Ralph R. Hall [email protected] Ralph R. Hall http://www.brasshausmusic.com
Wendell, Many thanks for your considered and considerate reply. I think there is more common ground between us than our original skirmish might have suggested. Of course horn tone is a conflation of many factors and I probably over-egged the pudding as a reaction to the assertion that lips are the only factor in defining horn tone. Nevertheless, it is a common finding that an individual player's tone remains fundamentally the same no matter what instrument and (within reason!) what mouthpiece he plays. The common denominator is the player himself - and his/her physiognomy. To John Roberts-James I would only reply that if I spent just an hour researching his specialism in order to disprove a tried and tested theory, and then published my findings on an 'Osteopathy List', I don't suppose many would take me very seriously. Nor do I extend an invitation for all to see my qualifications, except to say that I have played professionally for over 40 years in top orchestras both in the UK and now Germany, and, over the same period of time, have taught from beginner to conservatoire level. I hold a teaching qualification in this particular field and was an examiner for the Guildhall for 12 years. So my theories are based upon the empirical evidence of over 40 years, not an hour's research. For those of a more scientific bent, I point you in the direction of Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholz (1821 - 1894) who discovered the exact relationship that exists between the size of the resonator (mouth) and its opening (lip aperture). In 1863 he published 'Die Lehre von den Tonempfindungen als physiologische Grundlage fur die Theorie der Musik' - On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music. He also came up with the 'Helmholz Resonator' as an aid to his experiments. Exactly 25 years ago last October, I went to see Philip Farkas on one of his last visits to London. In order to revise my subject, I revisited my (signed) copy of The Art of French Horn Playing and, of course, most of his treatise, relevant to tone production, concerns lips, embouchure etc. But, as a consequence of his instructions we can extrapolate almost exactly my contention - that body cavities have a significant role in tone production. If you move your lower teeth forward to align with your upper (as Farkas insists), low and behold your jaw has to descend, thus expanding the mouth cavity. Also, no one has disproved that what happens with singers cannot happen on the horn. As Wendell says, the vibration of the lips equates to the vibration of the vocal chords. With the latter, resonators play their part EITHER side of the vibration. In chest tones one can feel the actual 'rumble'. Drop the lower jaw, make a vertical oval shape with the mouth and sing as low a pitch as you can to the word 'Lor'. Similarly, the mouth cavity in playing is behind the vibration of the lips and can be affected (and effective). A vibration moves outwards in all directions from its source. Additionally, the mouth possesses acoustical properties of its own. If you tap your teeth with a pencil and then change the dimensions of the cavity of the mouth, the pitch will rise and fall. This has a bearing on the player's tone but space precludes. In conversation with the great man (Farkas of course!), he did admit that his book needed revising and updating. After all, it is now over 50 years old. Elaine Braun makes the point about sinuses pace her asthma and I also hear a difference in student's tone when they have a cold. Finally, in answer to J.R-J., I have frequently changed the size of the mouth as a resonator with my pupils by simply placing a pencil horizontally along the indentation between lower jaw and mouthpiece and pushing downwards as a note is played. Of course, if a compensation is not made within the mouthpiece, a lower pitch will result. But if the compensation is there, a huge tonal benefit is detected. Ralph R. Hall _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
