Klarinet Archive - Posting 000835.txt from 2000/05

From: "Paul Miller" <paulplaysclarinet@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tone -- a neurological approach
Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 09:08:39 -0400

Bill --

If you ask any five clarinet teachers to demonstrate a "dark" sound, four of
them will oblige, and the other will begin to discuss why it's wrong to use
"dark" to describe tone color. There will certainly be differences between
those demonstrations, but I think that there is a general consensus when it
comes to tone color. Even you probably know what to do when a conductor
asks for a darker tone in a given passage, and I'm certain that you don't
argue terminology with him (or her). So, really, it's not the terminology
that is so important, it's the student's conceptualization of what a
clarinet is supposed to sound like in most situations (according to our
"classical" tradition), and that conceptualization, and tone, is developed
over time. I'm writing a piece right now and in it I mark "bright." Why?
because I don't have a better word. I could say, "emphasize the overtones
and reed sound" or "overblown" or "shrill" or something, but those wouldn't
be what I'm looking for -- "bright" gets the point across. It's perfectly
clear to 99.999% of all performers, even though there are some that would
quibble over terminology.

I guess what I'm saying is that for most musicians, terms like "dark" and
"bright" have a real meaning, and one that can be used in the day-to-day
musical situations. The fact that a test audience of non-musicians were
suggestible as to thinking one sound was dark, or bright, is indicative of
the fact that they were (duh) not musicians, and therefore never educated as
to what a dark or bright sound is. A lack of agreement is, of course, a
given. Our terms to describe tone color are fairly specialized, and perhaps
there could be better terminology, but every one of my colleagues at school
knows exactly what I'm talking about when I say "dark" or my friend says
"bright."

(keep the flames to a minimum)

-- Paul

> The complete LACK OF AGREEMENT on
> what they meant is what proves Dan's point.
>
> A teacher can demonstrate what he/she considers a dark sound, but that
will
> not necessarily correlate at all with what some OTHER teacher will think
is
> dark. The term will have meaning only within that first student-teacher
> relationship.
>
>

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