Contrabass Digest
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1998-07-07

 
list                           Tue, 7 Jul 1998            Volume 1 : Number 23

In this issue:
 

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Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 19:43:42 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@crl.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Bass Sax

OK, the bass sax pics are up now.  See http://www.contrabass.com/contra-archive/frenchmart.html.  They're at the top.

Grant
 

Grant Green
gdgreen@contrabass.com
http://www.contrabass.com
Just filling in on sarrusophone.......

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Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 23:53:10 -0400
From: Jim Lande <lande@erols.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: range of hearing

> From: Lelia Loban, LeliaLoban@aol.com
> directly into each other).  The average person can hear up to about
> 20,000 Hz, although there's considerably more variation between
> individuals at the top of the normal range.  Most people lose
> something off both ends of our range as we age.

You got that right.  My motto is: Boogie when the dog boogies!

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Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 00:09:39 EDT
From: <PaulC135@aol.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re:  list V1 #22

In a message dated 7/7/98 4:33:18 AM, you wrote:

<<And Paul, who said that I was going to compare the
number to Buescher numbers???  They are many institution that I can contact
to try to get information on this horn; you're not always the only one who's
right...;-) (though I was wrong about the them all being Bueschers...).>>

Please re-read my post.  I made non of these assertions.

<<Did Harwood make anything other than Basses; I've seen several Harwood
bass saxes; but never anything else made by Harwood..>>
I have seen Harwood baritones, C melodies and curved sopranos.  I can not
recall seeing the other sizes.
Paul Cohen

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Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 00:18:14 -0400
From: "Farfl's house" <farfl@idirect.ca>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Bechet's 2nd tune!

Listen,
What I REALLY want to know is the name of the song that Dr. Cohen says
Sidney Bechet played sarrusophone on (besides "Mandy, Make Up Your
Mind".) Any additional info will also be appreciated!
Steven Lederman

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Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 16:10:22 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: sub-woofer hearing

Interesting topic!  Welcome aboard!

At 07:12 AM 7/6/98 EDT, Lelia wrote:
>1.  The overtone series of any note includes octaves, doubled octaves, and so
>forth.  Maybe at times we hear a high partial and only think we're hearing the
>fundamental.  In other words, we expect a certain note, and therefore we may
>extrapolate what the foundation tone of the audible harmonic series ought to
>sound like, even though in fact we can't hear a tone that low.  We imagine it.

This certainly happens, although I wouldn't use the term "imagine."
Difference tones are a physical function of our auditory system.  Somehow
the ear and/or brain "fills in" missing frequencies.  This is why one can
listen to recorded music with significant bass content even over very small
speakers.  Consider how large the speaker in a headphone is.  You can
demonstrate physically that the tiny cone is incapable of putting out a
significant amplitude in the bass range, yet we hear bass all the same.  If
the bass instrument was recorded in such a way that its upper harmonics are
audible, the ear can reconstruct the missing fundamentals.  Are there any
recording engineers among us?

>2.  People with a fondness for low pitch may develop the ability to sense the pitch
>of a wave with faculties other than hearing.  We may "hear" some frequencies
>by subconsciously perceiving the speed of the vibration of the hair on our
>arms, for instance.

I think a form of this is true also.  I think we are all capable of
detecting low frequencies, at some amplitude, but that the boundary between
pitch and "other sensation" varies from person to person.  Those of us who
roam the depths learn to discriminate the degrees of depth finely, just as
the Aleut distinguishes between 85 different forms of snow.  I think that
the more you play in the contrabass register, the more acute our hearing
for those notes - I suspect more a function of the circuitry than the
hardware.

>3.  Maybe this site self-selects for people with freakish hearing.  (I trust
>that no self-respecting Contrabass Maniac will be insulted by the term
>"freakish".)  It may be that our attraction to sub-bass instruments is quite
>literally bred into us and that the business about "hearing voices" coming
>from the bell of the monster horn is no joke--it may be that we really do hear
>things that most people can't.

I suspect that most of the reported "hearing ranges" refer to averages over
a broad section of the population, and do not represent the actual range
for many individuals.  It would be interesting to study the perception of
low pitches in musicians, e.g., contrabassoonists vs. flute/picc players,
and see if there is a systematic difference.  It would also be interesting
to determine if the hearing makes the choice of instrument or vice versa.

Grant
 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant D. Green                  gdgreen@contrabass.com
www.contrabass.com     Just filling in on sarrusophone
Contrabass email list:             list@contrabass.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 22:40:02 EDT
From: <JolivetDVM@aol.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Bb bass sarrusophone in recital

        This upcoming weekend in Tacoma, WA there will be a tubafest recital.  This
is a national gathering of tubists from all over the country.  I am
participating in a group known as Ex Lingua Mortua which features Bb bass
sarrusophone, 3 double-belled euphoniums (euphonia?), helicon, serpent, and
ophecleide.  We are performing a piece which was specially commissioned,
called "Suite For Endangered Instruments" by William Berry.  It is in 6
movements each of which is based on a kind of dance (gavotte, tango, etc.).
We are playing Saturday night and of course many other ensembles will
participate as well.  The last weekend of the month willl find us performing
at the Sandpoint, ID music festival as well.  In addition to the commissioned
work, we will also be performing a variety of popular tunes.  More details
later as I find out.  Michel Jolivet

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End of list V1 #23
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