The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: I don't understand

Author: Clarineat
Date: 2020-10-03 00:13

I think these terms are very subjective, which is why it's hard to pinpoint exactly what they mean.

However, I'll take a stab at it from what I was taught or how I use the words. But as KDK said they aren't really academic terms so this is just my experience and perspective. However, I believe there are educational benefits to these terms to help the mind relate to concepts.

I think generally a "warm" or "dark" sound can be said to have more prominent low frequencies to the sound, whereas a "bright" or "vibrant" sound might have higher frequencies (more overtones). Think even a low note vs a high note, one is inherently "darker" or "warmer" than the other, and a sound could be made "warmer" by focusing on the fundamental tone and de-emphasizing overtones. Which one is preferable really depends on who you speak to.

"Focused," in my experience is more to do with the clarity of the sound, like with a camera. Imagine a portrait. Is the face easy to recognize, or is the background in focus while the face is obscured, or maybe everything is in focus and the eye is not drawn to the "right" place from a compositional perspective? Sound is "focused" when we can clearly hear what is intended as the fundamental pitch, with the desired amount of overtones colouring the sound, but not overbearing it. Muddy tone, fuzziness in the sound, etc. will of course make this even more unfocused.

"Covered" is a little harder to explain I think because it normally has to do with projection in an orchestral setting. Basically, is the sound "in your face" or does it sort of arrive, as if carried to you in your seat, inside a little package to be unwrapped. This might sound kind of weird, but whenever I hear a covered sound that's projecting without being overbearing this is sort of how it feels! Haha.

"Spread" is kind of the opposite of covered, and really comes from unfocused sound, but this is what happens to unfocused sound over a distance. Think of a laser vs. a spotlight. I was told to think of my sound like a laser so that it doesn't "widen" as it reaches the audience and this concept can help you shape the sound. A spotlight gets wider and thinner as it travels, and you don't want your tone to do this because the back of the concert hall is a long way away.

I hope this helps, and look forward to others' thoughts on these subjective ideas!

Sean Perrin

Host of the Clarineat Podcast
Listen FREE at www.clarineat.com
hello@clarineat.com

Post Edited (2020-10-03 00:16)

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics