[Harp-L] nomenclature




Obviously I've been a little obsessed about this. And also this is my nomenclature--not Gospel.Not having a teacher in the area I want to make sure I'm doing things correctly.


I sat down with two band members, one is also a music teacher. We got out the harps, the music dictionary, and the reference CD (Paul Butterfield's Master Class CD).

The music dictionary says that vibrato was a rhythmic change in frequency
Temolo a rhythmic change in amplitude (the volume goes up and down).
A violinist or a singer will use vibrato. A mandolinist (mandolinner?) frequently uses a tremolo.


My vibrato and Paul's vibrato do have a pitch change therefore it is a vibrato.
Paul's is better than mine.


Besides hand vibrato (which we decided was a tremolo--a change in amplitude without a change in pitch) I can do two breath vibratos.

One I inhale and break the sound up with my throat--the inhale is constant, the throat goes KKKKKKK. I call that a throat vibrato.

When I inhale rhythmically (take short breaths in)uhuhuhuhuhuh I call that a diaphragm vibrato--that's what Paul does, and the frequency modulates. The music teacher actually sang the notes and mimiced the vibrato and I could clearly hear the change in frequency. Paul for some reason calls this a tremulant. My stomach gradually fills with air, but it doesn't pulse. Not saying it can't pulse, but it doesn't have to for this effect.I like the sound of this vibrato better because my throat is more open. There is something going on in the throat and the base of the tongue. I can feel it if I put my hand on my throat. The change in frequency is small--it's not the equivalent of a half step bend..

We decided a head shake is a trill.

Paul hits the notes with the vibrato already going. I can't do this. I need to hit the note, then turn on the vibrato. Something to work towards. He also uses it a lot on bends--maybe this helps disguise the fact that you're not quite hitting the note.

Rainbow Jimmy
http://www.spaceanimals.com
http://www.soundclick.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals.htm





This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.