How to play Launeddas
(or DIDGERIDOO)
(Australian Aborigine Instrument)
THE LAUNEDDAS TECHNIQUE
The Launeddas, the Sardinian popular direct-breath polyfonic musical instrument is made up of three different cane tubes of unequal size.
The longest is called "Tumbu or pedale", it has no lateral holes, and it produces a prolonged grave note in the only natural hole of the cane.
The second cane is called "Mancosa Manna" linked to the first by the use of a tarred string; it is played with the left hand by holding one's thumb underneath it in order to hold up its weight ; it has five little rectangular holes, for of which are covered by the fingertips of the following fingers: forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger. The fifth hole, the lowest one called "Pentiadori" or "arrefinu is left open.
The third cane is the shortest, it is called "Mancosedda" or "destrina", and it has five little holes too; it is played with the right hand by covering the four upper holes as mentioned before for "Mancosu Manna" and by leaving the fifth free/open. Every cane tube has a single beating reed that is produced by the cane itself, so that final end of the cane remains linked to the cane knot.
THE CIRCULAR BREATHING TECHNIQUE
How the musician is capable of producing and maintaining it. No polyphonic wind instrument with a protracted breathing technique, except "Launeddas" is played uninterruptedly even when the notes are separated or
when there is a pause, obtained by lowering simultaneously the tone to the note of the chord or to the note of the tonality of the music played during the moment of separation or pause: for this reason the "launeddas" player has to breath into the instrument continuously from the beginning to the end of the piece played, without the slightest interruption.
To the reader who is not familiar with Launeddas it could appear impossible to blow continuously without stopping at all for more than an hour. This happens because the Launeddas player is capable of recovering his breath without any difficulty without interrupting the piece of music. The technique: The musician breathes deeply before the beginning of the piece, and re-takes breath at every Semibreve, then he puts the Launeddas to his mouth and blows. During the first three beats he keeps his breath for the last quarter of the semibreve by forcibly blowing up his cheeks. In the last quarter, he both deflates his cheeks compressing his breath stored up in the Launeddas, and takes breath inhaling through his nose and so on continuously.
HOW TO LEARN THE CIRCULAR BREATHING TECHNIQUE
The way to learn the protracted breathing technique is the same as described for the player above; for the learner however it is slightly different because even if he is an adult, before learning he cannot produce sufficient air so as to play; he will have to use a little cane in place of the Launeddas.
We will provide instructions so that this little cane can be made and instructions in order to use it. Take a pen, eliminate the ink container and put a little plug in the little hole on the side; between this hole and the upper part of the plastic container (where the little plastic plug is placed, which will remain closed) make another hole smaller than the other
already found on the pen. In order to do this use the tip of a red-hot needle. Then fill a glass of water and after having placed it on the table put the plastic pen container in your mouth on the side from which the ink container was taken off. Place it in the glass of water until you reach and cover the new tiny hole and then blow; you will notice the tiny bubbles and the sound created by them. You will also notice that when you have finished blowing the bubbles will stop too.
Summarizing the technique then: concentrate, set the pen cover in your mouth, place it in the water and blow in the same way as the Launeddas player blows in his instrument.
Let's repeat: During the first three times; that is at one two and three, you store the air for the last quarter, by forcibly inflating your cheeks. In the last quarter (without interrupting the flux of wind coming out) you should simultaneously deflate your cheeks and compress the air in them and at the same time you take in air from your nose, and continue blowing the other semibreve. It you don't succeed the first time, try again. Don't feel frustrated because a great number of people, even though understanding the
technique, have rarely succeeded at a first attempt. When the learner has acquired this, he just needs practice until he is capable of going on for at least 10 minutes. After this it can be said that he is at a good stage, because he has reached a stage and resolved a problem that seemed impossible
to reach at the beginning.
3.2.2.2.2.2.1 un tuyau par main : flűtes doubles, zampogna italiennes, launeddas sarde, diple croate. Une typologie supplémentaire serait réalisable selon les échelles respectives et relatives des deux tuyaux mais également selon le type de jeu (harmonie parallčle, arpčges sur l'un des tuyaux ou, plus simplement, l'un des tuyaux tient un bourdon sur une note choisie par l'interprčte lorsque l'autre joue la mélodie et vice-versa)
http://www.antropodium.nl/launeddas.htm
Talking about MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS the "launeddas" deserve a privileged place as they are the most typical sonorous instrument in Sardinia. The Egyptian "argul" is probable the only instrument similar to the "launeddas". Its predecessor, the "benas" is a flute made of fen cane with a "trumbitta" (small trumpet) that fits in a resonating pipe with three holes. Three fen canes constitute the "launeddas": the "tumbu", which is the longest and is tied to "sa mancosa manna" with a string, and the "mancosedda" or "destrina" on which the melody is played. It takes long years of study and application to master the difficult technique needed to play this instrument.
Suonatori di launeddas
Luigi Lai from San Vito Its remote origins can be seen in the so called Ithyphallic small bronze which dates back to the eighth century BC. It was discovered in the countryside near Ittiri and depicts a launeddas player.
The tradition of this instrument, preserved by undisputed contemporary virtuosos such as Luigi Lai from San Vito and Aurelio Porcu from Villaputzu, is also secured by cultural societies and schools in Quartu and in the Sarrabus which are attended by young students.
In the last few years there has been a new interest in the "launeddas", which has led to them being used in non-traditional music such as jazz and rock.
In the past the "launeddas" were widely used to accompany the dances in the squares until they were replaced by the two rows melodeon (a kind of accordion) invented by the Viennese Damian in 1829. The melodeon was brought to Italy by Paolo Soprani in 1863 and soon became integrated into the island's musical tradition.
Nowadays Totore Chessa from Irgoli is one of the greatest performers on the island. In this survey of Sardinian instruments we must mention the "serraggia" which is made from a cane pipe, a swollen and dried pig bladder and a stretched string which is rubbed with a lentisk bow; "su pipiolu" that is the sheperd's pipe made from fen cane; among the percussion instruments there are the drums "tumbarinu" from Aidomaggiore and Gavoi.
Totore Chessa from Irgoli
An exhaustive study of Sardinian instruments can be carried out in Tadasuni, a very small village in the area of Oristano, where don Giovanni Dore has founded an extraordinary and unique museum.
Some of these instruments (particularly the "launeddas") as well as many stylistic features of the Sardinian musical tradition are being used nowadays in new musical contexts. In the wake of the growing interest in ethnic music we have seen a growing respect for and a modern development of this heritage. This has led to and interesting mix of traditional and non-traditional styles and instruments.
De launeddas is een blaasinstrument dat al vijfentwintig eeuwen de boventoon voert in de volksmuziek op Sardinië. Het bestaat uit drie rietstengels van verschillende lengte. De mond van de speler dient als windkamer. Achter de launeddas-praktijk schuilen vele geheimen, en voor zover de vroeger grootmeesters ze niet in hun graf meenamen, geeft dit boek ze prijs.
De monografie behandelt niet alleen de muzikale aspecten, de oorsprong en de constructie van de launeddas. De auteur beschouwt het instrument dan ook als een bron voor bijgeloof en magie, listen en intriges. Hij voert legendarische launeddas-meesters ten tonele en vertelt over hun ongekende rivaliteit onderling.
Het boek is de eerste Nederlandse publikatie over de launeddas, en werd geschreven ter gelegenheid van een concert door launeddas-meester Luigi Lai in Middelburg. Het is tevens een eerbetoon aan de jonggestorven Deense etnoloog Andreas Fridolin Weis Bentzon, die op Sardinië jarenlang onderzoek deed naar het instrument. Gedeelten van dit boek zijn gebaseerd op zijn geschriften.
Bakx' monografie werd in 2000 in de Logodurees-Sardische taal vertaald door Antiogu Cappai-Cadeddu onder de titel:
Is Launeddas.
Istrumentu Musicale de sos
Sardos de Deris e de Oe.
Verwacht wordt dat de Sardische vertaling van deze monografie zal worden uitgegeven op de toekomstige CD-Rom van De Nederlands-Sardische cultuurvereniging Muska Maghedda in Amsterdam.
"Is Launeddas", strumento assolutamente tipico della Sardegna, é la principale espressione della piů autentica musica etnica sarda. Le sue origini si perdono nel tempo: alcuni reperti archeologici tra i quali un famoso bronzetto dell'etŕ nuragica (arrivato al museo archeologico di Cagliari nel 1906) raffigurante per l'appunto un suonatore di aerofono a tre canne, ne testimoniano la presenza in tutto il territorio sardo in un'epoca oscillante fra i 2500 e i 3000 anni fa.
Le Launeddas sono uno strumento a fiato diretto, "ad ancia semplice battente e polifonico, essendo formate da tre canne a tubo di diversa lunghezza". La piů lunga di queste canne si chiama "Tumbu", non ha fori naturali e fornisce una nota grave continua che funge da pedale (o bordone) continuo a tutta la musica eseguita.
Il secondo tubo si chiama "Mancosa manna" ed é accoppiato al Tumbu (che rimane all'estrema sinistra) con una legatura di spago impeciato: si suona con la mano sinistra tenendo il pollice sotto per mantenere il peso, ha cinque piccoli fori rettangolari, quattro dei quali vengono coperti con i polpastrelli dell'indice, medio , anulare e mignolo.
Il quinto foro, quello in basso chiamato "Pentiadori" o "Arrefinu" resta sempre aperto. Il terzo tubo, piů corto degli altri, si chiama "Mancosedda" o "Destrina" in quanto viene suonato dalla mano destra.
Ogni tubo ha incastrata un'ancia battente che viene elaborata sullo stesso cannellino, in modo che all'estremitŕ resti ancora un pezzo del nodo del cannellino medesimo. Lo strumento si suona imboccando tutte e tre le ance contemporaneamente.
La tecnica della respirazione per suonare le Launeddas merita un discorso a parte in quanto la nota grave del bordone non si deve mai interrompere. Questo implica da parte del suonatore una perfetta conoscenza del cosě detto "fiato continuo", tecnica del tutto particolare che consiste, in sintesi, nel riprendere fiato dal naso utilizzando, in quell'istante, l'aria tenuta di riserva nelle gote della bocca, gonfiate a forza.
Questa operazione, di norma, avviene nell'ultimo quarto della battuta e deve risultare impercettibile all'ascoltatore. Il fiato continuo é senza dubbio una delle caratteristiche piů suggestive della musica delle Launeddas: intere sonate vengono straordinariamente eseguite senza interruzioni per tempi che, tradizionalmente, possono anche essere molto lunghi (si parla di ore).
Come in tanti altri tipi di strumenti musicali "storici", anche le Launeddas, intese nel complesso delle tre canne, si dividono in una famiglia di vari tipi, che prendono nome a seconda della tonalitŕ in cui sono tagliati. Questi tipi si chiamano "Cunzertu" ("concerti") e a seconda del timbro, piů chiaro o piů cupo, vengono impiegati in occasioni diverse.
Per questo i suonatori di launeddas se ne portano sempre dietro un'intera collezione, trasportandoli in un particolare astuccio a forma di tubo chiamato "Straccŕsciu". Gli strumenti principali si chiamano "Fiorassiu", "Mediana", "Punt' ‘e Organu" (Punto d'Organo), "Mediana a Pipia", "Fiuda", "Simponia", "Spinellu", "Contrappuntu".
Sembra che nel corso di duemilacinquecento anni di esistenza le Launeddas, pur variando in alcuni minimi particolari, non abbiano mutato le caratteristiche essenziali di costruzione, e il costume ha voluto che anche il nome restasse lo stesso delle origini, anche se i suonatori, tra loro, usano molto l'espressione "Sonus de Canna" che indica sia lo strumento che la musica con esso eseguita.
Si dice che esso fosse l'unico strumento conosciuto anticamente e per moltissimo tempo in tutta la Sardegna, e che dopo questo primo fertile periodo ne fosse venuto meno, gradualmente, l'uso fino ad una totale scomparsa per poi "misteriosamente" ricomparire nel primo ventennio dell'800.
Questo avveniva nell'intervallo di tempo in cui gli antichi oppressori lasciavano il potere ai nuovi, e il suo uso continuava fino a quando la libertŕ non veniva nuovamente soffocata.
How to build the launeddas
Come costruire le Launeddas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gathering the canes.
La raccolta delle canne.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second Selection and cleaning.
Selezione piů accurata. Pulitura.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurement by comparison with an old instrument (base)
Misurazione per comparazione con un altro strumento base.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cutting the elements
Il taglio degli elementi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The raw elements
Gli elementi grezzi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empting the "calami"
lo svuotamento dei calami
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tying the joints
legatutra di rinforzo alle giunzioni
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elements ready for assembling
Pronti per l'assemblaggio
(Qui per la versione Italiana)
THE LAUNEDDAS TECHNIQUE
The Launeddas, the Sardinian popular direct-breath polyfonic musical instrument is made up of three different cane tubes of unequal size. The longest is called "Tumbu or pedale", it has no lateral holes, and it produces a prolonged grave note in the only natural hole of the cane. The second cane is called "Mancosa Manna" linked to the first by the use of a tarred string; it is played with the left hand by holding one's thumb underneath it in order to hold up its weight ; it has five little rectangular holes, for of which are covered by the fingertips of the following fingers: forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger. The fifth hole, the lowest one called "Pentiadori" or "arrefinu is left open. The third cane is the shortest, it is called "Mancosedda" or "destrina", and it has five little holes too; it is played with the right hand by covering the four upper holes as mentioned before for "Mancosu Manna" and by leaving the fifth free/open. Every cane tube has a single beating reed that is produced by the cane itself, so that final end of the cane remains linked to the cane knot.
THE CIRCULAR BREATHING TECHNIQUE
How the musician is capable of producing and maintaining it.
No polyphonic wind instrument with a protracted breathing technique, except "Launeddas" is played uninterruptedly even when the notes are separated or when there is a pause, obtained by lowering simultaneously the tone to the note of the chord or to the note of the tonality of the music played during the moment of seperation or pause: for this reason the "launeddas" player has to breath into the instrument continuously from the beginning to the end of the piece played, without the slightest interruption. To the reader who is not familiar with Launeddas it could appear impossible to blow continuously without stopping at all for more than an hour. This happens because the Launeddas player is capable of recovering his breath without any difficulty without interrupting the piece of music. The technique: The musician breathes deeply before the beginning of the piece, and re-takes breath at every Semibreve, then he puts the Launeddas to his mouth and blows. During the first three beats he keeps his breath for the last quarter of the semibreve by forcibly blowing up his cheeks. In the last quarter, he both deflates his cheeks compressing his breath stored up in the Launeddas, and takes breath inhaling through his nose and so on continuously.
HOW TO LEARN THE CIRCULAR BREATHING TECHNIQUE
The way to learn the protracted breathing technique is the same as described for the player above; for the learner however it is slightly different because even if he is an adult, before learning he cannot produce sufficient air so as to play; he will have to use a little cane in place of the Launeddas. We will provide instructions so that this little cane can be made and instructions in order to use it. Take a pen, eliminate the ink container and put a little plug in the little hole on the side; between this hole and the upper part of the plastic container (where the little plastic plug is placed, which will remain closed) make another hole smaller than the other already found on the pen. In order to do this use the tip of a red-hot needle. Then fill a glass of water and after having placed it on the table put the plastic pen container in your mouth on the side from which the ink container was taken off. Place it in the glass of water until you reach and cover the new tiny hole and then blow; you will notice the tiny bubbles and the sound created by them. You will also notice that when you have finished blowing the bubbles will stop too. Summarizing the technique then: concentrate, set the pen cover in your mouth, place it in the water and blow in the same way as the Launeddas player blows in his instrument. Let's repeat: During the first three times; that is at one two and three, you store the air for the last quarter, by forcibly inflating your cheeks. In the last quarter (without interrupting the flux of wind coming out) you should simultaneously deflate your cheeks and compress the air in them and at the same time you take in air from your nose, and continue blowing the other semibreve. It you don't succeed the first time, try again. Don't feel frustrated because a great number of people, even though understanding the technique, have rarely succeeded at a first attempt. When the learner has acquired this, he just needs practice until he is capable of going on for at least 10 minutes. After this it can be said that he is at a good stage, because he has reached a stage and resolved a problem that seemed impossible to reach at the beginning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is Launeddas
in a nutshell
(Qui per la versione Italiana)
Launedda is a polyphonic reed instrument wich is made up of three canes. Since it requires a constant flow of air it is played using circular breathing.
The longest cane is called tumbu and is always tuned on the tonic and emits a single drone note in the low register.
The two chanters are called mancosa manna and mancosedda. They have five holes each and the four located on the upper part are fingered by the left and right hand, respectively.
The lowest hole on the melodic canes is called arrefinu or pentiadori and is always tuned on a note that belongs to the triad built on the tonic.
When the finger holes are closed, the arrefinu plays and blends with the note of the tumbu. In this way it is possible to create waht what has the effect of a pause and staccato in the melody without interrupting the flow of air created by the player's circular respiration.
The mancosedda and the mancosa manna with wich two melodies are played at the same time can have five different combinations of notes that always correspond to a portion of the major scale.
The arrefinu is always tuned on the note wich belongs to the tonic triad wich is closest by descending scale to the lowest note of the melodic canes.
more ...
La testimonianza più arcaica dell'esistenza dello strumento in Sardegna ci è offerta dal bronzetto votivo dell'era nuragica (VIII-IX secolo a.C.) che rappresenta una figura maschile in atto di suonare uno strumento a tre canne, nonchè da una statuetta punica raffigurante un suonatore di uno strumento a due canne. Interessante è pure un bassorilievo esistente nelle catacombe di Sant'Antioco (CA) che rappresenta un Gesù buon pastore che suona uno strumento a doppia canna, risalente al tardo periodo bizantino. Il primo accenno grafico lo si trova in una miniatura del 1200 di Juan Gonzales nell'opera "Cantigas de Santa Maria" ; la miniatura presenta un concertino a più strumenti, tra i quali uno ad ancia composto da tre calami. Di grande interesse è pure un bassorilievo che si trova nella chiesa di San Bachisio a Bolotana(Nu) risalente ai primi anni del XVI secolo, dove si distingue la figura di un suonatore di strumento a fiato a due canne, considerata la prima rappresentazione di un suonatore di Launeddas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Launeddas
the history
The most ancient proof of the existence of this instrument in Sardinia is given by the little votive bronze statue of the nuraghe period (VIII - IX c. - BC.) which represents a male figure playing a three pipe instrument and by a small Punic statue representing a player of a two-pipe phonic instrument. It is also interesting a bas-relief in Sant'Antioco catacombs that represents a "Gesů Buon Pastore" who plays a double pipe instrument, dating back to the late Byzantine period. The first graphic sign is found in a 13th century miniature by Juan Gonzalez in his work "Cantigas de Santa Maria "; the miniature shows a multiple instrument little concert among which a reed one was made up of three hollow stalks. It is also very important a bas-relief in San Bachisio's Church in Bolotana (Nu) where the figure of a two-pipe wind instrument player is considered the first representation of the "launeddas" player dating back to the beginning of the XVI century.
L'ARGIA
Un exemple de musicothérapie en Sardaigne
(La tarentelle sarde)
Une trentaine de chars ŕ bśufs décorés (" les traccas ") , deux mille personnes, précédés de musiciens jouant de l'antique launneddas et de quelques autres instruments, défilent portant les costumes de leur village précédant le saint, tiré par ses deux bśufs fleuris, suivi d'une foule de milliers de fidčles, mi-fervents, mi-curieux pręts ŕ marcher plusieurs heures derričre la statue de leur saint porte-bonheur. Certains demandent de le toucher, font des vśux de toute sorte, tout le monde y a droit.
A Perseus teljesen egyedülálló alkotás, amely egyaránt tartalmaz antik szövegeket, modern feldolgozásokat, térképeket és számos más - a kutatásban, oktatásban és ismeretterjesztésben egyaránt jelentős - dokumentumot.
Az alábbi szerzők műveinek görög és angol változata érhető el: Aiszkhinész, Aiszkhülosz, Andokidész, Antiphón, Apollodórosz, Arisztophanész, Arisztotelész, Bakkhülidész, Démadész, Démoszthenész, Deinarkhosz, Diodórosz Szikeliótész, Eukleidész, Euripidész, Hérodotosz, Hésziodosz, Homérosz, Homéroszi himnuszok, Hüpereidész, Iszaiosz, Iszokratész, Josephus Flavius, Lükurgosz, Lüsziasz, Pauszaniasz, Pindarosz, Platón, Plutarkhosz, Pszeudo-Xenophón, Szophoklész, Sztrabón, Thuküdidész, Xenophón.
A görög és angol szövegekben egyaránt kereshetünk szavakra, illetve egész mondatokra.
Az alábbi szerzők műveinek latin és angol változata érhető el: Caesar, Catullus, Cicero, Hirtius, Horatius, Livius, Ovidius, Plautus, Servius, Vergilius.
Ezekben is hasonló módon kereshetünk, mint a görög szövegekben. A Perseus tartalmaz két komoly papirusz-gyűjteményt is (Duke Data Bank of Documentary Papyri és Archive of Watermarks and Papers in Greek Manuscripts).
Az antik örökség feldolgozásának jelentős állomása volt Shakespeare Julius Caesar c. darabja. A Shakespeare-darabbal és forrásaival foglalkozik az alábbi link: Julius Caesar: Shakespeare's play and ancient sources.
George Frazer, a híres vallástörténész műve a görög mitológiáról (Frazer's summary of Apollodorus' handbook of Greek mythology). Thuküdidésszel foglalkozik az alábbi link: Sources for Thucydides research: modern scholarship on the ancient historian. A lapon a szerzővel és történeti munkájával kapcsolatban fontos információkat érhetünk el.
A Perseus tartalmaz egy teljes görög történelmet is (Thomas Martin: Overview of Archaic and Classical Greek History).
Az antik szövegek megértését segíti, hogy a szerzők a legismertebb szótárak web-változatát is elhelyezték a honlapon:
- Intermediate Liddell-Scott Greek Lexicon
- Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek Lexicon
- Lewis and Short Latin Dictionary
A szótárakban nemcsak egy-egy szó jelentését tudhatjuk meg, hanem megkeres-hetünk egész kifejezéseket, vagy egy-egy szó előfordulási helyeit is.
Természetesen, mivel enciklopédiáról van szó, egy keresőrendszer segítségével bármilyen témakörben kereshetünk.
Termeszetesen hiheto, hogy az aulosokhoz alkatreszek jarultak, ami a szerkezetebol latszik. Arisztoxenosz megemliti, hogy az aulos lyukat ugy voltak sorba teve, hogy 3/4 ,3/4,tonus,tonus, ujra 3/4,3/4 diasztemak kovettek egymast. Igy 3/4+3/4+1 a 'tetarti' diasztemat alkotja. Egy peripatetikus, keso kori iro eszrevetele, hogy az aulos hosszanak aranya megfelel a 2:1, az 'ogdois' diasztemanak. ..."ta tripimata (opes) tou aulou martirun kati tetio".80 Megemlitik meg azt is, hogy Pronomiosz elott, mikor meg nem ismertek a "gyuruket" ('daktilius') a zeneszek minden harmoniahoz kulonbozo aulost hasznaltak. Ogorog zenei tanusagok szerint a diasztima "tetartis" alapegysege volt minden skalanak. Igy az auloson kellett hogy legyen ennek megfelelo lyukpar, mely a 4:3 aranyhoz igazodik, a nyelvtol merve. Mint azt az elozoekben is emlitettuk, nem ismerjuk a nyelv pontos helyet. Azonban nehany eseten vegezhetunk becsleseket, osszevetve a lyukak tavolsagat. Ezt az utat kovette J.G.Landels, hasznos kovetkezteteseket levonva a Brabrona es a Reading aulosok vizsgalatanal.81
80)Aristox.Arm.2.37. peu.-Aristot.Probl.19.23.
Ptol.Arm.2.12.66.,32.old. Utal az aulos keszitokre, akik a probalgatasok asoran, a ibakbol okulva "javitjak" , jobbitjak a hangszert.
R.J.Letter,CQ 19(1969),266-8. [West szerint nem megalapozott feltetelezesekbe bocsatkozik az aulos elejenek es a nyelvnek a kikepzeserol, az"Elgin" aulos alapjan.]
A fafúvós hangszerek lyukainak elhelyezésénél mindig az volt az els? szempont, hogy lehessen játszani a hangszeren. Ez pedig csak akkor teljesül, ha emberi kézzel el lehet érni a lyukakat. A lyukak hangtanilag rossz elhelyezését a lyukak méretével lehet kompenzálni. Ez a tilitoli-játék azonban hatással van a villafogások tisztaságára, ugyanis a lyuktágítással nem lehet elérni azt, hogy az alap fogások is és a villafogások is tiszták legyenek. Utóbbiakhoz szükséges, hogy a lyukak "jó" helyen legyenek. Az igényes hangszerkészít? kikísérletezi, hogy hova kell fúrni a lyukakat ahhoz, hogy a lyukméretezéssel tisztára hangolt alapskála mellett a villafogások is tiszták legyenek. Persze ha csak egyféle hangnemben kell játszani, akkor ennek nincs akkora jelent?sége.
Az etnomuzsikologusok azt tapasztaltak, hogy az aulosok tulnyomo tobbsege a legtobb teruleten nincs ugy meretezve, hogy a lyukak sorara es a diasztemakra valamely logika lenne ervenyes. Valoszinubb merleglesi alap a lukak egymastol valo egyenlo tavolsaga. Vagy valamennyi egyenlo tavolsagra esik, vagy ket csoportja van a lukaknak, a csoporton belul egyenlo tavolsagokkal, mind ket kez aulosara. Ez a teny nem hoz letre hasonlo zenei diasztemakat, melyek a hossz novekedest kivanjak, es geometrikus, nem pedig aritmetikus haladvanyt kovetnek. Valamely "javitas" elerheto a lyukak nagysaganak es peremenek a kialakitasaval, de ketsegtelen, hogy az aulos jatekos mas, fentebb mar emlitett technikakat is hasznal.79
Kathleen Schlesinger egy vaskos es fantasztikus konyvet irt The Greek Aulos cimmel, arra a feltetelezesre alapozva, hogy a lyukak kozti tavolsag egyenlo. Nem zavarta a teny, hogy ez az allitas nem igaz az altala vizsgalt es a mas rank maradt aulosoknal. Mindenek azonban nem tulajdonitott jelentoseget. Gyakran a lyukak kozti tavolsag egyenlotlensege oly szembeszoko, hogy ennek mellozese csak tudatos 'ferdites' celjabol tortenhet. Vajon milyen szandek rejlik az ilyes allaspontok mogott?
79)E.M. von Hornbostel, Festtschrift Wilhelm Schimidt (Bienni,1928.
Sachs, HMI 181.
A csőbe zárt levegő rezgésének periódusidejéről, vagy frekvenciájáról lehet szó. Egyik a másik reciproka.
>Volt velemeny, mely szerint a melegebb lelegzet melyebb hangot eredmenyez.
Ez egy téves vélemény. A melegebb levegő magasabb hangot eredményez.
Olyan tudományos művet még nem olvastam, amelyik korrektül magyarázta volna a fúvós hangszerek hangmagasságának geometriai függéseit. Lehet, hogy ilyet még nem is írtak. A probléma túl bonyolult.
Sok kiserlet tortent arra, hogy megprobaljanak kovetkezteteseket levonni a rankmaradt aulosok lyukainak elrendezeset vizsgalva, a hozzajuk rendelt phtongusokat es diasztemakat keresve. Ez az igyekezet nem remenytelen, annak ellenere, hogy a vegkovetkeztetest rengeteg tenyezo befolyasolja. A kulonbozo lyukak nyitasa es zarasa az ujjakkal, megvaltoztatja a phtongust [...itt forditasi nehezseggel talalkoztam, a szoveg a kovetkezokben az 'auxsomiosi tis diarkias antiihisis tou aerothalamu' kifejezeseket hasznalja. Auxomiosiu= valtoztatas vagy novekvo, vagy csokkeno mertekben. Aerothalamu= a cso. Antiihisis= a csoben levo leggoszlop rezgese (?). Diarkia=idotartam. Az ertelmezest kesobb, szakszotarral, a hozzaertok megkerdezesevel ujra megkisereljuk. Spir. megj.] A kulonbozo phtongusok kozti diasztema megfelel, (altalanossagban) a rezgo levegooszlop hosszaranyanak, mely az aulos nyelvtol mert levegooszlop hossza. A hangszer a legmelyebb phtongust akkor adja, ha az ujjak minden lyukat zarnak, igy az aulos egesz hossza mukodik, (feltetelezve, hogy nincs mas legnyilas.) Egy lyukat kozepen nyitva egy oktav phtongus diasztema hallatszik. A ketharmadnal nyitva lefele, egy otodik fok, stb. Elmeletileg, meg ha nem is ismerjuk egy meghatarozott aulos teljes hangterjedelmet, meghatarozhatjuk a phtongusokat, megmerve a lyukak tavolsagat. Meg akkor is elvegezheto ez a muvelet, ha az aulos also resze torott, vagy hianyzik. Mindazonaltal nagyon lenyeges lenne, ha rendelkezesunkre allna eppen az 'episztomio' es a nyelv.
Sajnos a gorog aulosok eseteben nem talaltak soha nyelvet, igy kenytelenek vagyunk feltetelezeseket tenni. A pontos tonust egy lyuknal befolyasolja annak nagysaga, egy nagyobb lyuk magasabb phtongust ad egy kisebbnel. A korai aulosoknal a lyukak egyformak voltak, egy kivetelevel.72 A zenesz megvaltozatathatta a tonikus magassagot, kisebb, vagy nagyobb mertekben lefedve az ujjaval a lyukat. (Felet lezarva mintegy harmados csokkenes erheto el. Elhetett a villafogassal is. Proklos szerint minden lyuka az aulosnak legalabb harom phtongust adhat.74 A jatekos az ajkak helyzetevel is befolyasolhatta a magassagot, megvaltoztatva helyzetet a nyelven. Leteztek technikai megoldasok is a hangmagassag valtoztatasra. Hallunk olyan jatektechnikarol is, mely a a ket aulos szoget valtozatatva er el hangmagassag valtozast.75 Volt velemeny, mely szerint a melegebb lelegzet melyebb hangot eredmenyez.76
Kovetkezokepp az eloado minden phtongust kivansaga szerint valtoztathatott. Itt ertheto, mire gondolt Platon, mikor az aulos 'megbizhatatlansagarol" szolt. 77
Arisztoxenosz igy ir:
"Az, hogy az aulos kepes szimfonikus diasztemak, tetartis, pemtis, diapason megszolaltatasara, nem magyarazhato csupan azzzal a tennyel, hogy lyukakkal rendelkezik, furattal stb., hanem a jatekos ugyessegevel, technikajaval, mely egyreszt a kezugyesseg, masreszt a hangszer kulonbozo alkatreszeinek a fuggvenye, igy az aulos jatekos kepes csokkenteni, vagy novelni a tonikus magassagot. Minden lyuk es alkatresztol fuggetlenul, a zeneszek nem hibaznak tobbet, ami a hangok rendjet illeti, kulonbozo aulosokat hasznalva. A kulonbseget athidalva a fuvas modjaval es mas modszerekkel emelve, vagy csokkentve a hangot. ... az aulos kulonoskeppen 'atvaltoztathato", ami a keszitesi modjat es hasznalatat , termeszetet illeti.78
Arisztoxenosz - egy aulosokrol szolo elveszett munkajat emlito hiradas szerint - ot fajta aulost kulonboztetett meg:parthenioi, kytharistioi, paidikoi, teleioi es hyperteleioi (szuzeknek, gyermekeknek, kitharorodiahoz valo, tokeletes es hyperteljes). Ezeket ma igy mondanank, szopran, mezoszopran, 'kontralto', tenor, bariton.A parthenikus aulos es a hyperteleios a legmagasabb es a legmelyebb, az ossz hang terjedelem a legmagasabb phtongustol a legmelyebbig egy kicsivel meghaladja a harom oktavot. 37 Arisztotelesz szinten ismeri ezt a besorolast es megerositi, hogy a parthenikus aulos magasabb mint a paidikous. 38 Plydeukes szerint ezt az ot fajta aulost hasznaltak a lanytancok kiseretenel, valamint a fiuk korusanal es a kitharistikus kiseretnel, valamint paianoknal, ferfitancoknal, mindazonaltal nincs szo valamely biztos korulhatarolasrol, es a besorolasok inkabb az okorbuvarok feltetelezesein alapulnak, mintsem hiteles forrasokon.39
A magassag nem kotodik foltetlen az aulos hosszahoz, megis foltetelezhetjuk, hogy a melyebb aulos hosszabb volt. A muveszi abrazolasokon megfigyelheto az aulosok hosszkulonbsege, osszevetve az alkarral, de nem vagyunk abban a helyzetben, hogy pontosan kategorizaljunk.40 Megis ritkan van olyan erzeseunk, hogy a muvesz szandekosan hosszabbnak vagy rovidebbnek tunteti fel az aulost, osszevetve egy kozep ertekkel. Ket nyilvanvaloan rovid aulospart latunk egy attikai vazan, mintket esetben zeneszlannyal.41. A leginkabb elonyben reszesitett hossz 20-25 cm koruli. Ket archaikus aulos Ephesusbol ilyen meretu. A rendelkezesunkre allo anyagbol a hangszerek fele hosszu fajta, nemelyek ketszeresen nagyobbak az atlagnal. Azon aulosok melyek ugy maradtak rank epsegben, hogy merhetok, harminc cm, a leghosszabb a Pompeibol valo 49-57 cm. Pauszaniasz emlit egy szobrot, az argosi Szakadat abrazolja, ahol az aulos par hossza meghaladja a zenesz magassagat.Ilyen aulosokkal talakozunk Romaban is.42
Arisztotelesz es Arisztoxenosz elotti idokbol szamtalan elnevezes ismeretes az aulosra. Anakreon es Aischylos ismeri az 'miopous' aulost, melyet a kutatok a paidikous aulossal azonositanak.Aischylos Dioniszosz kovetoinek kezebe a bombikes aulost adja, valoszinuleg mely hangu hangszer lehetett.43 Herodotus a lyd Alyati seregerol szolva, amint Miletosz fele menetel, syrinx, harfa, aulos adja az utemet, noi es ferfi zeneszek kiserik a hadat. Athinaos a ferfi aulost mint nagyobbat, melyebbet emliti, Arisztoxenos teleious es hyperteleious aulosaval azonositva.44 A lyd 'magadi' aulosrol szol a hioszi Ion. Valoszinuleg egyfajta parositasa ez a ferfi es noi aulosnak, azzal a cellal, hogy a hangkiterjedese meghaladja a dia pasont.45 "Vegyes"
fajta aulosok a phygiaiak, az 'elymoi', melyek meghoditjak az egesz gorog vilagot. Jellemzo jegyuk, hogy az aulos parbol az egyik, rendszerint a bal egy szarvbol keszult aulos, mely 'boukentto'-val rendelkezett, ez az aulos vegen egy folfele hajlo tolcser.Lathato egy minoikus aldozati menetben, Az Agiasz Triada beli szakofagon. Kisazsiabol egy rez szobrocska a 8. szazadbol mutat egy ilyen hangszert egy phryg sapkas zenesz kezeben.46 A rank maradt gorog muveszetben nincs tanusag erre, azoban Pausaiasz szerint lathato volt Larnakaban es Olympiaban.Ritkan emlitik gorog forrasok a hellenisztikus korbol, mint keleti hangszert.47 Gyakraban jelenik meg kesobb, a Nagy Istenno tiszteletenel Romaban. 245 korul i.e. egy gorog tisztviselo egy egyiptomi varosban ,valamely unneppel kapcsolatban kartarsanak irt leveleben ezt irja: 'Tegy meg mindent, amit csak tudsz, hogy Pteteot az aulos jatekost kuld ide a phryg es mas aulosaival." Egy epigramma, meghatarozatlan chronologiaval, arrol szol, hogy egy kocsma tancosnoje vad, orgiasztikus tancot jart Kybele faklyaival, extazisban a phryg szarubol keszult aulostol.48. A phryg aulosok jelentos szerepet jatszottak a romaiaknal, ismerjuk errol Terentius Kommentarjat.49 Mint mondjak, pixaribol keszult,50 es a furat atmeroje keskeny volt, hangjuk melyebb a gorog aulosoknal.51 A latin koltok ugy irjak korul mint erdes hangu hangszert. Baron egy kicsit homalyos kijelentese szerint az aulos amit a jobb kez hasznalt rendelkezett ket lyukkal, mig a masik, a bal kezes kettovel, egy ezek kozul magasabb, a masik pedig egy alacsonyabb phtongust ad. Vergilius szinten emliti 'a ket luk melodiajat', es a ket lyuku aulosokat, csakugy mint Athinaeos.53 Az a gyanu, hogy ezek a hangszerek nem voltak ellatva csak az ujjhoz rendelt lyukakkal, hanem rendelkeztek parhuzamos csovekkel, kulonbozo szelessegben es nagysagban, es mindketto a bal kezel jatszott, mig a jobb egy masik aulost szolaltatott meg.([Itt megint felo, hogy valoszinuleg keveredik a lyuk es a furat fogalma. Megnezi, az angol eredetit!]A bal kez hosszabb aulosa egy mely, kitartott hangot szolaltatott meg. Ez a fajta hangszer szerkezet,a aneddas megtalalhato Szardinian,[Nosza Petyus! Szaladjunk Szardiniaba...:] ahol a zenetudosok raismertek egy egyedulallo az okortol maig elo hagszerre. Egy harmas klarinet, a rovidebb aulosa a jobb kezzel, a ket hosszabb, osszekotve egymassal a ballal kitartott hangot jatszik.54 A laneddasnak nincs szarv tolcsere. A legtobb szaru aulosok melyek Europaban es Eszak-Afrikaban lathatok, ket aulost kotnek ossze, igy egy ujj zarja mindkettojet egyidoben, mint ahogy azt egy phryg szobrocska mutatja a 8. szazadbol i.e.55
A muveszet adta tanusagok az sugalljak, hogy ez nem lehetett az egyetlen fajta a sokfele phryg aulosok kozul.
A negyedik szazadtol kezdve hirt kapunk egy kis aulosrol, giggras,gigros,giggrias,giggrainos nevvel, mely kariai eredetu. A hossza egy 'spitami'(tenyer?), a hangja eles, athato, gyaszos, a kezdok okitasara hasznaltak.56 Mas valtozata a gigglaros, Polydeukes szerint ez egy kis egyiptomi aulos, alkalmas a szolo jatekra.57 Ez arra vall, hogy valoszinuleg sok lyuka volt, melyek mindket kezet lefoglaltak. A monaulisis, a szolo aulos jatek ritka jelenseg, de ismert az archaikus korbol. Erre utalnak a spartai szobrocskak es szorvanyos philologiai utalasok.58 Az erre a celra keszitett aulos nehany esetben legalabbis, nadbol valo, vagy novenyi szarbol, melyet dor dialektusban, Italiaban deli reszen titirosnak hivnak. Theocritos elmlit meg nad aulost, mint nem muves, a syrinxnel alacsonyabb soru hangszert.60
A 4. szazadtol vannak tanusagaink az egyagu aulosra ,monoaulos. Meglehet hogy harantaulosnak 'plagiaulos' hivtak. A nyelve egy vekony csobe illesztett, a folso vege zart. Ket ilyes hangszert oriz az angol Nemzeti Muzeum, van rola nehany muveszeti abrazolas is.
Kesobbi forrasok szolnak 'mesopyknoi' aulosrol, leteznek pythikoi,(teleios) aulossok. Utobbiak muves hangszerek, szolo hangszer jatekra hasznaltak a versenyeken.62 Valoszinuleg el volt latva minden technikai lelemennyel, oldal nyilasokkal, gyurukkel stb. Osszvetik a chrorodiakus aulossal, mely magas hangfekvesu, a dithirambos es mas chorikus dalok kiseretere hasznaltak.63 Valoszinuleg hasonlitott a theatrikus aulosra, szolo jatekra is alkalmazva, de igazan nem tudjuk osszevetni a pythikus aulossal.65 A hypotritoi es a paratritoi aulosok valoszinuleg rafinaltan kifinomult hangszerek.66 A paroinoi aulosokat mint kis,egyforma vagasu hangszereket a symposiumokon hasznaltak, ugy az archaikus mint a klasszikus korban.67 Letezett spondiakous aulos a spondes (italaldozat?) alkalmara, mely fekvessel, fenkolt hatassal, szeles skalaval. Az embatiroi aulosok meneteket, a daktiloikoi a tancokat kiserte. 69 A skitalias a futoversenyek valtobotjahoz hasonlitott tomzsi formajaval. Emlegetnek meg libiai hypophorbo aulost magas fekvesben, baberfabol keszitve, letezett aulos Athena nevevel, idouthoi, mardos, batnos (Mesena beli), katamfotoi, turikoiloi...71
[Ezzel lezarjuk az elso, gyors olvasatat az aulos fejezetnek, a kovetkezo levelben mellekeljuk a 'suru' labjegyzetet. A kesobbiekben ujra vesszuk, pontositjuk, elemezzuk.]
In ancient Teos (Asia Minor), a an actors' guild formed, called the "Artists of Dionysus" (Technitai Dionusou in Greek, informally referred to as hoi technitai), which eventually expanded to include other artists and musicians (kitharists, auletes, aulodes, singers, composers, poets, costumers, etc.). They staged complete concerts and plays, taught music and travelled from town to town. They were treated as privileged and favored. The guildsmen also served Dionysus, and their duties included performing his liturgy and festivals. They were headed by a priest of the god. They were, appropriately, regarded as rowdy troublemakers, and were eventually expelled from every place they visited. Top
History
According to legend, theatre began in the late sixth century BCE, when a man named Thespis first had the idea to add speaking actors to performances of choral song and dance (hence the word 'thespians'). Plays were performed outdoors, in daylight, before audiences of 10,000 or more at festivals in honor of Dionysus. Comedy and tragedy flourished in Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE.
When the Romans conquered Greece they brought Greek literature back to Italy and set about making it their own. The Romans soon took over the existing theaters in Greece and began renovating and rebuilding them for their own spectacles. The remains of the Theater of Dionysus which we can see in Athens today date to Roman times and not the fifth century BCE. -- from Didaskalia
For more information, see the Greek Theatre section of my bibliography.
THE MUSIC OF ANCIENT GREEKS - Early Epic and Lyrical Poetry
Audio, original Greek texts and English translations
A reconstruction of the music of ancient Greeks by
Ioannidis Nikolaos
Composer, lyricist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
(BA Music & Media, University of Sussex - MA Digital Media, University of Sussex)
.
.
.
.
All songs in this album are composed, arranged, performed and produced by IOANNIDIS NIKOLAOS
Research, transcription and translation of ancient Greek texts: IOANNIDIS NIKOLAOS
Recording and audio production: Ioannidis Nikolaos
Copyright 2002: IOA
Purcasing information,
Licensing information
NNIDIS NIKOLAOS
Released in 2002 by Homo Ecumenicus Publishing
Author's introduction
The content of this CD is a collection of audio files extracted from the first part of a very wide in scope multimedia project, (commissioned by HOMO ECUMENICUS Publishing), which explores the whole range of ancient Greek music, but also of Greek culture in general, because, in my view, the music of ancient Greeks can not be studied separately from their literature, poetry, drama, religion, and even their social and political life. This first part deals with the early epic and lyrical poetry and covers the period between the 8th and 5th centuries B.C. The other parts' subjects are: the Homeric Epics, the Orphic Hymns, the Dramatic Poetry (Aeschylous, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes), and the music of the Hellenistic and Roman period.
Creating this project has been a great challenge for me in many respects: As a musician, to compose and perform a kind of music completely different from the mainstream, the fruit of a long-time exploration in the roots of the musical art, especially as this has been expressed in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Balkans and Western Europe. As an MA in Digital Media, by taking advantage of the creative capabilities of the new media, to attempt to reconstruct the musical experience of ancient Greeks not only as sounds but also as texts, images, video and interactive features. Finally, as a researcher in the field of antique Greek culture and philosophy, to show the timeless and classical value of this culture and to argue that it is not a dead thing of the past but the living heart of human civilization, evident in the world's languages, in our thinking, in the organization of our societies, and in every aspect of artistic expression. The study of ancient Greek music in particular (lyrics, metrics, modes, notation etc.) gives sufficient evidence that this music lies in the foundation of both the western and the eastern musical tradition. The manner in which Western culture in particular has expressed itself in the art of music has been profoundly affected by Greek musical thought and practice. I think that a brief account of how this happened over time, though beyond the scope of this audio work, would be useful.
The first link of Greek culture with musical development in western Europe was furnished by way of the countless Greek settlements and colonies established as early as the beginning of the first millennium B.C and even earlier, if we take into account the fact that most of European place names, peoples and countries names (the name of Europe itself) come from Greek mythology. The most direct link, however, was by way of the Romans, who defeated and conquered Greeks but adopted the whole of Greek culture intact, transmitting it afterwards to all conquered peoples of Europe.
Contents of CD Album:
Click the poets' names below to listen to audio samples and read the original Greek texts and their English translation
or
click here to read all Greek texts in one file
Anacreon: My lyre sings only songs of love
Simonides: Danae and Perseus
Alcman: Bucolic
Simonides: There is a saying about virtue
Tyrtaeus: Spartan march
Homer: Iliad - Sing oh goddess the perilous wrath of Achilles
Archilochos: Oh soul
Orphic hymn: In praise of Justice
Sappho: Ode to Aphrodite
Alcaeus: Winter
Mimnermos: Short-lived is treasured youth
Homer: Odyssey - Calypso and Ulysses
Hesiod: Rough is the road to happiness
Bacchylides: Great gifts, peace brings to mortals
Solon: Eunomia
Other works by
IOANNIDIS NIKOLAOS:
CD ALBUM: BE A MASTER OF YOUR FATE!
CD ALBUM: AREN'T YOU FED UP?
CD ALBUM: 12-string Guitar Works
CD ALBUM: Mass insanity
Digital opera Oedipus Rex
Byzantine hymn Oh pure Virgin
Albums available for online purchasing at:
Homo Ecumenicus
also at most online stores amazon UBL etc.
See also
Online LYRICS (1) by Ioannidis Nikolaos
Online LYRICS (2) by Ioannidis Nikolaos
On line essays by
IOANNIDIS NIKOLAOS
Media essay
Internet and systems of governance
How feasible is the ideal of participatory democracy through the Internet
Media essay
Media Violence
Video games and desensitization to violence. Are they correlated?
Music essay
Essay on the role of modern classical music
Is there (should there be) a mainstream audience for modern classical music? Has modernism lost it?
Media essay
Gender and sexuality
Gender and sexuality: A changing part of a changing mechanism. The contest over biological versus cultural interpretation of sexual and gender identities
Music essay
Music and Tragedy
Music essay
Analysis of the allemande from the English Suite No 3 in G minor.(J.S Bach)
Music essay
Organized sound and everyday life
Music essay
Analysis of the Op.10 nr.3 sonata by Beethoven
Music essay
Narrative Structures
Rossini's "The barber of Seville", Verdi's "Falstaff": In what ways do the musical forms reflect, or ignore the continuities and discontinuities of the works' literary elements?
Media essay
Web advertising and the future of advertising
Media essay
Media policy and regulation
How do different interested parties understand the current problems of policy and regulation of national media?
The cultural weight of the Homeric epics, for example, through the ages is good evidence of the profound impact of this culture on the Roman first and then the medieval Europe (directly through their revival under Byzantine culture from the late 8th century A.D. onward), and subsequently on the Renaissance culture of Italy (through their passage into Italy with the Greek scholars who fled westward from the Ottomans). The expansion in Europe of the two great religions, Christianity and Islam, which both originated in the Hellenistic world of the Eastern Roman Empire, further helped towards a wider and lasting influence of classical Greek culture on the western culture. First Christianity through the musical works of Byzantines and then Islam through the works of Arabs, Persians and Turks, transmitted to Europe their version of the common Hellenistic cultural heritance.
It is well known that the early Christian church modes drew upon the ancient Greek modes. First the Gnostics used the Greek scale in their incantations, and then Byzantium not only adopted the Greek modes but also adapted the verses of ancient poetry to praise the God of the new religion. In the hymns of today's Greek Orthodox Church which saved unaltered the Byzantine tradition of the early Christian church, the relationship with the ancient Orphic hymns, as well as with the whole range of Greek poetry, both Lyrical and Dramatic, is obvious. Also, the huge legacy of ancient Greek writings on music theory served as models for later theoretical treatises and helped shaped the course of Western and, of course, Middle Eastern music theory. There is no aspect of the musical art that the ancient authors did not deal with: Writings on theory, musical education and the role of music in society (by Plato and Aristotle), on practical aspects of music performance (Aristoxenus), on acoustics (Pythagoras, Euclid, Ptolemeos) etc. Even the notational system, on which today's Western music theory is based, comes from the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (6th century B.C.) who was the first to define musical intervals in mathematical terms and thus create the first system of musical notation. Finally, the organized system of Western harmony, as expressed in the so called classical music is actually the evolution of the music of the Middle Ages, the organization of which, in turn, derives from the medieval theorists' knowledge of ancient Greek music transmitted to Europe by means of the works of Boethius in the 5th century A.D and the writings of Arabs later.
However, despite its immense contribution to the world's musical culture, very little is known about how the original Greek music actually sounded. Surviving songs are for the most part fragments that have been preserved either as quotations in the works of biographers, metricians, and grammarians, or as passages on papyrus strips, that had been used to wrap mummies and stuff sacred animals in the Hellenistic Egypt. Some notated fragments that have survived, written in a relatively late Greek notational system, do not provide adequate information for a safe reconstruction. Also, some relics of ancient instruments that have survived, are not playable, so our understanding of how the music sounded rests solely on speculating on how the particular constructions could work in terms of acoustics.
Research in this particular field becomes even more problematic from the fact that most researchers come from disciplines other than music (they are either archeologists or classicists) and also the majority of them are non-Greek natives and, as a result, not familiar with the language, or with the contemporary Greek music which is the natural child of the ancient one. In my view, if they had a background in music and also were familiar with the ancient language, they would recognize the intrinsic rhythms and melodies of the ancient verses, almost untouched by time, not only in contemporary Greek traditional music but in the whole range of humanity's musical endeavors. They could see, for example, the ancient hymns, paeans, encomia, hymeneoi, partheneia, elegies, dithyrambs etc. in the love songs, religious songs, dance songs, drinking songs, laments etc. of contemporary Greek, Middle Eastern, Balkan and European folk music. If they tried to play the ancient Phrygian or Hypodorian modes using any stringed instrument, they would be surprised by how western these modes would sound, and they would see the close connection of the ancient rhapsodists and aoidoi with the medieval bards and troubadours, and even with today's singer-songwriters. If they were familiar with the ancient Greek culture, attempts to reconstruct the music would not result in monotonous recitations, based on stereotyped assumptions that Greek music consisted entirely of melodies sung in unison, and that there was no polyphony or complex arrangements. In my view, this music, being the product of a highly sophisticated culture which encouraged free thinking and creativity and thus created masterpieces in all fields of artistic expression, could not be an exception.
On this principle I based my own compositional approach, without however breaking the limits imposed by the current status of archaeological evidence. As notation for the songs of this particular collection has not survived, in regard to melody, I tried to accommodate melodic principles to the demands of the verses by creating melodic movement from the natural rise and fall of the text.
The modes I used were those that seemed to me most appropriate for the lyrical subject, mood, or occasion on which the particular songs were likely to have been performed. I made use of all modes (except for the Mixolydian mode), but in the majority of compositions I used combinations of the most common modes: the martial and virile Dorian, the gentle and seductive Lydian, and the ecstatic and joyful Phrygian.
In regard to rhythm, I used the rhythm of the words, as this was dictated by the accentual structure of the Ancient Greek language, as well as by metrical structures. Actually, the intrinsic rhythm of the verses revealed to me the whole range of all known rhythmical patterns including my favourite odd signatures like 9/8 and 7/8.
In regard to sound, in order to emulate the ancient stringed instruments' sound, I used a copy of an ancient kithara (the instrument featured on the CD cover), which I patterned after surviving museum originals and iconographic representations on sculptures and vase paintings. This instrument (constructed by Antonios Ioannidis), being a combination of a modern classical guitar and a harp actually sounds both like a guitar and a harp, and I believe that its sound can not be very different of that of the original kithara. I also used a modern classical guitar which I tuned like a six-stringed barbitos or lyra, and which I played without fretting. To emulate the sound of the ancient aulos (reedpipe), I used three woodwind instruments that feature in the traditional music of Greece, Asia Minor and the Middle East. They are the flogera, the zournas and the ney. For percussion, I used the traditional Greek instruments daires, defi and dumbek.
All performances of both instruments and vocals, are my own except for the female vocals in three songs, performed by an amateur singer who wishes to remain anonymous.
In my transcription of the Greek texts I used all capital letters to avoid the Greek fonts associated problems. Also, in order to make them more readable I had to speculate on the missing pieces and take the risk of introducing elements, for the sake of lyric flow.
Finally, in regard to the translations of the Greek texts which was not easy, due to the fragmented nature of the material, I tried to make them as literally as possible, while being faithful to the original Greek text, that is by showing how phrase follows phrase.
I believe that my approach, having been based on the findings of a deep research and the utilization of all available archeological evidence cannot be very far from the actual music of ancient Greeks. My hope is that this work will contribute a little to the research in the field of antique Greek culture, which in our turbulent times becomes once more extremely relevant
Aulos was considered an instrument of healing.The aulos consists of a single cylindrical tube (similar to a recorder) with holes in the top and a mouthpiece. Originally the aulos was constructed of reed or bone, but eventually it was made of wood or ivory. At the player's end of the mouthpiece is the Holmos, a bulb of lathered wood or ivory used to hold the reed (thin pieces of wood that vibrate between the lips when air is forced through). The aulos was used with one or two reeds, though one was more common. Throughout the ancient Greek period the aulos contained three to five holes. The number of holes increased later, during the Roman period.
The holes were used to manipulate the tone, caused by a flow of air pushed through the instrument. The holes were covered in various combinations, using the fingers, to change the pitch. The aulos was played in pairs, with one player projecting two auloi from his or her mouth at the same time. The pair are not connected, but held by the player one in each hand, at an acute angle. They were held with the thumb on the bottom for support, and the fingers on top. The male players often wore a Greek phorbeia. This was a piece of clothing that encircled the neck with a strap on top of the head, and it covered the cheeks and lips, with small openings for the mouthpieces. It was designed to help the cheeks keep a strong flow of air and to keep the lips shut. For unknown reasons, only grown male players were known to wear a phorbeia. Some scholars say that one aulos was used to hold a constant drone (a note sustaining a long period of time) while the other was used for the melody. However, it is not impossible that both instruments were used together to produce more complex melodies.
Homer suggested that the aulos was used by people of the countryside and the common people; while, the lyre (kithara) was used mainly by the aristocratic warrior society. However, the aulos gained comparable status to the lyre because it was used to accompany the poetry of the Ionian lyricists. The basic distinction between the aulos and the lyre is that the lyre was used to assist the solo singer and the aulos' role was in choral poetry. The aulos was regularly used in the cult of Dionysus. Outside of Athens it was used for Spartan military maneuvers, Theban folk music, and accompaniment to athletic events. In the 4th century B.C., Plato and Aristotle banned the aulos from their utopian states, because the aulos was connected to the Dionysian cult. This cult was viewed as barbarian and evil. The lyre, on the other hand, was favored in Athens since it was connected to the Apollonian cult which was viewed as good and calm. We have examples of auloi from paintings on pottery the ancient Greeks left behind. It was also performed at dinner parties by skilled girls.
http://www.ancientgr.com/archaeonia/arts/music/aulos.htm
Az aulos nyelvenek (glossida) tovehez illeszkedik a hangszer elejen egy 'bolboides' resz [bolbos, hagymafelekhez hasonlo novenyek gumoja]. A vazafestok ezen 'bolbo'-t kettosen, ritkabban harmasan abrazoljak,amint egymasba illeszkedik. Mas esetben a hangszer teste parhuzamos vonalu, kidomborodas nelkuli, neha azonban nemely helyen "koszoru" (stefani), mas helyeken pedig a reszek illesztesenel 'armos'(?) lathato.[Armos jarmot jelent, itt esetunkben talan a reszeket osszefogo, osszeilleszto szakaszrol van szo.] A rankmaradt hangszer maradvanyokbol tudjuk, hogy a hangszer furata keskeny volt es hengeres. Nem bovult ki belso uregekre, a hangszer kulso domborulatai inkabb csak diszito jelleguek. A zenesz kepes kellett hogy legyen, szabalyozva az 'armos'-okat, megvaltoztatni a hangszer hangmagassagat, vagy hogy csokkentse a hangszert alkoto reszek szamat, megroviditve a hosszat. Nemely esetben volt egy nyitott 'koiloma' [tan kihasasodast jelent?] az elso 'bolbo'-nal, egy alappal az aulos jatekos ajkahoz illo, mely hasonloan a kesobbi europai nadsipon levo (shawm) "piruetta" szerepet toltotte be.
Azon fogalmak mint 'olmos', mely egy enyhen kituremkedo, kihasasodo targyra utal, es az 'ifolmo' mely az olmos alapja, valoszinuleg a fent emlitett hangszer reszre utalnak. Meglehet hogy az 'olmos' volt a 'bolbos' (bombix) es az 'ifolmion' egy belso ureg, ahol a glosszida, a nyelv illeszkedett.21
Harom rank maradt 'bolbo' rendelkezik egy kis oldal nyilassal. Errol nagy vita folyt, mennyiben jatszhatott akusztikus szerepet. Egy esetben azonban lathato, hogy ebben a nyilasban egy szogecske volt. Valoszinuleg arra szolgalt, hogy a nyelvet rogzitse.22
Nemely szerzok megemlitenek egy hangszer reszt, a syrinxet, mely lehetove tette, felfele es lefele mozgasal a hangmagassag valtoztatast a "szabalyos" adottsagon folul.23
Ez eszunkbe juttatja Theophrasztosz megjegyzeset a nyelvrol, (glossida) mely korkorosen mozagathato. Mindazonaltal a syrinx nem lehet sem a nyelv, sem az aulos teste. Ezt igazolja egy hagyomanyorzo aulos jatekos tiltakozasa a 4. szazadbol, aki megtiltotta a hangszerkeszitonek, hogy ilyennel lassa el a hangszeret, megszolva azokat, akik igy ernek el latvanyos sikert a kozonsegnel.24 A syrinx elnevezes valoszinuleg egy csore utal.25 Meglehet egy osszekoto alkatresz volt a nyelv es az aulos teste kozt.
Az aulos fo resze nadbol, csontbol (kulonosen
oz csontjabol), elefantcsontbol, fabol, fembol, vagy femmel boritott fabol keszult. A megmaradt hangszerek kozul egy sem nad, latjuk, hogy a hangszer ket vagy tobb reszbol allt melyek egymasba illettek. Az atmeroje keskeny volt, altalaban 8-10 milimeter korulbelul. A klasszikus kori aulosnak altalaban ot lyuka volt az ujjaknak szanva. A masodik a szaj felol az aulos lenti reszen volt, a huvelyujjhoz igazitva, es lehetoseg volt arra, hogy jobbra vagy balra elcsusztassak konnyeden a keztol, oszhangban azzal, hogy az aulos a jobb vagy a bal kezhez tartozott. A huvelyujjhoz tartozo lyuk a masodik helyen (nem ugy mint ma az elson) ma is megvan a kozel-keleti hangszereknel es az azsiai nepeknel.26
Neha volt egy hatodik lyuk is, melyet nem erintettek az ujjak, hanem csak mint legnyilas mukodott( kiveve akkor, mikor eltomitettek). Ez behatarolta az akusztikus lehetoseget az aulosnak.27
A Thebai hires aulos zenesz Pronomos (400.i.e.)az akinek az aulos tokeletesitesenek erdemet tulajdonitjak. Kepes volt sok harmoniat eljatszani ugyanazon aulossal, mig elodeinek magukkal kellett vinniuk egy sor hangszert ha kulonbozo harmoniakat akartak megszolaltatni.28 A hangszer tokeletisitese a korbeforgo gyuruknek is koszonheto volt('daktilion'), melyek nyithatok es zarhatok voltak a lyukak felett. Ez azt jelentette, hogy az aulosok nagyobb szamu lyukkal rendelkezhetek, melyeket a zenesz alkalom szeruen a jatszani kivant harmoniahoz igazitott. Nemely hangszerek Pompej, Meropi lelohellyel, ilyen aulosok. Rendelkeztek 24 lyukkal, a hozza tartozo gyurukkel, melyek mozgatasat horog szeru emeltyuk segitettek. Nemely lyukak kisebbek voltak a tobbinel, a kicsik sokszor oldalt helyezve. Masok nagyobbodtak, egy veguk elkeskenyedven, segitve a gyuruket, hogy nagyobb vagy kisebb metekben fedjenek.29 A romaiknal gyakran talalunk 'potcsoveket', melyek ugy magasodnak mint a kemeny. Valoszinuleg leszallithattak a phtongust.30 Egy rezbol keszult aulos tipus Pergamonbol, 2. sz. i.u. lathato, hogy a legmelyebb lyukak nem gyurukkel, hanem felgyurukkel fedettek, egy emeltyukkel, melyek vegen "gombok" voltak.31
A hangszer vege neha egy enyhe "harang' formara nyilt, a mely hangok jobb megszolaltatasara. Ezt sok korai abrazolason is megfigyelhetjuk.32 Kesobb ez eltunik, de megmarad a romaiaknal es az etruszkoknal. Azon aulosoknal melyek also vegen 'legnyilas' volt, nem jatszott szerepet az also kiszelesedes.
A zenes neha egy az arcara, a fejere erositett szijazatot viselt, a szaj korul, ket nyilassal az aulosnak.Ez a szijazas 7oo korul jelenik meg keleten.33 A cel az ajkak ovasa, a legfuvas erosseg ellenorzese volt. Foleg hivatasos zeneszek viseltek.34
Az aulosokat egy bor tokban oriztek (sibini) mely ket reszbol es egy szalagbol allt, hogy felfuggesszek. Hozzatartozott meg egy kis ladiko (glottokomeion),35 melyben a nyelvet vigyaztak. Leteztek vedo tokocskak a nyelvek ovasara, melyet ratettek, mikor nem jatszottak.36
21)NG XV.665. Nemely muzsikologusok a shawn szot hasznaljak azokra a hangszerekre, melyek ket nyelvesek, masok csak specialis hangszerekre utalnak vele. A nad szobol ered.
22)Howard,32-5
N.BBodley, AJArch.50 (1946) 225 Delos XVIII.813
J.G.Landels. Hesp.33(1964),394
BSA 63 (1968),232,234.
23)Aristox.Arm.i.21.
Ps-Aristot. Peri akoustikon 804a 14.
Plt. Oti oude...1096b.
24)ps.Plut. Peri Mus.1138a.
ps.-Arisztot. nyelv-syrinx
Herod. I.44.5 Lentz (eimerisi, Anecd. Ox.II.409.23
Etim.Meg.736,28.
26)Baines, Woowind,202.
27 Baines, Bagpipes,22
O.P.R.Olsen, Dansk Arbog for Musikforskning 1996/7 (1968),3-9.
28.Paus.9.12.5
Athn.631e.
29)Howard,5-8, 48-51
Reinach,"tibia",308
T.L.southgate,JHS 35(1915),14,20.
Sclesinger,74-9
Polyd.4.80.
Plut.Syng.Arist. es Men.853.e
30)Gevaert,II,296
Howard,8-11
Reinach,"Tibia",308
Schlesinger,14.kep. 110.old.
Plut.Simp.713a,Akradilo 188.12 Barker
31)A.Konze, Berl.Abh.1902(i)7, 1.kep.
Behn 101
32)Wegner, Bilder,39,65,71,75
Paquette,39 A1,47 A24-25,49A29.
Aign,175
NG,I.388
33)Aign 78,183
NG i.390
R.M Dawkins, The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia at Sparta(London,1929)
Chiggi,9.kep.
Paquette,59 A55
34)Becker,121
D.M MacDowell Ar.Darazsak 582
35)Paquette 32,47 A28, 49 A30, 55 A43
IG 1.(?) 351.18 arany-gyongyhaz
Leonida, HE 2234 pixari
36)Paquette 59 A55, 129, 185B23
Reinach, "Tibia",307,6949-51
Behn,108, 141.abra
Editor's Note: This article summarizes the presentation the author gave at the reed seminar at the Los Angeles conference of IDRS. Ms Veselack is a candidate for the Doctor of Arts degree at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. The studies outlined in the article were done in the laboratory of Jerry J. Nisbet.
The Arundo plant (Arundo donax L. ) has been of significance to the various cultures of the Western world because of its role in the development of music. This plant is also known as Giant reed or Persian reed. It is indigenous to the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Later it was cultivated and naturalized in the warmer climatic regions of every major continent.
Scientifically, Arundo donax L. belongs to a tribe of the extensive grass family Gramineae. It is sometimes confused with bamboo, which differs in many internal structural features. In its outward appearance Arundo resembles giant corn, having stems that grow from four to six meters in height. The stem is very hard and some of the epidermal cells contain silica, which is the same thing as glass. Jaffrey reports that one can understand the hardness of this plant from noting that a stem of a mature reed gives off sparks when it is hit with an axe. Although the stem is hard, the sparks originate when the metal of the axe strikes the silica. The Arundo stems are unique in their ability to recover quickly from flexing. No other plant material can match its natural spring and ability to recover from fatigue.
During World War II, the reed fields of France were cut so that large mats could be woven from the stems and leaves for use in aerial camouflage by the military. This process depleted the source of maturing reed stems. As a consequence, the reed supplies for musicians could not be replaced with mature reed material at the rate that was needed to fill the demand.
Jaffrey recommends that the stems can begin to be harvested after they have hardened sufficiently and turned a golden yellow. The correct hardness may be attained after five to eight years' growth, while strength and color may require from ten to twenty years. If the stems are cut at a very early age, they will shrink to a mere shell when dry. If cut at a later age, but prior to maturity, the stems have a tendency to warp.
In accordance with pre-World War II practices, mature stems were stored for a period of one to three years of natural curing, prior to being used for the manufacture of woodwind reeds. Prior to World War II, only three out of every forty harvested Arundo stems were acceptable for manufacturing reeds. After World War II reed companies were forced to practice little or no selectivity, and nearly all available stems were used for manufacturing woodwind reeds. Woodwind players found themselves faced with the problem of being able to use only two to five reeds from every twenty-five reeds manufactured after World War II.
Beginning in the early 1940's woodwind musicians became aware of the need to experiment with and to study the reed. Persons who have studied a particular aspect of the reed problem state that their efforts are stymied by a lack of willingness to communicate among musicians and scientists. The most serious deterrent to investigating the reed problem was and still remains the task of bridging the communication gap between music and science. The breakdown is brought about by misunderstandings and differences in meanings of terms used by each area of specialization.
I have been studying the cell structure and characteristics of the mature stem of Arundo donax with the view of identifying possible differences in stem anatomy, which may be related to the quality of woodwind reeds. To acquire material for the study, clarinet reeds were obtained that had been used in performance and judged playable by forty knowledgeable musicians. The same musicians were also asked to supply clarinet reeds which they judged to be non-playable. Twenty-one of the musicians were professional clarinetists from twenty-one major symphony orchestras in the United States. Eleven were musicians associated with colleges and universities in the United States.
In preparing the material for study, the heel end of the reed is sawed into small blocks. The central blocks of tissue from each reed are softened by chemical treatments and embedded in paraffin. The central blocks of tissue are used because they contain all the cell types and cell arrangements typical of that part of the stem used for clarinet and other woodwind reeds.
Squares of paraffin containing the suspended reed material are attached to specimen holders and sliced into 10 micron sections. A micron is 1 /25,000 of an inch. A sheet of typing paper is approximately 100 microns thick. The sections cut with the microtome form a ribbon, which is transferred to microscope slides. The paraffin is removed by a solvent and the sections are stained to increase the visibility or contrast in tissues when examined under the microscope.
In the cross section of reed, the epidermis shows a regular pattern of normal epidermal cells which are small and thick walled interspersed with clear oval-shaped silica cells. Several layers of parenchyma cells are found immediately under the epidermis. In this region the parenchyma cells are relatively small and thick walled in contrast to the large thin walled parenchyma cells found in the inner region of the stem.
A band of fiber cells is located inside the cylinder of small parenchyma cells. This band of fiber cells is continuous around the stem and separates the outer stem tissues from the inner tissues.
Vascular bundles are scattered throughout the stem in a pattern very similar to that found in corn and other members of the grass family. Very small vascular bundles are found close to the surface of the stem. The size of the bundles increases toward the center. Each vascular bundle consists of a ring of fiber cells surrounding the xylem and phloem. The vascular bundles are what the woodwind musician refers to as the "fiber" or "grain" of the reed.
Stems in a more mature state of development have more parenchyma cells with very thick walls. Fiber cells also develop extremely thick walls with age.
The heel of a reed contains all of the kinds of cells of the Arundo plant and woodwind reed. The blade of a woodwind reed contains only parenchyma cells and vascular bundles. The tapering cut made in the shaping of the reed removes all of the epidermal cells and the underlying band of fiber cells from the reed blade. However, all of the cells--both those in the heel as well as those in the blade-- contribute to the vibrational characteristics of the reed. When the clarinet is played, the reed blade vibrates against the mouthpiece at frequencies of 147 to 1,568 cycles per second. The quality of sound produced by a reed depends in large measure upon the stage of development of the Arundo stem at the time of harvesting.
As the Arundo stem grows older, the thickness of the cell walls increases. Following harvesting of the Arundo stems, a lengthy period of seasoning is required during which time fluids in the cells slowly dry up.
Apparently much Arundo is currently being harvested after only a few years of growth and the stems are artificially dried for a period of a few weeks or months prior to being used for the manufacture of woodwind reeds.
Aside from selecting reeds with uniform distribution of vascular bundles, the musician can enhance the playability of reeds by adjusting them to fit his or her specific mouthpiece/embouchure combination. However, even when such adjustments are made, the most obvious variable in performance with a good woodwind instrument is still the reed. The majority of woodwind teachers and performers agree that the quality of the reed material is a fundamental determining factor affecting the playability of woodwind reeds.
Related Literature
Bhosys, Waldemar. "The Reed Problem." Woodwind Magazine, 1948, 1(2), 4 and 8.
--------. "The Reed Problem." Woodwind Magazine, 1949, 7(3), 5 and 8.
Christlieb, Don. Notes On The Bassoon Reed. California: Don Christlieb, 1966.
Jaffrey, K. S. Reed Mastery. Australia: K. S. Jaffrey, 1956.
Kotzin, Ezra. "The Reed Problem". Woodwind Magazine, 1948, 1(1), 4.
Nederveen, C. J. "Influence of Reed Motion On The Resonance Frequency of Reed-Blown Woodwind Instruments". JASA, 1969, 45(2), 513-514.
Patterson, John. "An Experiment In Growing And Curing Reed Cane (ARUNDO DONAX) In Louisiana". 16th National Conference Yearbook Of College Band Directors National Association, 1971, 152-153.
Perdue, Robert E., Jr. "Arundo donax Source of Musical Reeds And Industrial Cellulose". Economic Botany, 1958, 12, 368-404.
Waln, George E. "How To 'Raise Cane' ". The Instrumentalist, 1961, XV(7), 56-60.
Williams, Alexander. "Reed Problem". Woodwind
Magazine, 1949, 1(4), 5-6.
Table of Contents
Making Oboe Reeds
Introduction
This website illustrates the process of making oboe reeds. But first, some background information on reeds in general.
There are two kinds of reed instruments:
Single reed (such as the clarinet and saxophone)
Double reed (such as the oboe and bassoon)
These instruments, together with the flute (which uses no reed at all) make up the woodwind family.
Clarinet and saxophone players (who are considered very lucky by their double reed friends) can buy reeds that are machine-made and more-or-less ready for use right out of the box. These single reeds consist simply of a piece of cane which has been cut and machined to a particular shape. The reed is attached to a mouthpiece, typically made of plastic now.
An oboe reed
Oboe and bassoon players, however, must usually make their own reeds. In an oboe's double reed, two pieces of cane are bound together and attached to one end of a metal tube (see diagram above). The other end of this assembly is inserted into the the oboe and forms an extension of its bore.
The behavior of the oboe reed is the primary factor in the oboe's quality of sound (pitch, tone quality, etc). The relative ease (or, more often, difficulty) which which it can produce a given note, at a given volume level, etc., is determined primarily by the reed as well.
Each oboist develops his/her own particular style or reed design. Since each player's embouchure and instrument is different, reeds made by one player are often not very playable by anyone else. The pictures shown here illustrate the style of reeds that I make, developed over the last twenty years or so. The photos probably don't show enough detail to illustrate much difference between my reeds and those of other oboists, though. I hope to have better pictures soon.
Tools and Supplies
The essential elements of an oboe reed are the cane, the tube, and string. A variety of tools are used to assemble these elements and form them into a working oboe reed.
Cane
Cane (Arundo donax) is grown and harvested, mostly in southern France, then subjected to a variety of mechanical manipulations. First, the appropriate part of the plant is cut into tubes. This tube cane (a) is about 11 mm in diameter and about 75 mm in length. The tubes are split lengthwise into three pieces (b). After soaking in water for several hours, each of these pieces is placed in a gouging machine where it is shaved to a very precise and uniform cross section (c). After folding, we have a piece of gouged cane (d) as shown here.
Gouged Cane
Top view
Gouged Cane
Side view
Knives
Reed knives come in a variety of styles. Typically I use a beveled knife (a) for rough work and a hollow-ground knife (b) for fine work. I keep an old wedge knife (c) around for other tasks such as cutting string, shaping, etc. My beveled and hollow-ground knives are shown (top and bottom, respectively) in this photo.
Reed knives
Shaper
A shaper is a metal object formed in the shape of an oboe reed. More precisely, its lateral cross section is that of the desired cane. In the process of shaping, a piece of gouged cane is attached to the shaper and excess cane is cut away until the remaining piece precisely matches the shaper. This results in gouged, shaped, and folded cane.
Shaper
Plaque & Staple
The two pieces of cane which form the double reed are attached to a metal tube called a staple. The staple has an oval opening at the top and a larger, circular opening at the bottom. The tube is 47 mm long; the lower 30 mm are covered with a cylinder of cork.
A flat strip of metal called a plaque is inserted between the two blades of the reed during scraping. The plaque adds mechanical support to the blade being scraped while protecting the other blade from harm.
Plaque and
Staple (tube)
String
Nylon string is used to tie cane to the staple.
String
Mandrel
The reed is placed on a mandrel to make it easier to hold during the scraping process. The mandrel is machined to fit precisely in the staple, so it can also be used to verify that a staple's opening is just the right shape.
Mandrel
Process
The process of reed-making can begin at a variety of starting points, depending on the experience level of the reed-maker. Professional oboists often start with tube cane. Beginning reed-makers start from gouged, shaped, and folded cane. I start in-between, with gouged cane. The first step I take is called shaping, followed by tying on and scraping.
Shaping
Gouged cane has straight sides, but for a reed we want to remove some material so that the bottom is narrower than the top. A shaper is a piece of metal that has been machined precisely into the shape we want. After soaking in warm water for about half an hour, the cane is folded onto the shaper and clamped securely in place, as shown here.
On Shaper
Front view
On Shaper
Side view
A wedge knife is drawn downward through the cane, following the contour of the shaper. After several strokes on each side, the remaining cane will lie flush with the sides of the shaper. Upon removal from the shaper assembly, we have gouged, shaped and folded cane.
Gouged, shaped,
and folded cane
Tying On
The cane is now tied onto the staple. In this step, the cane is folded completely over upon itself; the two ends will soon form two separate reeds. I position my cane so that the completed assembly is 74 mm in length; this leaves 17 mm of cane exposed above the end of a 47-mm staple. Nylon string is wound and tied around the cane/tube assembly to hold the cane in place. The sides of the cane must be aligned precisely enough, and the string wound tightly enough, that the finished assembly is airtight.
Cane tied on
to the staple
Initial Scraping
The most important part of reed-making is scraping. Typically, I place the reed on the mandrel and hold this assembly in my left hand. The knife is held in my right hand and pivoted against my left thumb so that the blade scrapes upward along the cane. (All oboe reed scrapes are made upward, toward the tip, as shown below.) I begin by making a dozen or so scrapes on each of the four corners (two on each side) of the tip.
First strokes
on the tip
Work on the tip continues, always keeping the cane moist by dipping it occasionally in a small cup of water. After a few minutes of scraping, the plaque is inserted in between the folds of the cane. By raising the plaque upward and slicing through the end of the tip, the cane is separated into two independent blades. After several more minutes, the tip begins to take shape, as shown here.
The tip
During most of the remaining scraping process, the plaque is inserted between the blades of the reed to provide support for the cane, as shown below. The end of the tip will eventually be cut off, several times, until the reed has been reduced to a length of about 70 mm.
Meanwhile, scrapes are now made a few millimeters behind the tip, forming the heart section. The shape and thickness of the heart is probably the most important variable in differentiating one player's reeds from another, and in determining whether one has a "good" reed or a "bad" reed.
The heart
After the heart begins to take shape, scrapes are made farther back, half-way to the right and half-way to the left of center. The goal is now to remove cane from the two regions called windows, yet leaving the cane along the side rails and the middle spine relatively untouched (see diagram above). Eventually all the bark is removed from the spine, but some bark remains along the rails about half-way up the reed.
The back
Finishing
Once the basic shape described above has been formed (perhaps after 10 or 15 minutes of work for me, less for a professional), a nearly unending process of additional scraping, clipping, and testing begins.
Testing the crow
Besides inserting the reed into the oboe and playing it, the most important diagnostic for how the reed will perform is to crow it. The crow is the sound made when air is forced through the reed without touching the cane. To make it crow, the reed is placed far enough in the mouth that one's lips can be closed around the windings (instead of around the cane, as is down when playing), and then enough air is forced through the reed to cause it to make a sound.
As the reed progresses through the various stages of scraping, drying out, soaking, aging, etc., the crow will change dramatically. The goal is a not-so-often achieved sound comprised of three C's (middle C and the C's one and two octaves above that). The relative volume of the three octaves is indicative of the response (ease of speaking, ease of articulation, etc.) that the reed will have when it's played. The pitch of the crow is indicative of the intonation (pitch calibration) that can be obtained when playing. Intonation is important not just for the obvious reason, but also because the oboe is traditionally (though mysteriously) used to tune the rest of the orchestra.
You can hear a typical crow here.
Playing
I test the reed by playing it (just a few notes, usually) in the oboe almost as often as I test the crow. Some oboists can make almost finished reeds only by testing the crow, but I'm not likely to try that any time soon.
More Scraping, Clipping, and Testing
After each crow or playing test, additional scrapes are made. Various symptoms suggest thinning the tip, or lengthening the back, or reducing the heart, etc. Other tests are made as well. For example, the opening of the reed is examined (not usually by measurement, but just by inspection) and sometimes adjusted by squeezing the blades together or slipping them, side-to-side, relative to each other. Also, the relative thickness of the tip is measured, usually by pushing each blade inward (one at a time) with the tip of a plaque. The blades should be matched in thickness at all points.
During the final stages, the appearance of the reed does not change much, since smaller and smaller amounts of cane are removed with each step. (Once cane is removed, it can't be put back!) By the time the reed plays fairly well, the blades will be as thin as 100 µm (about the thickness of a sheet of paper) at the tip.
Closer
Done?
I hardly ever declare a reed "done." More often, it's "nearly done" for most of its life, and then one day (perhaps after being abandoned for a few weeks) it's declared "dead." Sometimes older reeds can be rejuvenated; frequently a reed that played well for one kind of application (e.g. playing with a good tone quality in a Brahms symphony) may have a second life for a different use (playing easily for pit orchestra rehearsals).