Contrabass Digest

2000-08-25

From: "Jean Adler"
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 19:22:02 -0500
Subject: [CB] ian krause

Are any of you familiar with Ian Krause's work?  I have been asked to played
for an organization who is having Mr. Krause commission a piece for wind
ensemble.  I will be playing bass clarinet and have been informed he writes
some great low, sonorous stuff for us low reed players.  Any help you can
give me would be appreciated.  i.e. any CD's I should listen to.  Apparently
this piece has to do with Aztec rituals and is going to feature percussion.
I am told that the low winds will have a big part to play.

Thanks,
Jean

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Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 12:37:40 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]
 

>The number of cycles occurring during the length of a note is not the
>determining factor of pitch: It is the number of cycles per second.   A BBb
>which vibrates 8 times during a quarter note at 218 bpm still has a frequency
>of approximately 29Hz, or 29 cycles per second.  Even if the note is as short
>as a quarter note, enough vibrations are present for the listener to
>recognize a pitch.  The issue becomes problematic when there are too few
>vibrations to create a pitch, for example, a staccato note in the lowest
>contra range.  Creating only one Hz does not give the ear enough information
>to create a physical comparison for pitch.  Hertz is a physical description
>of cycles PER SECOND, not cycles created.

I think the point Larry's trying to make is that if you analyze the
wave form (e.g., the way you might analyze the timbre of a note by
separating it into each frequency component) of a series of notes
with a sharp attack, there is a very low frequency component that
corresponds to something in the subcontrabass register.  The
interesting thing is that they are audibly detectable.

>I have been searching for recordings with extreme low bass of a percussive
>nature.  This sound was nearly impossible to capture on vinyl, but is well
>within CD technology - it just doesn't match commercially available speakers.

As for extreme low percussive bass, the recording that springs to
mind is the Telarc version of the "1812".  I forget if it was "direct
to disc", or just one of the first to adopt digital recording.  I
remember when it first came out on vinyl, and they made a big deal of
the size of the track excursion for the cannon blasts.

The hardest part of playing the 1812 is keeping the reed in your
mouth when the first cannon goes off... ;-)

Grant

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass       http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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From: Heliconman
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 17:39:11 EDT
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

In a message dated 8/25/00 3:35:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, gdgreen writes:

<< As for extreme low percussive bass, the recording that springs to
 mind is the Telarc version of the "1812".  I forget if it was "direct
 to disc", or just one of the first to adopt digital recording.  I
 remember when it first came out on vinyl, and they made a big deal of
 the size of the track excursion for the cannon blasts.
 
 The hardest part of playing the 1812 is keeping the reed in your
 mouth when the first cannon goes off... ;-)
 
 Grant
  >>

That recording was played by a sound engineer during soundcheck one July 4th
weekend in a club on Misquamicut Beach in RI, where outside there were
jet-ski and bikini competitions happening. People came to the windows howling
when they heard that on the huge rock and roll sound system that was to be
used that night by Ten Years After, Blackfoot and (I believe) Nazareth. All
three bands were touring together with HUGE dual kick drums, some of which
were enhanced by electronic drum machines from MIDI triggers, but these kick
drums were all in excess of 36 inches in diameter and in excess of 30 inches
deep. I got a good dose of low bass percussion that night and was paid very
well as a roadie. It also help that two of our crew strolled off toward the
bikini contest and were never heard from again. They stage manager was nice
enough to disperse the remaining payroll among the crew!
That Telarc recording never sounded better! That engineer kept a good
balanced EQ!
Cheers!
Heli
***End of Contrabass Digest***

 
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