While I've heard many examples of overtone singing, the control that Anna Maria Hefele demonstrates is truly mind-boggling.
She can hold a fundamental and isolate different overtones at will.
She can also hold an overtone and isolate different fundamentals at will.
This gives her remarkable flexibility in her polyphonic singing:
&feature=youtu.be
Using software called Overtone Analyzer that graphically shows fundamentals and overtones, she explains what she is doing.
I came across her while looking for examples of solo saxophone polyphony, but her control really blew my mind.
19 Jan 17
Originally posted by ThinkOfOneI saw that and sent it to my daughter and she already knew about her. My daughter is studying that technique also. She got her first degree at Berklee and MA at Wesleyan and now lives in Natal Brazil teaching at Federal University.
While I've heard many examples of overtone singing, the control that Anna Maria Hefele demonstrates is truly mind-boggling.
She can hold a fundamental and isolate different overtones at will.
She can also hold an overtone and isolate different fundamentals at will.
This gives her remarkable flexibility in her polyphonic singing:
https://www.yout ...[text shortened]... her while looking for examples of solo saxophone polyphony, but her control really blew my mind.
20 Jan 17
Originally posted by sonhouseThat's interesting. Does your daughter have any recordings available?
I saw that and sent it to my daughter and she already knew about her. My daughter is studying that technique also. She got her first degree at Berklee and MA at Wesleyan and now lives in Natal Brazil teaching at Federal University.
Did she give you her opinion of Anna Maria's abilities?
Originally posted by SuzianneWhat's your main horn?
Ummmm, what?
I play saxophone, but I was not aware it was polyphonic.
I understand there are alternate harmonics and overtones, and of course altissimo notes, is this what you mean?
When I first heard a recording of Ned Rothenberg incorporating polyphonic motifs into a solo 15-20 years ago, I kept rewinding it to see if the figures coming out of his horn were truly simultaneous or if it was a false polyphony.
You can watch and listen to him here on alto:
https://vimeo.com/11318002
Click on the progress bar to start around the 10:30 mark. It's interesting how he builds into it.
Let me know what you think.
The interview afterwards is kind of interesting too.
22 Jan 17
Originally posted by ThinkOfOneShe is writing a Greek opera in Greek, she is learning the language to do it, but I can PM you her name, she has soundcloud, as do I. She composes using synth and acoustic instruments. I only compose with strings, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, keyboards and the like.
That's interesting. Does your daughter have any recordings available?
Did she give you her opinion of Anna Maria's abilities?
26 Jan 17
Originally posted by ThinkOfOneAs you know, if you can play one, you can play them all.
What's your main horn?
When I first heard a recording of Ned Rothenberg incorporating polyphonic motifs into a solo 15-20 years ago, I kept rewinding it to see if the figures coming out of his horn were truly simultaneous or if it was a false polyphony.
You can watch and listen to him here on alto:
https://vimeo.com/11318002
Click on the progres ...[text shortened]... into it.
Let me know what you think.
The interview afterwards is kind of interesting too.
I learned on the alto, and it was my size. The tenor is too big for me and the baritone is a monster. (Gerry Mulligan really brought that thing alive, though. Like me, he was skilled at piano as well.) I eventually found the soprano, and as I also play clarinet and flute, it seemed a more natural match, but I eventually came back to the alto as I find it more melodic, probably because of its lower range. My favorite player is Charlie Parker, although I have listened to a lot (and I mean a lot) of John Coltrane as well.
I have never heard of Ned Rothenberg, but I'd be delighted to take a listen.
26 Jan 17
"Rothenberg generates a remarkable variety of new timbres through unique playing techniques including circular breathing allowing for extremely long melodic patterns, multiphonic chords, precise overtone control, elaborate rhythmic tonguing attacks, control of overlapping beat frequencies, combinations of the previous, and much more."
Wow, no kidding. I noticed the circular breathing first. This is something I've heard about and seen in person, but have never been able to accomplish myself. I did recognize the triple tonguing techniques, and he just takes off from there. He's a real technician, and I would go so far as to call him a reed magician. This is some of the finest technical sax work I've ever seen. The guy is absolutely amazing.
And this is just a first blush of looking at this. I didn't finish this due to time, but I will return to this and take a real close look at what he is doing and get back to you about it. I'm interested in hearing the interview as well.
29 Jan 17
Originally posted by sonhouseI assume she's writing the score for her opera. Plus she's writing the libretto? And In Greek? That's awesome.
She is writing a Greek opera in Greek, she is learning the language to do it, but I can PM you her name, she has soundcloud, as do I. She composes using synth and acoustic instruments. I only compose with strings, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, keyboards and the like.
29 Jan 17
Originally posted by SuzianneHave to like Mulligan, Parker and Coltrane. I have quite a few more Coltrane albums than the other two though. Others I like a lot from that era are Sonny Rollins and Eric Dolphy.
As you know, if you can play one, you can play them all.
I learned on the alto, and it was my size. The tenor is too big for me and the baritone is a monster. (Gerry Mulligan really brought that thing alive, though. Like me, he was skilled at piano as well.) I eventually found the soprano, and as I also play clarinet and flute, it seemed a more natura ...[text shortened]... oltrane as well.
I have never heard of Ned Rothenberg, but I'd be delighted to take a listen.
Since you played soprano, check out Evan Parker as well. Here he goes for a completely different aesthetic than Rothenberg. He comes out of the gate with shards of glass flying everywhere. Rothenberg mentions him as an early inspiration in his interview:
You might also find this transcription of a talk that Evan did on Coltrane interesting:
http://www.pointofdeparture.org/PoD9/PoD9EvanParker2.html
29 Jan 17
Originally posted by SuzianneI'll be interested in hearing your thoughts after you've had a chance to give it a proper listen.
[b]"Rothenberg generates a remarkable variety of new timbres through unique playing techniques including circular breathing allowing for extremely long melodic patterns, multiphonic chords, precise overtone control, elaborate rhythmic tonguing attacks, control of overlapping beat frequencies, combinations of the previous, and much more."
Wow, no kidd ...[text shortened]... what he is doing and get back to you about it. I'm interested in hearing the interview as well.[/b]
05 Feb 17
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Originally posted by ThinkOfOneDid I PM you my and her soundcloud account? You can hear our totally different styles, she is post modern with synth (her first degree was in Synth sound design at Berklee and MA at Wesleyan in Conn.
I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts after you've had a chance to give it a proper listen.
I just came up with nothing but some GREAT teachers, the first was Howard Brubeck, Dave Brubeck's brother, at Palomar College in San Marcos Calif. The second was Blind Rev. Gary Davis, a guitar genius, the third was a night with Pete Seeger, he taught me his tune 'living in the country' and the fourth I spent the most time with, Backwards Sam Firk, AKA Mike Stewart, a country blues genius. RIP now. He had a 78 blues collection over 10,000 records he bought and sold, I think his son still has that business. But unlike most record buyer/sellers he learned the guitar licks on most of them, extremely well I might add.
I found him when we lived in Alexandria Virginia, in 'old town' near the river.
So I am wandering around and found to my surprise, not 4 blocks from my apartment on the same street, the Alexandria Folklore Center probably long gone now.
So one day I asked if they had room for a guitar teacher, they said, sure come in Saturday.
So I came in and asked about the teaching job. They said, sorry, we got Firk. ? Firk?
Yeah, you never heard of Backwards Sam Firk? No.
Well you are in for a treat: he is in the third teaching booth down.
So I go down and introduced myself and asked him what he plays. So he starts in on his big Gibson J200 playing stuff that hasn't been played for 50 years by most blues dudes, my mouth dropped only about halfway down my chin and I immediately went from prospective teacher to avid student with him for about 3 years. He is frigging, well, was, amazing. His recording partner, Stephan Michaelson, AKA Delta X recorded with him on Adelphi records, Gene Rosenthal's label and Mike was married to Carol, Gene's sister. She was our blues den mother, a great woman, very gracious and loving. She died of a heart attack at about 29 years old, we were all devastated. It was a sad day when I heard of her death.
Then about 5 years ago, Mike was at breakfast with wife and kids and keeled over with a major heart attack himself and they rushed him to hospital but he died shortly after.
Stephan put out a CD of the two, Mama What you think this is.
What a great CD.
One of the things that totally impressed me about Firk was his record he gave me, the first one, which I played over and over again. It took me like 5 playings to even understand just how good he was. Anyway, I still do fingerpicking and mandolin and dulcimer compositions, now have over 30 originals on Soundcloud and 23 more traditional tunes and a half dozen songs of my wife Susan, onstage and in studio. If you want I will PM you the link and my daughter Heather also.
Here is a little blurb about Gene:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bit.listserv.blues-l/DPqe0a7sC6o