Vibrato

[Robin Madge]

Reading through the previous cotributions I think that we have agreed that Tremulo is a variation in volume and Vibrato a variation in pitch of the note.

 

The trouble is that when you vibrate one end or both ends of the concertina it will change the volume no problem, but it will also change the percieved pitch of the note because of the Dopler effect. Now I know that this is a very small effect, but it is there and discernable on occasions.

 

As to vibrato as an enhancement to the mood of the music, I would suggest watching Alistair Anderson. He gets a lot of his enhancements by moving the instrument about to create emphasis, not just changing the volume but also the percieved pitch. I don't suppose anyone has done any quantative research into this?

 

Robin Madge

[Jeff Stallard]

So this shake you mention...its movement is perpendicular to the line on which the bellows expand and contract, correct?

 

Excellent discussion! Thank you all for helping me out.

[JimLucas]

So this shake you mention...its movement is perpendicular to the line on which the bellows expand and contract, correct?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who are you asking?

 

Mine isn't.

Mine's in the same line.

[Jeff Stallard]

I was asking anybody really, but I'm particularly interested in the way Alan did it, as that's the only vibrato I've ever heard on the concertina.

[Paul Read]

Matt Heumann's was in the line of the bellows (i.e. open and close direction)

[brightfield]

Reading through the previous cotributions I think that we have agreed that Tremulo is a variation in volume and Vibrato a variation in pitch of the note.

Agreed. Interestingly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato says

 

"Some types of organ however, can produce the effect by altering the pressure of the air passing through the pipes"

 

which is precisely what we are aiming at with the concertina.

 

On the harmonica, you achieve this effect with the right hand opening and closing the back of the instrument.

[JimLucas]

Reading through the previous cotributions I think that we have agreed that Tremulo is a variation in volume and Vibrato a variation in pitch of the note.

Maybe somebody has, but I don't think everybody has.

 

My interpretation of the words themselves, independent of musically restricted terminology, is that "vibrato" means "vibration" and "tremolo" means "trembling", so there's not much to choose between them. Neither one inherently means vibration/trembling of either pitch or volume.

 

That vibrato is a variation in pitch seems to be universally agreed by dictionaries, though (as I mentioned) my experience has been that variation in volume is often given the same name (probably by people who didn't learn the word from a dictionary ).

 

Tremolo, on the other hand, is not described by the dictionaries I've consulted as a variation in volume, but a stopping and starting, something I would describe as "stuttering", rather than "trembling", and contrary to my own experience of how people use that word.

 

Add to this the fact that wet tuning in accordions -- which I've heard called both "vibrato" and "tremolo" -- is not quite either. It's a variation in volume, but caused by interference between the pressure waves of two different but constant pitches, rather than being produced directly on a single pitch.

 

Which is why I think it's more useful to avoid the words "vibrato" and "tremolo" and talk directly about variations in volume or pitch. The trouble with that is that I'm not convinced that most people -- myself included -- can tell the difference just from listening, if the changes are small and rapid. We hear a "fluttering" (to use yet another descriptive word), but are we really sure that it's a 5-cent-or-less variation in pitch or a small variation in volume? Besides, as you suggest, it could be both at once.

 

The trouble is that when you vibrate one end or both ends of the concertina it will change the volume no problem, but it will also change the percieved pitch of the note because of the Dopler effect. Now I know that this is a very small effect, but it is there and discernable on occasions.

Once again I must object to what I believe is a misunderstanding of what the Doppler effect actually is. Motion alone doesn't produce a Doppler effect. It requires motion in the line of direction connecting the sound source with the listener. If there were a Doppler effect producing pitch variation and caused by variation in the in-and-out bellows movement, then it would be heard by listeners to either side of the player, but not those some distance in front. (If caused by moving the bellows up and down, it would be audible only to listeners above and below.) And if that small difference in bellows velocity really could create an audible Doppler effect, then we'd all hear a distinctive steady pitch change whenever we walked toward or away from a concertina player. And that wouldn't apply only to concertinas, but would cause the front and rear of a marching band to sound out of tune with each other as its center passed us. So no, it's not Doppler.

 

On the other hand, if there really is a variation in pitch, it seems reasonable to me that variations in pressure might be responsible. Might. I'm not sure. But others have reported just such an effect, not requiring rapid movement, and at the moment I can't think of a third alternative,

 

...Alistair Anderson ... gets a lot of his enhancements by moving the instrument about to create emphasis, not just changing the volume but also the percieved pitch. I don't suppose anyone has done any quantative research into this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe some of our fans are currently investigating a related phenomenon.

[Alan Day]

There seems to be about three different methods of sound variations that is being talked about here.The slight or even heavy shaking(when finishing a dance) of the bellows, which by moving the bellows back and forth in a swinging action create the differences in pressure to give one sound.I wonder if this is using the flexibility of the bellows say over six folds or more,would it still work on a four fold bellows with no movement over its length when shaking?I wonder if someone would try it.

What Jim is talking about is by compression or depression in short bursts to create the same effect.I think Mary McNamara uses this method in her style of Anglo playing.

Or the third just fast compression of the same button in equal amounts to one note.

Method one and possibly two are used by South African players even on full chord playing to give the harmonica sound we have already discussed.

I have never tried Jims way of playing I must do some practicing.

Nobody yet has said they have had a go at this,it would be nice to get a feed back.

Al

[Michael Reid]

I've seen two ways of incorporating vibrato (or whatever we agree to call it) into Irish-style playing.

 

Gearoid O'hAllmhurain rapidly waves the fingers of one hand toward and away from the buttons. While I suppose this could influence the flow of air through the fretwork, I think the effect is due to the resulting quick, small movements of the bellows.

 

Noel Hill, on the other hand, shakes his whole right forearm in a rapid, controlled movement. (Noel keeps the left end of his concertina firmly planted on his left leg, and he works the bellows with his right hand.) I think Noel would agree with Allan's characterization of this as an ornament. Used judiciously, it's lovely, I think.

[David Barnert]

The word "tremolo" (not "tremulo," by the way) is used in classical music by only two families of instruments that I know of. On string instruments (violin, etc.), it is achieved by rapidly changing bow direction, as in parts of "Flight of the Bumblebee" or Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." On the piano, it is generally applied to two notes (or chords) and is achieved by rapidly changing between one note (or chord) and the other. I am not a woodwind player, so I don't know what the situation is there. I have heard flutes do a flutter tongue technique, but I don't know if they call it "tremolo." I have never heard a reed instrument play anything that might be considered a tremolo.

 

Edited for typo

Edited August 16, 2005 by David Barnert

[Robin Madge]

Just to give examples of how I move the concertina to give emphasis and/or create effects.

 

1. Sitting holding the concertina with the left end on the left knee. Tap the left heel up and down on the floor to shake the whole instrument.

 

2. Sitting as above. Increase and decrease pressure, without changing bellows direction, pivotting the right arm from the elbow. How fast you can manange the vibration depends upon your muscle tone!

 

3. As above but use the shoulder muscles to shake the whole right arm.

 

4. Sitting as above change the angle of the right hand end of the concertina with respect to the left hand end by about 20 degrees towards the front so that the axis projected from the left hand end extends through the right wrist, and then rotate the right hand end alignment about this axis. This will change the perceived volume of the right hand end of the instrument (usually playing the melody) for an "audience" placed in front.

 

5. Standing. Swing the whole instrument in a vertical/side to side circle keeping the arms fairly straight (doing the bells). Gets tiring after a while, and don't let go!

 

6. Standing. Move the whole instrument in a horizonal circle side to side/ towards and away from you. This is what Alistair Anderson often does when he gets into the music, to emphasise a particular note.

 

There are obviously plenty of other movements/positions to experiment with (I can play some things behind my back and behind my head as inspired by Jimi Hendrix but can't think of a way of using my teeth!!).

 

Robin Madge

 

Editied to add the word "alignemnt", I didn't mean twist the end off!

Edited August 17, 2005 by Robin Madge

[Rex]

Alan, a couple of years ago you kindly sent me a tape of you playing and it had a few examples of your "bellows shake". It sounded nice and added to the tunes in a constructive way, I believe. It was not over used. Of course any ornament can be overused. They are like seasonings. The right amount can make a meal...too much will ruin it. That tape, by the way, has been passed on to another concertina player over here in the States.