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The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:59 am
by Amilcare
When Ed Kleinhammer discussed multiple tonguing he always spoke of the need to maintain a large grey area between multiple and single articulations.

With Ed Tarr and Bruce Dickey's book compiling historic wind tutors, it must now be realized that the grey area is a historical myth. In virtually every method from 1530-1800 articulations are always taught in pairs. The very notion of playing the same articulation without its pair was done rarely and for expressive purposes only.

As I have ready noted, none of the authors spoke English. The use of T as we pronounce it in English has NEVER been used historically. Our insistence on English only has deprived generations of players the chance to play well. The closest we can do is a soft TH, an articulation preferred by Herbert L. Clarke.

Too much misunderstanding has revolved around the choice of the letter K by some early 19th-century flute teachers to promote the anchor tongue that has been the pair of the dental T. In pre-linguistics France the exotic (i.e., not a letter originally part of the French alphabet) K, was chosen to represent the anchor tongue that was a part of wind technique since the 16th century.

In matters of articulation I feel like Arnold Jacobs and Brian Fredriksen, since folks get so upset trying to lay aside incorrect and misguided notions. Oh well

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:37 pm
by ginnboonmiller
Whule your previous attempts have fallen on deaf ears, this particular post has finally shown me, beyond doubt, that all music played on brass instruments outside of France since 1900 has been just awful. I cannot and will no longer listen to it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go out back and whip my slaves into submission, just like they did in the 19th Century. I'm coming around, but it's going to take me a while.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:05 pm
by Chuck Jackson
John Upchurch, the Slide Doctor, was one of my main influences as a teacher. The guy could just plain teach. I will share this gem from 32 years ago that still resonates EVERYDAY with me:

"If it sounds good, who's to say it's wrong"

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:12 pm
by PMeuph
Since we're talking about the original French language, do you think the tonguing you propose was used by Roland when he played the oliphant?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Roland" target="_blank

:shock: :shock: :shock:




Do you mean I was suppose to take this thread seriously??

The end of Earl GREY ?

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:17 pm
by PMeuph
bloke wrote: bloke "no offense meant, but the comments are too funny"
Sit back and enjoy a cup of this, before it ends.....

Image

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:26 pm
by Roger Lewis
Interestingly enough the Freench language does contain "Q" as in Quai which is pronounced "Kay". So the SOUND is in the language, just not the LETTER.

http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/quai.wav" target="_blank

So maybe some editor changed it during a translation period.

I stopped worrying about this a long time ago.

I'm done now.

Roger

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:31 pm
by Dutchtown Sousa
I may be interpreting this wrong but I think the best articulation isn't always gonna be a French articulation or such. It really depends on what type of music you are playing. It also has to do with what you are trying sound sound like if you are playing an arrangement of a piece of music that does not feature your instrument. Being a high school player, I see people usually only know one or two syllables for articulation. These are usually the normal "ta/tuh" and legato "do". People that do double tonguing only know "ta-ka". Anyone that has ever tried beat boxing or has had speech therapy (which coincidentally both can be used in tuba playing today) before knows that every syllable you speak makes your mouth move differently. You couldn't beat box or speak only using one or two syllables yet that is how most band directors teach their students how to play music. So back to the different articulations for different styles, you can't say that all English people are doing it wrong or all French people are doing it right. If you are playing a a French piece written for a brass instrument, more likely than not, a French syllable might be the best choice. If playing an American march, a French syllable might be the wrong thing to use for articulation.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:38 pm
by Walter Webb
Not being a distinguished linguist, I can only report my own pathetic syllables as I have implemented them. I say TOO, because the OO automatically seems to open my soft palate and throat all the more. In pairs, faster and faster, I try for TOO KOO. I think DOO acts just like TOO. Just don't go KOO KOO.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:11 am
by Chuck Jackson
Ladies and Gentleman....................Drum Roll Please......................Please Accept, with my apologies the following statement.............................and with thanks to Joe S. for the opening.......................................

My, aren't we a bunch of cunning linguists.


Chuck"SOMEONE had to do it"Jackson

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:16 am
by PMeuph
Chuck Jackson wrote:
My, aren't we a bunch of cunning linguists.



No, were just a bunch of master debaters....

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:49 am
by imperialbari
bloke wrote:and stuff an Arban book down my belt
Thought you did that long ago.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:07 am
by ckalaher1
I opened this thread thinking it was about the questionable ending to the recent movie of the same name, which starred Liam Neeson.

Shows you what I know.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:22 am
by imperialbari
bloke wrote:
PMeuph wrote:No, were just a bunch of master de baters....
' sorry... ' couldn't find any French or French-Canadian experts...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN9eLj4TBr8
Was that a male hooker preparing to play The Trout?

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 2:15 pm
by Mark
bloke wrote:stuff an Arban book down my bell...
A few years ago I attended a low-brass recital at one of the local universities. The first few students to play were tubists and did a respectable job. Then a euphonium player came on stage, cued the pianist, and began to produce a truly awful sound. He only played a few notes before he stopped with a look on his face that said "What in the heck is wrong with my euphonium?". He moved some slides, worked his valves up and down a few times and again cued his pianist. This time, the sound coming out of his bell was still awful. Again he stopped with what was now a look on panic on his face. He moved some slides, worked the valves and then he looked down the bell. You guessed it, his music was still in there. He removed the music and played very well.

The lesson to take away from this is never memorize your recital music. Then you will always remember to remove the music from your bell.

Re: The end of the GREY

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:14 pm
by Michael Bush
Timely article by Jerry Young in the Encore Music newsletter that just came out.

"And naturally we want to avoid such practices as anchor tonguing..."