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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000021.txt from 2003/05
From: PhilFrei@-----.com
Subj: Re: [DR-L] opening throat upper register oboe
Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 16:02:51 -0400
Hi -
This is a reply to David Lurie's response to my previous email (dated May 3,
11:41 with the same subject). This is a great discussion, and I realize that
there are lots of schools of thoughts and lots of different successful
professionals. I believe my thinking follows the basic ideas presented by
Joseph Robinson ("Oboists, Exhale Before Playing") filled in with information
gleaned studying the psychophysics of music in my college days.
>(DL)
>Well, I think that pronouncing - or really attempting to pronounce - vowels
>during the playing of the instrument has not much to do with how open or
>not the throat is. The vowel pronunciation takes place mostly in the most
>anterior part of the mouth during playing, and does not affect much one way
>or other how the throat is expanded or contracted. This latter has more to
>do with the amount of air pressure generated from below.
There is a great article in Scientific American: "The Acoustics of the
Singing Voice" by Johan Sundberg, March 1977, (reprinted in "The Physics of
Music"), in which the mouth and throat are diagrammed. In looking at this, it
is clear the tongue goes back as far as the epiglottis (which is just below
the uvula), but no more. There are some supporting diagrams of tongue
positions for various vowels, which indicate that the position of the
posterior of the tongue does play a role, particularly in the second and
fourth vocal formants.
>I do not understand at all how the tongue can be used "....as a source of
>support/vibrato...".
I think that our normal concept of the tongue is that it does its thing in
the front of the mouth, and that the posterior actions of the tongue have
been overlearned to the point where we are not usually conscious of them.
Something like gargling is presumed to be caused by a constriction of the
"throat" (in combination with blowing air through the restricted opening)
rather than the tongue. But in fact, it is the base of the tongue that is
doing the restricting. (Though for all intents and purposes, using the word
"throat" for the base of the tongue may be a reasonable pedagogy.)
I have to admit, I do not understand "throat vibrato," but I suspect the base
of the tongue is somehow engaged, or else, it occurs in the uppermost portion
of the chest (high enough that it feels throatlike?) or some combination. The
exterior muscles of the neck may feel engaged, but their actual point of
action may be at either end where the muscles are rooted (jaws, chest). I
don't know whether the
larynx or pharynx can have their spacial dimensions altered. I suspect not,
but I don't have a reference or source on this and could be quite wrong.
>>(PF)
>>A common beginner problem: mistakenly thinking that a fixed, tense
>>abdominal squeezing can be used for all playing situations. However, when
>>the high, loud notes go flat, as they will in a fixed-support situation
>>relative to middle register notes, these players have to resort to some
>>other source of support, e.g. tongue/throat, clenching cheeks, shoulders,
>>anything to prop up the pitch. Better and simpler to use a dynamically
>>changing amount of abdominal pressure depending upon the need.
>(DL)
>That sounds about right, although I don't understand why the pressure
>should be changed. The only way to ensure that those negative things you
>mention do not happen, especially sagging pitch in the high notes, is to
>have a reed with sufficient resistance so that all that other stuff you
>mention can not even occur. Those things all happen because of insufficient
>resistance in the reed. It may be that the student has to blow a little
>harder, but the vastly superior results of doing so make the effort well
>worth while.
The following is in response to the question about why the pressure should be
changed. Certainly a reed with some resistance is a basic necessity!
I recall reading that in general, the higher one goes in pitch, the more
energy is required (in terms of the physic's concepts of "force" and "power"
and "work"). But I am unable to dig up my source on that, so it may be a
mistaken impression. I only have a couple texts at home, and have always
relied on the library system.
But common experience supports this. Play a low G and do not alter either
breath or embouchure while adding the octave key (or have someone else finger
the octave key, since habitual adjustments become unconscious). If indeed
there has been no change in breath or embouchure, the upper note will be
flat, even with the best of reeds. One must either add bite (which drives the
volume of the higher note down) or add breath support (which drives the
volume of the higher note up), or both (which can be done in a way to keep
the volume constant).
The case for changing pressure for volume differences is clearer. As Joseph
Robinson puts it: "Would you ask someone to use the same energy to whisper as
to shout across the street?"
>>(PF)
>>And better to simpler use a dynamically changing amount of embouchure
>>pressure, too, rather than working out a "vowel system" for different
>>ranges of the oboe (as was taught, for example, by Bill Banovitz).
>(DL)
>I believe that the only reason for using differing amounts of embouchure
>pressure is to dampen the effects of the vibrating reed. IOW to narrow the
>size of the reed opening, and therefore to soften the volume of sound,
>everything else remaining the same. This should not affect the pitch or
>many other factors involved in the sound production.
Increasing embouchure pressure does dampen the volume, but it also drives up
the pitch. That's part of why students bite to get the high notes in tune (to
compensate for the lack of extra support the higher registers require). On a
decrescendo, I think many people have learned to compensate for the pitch
increase (caused by the tightening embouchure) by decreasing the breath
support a fractional amount, and may even have overlearned this to where it
is no longer a conscious act. (Or they just go sharp on decrescendos.)
Thus both embouchure and breath support are subject to adjustment. This
adjustment is within a given range, and perhaps for pedagocical purposes,
just getting students to stay within range is a good first goal. But
eventually, I think the best way of thinking about the process is the "X"
diagram (the relationship of bite & breath over volume while maintaining
correct pitch) which Robinson credits to Tabuteau. I'd just like to add a
note-level component to that graph, to illustrate the different registers on
the oboe.
Phil Freihofner
Oakland
