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Re: The LEAST POSSIBLE EFFORT

Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2008-09-14 12:43

skygardner wrote:

>> The key point of the phrase is "possible". Sometimes a great deal of energy is necessary, and, in that case, a great deal of energy is the "least possible".>>

Yes, that's one step towards providing a context for the phrase "the least possible effort" -- which is sadly lacking a context, one has to admit. You're answering the question, "the least possible effort...FOR WHAT?"

My first post jokingly provided an INappropriate context, and was designed to show that the phrase is ridiculous WITHOUT AN APPROPRIATE CONTEXT.

>> I don't think Tony suggests lethargic technique as much as he suggests efficient technique.>>

So, here you're suggesting replacing "least possible effort required to do something" by "most efficient technique for doing something".

But again, that's incomplete. We need to know what the SOMETHING is, you see.

And unfortunately -- because although we seem to be speaking abstractly, we're all REALLY thinking about music, and what it takes to play it -- the 'something' is quite often very complex.

To take almost the simplest possible example, what we want from a particular staccato run can't be captured by calling it just, 'staccato'. There are many kinds of staccato: {dramatic, light, playful, angry, heavy, COOKING:-), travelling, brilliant...} And to produce one example of that variety, you may very well need to use more energy than you need in order to produce another. And this applies across the board, to all 'things like staccato'; and then to the musical structures that we build using those things.

Energy efficiency, relaxation, and other simple-minded collapsings just don't work as ULTIMATE GOALS.

Now, it may be that sometimes we DO want to communicate something like, ease, elegance and playfulness -- the semiquaver passage in Weber II first movement springs to mind -- and a relaxed approach is appropriate. Yet even there, the abdomen/diaphragm opposition (which as someone pointed out, is not the most energy-efficient way of BLOWING) is almost necessary to bring out the sparkle.

But music very often speaks of deeper things too, of struggle, effort and nobility. Surely we must continue to place the expression of those things high in our aspirations. What does a 'relaxed' or 'efficient' expression of AGONY look like?

And, imagine telling an actor after his performance of 'Hamlet' "....it was so, so...so...EFFORTLESS!!"

(If you want to amuse yourself, try saying the last sentence in a completely relaxed way;-)

So, whilst I understand the motives of people who want to help students not be tied up by the use of UNNECESSARY forces, and whilst I do the same thing myself in particular instances, I say that it has become important to represent the value of speaking of NECESSARY forces too.

An outstanding example is this: it seems to me highly unsatisfactory that the supposedly 'last word' on the subject of breathing and blowing, by Arnold Jacobs:

http://www.clarinet-saxophone.asn.au/downloadabledocs/The%20Dynamics%20of%20Breathing.pdf

...ties itself in knots -- to the point of incomprehensibility -- in order to avoid using the word 'force' when explaining the idea of 'support'.

Try reading this article yourself with an open mind as to whether it makes sense or not -- rather than thinking that you must be deficient in confronting the phenomenon of an admittedly legendary player.

Which brings me to a final point -- thanks, chaps and chapesses, for defending me against Old Geezer. But it's really not necessary. And I'd rather the qualities or deficiencies of my own playing not come in to a debate about whether or not what I SAY makes sense.

It's of a piece with the fact that I want to be able to maintain the following two things: that Arnold Jacobs DEMONSTRATED an understanding of blowing the instrument doesn't mean that his EXPLANATION of how to blow the instrument was right; and that a criticism of his explanation is not a criticism of him as a player.

Tony

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Tony Pay

2008-09-10 19:41