Klarinet Archive - Posting 000095.txt from 2004/05

From: <tony-w@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Vibrato in Nature?
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 07:06:31 -0400

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 10:15 AM
Subject: [kl] Vibrato in Nature?

> Apart from man-made sounds, I was unable to think of an example of vibrato
in
> any animal or bird cry -- apart perhaps from the whinny of a horse.
> Does anyone know of any other example? Some exotic bird perhaps?
> Tony

Isn`t vibrato an enhancement - an aesthetic of human communication? Would
the animal world have a use for aesthetics? Is vibrato used in normal
communication - speaking, shouting, whispering? I think not. We know it can
be used when singing, and this can be turned on or off at will, in a similar
manner to playing a musical instrument. I can make a growling noise at the
back of my throat, (away form the clarinet) but in trying to analyse this,
come up with observing only interruptions in the continuity of my growling
noise, but no vibrato as such - no change in the amplitude of the growl -
i.e. zero amplitude, which in essence is, no vibrato. I would think that
communication in animals is similar to my growl - specifically, different
pitches, tone and inflections, but without any enhancement of tone.
Enhancement only occurs when more forward components in the mouth come into
use - the jaw, the lips and possibly in some cases the tongue. In singing,
vibrato is not created *inside* the voice box, but further along, by
fluctuating the throat muscles either consciously or subconsciously.
I would think therefore that my growl would be similar to the whinnying of
the horse, emanating only from the voice box or larynx, without using any
enhancing components like jaw or lips, and without too much concern in
wanting this to sound 'nice'. The communication only, is therefore the all
important reason for the utterance.

Birds on the other hand have trill boxes - not voice boxes - - - - -!
Yes? - No?

Tony W.

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