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Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 17:23:06 +0000
From: Lawrence de Martin <demartin@tesser.com>
Subject: Re: Las Vegas Bass Clef Ensembles
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
> From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
> Probably your best bet is to simply list the instruments that qualify:
> .....
> French horn
> .....Does this apply only to double horn?
This answer sidesteps an important issue: "Bass Clef" is in the name of the
Ensemble. M. Trinko needs a concise defnition so that this worthy project can be
publicized to prospective players, sponsors and venues.Is "Basswind" too vague? Or exclusive of brass? Is "Earthwind" too new-age? Is
"Lowball" inappropriate jargon for a gambling city? I'm sure that other list
members have a larger musical vocabulary than I, have a go here!Larry de Martin
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 17:45:23 +0000
From: Lawrence de Martin <demartin@tesser.com>
Subject: Re: Air Speed & Timing - Position
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
> From: "Corwin D. Moore" <corwinmoore@juno.com>
>
> Among other "big and ugly" instruments (tuba, string bass, bassoon), I
> play bass guitar (which)
> is about the ultimate in a percussive low voiceI agree that the bass guitar unplugged is as percussive as piano or drums. It
can even "stop on a dime". I have demonstrated this by playing into an
oscilloscope, consistantly generating staccato notes with four or more cycles and
no fraction left over.To my ears, however, a skillful brass or wind player can get a better attack than
speakers. If you add a tweeter you can "bite", but the instant bloom and sharp
cutoff of the string sound is obscured by the resonance of moving cones, further
by any tuned ports, chambers and auxilliary radiators (try headphones or putting
your ear on the wood).I find speakers rhythmically inaccurate and off-pitch on the beginning and end of
staccato notes. I have grown unsatisfied with the sound of bass speakers, and so
I am going to take up wind instruments after thirty years of bass guitar. I may
yet find a way to build acceptable speakers, but until then give me acoustics.Larry de Martin
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 17:06:15 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Las Vegas Bass Clef Ensembles
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com> > Probably your best bet is to simply list the instruments that qualify:
> > .....
> > French horn
> > .....
>
>Does this apply only to double horn?Both the single F horn and the double F/Bb horn qualify: the F side
of the double horn is the lower side, with the Bb side being used for
the upper registers. The bore length of an F horn is the same as an
F bass tuba (12'), while the Bb side is the same length as a bass
trumpet (8'). Doesn't apply to descant horn in high F (an octave
above the usual F horn, in 6' F).>This answer sidesteps an important issue: "Bass Clef" is in the name of the
>Ensemble. M. Trinko needs a concise defnition so that this worthy project can be
>publicized to prospective players, sponsors and venues.
>
>Is "Basswind" too vague? Or exclusive of brass? Is "Earthwind" too new-age? Is
>"Lowball" inappropriate jargon for a gambling city? I'm sure that other list
>members have a larger musical vocabulary than I, have a go here!How about: "Come hear the Infrasonic Ensemble! The Earth will move!"
Grant
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------From: Heliconman@aol.com
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 22:38:29 EST
Subject: Re: Air Speed & Timing - Position
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
In a message dated 02/03/2000 7:45:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
demartin@tesser.com writes:<< I have grown unsatisfied with the sound of bass speakers, and so
I am going to take up wind instruments after thirty years of bass guitar. I may
yet find a way to build acceptable speakers, but until then give me acoustics. >>Just curious...what was your reaction to the SVT cabinets that had about 20
smallish speakers. I know several bassists who swear by them, although
they're rather large cabinets. They do have a nice "two-wheeler" and push
handle bar built into them though!
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 23:23:08 -0500
From: Topper <leo_g@carroll.com>
Subject: Re: Air Speed & Timing - Position
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>>Is the compensation by our ears or is it a matter of physics?
>
>This depends on the nature of the ensemble...[refer to prior post]>>I have often noted that I effect the string bass esp. in unisons to the
>>point where it seems like i'm tuning it. However the trumpet (at least the
>>ones I'm used to) are always fighting to go out of pitch slightly and
>>this ... [text lost?]No, it was actually the trumpet player who was lost. He thought he was
Miles Davis and pinned his eyes to the ceiling and kept missing cadence did
not know where to end or what the chord tones were (in any chord), He would
just play so many notes he would have to hit some, and if you had a good
enough ear you could put them in order--rearrange them in your head and
discard the avoids. Every time anyone wanted to solo where ever they could
find break and cut in (in any chord) you just couldn't pick him off. And
when you did he would just get louder and find the chord tones. It's a good
thing the restaurant owner made him wear his mute. It was unfortunate he
was transportation for the drummer.
I even tried sucking on half a lemon to stop him and he would not budge.
Got so bad I brought along my own trumpet to mirror him. So then they
replaced him with a new trumpet player who happened to be a psychiatrist
who liked to preach about Jesus!! No kidding he actually has an office in
NYC. Good player but he could not control his volume and solo length.
And... he was crazy!!!
>[How many trumpeters does it take to change a light bulb? One. He/she
>holds the bulb and stands still, and the world revolves around him/her.]LOL
>So are you articulating solely with breath control rather than with your
>tongue? That doesn't sound right!No it depends on the instrument the range of the not shading etc. etc.
First I regulate my breath from either or combining low to mid to upper.
The low is the push and reservoir. The mid if for reserve and the upper for
expression and balance between them and the throat. I try to think of them
as three separate sources.Second, I use throat openings as a primary aperture in combination with the
diaphragm.Third, I almost always use what is called a "French Cone" technique to
funnel or focus the air into a stream into the tip of the tongue.Sometimes I will expand and contract the throat as an EQ along with the cone.
I use different techniques for tonguing notes depending on the pitch,
shading, expression, and if it is staccato, legato, or a special effect. I
use an upward stroke, sometimes a downward, and sometimes a jab inward into
the space between the reed and mpc. ; or a jab inward with an up or down
subtle attack. Sometimes I use an up and down or side to side flutter
tongue, or vary the articulated sound in this way slowly. I'll often vary
the length or amount of the reed, or amount of attack depending on the
pitch and other variants but this is in the microcosms.But there are times where I will use wind alone or a negligible amount of
tongue attack to set a reed in motion.I try and get to know that particular reed by the air speed and volume and
this gives me the feel for the number and multiplicity of the vibrations. I
can then adjust the length at which the reed will vibrate and control the
attack. This is especially useful for subtones and ppp > X crescendo. or a
matter of effect.
>>>Another factor (from painful personal experience): Large-belled
>>>instruments should not sit close to the tympani or bass drums. The
>>>percussive shock wave collected and funneled backward into your
>>>instrument can thoroughly mess up your attack!
>>
>>Sometimes it can't be avioded when miced. [huh?] I'll bet at some volumes
>>you would have to build a foam baffle around a bell.
>
>But that would impact the percussiveness of your attack?
>
>- Corwin Moore
>
Not so much in a studio as long as there is room for the note to get out.
You can mic two channels for one track to increase dynamic range and eq but
also add depth; you can mic at different intervals say 1 ft and again 4
foot. But spays could help to keep out waves that are bouncing in on an
angle. In a live situation in an orchestral setting I don't know. I could
only imagine it must be a fun challenge.In an electric setting live it's a horror. I have played with loud drummers
and loud bands and I just won't anymore. I like to be able to hear the
audience as well as the waitresses and bartenders, glasses and all. When
that all culminates into a rhythm and it's playing with the music and
getting louder and softer with the band and the mood is in your hands, then
it's good.
Cheers,
Leo G.
"Finally getting organized:
http://helius.carroll.com/p/leo_g/ with lots more Musical stuff being "put
on the curb" so I might finally get that one big instrument from "Remulack"
a small town in France." - Bell Dar
---------------------------------------------------------
From: Francis Firth <Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk>
Subject: Sub Contrabass Flute
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 12:07:49 -0000
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comI thought that members might like to know that Top Wind in Lond is offering
a Kotato & Fukushima "sub contra bass flute" silver plate low B for sale.
At £15,000.00 it must be a snip. If only I caould afford it.
Perhaps we can all just dream.Francis
Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk
---------------------------------------------------------From: Francis Firth <Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk>
Subject: CD Reviews (3)
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 12:27:55 -0000
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comHere are 3 new CDs I've acquired recently which might be of interest to the list.
1. Die 14 Berliner Flötisten: Ein grenzenloses Flötenvergnügen vol. 2 label harp/edition labium, Knut NBecket, Berlin, 1997. La75102 This includes arrangements of: Bizet: Carmen Suite; Debussy: Claire de Lune; Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Overture Miniature; Viadana: La Fiorentina; Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Grieg: Holberg Suite; Rossini: Overture to Barber of Seville.
The playing is excellent and you can really hear the Double Contrabass Flute in the pieces where it plays. There is a good picture of it in the 'booklet'. It is just a pity that they do not play any original works.
2. Halil 01, 1998.
This includes: Marais: La Basque; Mozart Quartet in A, K. 298; Debussy: La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin; Clair de Lune; Bozza: Jour d'ete à la Montagne; Berthomieu: Chats; Leenhouts: Report upon "When shall the sun Shine"; Parker (Charlie): Scrapple from the Apple; Gossec: Tambourin; Mozart: Alla Turca (from K. 300).This is a flute quartet including, unusually, a contrabass flute. The playing is again excellent and the contrabass may be heard clearly in the pieces where it is used, notably an arrangement of a Mozart Flute Quartet for Soprano, Alto, Bass and Contrabass flutes. Again it is a pity that there are no original works but there you are.
I ordered both of the above from Muramatsu in Japan via the e-mail link on their website. There is an English Cd listing which includes the Berlin players but not Halil but the page with the e-mail link is all in Japanese so I had to guess to find it.
3. Kontra-Trio: Diligent Places. Kontra-Trio, 1999. stv/asm 005
Most of this is an extended piece by Thomas K. J. Mejer who plays contrabass saxophone in this trio (list members
may well remember his contrabass sax solo CD) along with a contrabass Tuba and Contrabass Flute.
The music is avant-garde and fairly minimalist and most, if not all, of the playing uses extended techniques so that the 'normal' sound of these instruments is hardly to be heard at all.I got this CD from Earup CDs in Switzerland but Thomas Mejer had already e-mailed me about it as soon as it appeared.
I can provide further information for any who want it.
Francis
Francis.Firth@uce.ac.uk***End of Contrabass Digest***
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