Jethro Tull`s flute sound
Eric
I am just curious to know how Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull) proced kind of
"distorted" sound out of his flute (listen some extrait of "Thick as a
Brick"). It is not standard "pure sine wave" flute sounds (altought is it
most of the time during the song).
Is it part of his technique, the way he blows? Or it is an effect that they
put during the recording? That sound fits so nicely into a rock context!
Thanks!
Phil Smith
I've heard him, he does a nice imitation of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
Unfortunately Rahsaan has passed away, but his records survive. There
are several techniques involved: singing while playing, overblowing,
growling, and using a pronounced attack. It's all natural, Rahsaan
didn't use any effects.
-Phil
bkule
hum a drone pitch as you play a simple melody. You will notice some
interesting harmonics as you play different pitches on top of the hummed
drone tone.
If you like the effect, try humming a simple counter melody as you play the
primary melody on your flute. Again, you will find that some tonal
combinations are "better" than others.
Anderson may have done some sampling and tone sythnthesizing on some tunes
but most of the time, he's doing what he does without electronic help.
"Eric" <es_3...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:rRVQ7.6902$%26.5...@news20.bellglobal.com...
DanB
his enough to sing one melody and play another.
I read somewhere on how he originally picked flute based on wanting some
instrument small enough (or was it cheap enough) to fit his touring situation
at the time. So I don't think he started into the flute with much training,
rather picked it up as he went along. I wonder if anyone has ever actually
looked at his embouchure? Got to be rather bad from the classical flutist
perspective right? It's a very airy sound.
-Dan
Phil Smith
>
> I've always found this VERY hard to do... I don't think my brain is wired like
> his enough to sing one melody and play another.
Funny you should say that. As I pointed out before, his style is an
exact copy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, a man who's brain was really wired
different. He used to play three horns at once.
> I read somewhere on how he originally picked flute based on wanting some
> instrument small enough (or was it cheap enough) to fit his touring situation
> at the time. So I don't think he started into the flute with much training,
> rather picked it up as he went along. I wonder if anyone has ever actually
> looked at his embouchure? Got to be rather bad from the classical flutist
> perspective right? It's a very airy sound.
But Jean-Pierre Rampal also had a bad - okay, let's call that
nonstandard - embouchure. It's not exactly a science, more of a personal
thing based on the shape of your body and head. Along those lines, James
Moody taught himself flute in around five weeks (according to himself)
and actually developed a sound that everyone else strived for. Some
people are just "naturals", I guess. Although Jethro Tull clearly
listened to Roland Kirk records and picked up on his technique. He even
covered one of Kirk's songs, "Serenade to a Cuckoo". Since he learned by
studying Kirk, perhaps that's the way to go.
-Phil
Vinnie
and, after many years of gigging, he did go back and take lessons to learn a thing
or two about the instrument.
as for the throat singing and playing, it's a tough thing to learn at first, but
once you get it down, it's rather simple...
if you want to learn, i'd suggest starting off with simply trying to imitate a
single note (C for example). after successfully doing this for awhile, try to hold
the C in your voice while switcing to D on the flute...continue on until you can
sustain the pitch all the way up and down the flute. then start investigating
harmonizing scales (people always look at me funny when i do this!) ...yep,
harmonize your own scales on just about any interval...beyond that, you can start
doing melodic lines on the flute, and then practicing counterpoint in your
voice...it's really all a matter of starting simple.
vinnie
Jess Clark
at: http://www.FluteInfo.com - Go to the documents section.
Jess Clark
ketil
have seen his embouchure. He is very relaxed in his muscles, he's not
playing with a "smile". But he directs the air lower than most
classical flutists, and his lower lip cover more of the hole (??? I
don't know what the correct term would be in english, but you probably
understand.)
His tongue is often further out in the mouth than my old flute teacher
would have accepted.
There are other fine examples of rock flute as well:
Thijs Van Leer of focus is a fine example, he is conservatory trained,
but I think he's a greater rock musician than Ian Anderson.
John Hacket is also a very good musician, listen to his works with
Steve Hacket (ex-genesis). John Hacket plays with a full classical
sound, a wonderful musician.
Jimmy Hastings - plays on many Caravan records. He has a playful jazzy
feel combined with a warm tone.
Jiri Stivin - he is a jazz musician, even closer to Rahsaan Roland
Kirk than Ian Anderson, and he made some energetic jazzrock albums in
the seventies, my personal favorite is "Coniunctio" by jazz q
praha/blue effect. His sound reminds me of Ian Anderson, but he works
within a post-bob/freebag jazz harmonical framework. Jiri still makes
great albums.
I also like Mel Collins and Ian McDonald, both can be heard on King
Crimson albums, they sound more like the typical
multi-wind-instrumentalist (in other words a saxplayer doubling on
flute and clarinet), but I really like them anyway.
- Rock Flutist Ketil V.E.
Joseph S. Wisniewski
>
> I have seen Ian Anderson from a close distance several times, and I
> have seen his embouchure. He is very relaxed in his muscles, he's not
> playing with a "smile". But he directs the air lower than most
> classical flutists, and his lower lip cover more of the hole (??? I
> don't know what the correct term would be in english, but you probably
> understand.)
Amazing what you can get away with when you're playing for a microphone
that's (at most) a couple of feet away, instead of trying to project a
sound across an auditorium. I know many rock and jazz flutists with
rather unconventional embouchures. Being a bit loose makes it easy to
sing or hum into the flute while you're playing. Being high and blowing
down lets you switch quickly from "clean" to breathy "dirty" sounds, at
the expense of playing power (which is fine, if you're amplified).
Ciao!
Joe
Tribal Wind
aplies..but if im playing even 10" away from the mic im losing alot of
power,unless it was a directional style microphone,,and i guess it depends
on the amp and its settings too,,i ust have a regular guitar-size
amp,15watts,with an effects unit for reverb etc...
"Joseph S. Wisniewski" <w...@netfrog.net> wrote in message
news:3C5CB04E...@netfrog.net...