Category: Assignment No. 1

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Timber and Timbre: the Precedent for Change in Woodwind Playing

For experts and amateurs alike, the unique and personal tone colors from the back of the orchestra in the wind section can be among the most memorable and emotionally invigorating aspects of a concert performance. Composers use this palette in very engaging ways – from the lamenting sighs of the bassoon to effervescent bird song on the flute – or vice versa. But what came first – the sounds or the music? What I mean is: have composers always imagined the color palette we associate with wind instruments today? The simple answer is no, and our concept of these sounds keep changing.

The woodwind sound we know and love today began to take shape roughly in 1850 and was fairly well established by the turn of the century (although new and different models continued to be made available until about 1930). This is largely because of the contributions of an instrument maker named Theobald Boehm who led to the implementation of new key systems on oboe, clarinet, flute, and bassoon. His work effectively pushed manufacturers to make instruments that were more even in pitch in all twelve keys and provided easier technical facility by using more automatic key work. His work was one of many efforts to make orchestral instruments that could meet the needs of 19th and 20th century composers and audiences.

Some musicians specialize in the performance of historical woodwind instruments that were used before the widespread reconstruction of woodwind mechanisms. Consider this video published by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Oboist Katharina Spreckelsen explains some of the unique characteristics of the baroque oboe and the way in which the material and keys on an instrument impact its sound. Of similar interest is this article by David Brown detailing some of the differences between wooden key-less flutes and Boehm-system metal flutes. 

Now consider in contrast this recording of living oboist Eugene Izotov performing the showpiece “La Favorita” by Antonio Pasculli. As Katharina Spreckelsen mentioned, the addition of keys and the use of a more dense wood in the modern oboe drastically changed the sound and it also made virtuosic showmanship on the oboe possible. Also consider the difference in the way the way the instrument sounds when it articulates – it is a very unique and somewhat jarring sound on the baroque oboe, but the sound of articulation does not stand out on the modern instrument. This allows the instrument to blend in with the string and brass sound of a modern orchestra.

So why does changing woodwind instrument technology matter? Because both the music written today, the people playing it, and the people listening to it have new ideas about what woodwinds can and should sound like. Check out this recording of Chris Fisher-Lochhead’s piece for bassoon called grandFather. The performer is Ben Roidl-Ward. This piece uses a great deal of extended technique, produces sounds that are complex harmonics, uses amplification, and even the sound of breath and shouting. This is a marked departure from the standard range of sounds we expect from a bassoon. We can also hear these characteristics in more subtle and standard ways when we hear “flutter tonguing” or “growling” or pitch bending on woodwind instruments in more mainstream repertoire. For further reading about extended techniques consider this article by Matthew Burtner in New Music Box: Making Noise: Extended Techniques after Experimentalism.

As a result of the new sonic demands, can we expect woodwind instruments to expand their ranges or perhaps have optional built-in amplification output technology? I think it is likely that with new aesthetics we will start making an even wider variety of woodwind instruments for different performance purposes and we will consider new conditions under which to play them.

We should also consider the material with which we make our instruments. Oboes and clarinets are both made from a wood called grenadilla, which is an extremely dense wood that only grows in Africa. As is illustrated in this article, the Mpingo tree from which it grows is endangered and, while supplies dwindle, it has been illegally logged which has serious environmental concerns. While this has long been the choice material among instrument makers, they are also already accustomed to building oboes and clarinets in other mediums like rosewood, rubber, resin, and plastic (although this implies other environmental issues such as reliance on fossil fuels). In fact, synthetically made instruments are in particularly high demand already among young musicians because they are a fraction of the cost of grenadilla instruments. And synthetically produced cork for woodwind instruments is available even at WalMart. 

Many people have strong opinions about the sanctity and sound quality of particular woodwind instruments. This leads to consumer brand loyalty and also material divides between different styles of playing. But economic and environmental factors will push us into new territory with the manufacturing of instruments. I think that the musical examples provided above prove that there is a historical, sound-based precedent for altering our instruments and that the next few decades will reveal new timbres made possible by different woodwinds.

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Steel or No Steel?

The strings on my violin are an everyday technology for me. They do not get changed as often as they should, but about once every couple of months. Strings are much more than just “the four thin strands of metal” we bow, (or pluck), on our instruments. A lot of thought is put into the string, what brand to use, what material, the thickness, et cetera.

Strings have made quite an evolution over time. The strings that were first used and used on baroque instruments are gut-strings. They were mostly made from sheep and lamb intestines. The gut strings are said to have a warmness in quality that has yet to be matched. They are still used today. Sometimes, people use different types of strings on their instruments and like the use of both metal and gut strings on their instrument, as they prefer the qualities in their sounds or tones that are the result of these combinations. For example, among my many hours of research, I read that Jascha Heifetz would use gut A and D strings, which is uncommon because on the modern violin, one would tend to use a gut string on the upper strings, not the middle combination.

These days, the most popular are the metal, steel core strings. The metal strings were introduced in the early 20th century. They produce vibrant sounds with many colors. However, it is said that they do not have the same richness to the core that gut strings provide. Also, metal strings tend to have a bigger and brighter sound and are more stable in pitch. It is interesting to see how there used to be no choice in the type of string one used to play and now there are many options within the three main material families of strings. We have to take into account that metal strings tend to last longer. Thus, it is a better investment to buy them so one does not have to spend too much money and change his/her strings too frequently.

There are also synthetic strings, which are described as the “bridge” between metal and gut strings. These were introduced in the early ’70s and produce a sound that is said to be more similar to the gut strings but synthetic strings are more durable. However, they lack the “complexity” that gut strings are popular for.

I would say that the reason I use the strings I do is because it is what has been suggested to me by family, teachers, and the luthier who I usually bring my violin to. Overtime, it has become a habit to just stick with what I am used to. These days, I always buy Dominant A, D (silver wound) and G strings and a Goldbrokat E string. The Goldbrokat E string is the newest member of the set, suggested by the luthier I see in my town. I have not ever experimented with gut strings on my own violin but I have played instruments with gut strings on them, and I do understand why some may prefer them. From what I remember, the tone quality is very sweet and rich. I do like a more sweet and vibrant tone quality on the top without it being too bright, while I prefer a darker, richer sound on the bottom range. I understand that it takes more than just four strings to produce the type of sound that I like but something that I have learned through this research is that it is important to understand how each string has its unique qualities. I wonder now if I have found the best combination for my instrument, but at the moment, I will probably stick with what I am used to and what I know works for me and my violin.

Sources:
http://www.violinstringreview.com/history.html

https://www.gamutmusic.com/new-page

http://www.violinist.com/wiki/violin-strings/

http://www.ifshinviolins.com/Articles/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/411/Guide-To-Choosing-and-Using-Strings-for-Violins-Violas-and-Cellos

http://www.the-violin.com/violinstrings/ (Helpful layout of the pros/cons of each type of string)

Media:
Slideshow of how strings are wound : https://www.gamutmusic.com/violin-setups-1

Video of violin strings slow motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXjdGBZQvLc
4:36-4:50

How gut strings are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQq_0VM110

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The Evolution of Headphones

Today, if you were to walk outside and observe others meandering through town, or rushing from place to place, you would probably notice that almost everyone is in their own world. It may not be obvious at first glance, but if you look closer, you’ll see two small white ear buds in each ear, playing a wide range of music, hand picked by the listener themselves. These tiny headphones have evolved so much over the past decade, let alone century, and have changed the way people listen and hear music.

Seeing as when the first headphone appeared, and how they have evolved, everyone should be very grateful that they do not have to use the first one. Weighing around 10lbs and carried on one shoulder (of your choosing of course), the first headphones were obviously not ones people enjoyed using [1]. 

Woman using the first headphone

This evolved into a different headphone, which was created in 1910 by Nathaniel Baldwin [2]. This is what people could consider the first modern headphone, however they were not used for music, but instead for the Navy. This use for the headphone continued until around the end of World War II, in which “record bars” began showing up around towns which resulted in headphones being used to listen to music there [2]. Having grown up with music as such an individual entity, thinking about people gathering in one place just to listen to music on their own is just so fascinating. Just like the movie theatre, people had a place to gather and enjoy art, alone or with friends, and did not have to worry about anything else, however not having music whenever they wished, and having to go to a store for individual music is a concept very foreign to me, and I’m sure for all of my fellow millennials.

What really led rise to the use of headphones in an “every day” type of situation was when the Walkman was released. All of a sudden, people could use their Walkman, play music with headphones and walk anywhere they wanted to. From when it came out in 1979 until its decline in 1990, this device led a huge revolution in the audio world and improved how people were able to listen to music that they liked, whenever they wanted [1,3].

As you can see, people thought they were real cool when they had one of these.

In the 1990’s, the noise cancelling headphone came about, allowing people to have a new experience while listening to music. Instead of dealing with extra outside noise, people were now able to experience music where they did not have to deal with distractions other than the music itself. Originally, these headphones were designed for aviators as flights are very loud with out any sound reduction, however they soon began to produce them for the average person [4]. 

As headphones began to advance, out came the iPod and so began the era of portable music (in a much broader sense). In October of 2001, the iPod Classic was released, and depending on the number of gigabytes bought, could hold around 2,000 songs [5]. This was revolutionary as no other device had been able to store so many songs in such a small place. With this device, Apple also released small, in ear “earbuds” [5]. After this, the trend became for people to use smaller, in ear headphones that made it less obvious they were listening to music compared to the larger and clunkier over ear headphones [1]. Through out the years, this trend continued, and soon, even smaller headphones were created, such as wireless in-ear earbuds, which are so small that no one would be able to tell someone was listening to music with out getting a close look at their ear.

Apple’s new “Airpods” which are wireless in-ear earbuds.

For about the past hundred years, how people listen to music has changed drastically, and the ability for people to customize their playlists has improved drastically. Now, people have the option of playing music whenever and wherever they like without disrupting anyone else in the process. So, because of all of these innovations, hundreds of people are able to walk down the same street, not distract each other, and listen to completely different music while to someone just watching everyone, it would appear as if everything were silent.

  1. Newman, Mike. “The History of Headphones.” Cool Material. Accessed September 18, 2017. http://coolmaterial.com/roundup/history-of-headphones/.

2. “The History of Headphones.” Visual.ly. Accessed September 18, 2017. https://visual.ly/community/infographic/technology/history-headphones.

3. “Headphones: The Complete History.” Stuff. Accessed September 15, 2017. https://www.stuff.tv/features/headphones-complete-history/rise-walkman-1979-1990.

4. Denison, Caleb. “From Pilot to Passenger: A history of the noise-cancelling headphone.” Digital Trends. October 3, 2014. Accessed September 16, 2017. https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/a-history-of-the-noise-cancelling-headphone-as-told-by-bose/.

5. Costello, Sam. “History of the iPod: From the first iPod to the iPod Classic.” Lifewire. September 22, 2016. Accessed September 16, 2017. https://www.lifewire.com/history-ipod-classic-original-2000732.

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From Phonograph to the Digital Age of Music

Imagine walking through Times Square during rush hour and hearing not a single ounce of music around you. The electronic billboards are silent, the cars passing by are nothing but lifeless metal husks, stores feel drab with not a single catchy jingle, and people are agitatedly pacing the streets. Music does not exist in this bleak world with no way for it to stimulate the people who desperately need it. Dr. Syrigos, a historian, wrote, “Music coordinates emotions, helps important messages to be communicated, motivates people to identify with a group, and motivates individuals to support other group members.”[1] As humans, music occupies our everyday life and is transmitted to us whether we like it or not, and we have playback devices to thank for that. Everywhere you venture, there is some variety of music heard from a known or unknown source, acting as a stimulus. Times Square, as mentioned above, is a location of stimulus overload with billboards advertising products with vivid visuals and all too familiar jingles, and the bustling stores, playing your favorite tunes over the radio. Music players, like phones or MP3 players, are unconsciously used everyday to relay our favorite artists and groups to us, but have we ever thought of how these devices came to be?

Living in the modern age, listening to music is as easy as walking to the bathroom or looking up the latest and spiciest celebrity breakup on the internet. Modern playback devices are portable and are able to store a vast amount of music, all in pristine high quality. However, rewind to 1877 where music playback was in its infancy. Thomas Edison, a fledgling inventor, had just invented the phonograph, the first invention of its kind to record and playback music in one bulky package. To even record a sound on the phonograph required a weird amalgamation of items such as tin foil, a needle, a cylinder, and of course the mouth of the phonograph.

By shouting into the mouth of the phonograph, the needle inside of the cylinder would scribble the sound waves onto the tin foil and would allow for playback, albeit limited as the tin foil would eventually crumple.[2] The phonograph would evolve with time and reinvent itself as the turntable with records serving as the substitute of the cylinder and tin foil. However, the method of needles and grooves would remain. However, it stands that the phonograph allowed the common person to listen to music from the comfort of their own home.

Now, fast forward to 1979 where record players and radio were standard and were the primary sources of listening to music. Tapes were present at the time but were primarily for use in the car as it was more convenient and portable. Now, portable is a word many of us have blissfully experienced before but in 1979, music portability was scarce and almost nonexistent, that is until Sony released The Walkman. The Walkman is a playback device relying on cassette with several buttons functioning as start/stop, fast forward/rewind, and eject. Simple enough right? In actuality, The Walkman’s ability to play music from a cassette was not entirely special as it had been done before for use in journalism. However, the revolutionary addition of The Walkman stemmed from its portability and accessibility which had never been seen before: “Portability and privacy made it the ideal product for thousands of consumers looking for a compact portable stereo that they could take with them anywhere.”[3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBqseObEt54

The only glaring weakness of The Walkman was its single capacity limit, which only allowed for one cassette to be inserted at a time. Flash forward to 2001 and this problem would be amended by a device which would revolutionize how we would listen to music for the last time in current history.

“Music is a part of everyone’s life, and because it’s a part of everyone’s life, it’s a very large target market all around the world. It knows no boundaries.”[4] In this quote, entrepreneur Steve Jobs understands the impact of music quite well, and would soon become a technological figurehead only few in history would achieve. Upon returning to Apple in 1997 after resigning in 1985, Jobs envisioned of a product which would forward the digital evolution of music in big strides. In 2001, the first generation of the iPod was released to the public and while it was highly criticized for its price, the innovation of having a device store thousands of songs was unparalleled.

The easy to use interface of the scroll wheel possessing basic functions also made the iPod more accessible than its competitors. Now, why is the iPod such a huge deal in digital music? When Apple had released the iPod in 2001, there were other digital MP3 players on the market previously. However, Apple’s flagship device was the first to usher in a sleek design as well as a simplistic structure and function, making it more appealing than its competitors. Through the years, the iPod would gradually evolve, introducing more internal space, features, designs, and would eventually cement its place in history as one of the most influential digital products to grace the 21st century.[5]

Looking back in history, it’s amazing to look at the progress playback devices have made. From the lack of portability and clunkiness of the Edison phonograph, to the portable yet limited Walkman, to the age of digital music with portability and ultimate accessibility. The strides made in music playback technology is a great technological marvel and thanks to those who made their contributions, music can be heard from the most bustling of cities to the silent confines of the country: music can be heard anywhere.

[1] http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/origin-music-00972

[2] https://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/the-phonograph.htm

[3] http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907884,00.html

[4] https://www.cultofmac.com/124565/an-illustrated-history-of-the-ipod-and-its-massive-impact-ipod-10th-anniversary/

[5] https://www.lifewire.com/history-ipod-classic-original-2000732

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Just Play Along!

Every living jazz musician has had to contend at some point or another with the idea of using a play-along track. For those who aren’t familiar, this is an audio track consisting of rhythm section instruments (most commonly drum set, string bass and either piano or guitar) playing behind an imaginary soloist. Jazz musicians use them to practice when they have no live rhythm section of their own to play with. The musicians who record the track (except in cases where the track is computer-generated) simply play the chord progression of a familiar tune together for anywhere from two to ten minutes, and the consumer at home can use it to pretend they’re playing with real people while they practice this tune. Here is what one of these tracks sounds like:

Perhaps to the untrained ear this just sounds like normal jazz music, but to a jazz musician it sounds like something is missing – what’s missing is you, the soloist who needs to practice Giant Steps. So how did this strange, anonymous musical collaboration come to be? How did this sort of virtual reality become the norm for aspiring students of jazz music?

50 years ago (roughly half the amount of time jazz as we know it has existed) a young saxophonist named Jamey Aebersold stumbled into one of the most prominent tools in jazz education (an educational field virtually nonexistent at this time). Seemingly without realizing it, he launched the Jamey Aebersold Play-Along Series after students at a summer camp requested that he make them a recording of piano accompaniment for a few standard jazz tunes. You can read about how this series took off unexpectedly and became one of the most recognizable volumes in jazz music here.  For more from Aebersold himself on jazz education, which itself as a technology has only been around for half a century, you can check out his article “Music is for Life“.

Fast forward to today: Learn Jazz Standards is a free online resource with literally hundreds of videos including backing tracks and podcasts about common jazz education topics like tune-learning and improvisation techniques. This page gives you a good idea of the sheer volume of content they have available.  Apps like iReal and Drumgenius offer a seemingly endless array of customizable backing tracks for anyone with a mobile device.  This is a remarkable difference from Aebersold’s earliest tracks, which were recorded in his basement studio and sold in an LP format with an attached book of lead sheets. (For reference, this is a lead sheet, or simple statement of the main theme of a tune with the basic underlying harmony, to be expanded upon by improvising jazz musicians. This is the sheet music the players from the above video would be looking at. Giant Steps) 

Of course, there is disagreement among jazz players and educators over the merit of playing with pre-recorded tracks. Some say this detracts from the spontaneous and improvisational spirit of the music, training the student to treat rhythm section players like a static background drone instead of living, constantly improvising musicians. Kelly Rossum, professor of trumpet and jazz studies and Christopher Newport University insists that his students play with real jazz recordings with interacting musicians instead of backing tracks, even if it means the student plays over John Coltrane’s saxophone solo. On the other hand, many insist that playing with tracks is the only way to develop one’s aural skills as an improviser, as practicing alone or with a metronome doesn’t give one a sense of the form and harmony of a jazz standard, and playing over another soloist is not indicative of real playing situations. Others see the tracks as a sort of unique challenge: Bill Dobbins, professor of jazz composition and arranging at Eastman says of the tracks’ repetitive nature: “Some people complain that when they’ve played with a track a few times, they know exactly what’s coming. Well, you should use that to your advantage. Get creative with it!”

Play-along tracks have undoubtedly made great strides since they first came about in the 1960’s. As a technology they have clearly made a seamless transition into the digital age through the internet and mobile technology, and as a tool of jazz education they have at the very least become ubiquitous enough to warrant specific opinions from jazz pedagogues. In any case, backing tracks are out their for students of all ages to use, for better or for worse…

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Violin and Technology

Last week I sat in Kodak Hall as one of my childhood violin heroes played on stage. I couldn’t understand how he was able to produce such a large and beautiful sound that seemed to rip the heart out of my chest. I began to think about how this violinist produced such a large sound and the reason for it. What kind of violin did he have, and what was particularly special about his violin? What went into making it? How did a piece of wood from a tree became a small box that creates beautiful sounds?

There is a belief that orchestral musical instruments are far from any type of technology, but instruments and the process of making them requires more technology than one may think. For example, a tree must be cut down, the wood dried, and then imported to whichever part of the world the violin maker is in. If not already aged, the wood must then be seasoned before luthiers begin their work. Some violin makers require their wood to be seasoned for a minimum of fifteen years. Below is a violin maker with a piece of wood he has been naturally drying and aging for many years.

Once the wood is aged, luthiers are able to begin their work. The first step is the bending of the ribs or outer frame. This requires a bending iron and water in order to bend the wood efficiently. The bending iron temperature should range between 200 and 250 degrees Celsius but other factors apply. These include the type of wood being used and the exact temperature it needs in order to be bent correctly.

http://https://www.google.com/search?q=bending+iron+and+water+violin+making&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS728US729&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm46DQgbDWAhXG6iYKHcX3CwgQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1082&bih=638#imgrc=3aZYxrBWJiQSEM:

The top and back of the violin must be carved next in a process called arching. Modern violin makers still copy Strad and Guarneri models while doing this, as an improved combination of dimensions has still not been discovered. This process is the removing of wood using gouges. Luthiers start with a large gouge and work their way down to smaller gouges in order to achieve desired thickness. When finished, the top must be scraped rather than sanded to provide a crisp and beautiful appearance of the wood. At the end of this process, only twenty percent of the actual wood block ends up being used.

Following gouging, the F-holes are cut in order for air to enter and escape. F-holes give the violin character and can even make the violin look happy, sad, or interesting. One technology that aids in the cutting process is an electric saw shown below.

One of the final steps in violin making is creating the scroll and neck. The scroll is cut out using a saw and hand carved by the maker. This is often when the luthier is able to express his or her individuality and creativity. Scroll carving is usually the only time in the violin making process that a maker can carve freely.  

Once the instrument is glued and put together, the final step of varnishing must be completed. Varnish has been known to enhance the tone of the violin while also protecting and giving the wood a beautiful finish. When completed, the varnish must be aged and exposed to sunlight before it can be put into the hands of a performer.

When considering all of the technology and time that goes into making a violin, it’s easy to see why fine handmade instruments are so admired and prized. Even instruments that were made in the last twenty years have had to come from a tree that started growing at least 100 years ago. How did that tree get there and what technologies may have gone into getting it there? Did it grow naturally or did someone plant it? The time it takes to cut, dry, season, and varnish a violin’s wood means that most violins are a lot older than one may think.

One violin maker said that “the violin does not have its beginnings with a musician, but rather with its maker. It can only be used by skillful hands to bring a person into the very presence of God.” With that being said, a violin is a technology musicians can use to communicate whatever they want to be said, using the gift of music which is beyond this world.

 

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Evolution of The Trumpet

The Modern Trumpet

The metal Trumpet has been around for thousands of years, dating back to around 1500 B.C. A basic trumpet is not difficult at all to make, believe it or not. When I was about 4 years old, I would buzz my lips into a plastic funnel and was able to get a sound out of it. This is not that much different from the earliest versions of trumpets. All you need is a tube, theoretically. Here is a video of a man demonstrating this:

 

So how do we get from simple tubes to the shiny triumphant metal beasts that we are so familiar with today? Before the 1800’s, the trumpet had very limited facility. Since there were no valves or holes, the person playing it would have to use air, embouchure, and tongue position to change the note. These notes are referred to as partials, and are limited to the harmonic series.  Since they were limited to the harmonic series, the trumpet’s role in music was focused around military events and bugle calls. However, when the valve system was invented in the 1800’s they were then able to play in chromatic musical contexts. The valves reroute the air blowing through the trumpet to change the distance your air travels from mouthpiece to the bell , which ends up changing the note. There are 7 different valve combinations, each one having its own harmonic series.

 

Since then there have been minor innovations to the trumpet, yet it has remained a relatively consistent design for the past 100 years or so. Nowadays trumpets are very customizable in regards to metal type, bore size, mouthpiece type/size, key (C/Bb/Eb/etc), and finish, yet they all stick to the same basic formula.

 

Technical Advancements in Player Ability/Extended Technique

Since the trumpet has gotten more advanced, the playing ability has also increased. Many technical advancements in the player have occurred recently in the 20th and 21st Century. A few noteable players are Rafael Mendez, Allen Vizzutti, Louis Armstrong, Laurie Frink, Woody Shaw, Peter Evans, and Ambrose Akinmusire. All of these people have pushed trumpet to technical limits that were thought to be unreachable.

 

Many technical innovations of trumpet players have happened in the Jazz idiom. This makes sense since jazz music is constantly exploring boundaries. One of the greatest innovators was Woody Shaw , who explored large interval improvisation, especially with 4ths and 5ths. Intervals are very difficult on the trumpet. They require a relaxed embouchure and air flow, which is counter intuitive when you try to perform them. Ambrose Akinmusire is a modern trumpet player who also has a very intervallic style of improvising, taking it even further than Woody Shaw. Ambrose also tends to emulate the human voice frequently by pushing the valves halfway down to get a muffled and slippery timbre.

 

Peter Evans is perhaps one of the greatest technical trumpet players to ever live, and has taken trumpet to its limits. He plays high, fast, slow, intervallically, and melodically, all with ease. Evans’ music is also highly experimental and crosses over into the avante garde umbrella. He uses what we call “extended techniques” to create sounds on the trumpet that are totally unique to him, and require masterful technique. This makes Peter Evans a great innovator of the trumpet.

 

 

 

The Electronic Trumpet

The EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) is an electronic wind instrument created by Nyle Steiner. It uses the bottom half of the octave fingerings for trumpet, and the rest is controlled by the octave dial and partial key. This is a wind powered instrument that uses MIDI technology to create sounds. This means that the entire soundscape for trumpet players has opened widely since this was created. It also allows the person to play in 8 octaves, instead of 2 or 3. This is a major innovation that was conceptualized with a trumpet in mind, and a ton of beautiful music has come out of its creation. A couple notable EVI players are John Daversa and John Swana.

 

There have been many major innovations of the trumpet since its creation, but many of those innovations have happened in the last 200-300 years. I’m excited to see what the next “big thing” is.

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Bones?

The trombone is an instrument that is full of misconceptions from those who don’t play it. It is most commonly associated with silly noises, the parents talking sounds from the Charlie Brown series, and sheer loudness, among others. However, just because the trombone is capable of making silly, sound effect-esque glissandi if called upon, the trombone is also more than capable of creating beautiful, rich sounds in a wide variety of contexts.

The modern trombone originates from an instrument called the sacbut, or sackbut. The true date of origin of the sacbut is not known, but “ by 1500 it is illustrated and mentioned regularly.” https://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/sacbut.htm

The sacbut had four main sizes, being alto, tenor, bass and great or contrabass. The tenor sacbut eventually evolved into what is known as the modern tenor trombone. This instrument is however very different from trombones as they are known today. Sacbuts are generally smaller, but particularly so in the bell. Thus, the sound quality of the sacbut is less full, due to the actual lack of overtones being produced. The sacbut also does not have much of the tubing present on modern trombones, as the intonation was primarily fixed from the main slide, unlike the extra tuning slides that modern trombonists are able to work with. An example of the sacbut’s sonority: https://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/mp3/Musica_Antiqua_hymn_to_st_john.mp3

These instruments were primarily used in church settings to accompany the choir, as the timbre of the sacbut and trombone are both very similar to that of the human voice, especially a tenor. “For outdoor music the top part of a sackbut ensemble was usually taken by a shawm, and for church music, by a cornett. The sackbut player should imitate the sound of the cornett, not the trumpet. Thus today’s marching band trombone blasts have no place in the performance of early music.”https://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/sacbut.htm
This statement is a very accurate depiction of the sound concept of a sacbut versus the modern trombone. While “marching band trombone blasts” are of course not the only sound that trombonists are capable of creating, although some do unfortunately favor it, the sacbut was an instrument intended to blend into the sound of the lead voice of a shawm or cornet.

Many players very much enjoy abusing the trombone’s capabilities in terms of volume, rather than exploring the trombone’s capabilities in terms of beautiful sound quality. While the sacbut was intended to blend into the top voice of its ensemble, so too is the trombone meant to blend into the sound of the lead trumpet (or other instrument) in its many contexts today, such as the orchestra, wind band or various jazz settings. http://www.blackdiamondbrass.com/trbhist/tbonehist.htm The trombone was used by the great, extravagant composers of Richard Strauss and Wagner in moments of triumph and great energy, in order to ‘properly’ utilize the trombone’s unique capability for great volume.

See this thoughtful article on the development of trombone playing in terms of equipment and mindset: http://www.dansr.com/wick/resources/me-myself-and-i-are-orchestral-brass-players-losing-the-concept-of-being-team-players

This article touches on the fact that trombone equipment has been continually getting larger, typically to help players produce bigger sounds within the orchestra. Famous trombone pedagogue Doug Yeo touches on the fact that in modern orchestral settings, you will notice plexiglass shields protecting the string players positioned in front of the brass players. The fact alone that players need plexiglass shields and/or earplugs to protect their hearing speaks a lot about the sheer volume being produced from brass players today. This illuminates the great deal of change that has accompanied the development of the sacbut into the modern trombone in terms of instrumental design and adding of tubes as well as increasing size of almost every aspect of the instrument, specifically the tenor and bass ranges. For example, here is a trombone ensemble playing music from Game of Thrones, extremely loudly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTDEVUlCClk

Modern trombonists would surely benefit from thinking more about the blend of an ensemble and fitting into the top voice being played. While outputting great amounts of volume and energy is very exciting and fun as a player, sometimes it can simply be overpowering, or just overbearing and not enjoyable to listen to. As quoted in Doug Yeo’s article speaking of the great Chicago Symphony brass, “The performance was electric because I (Ed Kleinhammer, former bass trombonist of the CSO) was part of a great unified orchestra doing their thing.”

While the tone of this article was generally disapproving of modern trombonists’ habits, this article does not intend to encompass the intentions of every modern trombonist. There is a large community of sensitive and actively listening players that are promoting these good habits into the orchestral and jazz settings of trombonists everywhere, like my good friend Jack Courtright. Here is an example of beautiful trombone playing that blends beautifully with an ensemble, while also playing solo lines that soar over and project with a beautiful tone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79-EDLi8KRw

The future of brass playing could surely benefit from increased sensitivity, and forgetting about the ego that comes from being the loudest player in the orchestra. The increase in musical technology from the beginning of the sacbut to the modern trombone certainly had its flaws, primarily due to players trying to abuse the trombone’s capabilities. However, if played right, the trombone can be the most beautiful sound you’ll ever hear.

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Why do we ‘mute’ our instruments?

In one of Prokofiev’s most famous pieces, Romeo and Juliet, the horns begin Montagues and Capulets with sustained notes, becoming more and more dissonant as voices are added, leading up to a fortissimo chord with the entire orchestra. The one exception and peculiarity to this chord, is the pianissimo ‘con sordino’ (with mute) string section. Once the blaring brass and woodwinds’ chord dissipates, the strings continue their sustained pianissimo, which is made even quieter because of Prokofiev’s usage of mutes. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is famously known for the beginning and its muted string section which not only dampens the sound, but also adds a unique timbre to the string section.

 

Mutes were first notated in music as early as 1607 in The Toccata from Claudio Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo in the trumpets and were first notated in the string section of Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Act II of Armide in 1686. However, mutes did not become as commonly used until the 19th century and by the 20th century, mutes were used very often.

There are a few different kinds of mutes for the string family. The most commonly used and referred to in music is a simple rubber device that is attached to the top of the bridge. There is also a practice mute which is usually used to practice in the late hours of the night when one is procrastinating for a lesson. This mute is more dense and dampens the sound even more and is not usually used in performance. When the mute is used, it dampens the vibrations of the instrument and also suppresses certain harmonics of the instrument and creates higher harmonic sounds. This shows that not only does it ‘mute’ the sound in volume but also changes the timbre and tone color of the instrument.

Originally, string mutes were wooden and could not be left on the instrument during ‘senza sordino’ passages. In 1947, Jascha Heifetz and Henryk Kaston created a new model of the mute which was carefully designed with a metal clamp inside the rubber casing which let the musician decide how ‘muted’ to make his/her sound. The farther down the bridge you pushed the mute, the more muted it became. It was also designed to allow the musician to choose what strings to mute. One could put them between the two higher strings to dampen the higher register, between the lower for the lower register, or in the middle for a balanced sound. This ‘Heifetz mute’ became extremely popular especially because of its name, under the great violinist Jascha Heifetz. This model is no longer manufactured but a different, less expensive and modified version is still sold. The original Heifetz mutes now sell for $500 and are extremely limited. You can buy the original model or buy a Heifetz mute that he used himself for $25,000 here!

I do not mean to brag, but this is a picture I took of an original model Heifetz mute that my previous professor (Toby Appel) let me use for my senior recital two years ago. He had purchased this when the original models first came out and were not $500.

In the Romantic era, composers were searching for a new sound in the orchestra and started to implement the mute. The mute is often seen simply as a tool to make a softer sound. If this were the case, composers could have easily reduced the orchestra or notated a softer dynamic. Instead, the mute creates a darker tone that creates a very particular somber sound. This ‘new technique’ for Romantic composers was, what it seems to be, the beginning of extended technique. Using tools and different technologies to produce different sounds and playing instruments even beyond what it was originally intended to, was and is still currently intriguing musicians and pushing heir creative capabilities. 

Sources:

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/mute-musical-instrument/

http://www.theheifetzmute.com

https://books.google.com/books?id=_tkPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=mute+timbre&source=bl&ots=jjv4nbaS9Y&sig=V62CNNqmMsiWeH2Cg3SZ5WXlVH4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA7seE9K_WAhUG5iYKHT8KDQU4ChDoAQg3MAM#v=onepage&q=mute%20timbre&f=false 

 

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Theremin: The World’s Spookiest Instrument

It is astonishing to think how interesting and perplexingly cool the theremin is and how very few people in the world know about its existence even when they have probably heard it somewhere. “In my experience, there are two kinds of people: those who are beguiled by the theremin and those who just haven’t heard of it yet. Because of the way it’s played – gestures, space – it fascinates instantly”  https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/22/invisible-instrument-theremin. 

To be honest, I didn’t know about it until a few years ago, when I stumbled upon this video of Clara Rockmore playing Saint-Saëns’s “The Swan” which literally looked like she was playing an invisible violin. The string-like sound is there, but it looks like she isn’t playing a particular instrument or even touching anything to that matter; she is playing air.

Leon Theremin (yes, that’s why the Theremin is called that) was a young Russian scientist who was working on a gas meter to measure densities. “‘Leon Theremin was an[n] . . . inventor of what is probably the most unusual musical instrument ever invented. You’re actually moving your two hands through two electromagnetic fields that are around two antennas. . . He was working in a laboratory in Russia as a young scientist, he was actually working on a gas meter to measure the density of gases,’ Glinsky said. ‘So as he brought his hand closer to the gas meter, he heard kind of a higher squeal. And as he brought his hand back to his body and away from the machine, it was a slower squeal’” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-theremin-a-strange-instrument-with-a-strange-history/ 

Then Leon started playing melodies on the device while his colleagues at the laboratory stared with amazement. This was the birth of one of the world’s first electronic instruments. The first model of the theremin used a foot pedal to control the volume and a switch to modify pitch. Later, in 1920, it became the mind-boggling instrument which requires zero contact of the performer with the instrument.

You are probably wondering how this thing even works, right? Basically, the first theremins were made up by circuits of vacuum tubes, coils, and wires which created electromagnetic fields around two antennae. By vibrating their fingers, players would raise or lower the pitch and volume. You can see why it is considered by many the world’s most difficult instrument. “A real theremin master can make an instrument soar with the fortissimo of Pavarotti or fade to the most delicate of whispers” http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/theremin3.htm 

It is really easy to merely produce gross squeaks and cries because only masters can produce the beautiful violin-like sound, like Clara Rockmore, who was actually one of Professor Theremin’s original students. She was an accomplished violinist who was forced to stop playing violin because of injury and therefore picked up the theremin and went on to become the world’s best thereminist. What a great example of how good things can come out of bad situations!

The 1920 theremin was shown at the Moscow Industrial Fair and picked up the interest from Vladimir Lenin, who actually took some lessons on it and commissioned 600 models to be toured around the Soviet Union. Later on, Leon Theremin left for the United States, where he performed at the Metropolitan Opera House as well as Carnegie Hall. He patented his invention in 1928 and its rights were quickly seized by RCA who distributed it during the 30’s. “The Theremin became known in the USA as a home ‘novelty instrument’ and featured in many film soundtracks of the 1940-50’s, it also appeared in several pop records of the 1960’s but never overcame its novelty appeal; used for effect rather than as a ‘serious instrument’, most recordings employ the Theremin as a substitute string instrument rather than exploiting the microtonal and pitch characteristics of the instrument” http://120years.net/the-thereminleon-termensoviet-union1922/ 

Some examples of media were it was used are: “The Green Hornet Radio Show” (1936), “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), “The Flintstones,” “Batman,” and 2004’s “Hellboy.” You can hear it from yourself in the next video clip. The theremin comes in at 1:14.

Leon Theremin went on creating and invented other instruments, such as the “Terpsitone,” the “Rhythmicon,” and the “keyboard Theremin,” and even the “Electronic cello.” He later ended up eventually “disappearing” and returning to his home country. However, in 1954 in a basement in Queens, NY, a young Robert Moog was obsessed with theremins and began building them with his father. “It’s hard to imagine what the evolution of the synthesizer would have been without Leon Theremin. For one, it was Theremin’s invention that first captivated Robert Moog. Theremin kits were Dr. Moog’s first product and many would say, his first electronic instrumental love. That impact was significant, too, on a whole generation” (http://cdm.link/2015/09/read-article-bob-moog-wrote-met-leon-theremin/  Moog’s theremins went on to become the leading company for the instrument and they have sold more theremins than any other company in the last 57 years. What’s marvelous about all this is that Bob Moog is the man behind the Moog synthesizers, and there is no denying that the theremin was a great influence for this development. “Electronic music pioneer Robert Moog built theremins long before he built synthesizers. In the 1960’s, he produced such models as the wedge-shaped Vanguard theremin and the shoebox shaped Moog Melodia theremin. Today, Moog Music Inc. produces the popular Etherwave and Etherwave Plus theremins and kits as well as the new MIDI-enabled Theremini theremin.”

Now that we have travelled through a brief history of the Theremin, we can see that is it actually a brief history of the technological advancements in electronic music over the last century. The discovery of the theremin and its technological innovation ended up being an inspiration for the creation of synthesizers, which are nowadays are incredibly popular and key for music production.