Re: [Shaku] Embouchure, sound, exercise

From: John Baker (jinpa19822003@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon May 16 2005 - 08:13:30 PDT


--- John Goodman <jgood@well.com> wrote:
> > I
> don't quite understand when flutists talk about
> colors
> in their sound, but for some professionals such
> imagery
> is an important aspect of their playing.
>
> John G.
>

Hi.

On flute or shakuhachi if you play loud you get a
sound which is full of loud overtones. Trevor Wye
calls this sound purple. If you play more softly, you
get a hollow tone with fewer overtones or overtones
reduced in volume. Trevor Wye call this sound yellow.
 Loud and soft are relative terms and there are many
gradations. If you call one loudness purple, why not
call a sound just a little less loud, red? And thus
you could get the complete palette.

I regret that I resorted to the word "hollow" because
it is so ambiguous, a poetic image. The presence
and/or relative loudness of overtones is scientific,
factual. What I call the softer sound is metaphorical
and can be read any which way by whoever. The
selection of the loudness of a tone in a particular
passage is art.

Ikkyu says:

"no masters just you the master is you
wonderful no?"

I think this means that I need to practice and stop
talking.

Regards,

John Baker

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