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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
the relationship between volume and tone
the relationship between volume and tone
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harper
28 posts
Jan 14, 2012
7:24 PM
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I find that when I play louder (not absolutely as loud as I can get, but with a harder, more aggressive attack, and with more assertiveness on sustained notes) I get a much better tone, more varied tonal qualities, and a much better vibrato. It also sharpens up my riffs and makes them sound more clean, even, and precise. I think it's because it naturally forces me to breathe more deeply. And I also think that it's because I'm literally hearing more of what I'm playing, and therefore I'm much better able to draw a connection between the feel of the vibration in my mouth and in my lungs, and the sound that is subsequently produced. So basically the best way for me to imitate the sounds and riffs that I hear is to play at a volume that I would have once considered excessive. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I ask because, as a guy who only plays along with albums, who in fact has never played along with any other musicians, I can't tell if my volume really is excessive, or if you really do need to play with some "oomph" to get a good sound.
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rbeetsme
563 posts
Jan 14, 2012
7:35 PM
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Are you referring to amp volume as opposed to playing harder?
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harper
29 posts
Jan 14, 2012
7:38 PM
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Actually, I'm referring to playing harder. A louder acoustic volume.
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Cristal Lecter
261 posts
Jan 14, 2012
7:59 PM
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The volume and the tone are 2 separate things...
The richness of a tone, can be explained by the possibility to play the maximum of harmonics and "rounding" the sound....How to get there? Well with mostly a solid breathing technique base, and most importantly applying the singing techniques.....These techniques are designed to use the natural resonators of the head, those resonators are in fact the 4 sinuses:
the first 2 that are mostly used
-Maxillary
-Frontal
the second ones are minor for a solid and warm tone (since they're much smaller
-Ethmoid
-Sphenoid
With the practice I assure you that you can project the sound of your instrument INSIDE your head, instead of outside, "thinking" the sound going inside instead of thinking that the sound is projected outside. I know this is a paradox but believe me it works.
So assuming that you're doing this your tone will be more solid and rich...A big part comes from your ability to breath with feeling the air more more lower in your throat, feeling the fresh air, going directly on the base of your neck (instead of the back of your mouth)....When I was playing the oboe, my 2nd master told me he could feel the fresh air right in the middle of his chest.
The volume is a complete different thing, this is "just" to apply more air speed than air pressure...But here I can't help with writing or describing it I need to show you. Playing harder will NOT MAKE your sound any richer or any more powerful...This is the air speed and not the air pressure
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Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Last Edited by on Jan 14, 2012 8:00 PM
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boris_plotnikov
681 posts
Jan 14, 2012
8:23 PM
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I feel that it depends on reed material. While I played brass reeds I wasn't a loud player at all, as brass reeds are very sesitive, above certain amount of breath reed starts to sound similiar with some "distorted" overtones. While playing harder gives you more wide spectrum of harmonics. Now I'm playing 1847 stainless steel reeds and I play much louder (but use more dynamics!) than I played on a brass reeds.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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Frank
101 posts
Jan 15, 2012
4:24 AM
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What you may be experiencing is "relaxed FOCUSED concentration" where your ears, mind, embouchure, attack, breathe and body are working as a team, thus heightening your awareness of the intricacies of the tone, notes and ultimately the music that your creating....This world is mostly reserved for the PRO'S, and they can duplicate this "relaxed FOCUSED concentration" at any volume level or attack and can sustain that [focused power] for long periods of time - were myself, "a hobbyist" catch glimpses of its beauty in waves I can't seem to sustain it's magic the way I'd like to...An exercise that is helpful as far as volume attack is concerned is - turn your amp up loud and turn the album that your playing to, to low a volume and play so that you can still hear the song your practicing to. You'll be forced to breathe in way that will strengthen the way good tone is produced, and it will be available for when you want to step it up a notch and really put that "oomph" into your dynamic range when the music or band is louder!
Last Edited by on Jan 15, 2012 4:41 AM
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MrVerylongusername
2151 posts
Jan 15, 2012
6:25 AM
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The oldest trick in the DJ book is to drop the volume over a drum break and then boost it again as the music kicks back in. All of a sudden everything sounds so much fatter.
Music really does sound better when it is louder. Human hearing does not work like a microphone with a fixed set of frequency responses - ears have a variable response to some frequencies according to their loudness. This is well know by sound engineers, who tend to mix at volume levels where the ear's response is the most even. It's also what the loudness button on a hi-fi is for - it emphasises certain high and low frequencies to make the music sound as good at lower volumes. Look up Fletcher-Munson Curves if you want to learn more.
Last Edited by on Jan 15, 2012 6:25 AM
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Frank
103 posts
Jan 15, 2012
6:48 AM
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I agree...There certainly does seem to be an optimal volume level or "loudness" when playing the harp that it sounds it's best.
Last Edited by on Jan 15, 2012 6:51 AM
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The Iceman
211 posts
Jan 15, 2012
6:53 AM
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For the best tonal palette, use the complete range of volume available, from a whisper of sound to an explosion. Here is where you find all the colors available. However, if you stay to the low end of the energy level most of the time, saving the forceful playing for accents and special moments, you will no doubt become a more effective performer. Kim Wilson once described this aspect as owning a souped up street racing car, but mostly driving at 35 mph or less. The potential is always there to punch it if you want to. Just by driving slow and revving the engine once in a while will communicate the fact that you have this power at your command at all times without having to constantly prove it. Very compelling in the ears of the listener. Play harmonica with this sense of power and you will keep everyone on the edge of their seats wondering when you will explode.
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The Iceman
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