Author: Matt74
Date: 2021-03-09 00:12
I think that the OP and other definitions are great.
We use particular words is because they correspond to what we hear. Everyone knows what "bright" and "dark" are.
The reason it can be confusing is that sound is complicated. Sometimes we are listening to different parts of the sound, or listening in a different way. Sometimes we actually hear something different (live, onstage, at the back of the auditorium, recorded, old poppy LP vs. remastered digital, etc.) That doesn't mean that the terms are inherently confusing. It just means that our ability to perceive and communicate is limited. It's in the nature of language to be more or less accurate, more or less vague, more or less objective, and more or less subjective. Some terms are more precise than others.
"Bright/Dark" are fairly objective. The more bright or the more dark, the more objective they are. The treble reeds on an organ are bright, the lowest pipe is dark. Sounds in the middle are less objective. A piano may be "bright" or "dark", but mostly by comparison with other pianos, not trumpets. Someone may call something "bright" that is plainly very "dark", but that's the speaker's fault, not the words.
"Chocolatey" is a figure of speech. When one says "chocolatey" (if one is inclined to do so), the intention is to be poetic, or affective. The point is not to accurately describe the physical qualities of the sound, but to relate a personal experience or feeling about a sound. Other people may share that experience or feeling, but it's more personal than objective. "Smooth" would be more objective. I could say that a performance sounds "lemony", and some people might understand what I was saying, but no one says "lemony". I imagine cymbals or piccolos might sound "lemony". LOL I've never thought a clarinet sounded particularly "chocolatey", even if I might know what it means (sorta - I've also never understood the "liquorice stick" thing...I think the same dude that wrote "Calamazoo" came up with that one.)
Advertising complicates the issue. If it's in an ad, or even a YouTube review, it's immediately suspect. Advertising language has polluted normal language. Advertising language usually does not communicate real meaning, but is intended to make you feel a certain way so that you buy stuff. "Just enough brightness to make a statement, dark enough to blend in when you need to. Round with a solid core." Like my painter boss said, "Everyone wants subtle drama."
- Matthew Simington
Post Edited (2021-03-09 00:17)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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