ‘n’ gayageum banger that is Firefly by Hey String was played out on the most recent episode of the Twopenny Hangover podcast, which also features a really cool and intense contribution from Iggy Pop and Bill Laswell! Listen here.

Rhythm, precision, intense choreography for metallic pings and plucks of string.

How many popular songs one can play on a children’s xylophone with just 8 (!) Notes?

“Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mary Had A Little Lamb… probably a dozen or so …” – you say.

And if I say that for some xylophones the manufacturer gives a training booklet with notes (and texts) of 10-12 popular English-language children’s songs?

Then about 20? .. given the some popular ones?

Good! But who said that children will be interested exclusively in children’s rhymes – from YouTube channels like ChuChu Tv?

What about “O Sole mio” and Cancan? The famous anthem of Europe – “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven?

So maybe 20 tunes are not the limit ??

Finding the answer to this question is the mission of the YouTube channel “8 note melodies”: as well as to collect, learn, play them on  xylophone, record and share videos!

At the moment, the collection includes already 23 tunes! And this number grows continuously!

Yes, some melodies often lacks just one or two notes due to missed “black keys” or one octave limit assuming you have “C” to “C” 8 note xylophone.

In some cases, you can expand the capabilities of the xylophone using the glass with water: the height of the note depends on the amount of water in the glass, in other cases it is possible to adapt the melody or play a note on the other octaves, or in some cases replace or miss – such as it is played in the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”not.

So… there are few such songs in the collection.

So, pick up a xylophone, metallophone, bells (glockenspiel) – who has what at hand !, turn on the video and go ahead – open new horizons !!!

Part One: 6 tunes from the “rotation” of ChuChu TV:

Playlist:

Rain Rain

Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

ABC Song

Mary Had a Little Lamb