Contrabass Digest

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1999-06-16

 
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 16:14:25 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: More contrabass flautists
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Hi,

Periodic websurfing has uncovered a few more contrabass flute players:

Andy Findon, http://www.maslink.co.uk/cvs/flutes/findon(andy).html, who is
also listed as playing bass and bari sax,

Leslie Olson of the Shreck Repertory,
http://www.xs4all.nl/~schreck/eng/html/repercon3.html

The Magic Flute ensemble, http://www.xs4all.nl/~wof/welcome.htm

Enjoy!

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 18:21:38 -0500
From: Bonnie/Oscar <bgyoaw@swbell.net>
Subject: Re: Eyeball shaking
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

According to NASA:
Eyeball resonance occurs at 20 Hz.  F.  Low F.

My experience on Tuba is consistent with this.

Also  The percenage of outbound energy in the fundimental frquency changes a lot.  A tuba at middle C may be 80% fundimental.  A tuba three octaves lower may be 10% fundimental.  Maybe less. See Arthur Benade's book on musical acoustics (Dover cheep).  He was a Clarinet, but he understood it and explained it better than anyone else!!

Oscar
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 18:32:37 -0500
From: Bonnie/Oscar <bgyoaw@swbell.net>
Subject: Re: Monster Instruments
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Today high quality cylindrical tubing is probably cheaper and easier to get  than ever in the history of the world. If you want to get practical experience of what an 8' long flute with a two inch bore feels like,  and why no one plays one,  Plastic pipe is cheap.  Very cheap.  You can do it for less than $10 in materials, and a few minutes of carving.

Similarly for assorted sound sources,  Tuba Mothpieces, Bass Clarinet Mouthpieces, Big Double reeds...  4 Inch bore by 128 feet.
Why not?? Find out what contrabass feels like.

(Don't forget flexible hose)

I am not talking useful musical instruments.  Placing holes, devising keys, Tuning, etc. are formidable problems.

But-- What does it feel like to play into 100 feet of tubing???

Oscar
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Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 16:41:33 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Monster Instruments
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>Today high quality cylindrical tubing is
>probably cheaper and easier to get
>than ever in the history of the world.
>If you want to get practical experience
>of what an 8' long flute with a two inch
>bore feels like,  and why no one plays
>one,  Plastic pipe is cheap.  Very cheap.
>You can do it for less than $10 in materials,
>and a few minutes of carving.

Some of us have already done so: the problem is reaching the
fingerholes.... ;-)

>4 Inch bore by 128 feet.
>Why not??
>Find out what contrabass feels like.

"Feels like" is the operative term here: at three octaves below the piano,
I think the fundamental must be guaranteed subsonic.

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

From: Pabstton@aol.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 20:24:19 EDT
Subject: Re: Willem Breuker (was Star Wars Didgeridoo?)
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I hope I did not make anybody believe that I was speculating anything about this Star Wars soundtrack. I was just bringing up the subject of "extended" instruments.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this recording. I did listen to my Willem Breuker cds after writing the mail, just to try and cover my tracks. And there is a part where he performs the "extended" bass clarinet but it is not the one I was thinking about. Anyway, It's possible I am thinking of a recording of Eric Dolphy. I'm sorry. I should have done more research before mentioning names. I have so many damned cds and albums. But I'd still recommend Willem Breuker to anyone who is not frightened of a little free-jazz. The Willem Breuker Kollektief stuff from the mid-seventies comes across like hardcore marching band music, mind you, little to do with contrabass. The newer stuff is more subtle, melodic, and composed.

While on the subject of recommending recordngs, I'll take the opportunity to mention a newer group called Volap=FCk. It's a trio out of France, I think.Guido Chenevier plays drums. He used to play with Fred Frith, and an avant-soundscape-no-wave-band in the early 80's called Video Aventures. He plays sax sometimes. Then a celloist, and a wind player (mostly bass clarinet, sometimes Bb, Eb clarinet and tarogoto). They all take turns at percussion too. The latest cd from 1997 on Cuneiform Records is called "Slang". In one song the bass clarinetist plays just the pads, or just the sound of the pads hitting the openings. It took me a couple of listens to realise it was not a set of wood blocks or some normal percussion instrument.  The group makes up sort of classical instrumentation with avant rock song sensibility. Very interesting, however once again, not much to do with contrabass rather just bass and somewhat odd instrumentation in general. One of my favorite not-a-certain-category bands/trios.

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 09:37:44 +0900
From: seikoesd@pacific.net.sg (Joel Koh)
Subject: didgeridoo
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Have anyone tried buzzing into a contra-alto/contra-bass clarinet without a
mouthpiece? All keys closed. Instant didgeridoo! Of course it will be easier on
the lips if you get a machining shop to turn for you a 'mouthpiece' for
this purpose. You can also part off an old mouthpiece and round off the edges.
I am hopelessly a woodwind player, nevertheless I manage to get sound out
of contra-alto.

Have fun.

Joel

---------------------------------------------------------

From: Heliconman@aol.com
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 05:55:48 EDT
Subject: Re: Monster Instruments
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

In a message dated 6/15/99 7:32:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
bgyoaw@swbell.net writes:

>  Today high quality cylindrical tubing is
>  probably cheaper and easier to get
>  than ever in the history of the world.
>  If you want to get practical experience
>  of what an 8' long flute with a two inch
>  bore feels like,  and why no one plays
>  one,  Plastic pipe is cheap.  Very cheap.
>  You can do it for less than $10 in materials,
>  and a few minutes of carving.
>
>  Similarly for assorted sound sources,
>  Tuba Mouthpieces, Bass Clarinet Mouthpieces,
>  Big Double reeds...
>  4 Inch bore by 128 feet.
>  Why not??
>  Find out what contrabass feels like.
>
>  (Don't forget flexible hose)
>
>  I am not talking useful musical instruments.
>  Placing holes, devising keys, Tuning, etc. are
>  formidable problems.
>
>  But-- What does it feel like to play into 100 feet
>  of tubing???

When I worked as a stagehand, 50 foot lengths of curtain pipe or 20 foot
lighting trusses were fun. A couple of quick notes a then watch people
scratch their heads wondering where the sound came from. You have to be a bit
careful because certain metals react badly on your lips and there may even be
a bit of lead in some of them. Some of the best harmonics came from 1" square
pipe!


 
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