Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-08-10 22:45
Ancient Proclamation:
Hear ye; Hear ye. We doe proclaim that longeth tones are so annoying that only dumb and deaf rocks of the earth can bear them. Think of air-raid sirens, ambulances, police cars, dentists' drills, automobile- fire truck- and burglar alarms, screech owls and ghoulish night howling. The human response to these horrors is "when will they ever end?" The human race loves dance and song at any point on the globe from Patagonia to Gnome and shies away from the death ray monotony of long tones. The human race howls and moans in long tones at funerals. After the funeral, they dance, sing, and play in changing pitches and pulsations. Play rhythms and songs and leave the long tones to the tormentors of humanity. Yes, I know in Indian raga music a drone is often set to sound, but the musicians make music over it with rhythm, dance, and song. To be human is to change pitch and rhythm. Gregorian and Mozarabic chant consist of tunes, intervals, and rhythm-changing notes. Our remote ancestors heard the wind blowing one note in the reeds. They broke off or cut the reed pipe, and discovered, after making holes in it, that lo and behold, they could play more than one note! To play long tones is to pretend to be a single reed rush or, at best, to walk on all fours. To play tunes is to rise up on two feet and accept the wonderful varied musical language of humanity.
End of Proclamation.
Codicil to Proclamation:
The clarinetists with the best chops play melodies. Ralph McLane used to play simple tunes--not long tones-or isolated interval studies-when he was trying out clarinets. Listen to Buddy DeFranco elaborate on the great standard tune Autumn Leaves (written transcription provided). He got his chops (embouchure) by moving around the clarinet--by connecting notes and making rhythms--all embedded in the tunes--not by blowing out a single tone at a time . https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=trascription+buddy+defranco+autum+leaves Tunes are the thing.
Post Edited (2021-08-11 03:24)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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