Contrabass Digest

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1999-11-01

 
From: CoolStu67@aol.com
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 19:54:24 EST
Subject: Re: Straight bassoon cases-PLEASE HELP!!!
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

<<
 Horrible idea.  One big bump and the tenons would snap off in their sockets.
 
 There's a reason why no one does this (or ever has done this in the past 500
 years).  Take the extra 40 seconds to assemble it.
>>

I agree. I'm not a bassoonist, but can tell you this: the time you save by
having it pre-assembled is not worth the time you would have to experience by
having to get a new basson or fixing your broken-in-half instrument!

Stuart
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 17:07:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Adam Kent-Isaac <lokibassoon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Bassoon Bags
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Then why does the contrabassoon gig bag which Altieri
makes get bought by lots of contra-ists?It's straight.
In fact, all contra cases I've ever seen have been
straight. I've never seen or played a contra which
came apart, although it would be a good idea. Also
bass and contra clarinet cases are one-section, usually.

-Adam

=====

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
---------------------------------------------------------

From: CoolStu67@aol.com
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 20:22:39 EST
Subject: Re: Bassoon Bags
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
<<
 Then why does the contrabassoon gig bag which Altieri
 makes get bought by lots of contra-ists?It's straight.
 In fact, all contra cases I've ever seen have been
 straight. I've never seen or played a contra which
 came apart, although it would be a good idea. Also
 bass and contra clarinet cases are one-section, usually.
>>

Bass and contrabass clarinet cases aren't made out of fabric that is built to
the exactly size of the instrument. They are heavy duty plastic or wooden,
and has padding surrounding the instrument. Also, the clarinet's material
seems a little stronger than the bassoon's. The contrabassoon is looped,
which should make it's integrity larger than the bassoon. And I'm positive
the case isn't not to the exact size you require of your bassoon's "bag". By
comparing a bag that doesn't exist to an actual case, you immediately
invalidate your question in the first place!

Stuart
---------------------------------------------------------

From: "Chip Owen" <cowen@whitleynet.org>
Subject: Re: [Contra digest]
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 06:42:10 -0500
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

A gig bag for an assembled bassoon would be an effective way of destroying a
bassoon.  Broken tenons are all but certain.  And your failure to
disassemble the instrument and clean it out will destroy it by rotting it.

Jon Carreira's a bit long on his timing.  I believe the earliest evidence of
a jointed bassoon is a fingering chart dated to 1645.  But that provides the
idea for an alternative for you.  If you get yourself a bass curtal or
dulcian your problem is solved as these were made as one piece instruments
with only a short bell and the bocal to remove.

Chip Owen
Columbia City, IN
cowen@whitleynet.org

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

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 13:44:34 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dafydd y garreg wen <mavnw@csv.warwick.ac.uk>
Subject: cornetts
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I know it's not strictly a contrabass subject, but still, I think that the
accumulated wisdom on the list ought to cover it...

As part of a new Early Music Consort here at Warwick University, I'm
learning the cornett. The trouble is that I'm doing it entirely on my own
- I don't have any instuction books or anything similar at all. I've got
the fingering working (just like a tin whistle), but I'm rather concerned
about my way of blowing it. I'm a Bass Trombone/Euph player primarily, so,
although I have a decent high range, this is rather different from what I
normally do. I find that the best results can be obtained by placing the
mouthpiece rather off-centre to avoid the peak in the middle of the top
lip, which just doesn't fit into the (tiny) mouthpiece. This means that
I'm squeezing rather, but as the backbore of the mouthpiece is so small
(about a millimetre across!), this doesn't really affect the sound, and
certainly allows me to play louder and higher. Is this a really bad way to
do it? I've read that some good players do this, but it would be nice to
receive confirmation. Even better would be a good method book (cheap in
an ideal world). The instrument I'm learning is the descant instrument
(cornettino?), as I couldn't get my fingers around the normal size one.

Thanks,
Dave Taylor

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

From: <Colin.HARRIS@dfee.gov.uk>
Subject: RE: cornetts
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 13:49:55 -0000
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

DO you want a serpent player??

(only joking, I'd love to have a go at one, that's all!!)

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

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 16:06:15 +0000 (GMT)
From: Dafydd y garreg wen <mavnw@csv.warwick.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: cornetts
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
On Mon, 1 Nov 1999 Colin.HARRIS@dfee.gov.uk wrote:

> DO you want a serpent player??
>
> (only joking, I'd love to have a go at one, that's all!!)
>

Sadly, we have no serpents - the University budget doesn't stretch that
far; we only have cornetts because they are cheap resin ones. I'd also
love to have a go on a serpent, but I don't know where to go to find one.
I'm also a bit mystified as to how holes so relatively close together as
they appear on photographs of the serpent can produce anything like a
chromatic scale.

Dave Taylor
 

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

From: <Colin.HARRIS@dfee.gov.uk>
Subject: RE: cornetts
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 16:14:48 -0000
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Dave,

If you go to the serpent websites at http://web.wwa.com/~ocleide/ and
http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/ujt/ujt2929.html, there is mention of
serpents which have been made out of modern materials, quote:

"Other materials have been tried, primarily by modern craftsmen attempting
to find easier ways of making Serpents. The structural foam resins,
fibreglass and high-tech composites have met with some success. However,
good old wood remains the favourite, and due to modern woodworking
techniques, the French method of hollowing out a solid block of wood finds
favour even for reproduction of English and Military style instruments."

The dimension etc. are all there on these webpages: basically you need
graduating lengths of pipe which you can bend, and then cover to air-tight
them.  I would love to have a go at it - it doesn't sound to hard if you
have access to the right lengths of pipe and tools.  I'm sure any band room
would have bits and pieces for a crook.

Something for the holidays, I think.

there

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

Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 11:27:41 -0800
From: Tom Welsh <tom@newalbion.com>
Subject: re: CD Review - Matthias Ziegler "Uakti"
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Hi All,

Tom here, writing from New Albion.  Grant - many thanks for the flattering
review of our latest, Matthias Ziegler's "Uakti".  I'm really proud of it
and excited to be working with Matthias.  One minor point of clarification:
his pieces aren't really multitracked so much as set up with loops,
actually.  Matthias employs a fairly sophisticated set of triggers that
allows him to perform these works live, setting loops and ideas against
himself.  I suppose that sounds like multitracking in a recorded work, but
the difference is worth noting I think.

re: CDNOW -

>If you search on the title, "Uakti", you'll find a page that says ...

Yow!  Looks like those hardworking folks at CDNOW have confused/conflated
two of our CDs, thanks for pointing their mistake out to me.  "Ladino Love
Songs" [NA105] is a set of Sephardic folk tunes, a nice record also but
nothing at all to do with Matthias Ziegler's "Uakti" [NA104].  Amazon.com
seems to have "Uakti" correctly listed (in classical), and of course
there's more info at www.newalbion.com if I may boldly say so.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, or inquiries about Matthias
Ziegler's upcoming tour dates in Europe with the Mark Dresser Trio.

Best,

Tom Welsh
New Albion Records
http://www.newalbion.com
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon,  1 Nov 1999 13:35:58 -0600
From: "Aaron J. Rabushka" <arabushk@cowtown.net>
Subject: re: CD Review - Matthias Ziegler "Uakti"
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I must admit that Sephardi folk songs with a flute choir (throw in an oud or a saz for plectral definition) is intriguing!
 

--
Aaron J. Rabushka
arabushk@cowtown.net
http://www.cowtown.net/users/arabushk
--
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 15:47:09 -0800
Subject: Re: cornetts
From: mgrogg@juno.com
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>Sadly, we have no serpents - the University budget doesn't stretch
>that far; we only have cornetts because they are cheap resin ones. I'd also
>love to have a go on a serpent, but I don't know where to go to find one.
>I'm also a bit mystified as to how holes so relatively close together
>as they appear on photographs of the serpent can produce anything like a
>chromatic scale.
>
>Dave Taylor
 
 

  1. The center holes are drilled straight in, the two outer holes of each triad are bored at an angle, so that the opening to the bore is much farther apart than the openings on the body of the instrument.
  2. The  pitch on the serpent doesn't center up that well, and can be "lipped" up or down quite a bit.  Most of the playable serpents have a number of additional keys to aid in playing the notes, but burden of intonation is much the burden of the player, and less the burden of the instrument design.


Michael Grogg
 


 
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