The sonic palette......
Sep. 28th, 2005 10:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poltr1As a keyboard player, former high school band member, and composer, I often "hear" or imagine lines of music in my head that are played by specific instruments. I'll say to myself, "This needs to be played by a French horn", or "A flute line would be nice here". I'll even imagine solo or counter-solo lines in other people's songs. For example, "The Lady" cries out for a cello line starting in verse 2 behind/underneath the vocals, and "Saxophone In Spring" needs a soprano sax part in the background. (Alto sax would do, but a soprano sax has a higher, brighter sound.) And I can imagine a blistering synth solo in "Cold Butcher".
This is where having a synthesizer workstation comes in very handy. I can hammer out the line on the keyboard, using an orchestral instrument sound or patch. And I can hear the sound as I imagined it. And with the right software, I can even print out a part for that instrument.
I like to play with sounds as if they are colors in a box of crayons. If I had one instrument, such as an acoustic guitar or clarinet, I'm limited to one color. But with many instruments -- or one that can closely mimic others -- that gives me more crayons to play with. I call that box of crayons my "sonic palette".
There are many sounds in the sonic palette that I rarely, if ever, hear in filk. Many of them are keyboard sounds.
Hammond organ: A classic organ sound, made with "tone wheel generators". I've not taken one apart, but I'd imagine there are disks inside spinning at various speeds. Pressing a key activates a mechanism that pushes something against the wheel. Drawbars (from 0-8) regulate the amount of sound from the various harmonic overtones (e.g. the partials like the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 12th harmonics).
Examples: "Green Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf (with heavy keyclick), "The Old Landmark" from the Blues Brothers soundtrack, many jazz and gospel recordings.
(I'm still wondering how some organists achieve that slow growling/rising glissando effect, such as the one in Pink Floyd's "Hey You".)
Combo organ: These were all the rage in the 1960s. Some of the better-known manufacturers were Vox and Farfisa.
Examples: "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians.
Pipe organ: The old standard. Many old, ornate, and beautiful churches have one. Some are still in great shape, and some of the dormant ones are in a state of disrepair.
Examples: "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by J.S. Bach, the score from "The Phantom of the Opera", "Awaken" by Yes (the organ part was recorded in a church in Switzerland).
Theatre organ: Before movies had sound, they were silent, except for the music comin from the theatre's organ and organist. The best known theatre organs were made by Wurlitzer -- one of their consoles had the moniker "The Mighty Wurlitzer".
Rhodes piano: A famous electric piano. Earlier versions were called "Fender Rhodes" as they were either distributed or made by the guitar and amplifier company. The "harp assembly" uses tuned metal bars instead of strings; felt hammers strike against the metal bars, producing a nice warm sound.
Examples: "The Road To Roswell" by Lloyd Landa and Karen Linsley, the opening to "Babe" by Styx.
Tack piano: A piano where the strings are slightly detuned and thumbtacks are placed into the hammers. (Don't try this at home!) Reminiscent of saloon scenes in movie and TV Westerns.
Examples: End of "The Sheriff" by Emerson Lake & Palmer
Hohner Clavinet: An electrified clavichord, with strings running the length of the instrument.
Examples: "Outa Space" by Billy Preston, "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
This is where having a synthesizer workstation comes in very handy. I can hammer out the line on the keyboard, using an orchestral instrument sound or patch. And I can hear the sound as I imagined it. And with the right software, I can even print out a part for that instrument.
I like to play with sounds as if they are colors in a box of crayons. If I had one instrument, such as an acoustic guitar or clarinet, I'm limited to one color. But with many instruments -- or one that can closely mimic others -- that gives me more crayons to play with. I call that box of crayons my "sonic palette".
There are many sounds in the sonic palette that I rarely, if ever, hear in filk. Many of them are keyboard sounds.
Hammond organ: A classic organ sound, made with "tone wheel generators". I've not taken one apart, but I'd imagine there are disks inside spinning at various speeds. Pressing a key activates a mechanism that pushes something against the wheel. Drawbars (from 0-8) regulate the amount of sound from the various harmonic overtones (e.g. the partials like the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 12th harmonics).
Examples: "Green Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf (with heavy keyclick), "The Old Landmark" from the Blues Brothers soundtrack, many jazz and gospel recordings.
(I'm still wondering how some organists achieve that slow growling/rising glissando effect, such as the one in Pink Floyd's "Hey You".)
Combo organ: These were all the rage in the 1960s. Some of the better-known manufacturers were Vox and Farfisa.
Examples: "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians.
Pipe organ: The old standard. Many old, ornate, and beautiful churches have one. Some are still in great shape, and some of the dormant ones are in a state of disrepair.
Examples: "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by J.S. Bach, the score from "The Phantom of the Opera", "Awaken" by Yes (the organ part was recorded in a church in Switzerland).
Theatre organ: Before movies had sound, they were silent, except for the music comin from the theatre's organ and organist. The best known theatre organs were made by Wurlitzer -- one of their consoles had the moniker "The Mighty Wurlitzer".
Rhodes piano: A famous electric piano. Earlier versions were called "Fender Rhodes" as they were either distributed or made by the guitar and amplifier company. The "harp assembly" uses tuned metal bars instead of strings; felt hammers strike against the metal bars, producing a nice warm sound.
Examples: "The Road To Roswell" by Lloyd Landa and Karen Linsley, the opening to "Babe" by Styx.
Tack piano: A piano where the strings are slightly detuned and thumbtacks are placed into the hammers. (Don't try this at home!) Reminiscent of saloon scenes in movie and TV Westerns.
Examples: End of "The Sheriff" by Emerson Lake & Palmer
Hohner Clavinet: An electrified clavichord, with strings running the length of the instrument.
Examples: "Outa Space" by Billy Preston, "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
