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From: John Thaden
Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 12:24:05 -0500
Subject: Re: attack and other instruments

Anthony May wrote

>Last night I was listening to the "Lester Young trio" album from '46.
>Listening to his attack I was struck by the fundamental difference between
>instruments that you blow and those that you suck and blow (yes, yes, I
>know, breathe in and out). It really highlighted the question of attack
>for the mouth organ player.
>
>How do those that focus on these things deal with the issue of playing
>things that you have come to know from, say, a sax melody?

I often play with a superb sax player, plus I've had a few lessons on alto,
and I too marvel at the beauty, sharpness, and precision of attack
possible. But I've never considered it to have much to do with the sax
being an all-blow instrument. The smoothness of legato melodies, yes, but
not the attack on individual notes.

The sax reed is a striking reed rather than a free reed like on harmonica;
it is damped by the lower lip; it requires a lot more air pressure to
vibrate; it can be physically choked off by changing the bite; and it is
loud. I think these are the differences between harmonica and sax that
have more to do with attack.
>
>On the other hand the breathe in-out pattern of the mouth organ might be
>thought of in the same field of articulation as a stringed instrument.

Or that both the string and the free reed may be easily excited into
motion, versus the sax reed.

The 't' and 'd' and 'g' and 'k' articulations may have to be done with more
finesse on harp than on sax, because of the lower playing pressure and the
large effect of tongue position on timbre. Douglas Tate teaches
articulation from the throat (like a gentle cough or throat-clearing), and
I also like breaking and forming the air seal with the upper lip, because
these have less effect on timbre. But for rapidly repeated single notes--a
natural on sax--I find myself tongueing these too using the same
consonants, and trying my darnedest to not swoop the tone while doing it.
Comments?



John Thaden
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA