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New record

Just a small record to show my progression in khoomei, maybe i'm on the wrong wayActually i don't try the sygyt or kargyraa and i focus on khoomeï. By listening the cd's i try to imitate what i'm hearing.Any hints appreciated!
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A month

I started singing a month ago, i upload a new MP3 "khoomeï2" to show my progression.I can hear 4 harmonics but i don't know how can i have the higher or lower harmonics.
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Beginner's diary

Hi everybody, i'm a beginner in this harmonic world. I want to learn how to sing khoomei and sygyt. I've recorded a small MP3 and i'll record others to show my progression if there is a progression ! :-)
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New from Huun-Huur-Tu

HHT has a new concert movie available online: HHT Live at Fantasy Studios (Berkeley, CA, Nov 20, 2008) - I've seen some footage and it looks and sounds really good! There's free preview video of the old Tuvan song, Chiraa Xoor: http://www.plushmusic.tv/channels/EJU/huun-huun-tu.htmlFans of their trad stuff are really going to enjoy this, and I expect the same thing for their upcoming Klassica cd.Here's the official blurb:In 2008 Huun Huur Tu took time in their US touring schedule to record their most popular songs at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley CA. With over fifteen years of performing behind them they felt their songs had evolved in both sophistication and beauty.The sessions were electric, and they decided to open up the studio doors for an invitation only concert.This spine-tingling film of Huun Huur Tu's performance captures a group at the height of their creative powers.Now available to watch and download at Plushmusic.tv, £7.99 or just £12.99 for both films.
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Raum Klang Stimme - Space Sound Voice

Auf der Suche nach dem Ursprung der Obertöne (A Quest for the Origin of Harmonics) - (documentary film)

Teaser "Raum Klang Stimme" (English)



CONTENT

Harmonic proportions are a phenomena occurring everywhere in nature, from the growth of a plant to cosmic gas clouds. The scale of the harmonics also apply to sound and can be made audible through the human voice.

Since the 1960s a singing technique, in which harmonics are made audible purposely, was discovered and used by a few musicians consciously and became popular under the name of ‘overtone singing’ or ‘harmonic chant’. Due to the rapidly growing interest, it was soon ‘discovered’ that many other cultures of the world already had a long tradition of overtone-singing: for example some tribes in Africa, South America and even Papua New Guinea. The most famous form is known from central Asia – Tuva and Mongolia, and there it is called ‘Höömii’, Throatsinging.

This film documentation, portraying seven musicians, deals with the topic of ‘overtone-singing’ and the harmonic proportions.

With:

David Hykes
Christian Bollmann
Wolfgang Saus
Danny Wetzels
Hosoo & Transmongolia
Jill Purce
Mark van Tongeren

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ZAZAL ~ music by Egschiglen

Another fine CD by one of the current batch of groups from Mongolia. It features the marvellous khöömii of Amra (Amartuwshin Baasadorj) on at least five of the pieces. Finely recorded the Cd is a mix of traditional arrangements and contemporary compositions performed by Tume (Tumenbayar Migdory) on Morin Khuur & vocals, Tunuruu (Tumursaihan Yanlav) Morin khuur, aman khuur & vocals, Uugan (Uuganbaatar Tsend-Ochir) Ih Khuur, Boogi (Batbold Wandansenge) percussion, denshig, vocals and Saran (Sarangerel Tserevsamba) yoochin & vocals.

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ZAZAL ~ music by Egschiglen

1. Hartai sarlag Traditional - arranged by Tumenbayar Migdori - solo khöömii vocals by Amra and solo vocals by Boogi
This song is inspired by an old melody of Durvud minority from the western region of Mongolia. It's used on the pastures as a calming song for yaks.

2. Uils dundaa sain Traditional - text and arrangement by Tumenbayar Migdorj - solo vocals by Amra, Boogi, Saran and Tummu
This is a folk song about the risks of alcohol. When alcohol remains in the bottle, there is calm, but when it is out of the bottle, there is a fiestiness. It is heard in toasts: Alcohol should only be used for the good things in life!

3. Yamaanii boodog Composed by Hangal - text by Amartuwshin Baasandorj - arranged by Uuganbaatar Tsend-Ochir - solo khöömii vocals by Amra
The “goat stone roast” is a Mongolian meat dish prepared for special occasions such as celebrations and long trips through the nature. During one such trip, the composer Hangal had the idea for this music. How to prepare “Yamaanii boodog”: The goat will be slaughtered, the head cut off, the innards will be taken out through the neck and seasoned with salt, onions and herbs. The goat will then be stuffed with this mixture and hot stones and grilled. Enjoy!

4. Han huhiin uuland Composed by Sharav and Mend-Amar - text and.arrangement by Tumenboyar Migdorj solo khöömii vocals by Amra and solo vocals by Boogi
This song is about Han Huhii mountains extend in the eastern area of Mongolia. The first part of this song, an instrumental by Mongolian composers Sharav and Mend-Amar, was originally written for flute. Egschiglen has re-arranged this song for traditional Mongolian instruments and the flute has been replaced by the khöömii.

5. Talin salhi Composed by Isao Tomita - text by Choinom - arranged by Tumenbayar Migdorj - solo khöömii vocals by Amra and solo female vocals by Saran
Egschiglen improvises from a Japanese melody with poems by a Mongolian poet. The song tells about several incidents in the 12th and 13th centuries during the period of Gengis Khans, who drastically altered the world of that time.

6. Mandluhai Composed by Janzannorov - text and arrangement by Tumenboyar Migdorj solo vocals by Amra, Boogi and Tummu.
This melody goes back to the Mongolian composer Janzannorov who studied in Kiev and Ulaan Bataar. Janzannorov is one of the most famous exponents of' Mongolian contemporary music. To date, he has composed more than 200 pieces for theatre and cinema. He is a contemporary and teacher of Egschiglen.
7. Herlengiin barya Traditional - arranged by Tumursahain solo morfin khuur by Tumruu.
This piece is inspired by the traditional “Long songs” (urtyn duu) known throughout Central Asia. These songs are extremley slow, serious and sad. Tumruu follows with his morin khuur the endless streaming river Herlen in the central east part of Mongolia.

8. Haramgui Composed, text and arrangement, solo khöömii vocals and moriin khuur by Amartuwshin Baasandorj
This song is a khöömii vocal improvisation. It's vocal style also called throat singing of diphonic singing. The vocalist Amra modulates between different techniques of this style requiring a complex interplay of abdominal breast and body breathing, of vocal cords, glottis and throat, of tongue, lips and oral cavity.

9. Setgeliin egshig Composed by Sharav - arranged by Uunganbaatar Tsend-Ochir.
This instrumental piece goes back to the early 1970 and is one of the first compositions of Mongolian modern classic music.

10. Morin khuur konzert Composed by Hangal - arranged by Tumenbayar Migdorj - solo moin khuur by Tume.
In the 1980's compositions for morin khuur and classical western instruments were written for the first time. Mongolian composer Hangal contributed many works during that time renewal, for the first time since the time of Gengis Khan, classical Mongolian music. Hangal studied at the music conservatory of Alma Ata and Svedolovsk. He received the most honoured and important art award of the Mongolian republic, the “Turin soerhol". His “Moriin khuur konzert" marked one of the most important turning points in Mongolian music history. This work has been re-arranged by Egschiglen for exclusivley traditional Mongolian instruments (morin khuur solo, morin khuur, yoochin, percussion, ih khuur).

11. Elstiin ganga Traditional - text and arrangements by Tumenboyar Migdorj - solo vocals by Amra, Boogi, Tume and Tummu
This melody is inspired by a folk song from the Darhad minority from the northern part of Mongolia.

12. Yan Tai Wan Göögöö Traditional - arranged by Tumenbayar Migdori - solo vocals by Saran
This love song is dedicated to a man called Yan Tai Wan Göögöö.

13. Builgan shar Traditional - arranged by Tumenbayar Migdorj
This composition is an allusion to the endless width of the landscapes of the Gobi desert and the camel herds which cross it. It is based on the traditional folk music the Gobi, homeland of the musicians Saran and Uugan.

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Music by Egschiglen ~ GEREG

This is Mongolian ensemble Egschiglen’s fourth album and the third to feature Amartuvshin’s fine Khöömii (Throat Singing). Amartuvshin comes from Chandman District in Western Mongolia, arguably the birthplace of Khöömii. His powerful singing retains much of the traditional styles of older singers such as Tserendavaa; however the influence of Tuvan Khöömei can be heard in the low Khargiraa (sub harmonic) style particularly on their renamed version of Huun Huur Tu’s classic ‘Kungurei’. Amartuvshin sings lyrics in Khailakh (a tense compressed guttural voice) or Khargiraa styles with the amazing non-verbal high melodic

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GEREG ~ music by Egschiglen

overtone style being featured on half a dozen cuts. His mastery enables him to sing the dizzyingly heights of the 16th harmonic and to adapt to unfamiliar musical settings. The one drawback is that his Khöömii can get lost in some of the overly dense arrangements.


1. Hunnu is a song from the 'deep past' of Mongolia - and a homage to the Huns who founded their legendary empire in the 3rd century BC between Lake Baikal, the Altai Mountains, the Chingan range and China, the first nomad empire of Central Asia consisting of 25 peoples. China tried to protect itself against the raids of the "barbarians of the north", as the Chinese farmers called the Huns disparagingly, by building the Great Wall. The empire of fearless nomad horsemen disintegrated after the death of their king Attila in 453 AD.

2. Goviin Magtaal : Paeans or songs of praise (magtaal) are sung to pay tribute to nature in itself, the spirits of nature or the Lamaistic gods or to praise individual mountains, rivers, animals or heroes. It is mainly camel-driving nomads who live in the Gobi Desert, so this paean is sung to the Gobi in the rhythm of the camel's footsteps. "From the blue gleaming steppe you come to visit us in the Gobi. When you visit us in the Gobi, you are cordially invited to our yurt. The doors of our white yurt are always open. With best wishes we invite you: take a seat on the north side of the yurt (place of honour), and the genial Gobi girl will entertain you with freshly brewed tea with camel's milk. Visit us in the Gobi, the home of countless herds - the fabulous Gobi."

3. Duuren Zaan : This composition is based on a myth about the legendary wrestler Duuren Zaan, a young man of the people who was killed by the people of the prince because he had defeated the prince's wrestlers. Earlier the wrestling competitions were arranged by princes, high state officials and religious dignitaries, they had their best fighters compete against each other, not uncommonly with fatal consequences. State and church, represented by their wrestlers, often carried out a power struggle. The church often won ...

4. Aisui Hulugiin Tuvurguun: "The echoing hoofs of the approaching horses", as the title of this piece is translated, is an anthem to the Naadam festival which is celebrated in Mongolia in the middle of July. Its roots go back to the time of the Huns and Genghis Khan. The three warlike 'basic sports' are the focus of the festival: wrestling, archery and horse racing. During the spectacular horse race which takes place over several days, hundreds of riders start well outside Ulan Bator and chase like a cloud of dust through the steppe up to the competition area, followed at break­neck speed by spectators in jeeps who can afford to watch the race from as close up as possible. The festival begins when the six to twelve-year old boys and girls climb into the saddles in order to take the horses into the race as jockeys. The first five winners are given a prize and awarded with a song of praise (moriny tsol). Successful horses can reach astronomical prices when sold - the breeding and the training of the animals are a science in themselves in which the experiences of the nomads and warriors over the centuries are passed down.

5. Jaran Zagaan Aduu: The sad old song of the Tuva people from the northwest tells the story of the time of the Manchu rulers in Mongolia (1691-1911). All men between 18 and 60 were liable to military service, many of them were drafted from the Manchurian central power, and hardly any returned: "Of sixty white horse herds / where are the best, my brothers / Of six regions of our country / Where are half of the people, my sister?"

6. Meeneg : Sun, moon and the endless starry sky have also always exerted their magical fascination on the Mongolian people. Shamanistic practices are also closely connected with the heavenly bodies here. The Buryat people from the northeast of Mongolia are the only ones who practice a round dance (yoohor) which describes the circle of the sun's orbit. It is accompanied by sung strophes which are improvised by individual singers and are answered in the chorus by all dancers. "Meeneg" is a love song and is widespread in the west of Buryatia in particular; in the eastern part it was banned by the Buddhist lamas and may be heard only at weddings.

7. Nutgiin Zamd : Amra, the khöömii virtuoso in the ensemble, comes from Chandman Sum in west Mongolia, the birthplace of overtone singing. Here the khöömii traditions go back more than 1,500 years, and from generation to generation the five most important khöömii variants are passed down. Khöömii is much more than 'just' the art of overtone singing. In Mongolia khöömii is also seen as a spiritual and magical art form which requires power, endurance, perseverance and comprehensive training - almost like a sport. Khöömii teaches the people to overcome difficulties and to enjoy the results of their work. People who do not respect difficulties or are not interested in overcoming them cannot become khöömii singers. In "Nutgiin Zarnd" Amra describes his (spiritual) journey home.

8. Huurhun Haluin : This ritual farewell song of parents for the bride is a traditional Mongolian long song (urtyn duu). It consists of three basic forms: extended long song, general long song and abbreviated long song (besreg). The verses of the besreg are short and its musical structure is less complex so that the lyrics - in this case advice to the bride to follow the words of the parents respectfully to maintain friendship with the new sisters - can be understood better: "Your beautiful beige-coloured horse has a gentle character, but you still have to be careful when saddling. The customs are different in the foreign country. Wait until you get used to these."

9. Adagio from the Ballet “Uran Has” : During the socialist period (1924 - 92) European art forms like classical music, opera and ballet came to Mongolia, and traditional Mongolian songs and dance melodies were Europeanised. Revolutionary lyrics were often combined with traditional melodies adapted in such a manner as they were seen as a symbol of the "new music for a new time". Jamyangiin Chuluun (1928 - 96), whose ballet "Uran Has" from 1973 was the basis for the Mongolian ballet school, received the state award in 1966 and later various other awards for his contribution to the development of classical music and ballet.
The ih Nur musician Uugan dedicates this composition to his friend Peter Lindi, with whom he built his Mongolian bass violin which can be heard for the first time on this recording.

10. Byan Hishig daa Lam : The band improvises on a humorous folksong, the title is the name of the protagonist.

11. Udelt : A short song like the Darhad from the northwest of Mongolia sing: the lyrics tell the story of a painful farewell.

12. Shigshergiin Ai : The melodies and rhythms of many short songs imitate noises, movements and the character of animals, especially horses. The gaits of a horse in particular are described meticulously and translated into music: walk, trot, gallop, amble etc. This song of the Dörvöd traces the amble of the fine brown horse and the sound of the harness magnificently decorated with silver work.

13. Chamagaa Gelgui Yahav : A short song of the Dörvöd people in the west of Mongolia: "Of sixty thousand sheep / The red ones are the best / Of a hundred thousand boys / You are my only sweetheart". Short songs (bogino duu) are very popular in northwest Mongolia, they are sung at casual meetings. The singer improvises his (often satirical) lyrics about everyday events, embarrassing behaviour, difficult relationships - or like in this song - about love.

14 Zezegtei Harmai : is a besreg duu, an abbreviated long song of the Darhad who live in the forested Taiga regions and breed yaks or reindeer. It describes the beauty of this region around the Harmai river and traces the contours of the mountains, valleys and steppes.

15. Bonus Track : For a while the band have pitched their yurt in the rural Bavarian area of Röthenbach an der Pegnitz, where they can hear unfamiliar sounds which they readily pick up and turn into music with a humorous wink - and when it is a Franconian peasant song.

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My New Balance Commercial

About a year and a half ago, I recorded a bunch of stuff in many styles for Emoto Studios in Santa Monica, originally for a Nissan commercial, but they went with a different ad campaign. So, they sold this bit to NB. It's really a fun commercial, and we're hoping it gets picked up for TV.Check it out at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfLTRzWvlJ0or at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=100966106593595&ref=nfIt's kinda fun, methinks...
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As a composer of overtone choir music, I am looking for this type of choir with at least a few capable polyphonic singers who understand the numbered notation system. I have several pieces available that do not fall into the category of ethereal, new age or meditative music. There are a lot of quick paced rhythmic passages in many cases.For some of these, even if there are no overtone singers in the choir, the overtone parts may be replicated by having the harmonics sung in regular singing voice (in lower range, of course).I would like to record some of these pieces through the internet, building them up with individual tracks. This can be done with any temporarily missing voices filled in with Sibelius software voices (choral library vowel sounds). If anyone is interested in participating, please let me know.Another milestone in technology is occurring on Nov 20th, with an internet real-time concert using musicians spread all over the world. This is definitely something to strive towards in the overtone community.Information about this follows:ResoNationsAn International Telematic Music Concert for PeaceNovember 20, 20097:30PM EST United Nations Headquarters, New York City, United States of America4:30PM PST University of California San Diego, United States of America5:30PM MST The Banff Centre, Alberta, CanadaNovember 21, 200912:30AM BST Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom9:30AM KST Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Dongguk University, Seoul, South KoreaRenowned musicians in five international locations perform new contemporary music works for peace through the telematic music medium. Telematic music is real-time performance via the internet by musicians in different geographic locations. The performance will take place on high-bandwidth internet with JackTrip audio software developed by Chris Chafe and Access Grid video software developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The concert will have local audiences and a world-wide webcast.Program:Hope's Dream by Mark Dresser and Sarah WeaverDisparate Bodies by Pedro RebeloRock, Paper, Scissors by Chris ChafeGreen-colored Harmony by Jun KimLocations and Musicians:New York, New York, United States of AmericaUnited Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC ChambersPresented by the World Association of Former United Nations Internes and FellowsDean Leslie, Presidential Attaché and Arts for Peace DirectorSarah Weaver, Arts for Peace Music and Technology Director, ResoNations Co-CoordinatorJoan La Barbara, voice, Yoon Sun Choi, voice, Robert Dick, flute, Jane Ira Bloom, soprano saxophone, Marty Ehrlich, woodwinds, Oliver Lake, saxophone, Dave Taylor, trombone, Tomas Ulrich, cello, Samir Chatterjee, tabla, Sarah Weaver, conductor and co-composerTechnology: Chris Blood, Sylvain BedardSan Diego, California, United States of AmericaUniversity of California San DiegoCenter for Research in Computing and the Arts, CalIT2Mark Dresser, contrabass, conductor, co-composerBanff, Alberta, CanadaThe Banff CentreChris Chafe, ResoNations Co-CoordinatorLee Heuerman, soprano, Charle Nichols, electric violin, Sam Davidson, clarinet and electronics, Chris Chafe, electric cello and composer, Geoff Shoesmith, tuba and electronics, Knut Eric Jensen, pianoTechnology: Theresa Leonard, Juan-Pablo CaceresBelfast, Northern Ireland, United KingdomQueens University BelfastSonic Arts Research CentrePedro Rebelo, composer and piano, Franziska Schroeder, saxophone, Manuela Meier, accordion, Steve Davis, drums/percussion, Justin Yang, saxophone/electronicsTechnology: Chris Corrigan, Felipe Hickman, Rui ChavezSeoul, South KoreaLeeHaeRang Art Theater, Dongguk UniversityPresented by Graduate School of Culture Technology (GSCT), KAIST, and MARTE Lab, Dongguk UniversityJun Kim, composer, SeungHee Lee, haegeum, Euy-shick Hong, saxophone, Woon Seung Yeo, visuals, Quartet X: Yoonbhum Cho, 1st violin, Soyeon Park, 2nd violin, Heejun Kim, viola, Saelan Oh, celloTechnology and Logo Design: Woon Seung YeoPublic Audience Information:ResoNations can be attended in-person at the locations listed below.New York, New York, United States of AmericaUnited Nations Headquarters, ECOSOC ChambersPublic Audience Address: Public Entrance at 47th Street and 1st Avenue, New York, New York, United States of AmericaAdmission: $20 Suggested DonationRSVP required. RSVP available November 1 through November 13, 2009Contact: World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellowsartsforpeace@wafunif.org 212-963-3110 beginning November 1Banff, Alberta, CanadaThe Banff CentrePublic Audience Address: Telus Studio, JPL Building, The Banff Centre, 107 Tunnel Mountain Drive, Banff, Alberta, CanadaAdmission: FreePublic Audience Contact: Dominique Carrier Dominique_Carrier@banffcentre.ca 403-762-6313Seoul, South KoreaLeeHaeRang Art Theater, Dongguk UniversityPublic Audience Address: LeeHaeRang Art Theater, Dongguk University, Jung-gu, Pil-dong, 3-ga 26, Seoul, 100-715, South KoreaAdmission: Suggested Donation 10,000 Korean won (KRW)Public Audience Contact: Concert and International Inquiry - Woon Seung Yeo woony@kaist.edu+82-10-8980-5288, Venue and Domestic Inquiry - Ji-Won Yoon jiwon1973@hanmail.net +82-19-374-2776 (or 019-374-2776 within Korea)Webcast:ResoNations can also be viewed online through the world-wide webcast hosted by The Banff Centre. RSVP required for webcast address. Space is limited to 200 reservations, first come, first served.Contact: Dominique Carrier Dominique_Carrier@banffcentre.ca 403-762-6313
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New Album "ATLAN" Review by Thom Jones

A Review of "ATLAN" by Thomas JonesA secret truth revealed: Beauty and the Beast are the samething. Soriah’s chimera fusion with Ashkelon Sain hasproduced a sprawling entity, darkly cloaked in groaningatmospheres, yet emanating an ascending light of inestimablebeauty. Atlan is a deeply organic experience. Crisp handpercussion palpitates rising drones in a cellular blood-rushof life. Long, open expanses of slowly shifting tones hanglike low clouds in a frosted mountain range. And when theQuetzalcoatl Kundalini of Soriah’s lyrical throat singingfires down the spine, everything goes astral. Quiveringstrings and chimes offer allusions to Arabo-Andaleusiantextures which run rivulet alongside Tuvan strainsthroughout the dreamscape. Dead CAN dance to such music,because this is the music of the underworld; the music ofhidden places visited by beings beyond the corporeal. Bothartists have long pedigrees; some 40 years of live andrecorded musical experience between them. Soriah has existedunder that name for over a decade, having released severalalbums and known for performing all places mystical,including trees, churches, caves. He has also beenrecognized, through international competition, as one of thetop 5 throat singers in the world. Ashkelon Sain’s TranceTo The Sun project is legendary. And his composition skillshave been honed razor sharp with his more recent SubmarineFleet. The collaboration is a match made in Omeyocan (thehighest Aztec Heaven). Each of Atlan’s 11 tracks is aunique, carefully carved sound-mosque. Like minded soulminers Terry Riley, Huun Huur Tu, SPK’(Zamia Lehmanni)andRobert Rich are good touchstones for what’s in store, buttrying to aptly describe the sonic majesty of Atlan mayrequire divine intervention.
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New Piece

New Track: a year ago, John Pascuzzi, Johnna, and I recorded a piece for the new video game Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising. Had to keep it totally under wraps but now that it's been released we can share it.John plays igil, Johnna sings the role of "Ethnic Woman" and I did the throat-singing. It was written by Danish composer Christian Marcussen.Give a listen at http://khoomei.com/mp3s/ofp2.mp3Enjoy!
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Dancing the singing bowls

A few months ago a performance artist approached me with the idea of collaborating on an event. She would bring a group of imporvisational dancers together, I would put out a set of about 100 Himalayan singing bowls and they would dance to the sound of the bowls. I somewhat hesitantly accepted the idea not quite sure how it would play out.The venue was the four eighteen project in Santa Cruz which has a nice hardwood floor, some carpets to roll out for people to sit on with pillows and regular chairs. I have a couple of hundred antique singing bowls so I sorted out a group of about a hundred that I laid out by group, octave and note. We put them at the back of the stage and at the back of the room behind the chairs so we could fill the room with sound. The bowls ranged from tiny little thadobati bowls to six pound jambatis. We had them up off the floor on tables covered with yoga mats for a firm but soft ringing surface draped with heavy cloth.The group did a couple of hours of playing singing bowls and dancing, coming up with a game plan for the performance. We decided to ask a few audience members to come and ring bowls at the end so we had six people playing at once for the dancer's finale.A few dozen people came to the performance, not a bad turnout. People enjoyed the playing and dancing and the Q&A we did afterwards (mostly me about Himalayan singing bowls). As usual after my events I invite people to come and play for themselves and if they want they can buy any of the bowls in the performance - which a couple of them did.I was surprised how much I enjoyed placing the singing bowls in an artistic environment. I usually go for a more contemplative and focused setting. Still the bowls can bring their own magic into many situations and in this case it really worked.We got a nice video of the event and are talking about doing it again.
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In libreria da settembre 2009 oppure richiedendolo direttamente a: www.minervaedizioni.com

Tel. 051 6630557 - Fax 051 897420 info@minervaedizioni.com


“….la costante che si evidenzia, è che in qualsiasi contesto l’uso della voce è fortemente diretto e influenzato dall’emozione che il soggetto prova o crede di provare in quel momento. Ne risulta che, una gestione corretta della componente emozionale, sia una prerogativa indispensabile per un uso efficiente ed efficace della voce, in qualsiasi contesto venga preso in considerazione.” La voce è universalmente riconosciuta come strumento di espressione, comunicazione e relazione. In questo libro i due autori, partendo da esperienze e modelli differenti, trovano un terreno comune, quello emozionale, dove portare alla luce le loro convinzioni, strategie e tecniche sull’utilizzo della voce in diversi contesti: artistico, professionale, relazionale, terapeutico e spirituale.
Non un manuale, ma un percorso attraverso lo strumento voce, fatto di analisi, considerazioni, scoperte , suggerimenti ed indicazioni per considerarla da un nuovo punto di vista. Questa visione suggerisce un percorso per trasformare la voce in un formidabile strumento terapeutico di indagine personale e di crescita interiore, consentendo così una più autentica e profonda espressione del Sé.

Lorenzo Pierobon-Veronica Vismara


PREFAZIONE

La ricerca sull’influenza che la postura riveste nell’evoluzione dell’essere umano è il filo conduttore del mio cammino di crescita professionale e personale, percorsi strettamente interdipendenti.Medico ortopedico fisiatra mi ha appassionato fin dall’Università l’ascolto dell’uomo come unità inscindibile di anima-mente-corpo. Ogni relazione è ascolto, ascolto di sé, ascolto dell’altro perché in ogni relazione il linguaggio è vocale e corporeo. Anche nel bambino voce, linguaggio ed evoluzione psicomotoria e posturale sono interdipendenti. Il bambino acquisisce la posizione assisa con la lallazione, il cammino con il linguaggio. L’uomo è tale perché desidera comunicare e la comunicazione implica il vivere il corpo come nostro strumento musicale, la voce come nostra musica. Inevitabilmente la mia ricerca sulla postura è avanzata parallelamente alla ricerca sulla voce.Come la voce è l’es, la parte femminile inconscia, l’emozione, così il linguaggio rappresenta la parte maschile, di relazione, la voce della materia.Il linguaggio si imprime come uno stampo su quella materia.Con Veronica Vismara ho condiviso ricerche approfondite riguardo la relazione fra occlusione, muscolatura periorale e postura; con Lorenzo Pierobon un vissuto esperienziale del legame voce-postura. In questo libro spaziano approfondendo i molteplici aspetti della voce e del canto, dalle basi neurofisiologiche del controllo vocale alla complessità dell’ascolto. Ascolto che passa dalla rieducazione della voce e della postura, per arrivare a riabitare il corpo e integrarlo finalmente come strumento del nostro essere nel mondo.


Laura Bertelè


INDICE

Introduzione

La voce, un modello olografico

Suono come nutrimento di corpo e anima
Effetti del suono
Dieta Sonora
Igiene Sonora
Nutrimento Sonoro

La voce che nutre

L’ascolto profondo

Dall’ascolto profondo all’ emissione vocale

Sperimentazione n°2

Voce: il primo strumento

La risonanza nella voce

Fenomenologia della Risonanza

La voce negata

Lo strano caso di H. “la signora che perdeva la voce”

Voce e stati interni :psicosomatica del comportamento vocale

Una lettura metaforica dell’universo vocale

Faringe
Mal di Gola (senza infiammazione)
Mal di gola con infiammazione (faringite)
Laringe
Afonia o assenza di voce
Voce flebile
Voce infantile
Voce tremante
Voce stridula
Voce rauca
Voce in testa
Mancato controllo del volume di emissione
Reflusso Gastro-Esofageo. (GERD)

Igiene della voce

RIMEDI NATURALI PER LA VOCE
Omeopatia
Omotossicologia
Fitoterapia
Oligoelementi
Fiori di Bach

Voce, postura e verticalità

Evoluzione del linguaggio e postura

La verticalità nella voce

Rieducazione Funzionale del cavo orale(RFCO)®

Funzione ed estetica della voce

La voce nella relazione terapeutica

Caratteristiche

Intenzionalità e direzionalità

La voce come strumento terapeutico

Utilizzare la voce secondo il modello P.N.L.
La luce nella voce
Programmazione neuro linguistica e acuità sensoriale
Presupposti fondamentali della PNL
Sistema rappresentazionale principale (SRP)
Respirazione , tono e timbro
Acuità sensoriale
Capacità di ascolto e autoascolto
Convinzioni limitanti
Capacità comunicative e congruenza della voce
Oltre la congruenza:voce e autenticità
Gestione delle emozioni nei processi espressivi: ancoraggio
La voce come mezzo espressivo del sé

Vocal Harmonics in Motion

Il potere della voce
Origine del metodo
Canto armonico e intervalli musicali
Descrizione del metodo
Il modello teorico e la sua origine
Identità vocale
Estasi, trance, regressione attraverso la voce
L’io espanso, campi di relazione , la matrice
Effetti psico-fisici
Aree e modalità di applicazione
Estratti di metodologia

Sperimentazione N° 5

L’accumulatore vibrazionale
Voce ed evoluzione personale: un percorso possibile

Un percorso iniziatico verso l’integrazione dell’energia maschile e femminile

La cattedrale sonora

BIBLIOGRAFIA

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OUR CD IS NOW ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET

unsere neue cd "zauberton" ist ab sofort per email an zauberton@hotmail.com um 15 euro (zuzüglich Postgebühren) bestellbar.die cd präsentatation in der otto-wagner-kirche steinhof in wien ist vor mehr als 250 leuten über die bühne gegangen. wir schweben noch auf einer rosa wolke...schließen sie die augen und lassen sie sich von den hörbeispielen der cd verzaubern!our brand new cd "zauberton" is now available for 15 euros (plus transport costs). please contact us via email (zauberton@hotmail.com).the presentation took place in the famous Otto-Wagner church Steinhof/Vienna. more than 250 people came to listen. we still can't believe it...close your eyes and relish the magic by listening to some extracts of the cd!
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The Pure Nature of Music in Bad Essen

There are not so many Overtone Festivals in Europe. You can listen in Prague (Czech), Lund (Sweden), Schwaz (Austria), Dresden (Germany) and - in Barkhausen (Germany) - one day long various artists how they are singing overtones, harmonics and diphonic music. This year the event in Schwaz was cancelled. More than this the festival day in Barkhausen was very sucessful. Where is Barkhausen? It's in a beautiful landscape - the first mountain, if you are coming from the flat North Germany. For people from South Germany it seems to be the last hills on the way to the North Sea.
There - in the Wiehengebirge you can find a place in an old stone pit called Steinbruch an den Saurierspuren. You can find imprints from saurians there and to conserve these relicts from ancient times people built a hall with glass and iron over it - the sense if it: one of the best places for overtone concerts in nature without any booster amplifiers or stuff like that. Music in nature and pure nature music.

This year it was the Overtone Festival No. 5 - the opening by Weltenreiter was a fantastic start for this festival. Until yet I haven't found any video records from their concert.







Hans Ulijeman gave an impressive performance with a gong, some singing and crystal bowls, a dan moi and his overtone singing. A part of this performance is documentated in this video.




The next part was very lyrically and poetically: Lilith Eckholt, Kolja Simon und Gisbert Schürig gave a musical interpretation for some fairy tales from different cultures. Their program "Zwischen den Welten" was really a pure enjoyment. Here are some impressions of their performance:





Continue the program with Pan meets Daphne (Peter Bayreuther und Dieter Strothmann) with ...


Before Jan Heinke and Wolfgang Saus played the duo motion with a fantastic performance. Each concert performance is a special highlight. If Jan Heinke and Wolfgang Saus playing together you can call it a highlight of an overtone performane. Both are brilliant musicians - together they are fulminant and more than this.


The last gig was with Transmongolia. I hope to find or get more stuff from this gig soon.

Really it is was a wonderful festival day - a day in overtone paradies.


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All but toothless
A virtual jaw harp orchestra challenges the dominance of guitars. Here's to musical diversity!

Starting from the city jungle of Vienna, the LOOPING jaw harp orchestra has set out to discover unexplored musical regions. Elephant Road, off the beaten track, directly leads to the habitats of rare musical instruments. Three dozen of jaw harps and percussion are a good substrate on which steel pans, saxophones, marimba, trumpets and many other instruments may flourish. Powerful and vigorous, the LOOPING jaw harp orchestra still does not neglect the tender young leaves and bizarre creatures in the jungle of music.

Release date: Oct. 2009.
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Maultrommeln mit Biss!

CD Release: 'LOOPING jaw harp orchestra – Elephant Road'Ein virtuelles Maultrommel-Orchester zeigt dem Gitarren-Monopol die Zähne. Es lebe die musikalische Abwechslung!

Mitten aus dem Großstadtdschungel ist das LOOPING jaw harp orchestra aufgebrochen, um unerforschte musikalische Biotope zu entdecken. Die Elephant Road führt fernab der ausgetretenen Trampelpfade geradewegs in die Lebensräume seltener Musikinstrumente. Drei Dutzend Maultrommeln (jaw harps) und Percussion bilden den Untergrund. Darauf gedeihen Steeldrums, Saxophone, Marimba, Trompete und zahlreiche andere Instrumente ganz prächtig. Das LOOPING jaw harp orchestra gibt kräftig Stoff, erforscht aber auch die zarten und die skurrilen Pflänzlein des Musikdschungels.

Ab 2.10.2009 im Handel

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ERSTE RÜCKMELDUNGEN:Ich möchte mich bei Dir und auch bei Gerhard Narbeshuber sehr sehr herzlich für dieses wunderschöne Konzert bedanken! Auch mein Lebensgefährte war zutieft berührt und beeindruckt. Ich freue mich auf weitere Konzerte - bis dahin hören wir die wunderschöne CD.....Euer Konzert gestern war großartig. Die Kirche war ein optimaler Ort.

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es ist soweit. unsere erste oberton-cd wird bald geboren.am 25. september wollen wir sie stolz im rahmen eines konzerts dem publikum präsentieren.wir hatten das glück, in der otto-wagner-kirche steinhof in wien (wunderschöne jugendstilkirche mit 6 sekunden hall) unsere aufnahme zu machen. dort findet auch das konzert statt.also: in den terminkalender eintragen!!!julia renöckl & gerhard narbeshuberobertongesang25.9.0919.30kirche steinhof (wien)baumgartner höheeintritt freicd-präsentationaus unserer cd in produktion:„Der ahnungslose Hörer möchte seinen Ohren nicht trauen: Da erhebt sich aus dem monotonen Gesang einer Stimme plötzlich eine zweite und entfaltet über dem unverändert anhaltenden Grundton eine melodische Linie, deren reine Klanglichkeit und Harmonik allem Irdischen entrückt zu sein scheint“, schreibt der deutsche Obertonsänger Michael Vetter – einer der Pioniere des westlichen Obertongesanges.Obertongesang ist die Kunst, zwei Töne gleichzeitig zu singen. Ein verblüffendes Phänomen, aber dabei bleibt es nicht – diese faszinierenden Klänge ziehen Menschen auf der ganzen Welt aus unterschiedlichen Gründen an: Obertöne wirken gleichzeitig entspannend und stimulierend, sie bereichern das Hören um eine neue Klangdimension, sie eröffnen Zugänge zur Musik fremder Kulturen, vor allem aber zieht ihre schlichte Schönheit in den Bann.Schließen Sie die Augen und lassen Sie sich verzaubern!Julia Renöcklwurde bereits im Gymnasium von ihrem Musikprofessor Walther Derschmidt mit dem Oberton-Virus infiziert. Nach dem Musikerziehung-Studium in Wien traf sie 2004 in Basel auf Christian Zehnder, der sie in die Geheimnisse der europäischen Obertongesangstechniken einweihte. Sie belegte Kurse bei Michael Vetter, Wolfgang Saus und Okna Zahan Zam. Mehrmals war sie Assistentin von Christian Zehnder (www.zehndermusic.ch) und Wolfgang Saus (www.oberton.org). Ihre Recherchen über die Vermittlung von Obertongesang in Europa führten sie auch zu Tran Quang Hai, Catherine Dabord, David Hykes, Iégor Reznikoff und Dominique Bertrand. Seit 2005 gibt sie selbst Obertongesangsunterricht im In- und Ausland.Gerhard Narbeshuberkam erstmals während einer Reise in die Mongolei 2004 mit Obertongesang in Kontakt. Bald darauf nahm er an einem Seminar des deutschen Obertonkünstlers Wolfgang Saus teil. Gesangsunterricht und weitere Seminare bei Christian Zehnder und Iégor Reznikoff folgten. Die aus Tuva stammende Künstlerin Sainkho Namchylak unterrichtete ihn in den mongolischen Gesangstechniken Khöömei, Sygyt und Khargyraa.Seit 2008 künstlerische Zusammenarbeit mit Julia Renöckl.

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R.I.P.

A. N. Aksenov : TUVIN FOLK MUSIC

TUVIN FOLK MUSICByA. N. AksenovEditor's Note. The following consists of excerpts from A. N. Aksenov's Tuvinskaia narodnaia muzyka (Moscow, 1964), to date the only book de­voted in a study of a single Siberian music culture.Aksenov (1909‑62) was initially a composer. He graduated from Moscow Conservatory In 1931, became a member of the Union of Soviet Composers the following year and remained in Moscow until 1943. During that war year he was sent to the city of Kizil, centre of the Tuvin People's Republic, later to become the Tuvin Autonomous Region of the Russian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic, largest administrative unit of the USSR. In Tuvin country Aksenov collected a large body of folk music, and when he returned to Moscow in 1944 he began to study ethnomusicology seriously, continuing his research on Tuvin music until his death. E. Gippius, Aksenov's advisor. In his Introduction to Aksenov's post­humous book, (p. 11) cites tuyinskaia narodnaia muzyka as being "useful and important for musicologists and musicians as well as for ethnographers, historians and folklorists".The sections included here are excerpted from two sections of the book: first, a general discussion of Tuvin folksong and then a presenta­tion of the four styles of the extraordinary ‑Tuvin manner of throat‑ singing, i.e. a way of one man's singing two parts simultaneously.The Tuvins, who speak a Turkic language, joined the USSR In 1944 dissolving the Tuvin Peoples' Republic begun in 1921. The 1959 census indicated a population of ca. 100,000 Tuvins in the USSR; they also live in adjacent Mongolia.Tuvin folk songs are primarily performed on holidays, during young people's promenades and while nomadizing or on excursions into the steppe. On holidays any songs are sung. No observer of Tuvin musical folklore has remarked on songs assigned to specific holidays or on special wedding or funeral songs, and I have not succeeded in finding, them either.One of the greatest Tuvin holidays is New Year’s (shagai) celebrated on the night of January 22nd. In addition New Year’s and domestic holidays each region (Khoshun) marked its own, local festivals. Noted singers, storytellers and instrumentalists gathered in the Khoshun centres for these holidays….At the khoshun festivities the noions (apparently clan, elders or chiefs‑‑MS) organized singing contests, sometimes lasting all day. The performers chose their own songs. The winner or best singer was served liquor (arak) and was given the title kha (noions singer). As a mark of acquiring this title a special attachment of coloured stone (or glass) was affixed to the singer's hat, after which the kha took an oath of allegiance to the noion. Among the kha's duties was the singing of panegyric songs which accompanied the serving of arak to the noion. The kha's obligations also included fulfilling small chores for the noion. If the kha appeared at fault in some way or sang little and badly, the noion took away his title, struck him in the face with a shaaga (a leather belt for beating on the cheeks) and drove him out. The singer them became a commoner again.Instrumentalists also competed at the noion's contests. They travelled from village to village earning their keep this way. Instrumentalists principally played song melodies, varied in virtuoso style. A special genre of Tuvin instrumental music consists of programmatic pieces. Contemporary instrumentalists only know two of these: "Oskus‑kasa" ("The Orphan Goose”) and "Buga, shari" (Oxen, Bullocks"). Both pieces are played only on the igil (a fiddle) and only by the most talented instrumentalists: these performers are highly esteemed.Not only instrumentalists, but also singers of tales (tool, toolchi; “tale”, “reciter of tales") travelled from settlement (aal) to settlement. Like the instrumentalists, the toolchis were ordinary folk. From time to time they dropped their households and moved off to tell tales in nearby settlements, usually within the boundaries of a small region. Their arrival was also associated with various festivities. The people invited the toolchi to their tents, fed them abundantly and gave them gifts (furs etc.) Crowds gathered in the tent in which the toolchi stayed. The spectators listened to the tales with unabated attentiveness for several consecutive days with breaks for meals. One tale lasted two to three days.Some genres of Tuvin tales (heroic and some fairytales) are recited melodically, with a recitative tune and rhythmic prose text. These are often accompanied by the chadagan, a stringed Instrument (zither‑‑MS), which either follows the melody of the vocal recitation (continuously or sporadically) or plays Instrumental interludes periodically interrupting the vocal recitation. Other genres of Tuvin tales (domestic, animal stories and some fairytales) are not performed melodically, but are simply narrated.The heroic tale "Dash‑khuren a' ttig Tanaa‑Kherel" . ..is built on a stepwise descending melody with phrases built on fourths. Each new text phrase of the tale begins with the high melodic pitches, and then descends gradually in the range of a twelfth, rising at the end of the phrase to the higher pitches, from which the next phrase begins. Along with such melodically developed forms of recitation one also finds Tuvin heroic tales built not on melodies but rather on repetitions of short tunes of three or four pitches in a narrow range.Games and competitive sports are an unchanging feature of Tuvin holidays, both old and contemporary. These include khuresh (wrestling matches) and a't khooleer (horsemanship contests), accompanied by special musical recitations. Wrestling (in which any devices but blows are allowed) is very popular among all strata of the population, irrespective of social status. The number of contestants is not restricted, usually consisting of 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 wrestlers. The wrestling match lasts many hours, to the unabated, tense attention of spectators. Wrestlers appear with seconds (salikchi) dressed in bright national cloaks, with six to eight salikchi for 30 to 40 wrestlers.The wrestlers are dressed in costumes of rawhide or other material (ringed with rawhide to protect the hands and body from injury. The costume consists of shorts and a short jacket with long sleeves barely covering the back just below the shoulder‑blades. The jacket is fastened by a rawhide thong so that the opponent can't jerk it. The legs are covered with Leather maimaks (embroidered boots with turned‑down sharp‑ended socks). Before the beginning of the match two equal groups of wrestlers gradually approach from different corners with a particular dance like gait depicting “the flight of the eagle", the eagle being the symbol of strength and agility. They caper in a zigzag manner from foot to foot and smoothly clap their hands to the rhythm of the jumps to imitate the rustle of wings. Approaching each other, both groups return to opposite corners of the field with the same dance like gait.The salikchis approach each group taking alternate wrestlers by the hand and leading them to the centre of the field. Next, both salikchis come forth and simultaneously intone the traditional “call” in the form of an improvised melodic recitation, often concluded by a speech. In the “call” the salikchis praise the strength and agility of their wrestlers and their former victories.Our strong man has com, bring out his opponent!This outstandingly famous strongman has taken part in 64 matches!Bring out our strongman’s opponent! There he's come!Be careful, be careful! This is an experienced strongman!He has taken part in 64 matches'. He is as strong as a tiger and a lion!Be careful, be careful, grab hold!This singing appearance of the salikchi is limited only to one episode of the match: the appearance of the wrestler in the arena. Each salikchi improvises melodies for this recitation in his own way. They vary considerably in melodic style and cannot be assigned to one specific type….. The wrestler's success depends considerably on the salikhchi. He encourages his wrestler with words and gestures, ridicules the opponent, amuses the audience and between jokes warns his wrestler of the intentions and tricks of his opponent, whom He observes.… No less popular is another Tuvin sport: horse‑racing ... several neighbouring khoshuns compete in horseracing, in which 10 to 100 riders take part... and up to 200 to 300 in large races. The ride to the gate is accompanied by the riders' improvised song in recitatory style. In these songs the riders praise the endurance, strength and other qualities of their horses just as the ....salikchis praised ... the wrestlers. However, of late the riders arriving at the gate most often sing recitatory melodies without words.. . The voice of the riders, resounding far into the steppe mixes into a long multi‑voiced uninterrupted roar.... After the winners are decided. … a ceremonial procession of the participants is begun. At this time a singer comes forth, holding a saucer full of arak in upraised palms, covered with a bright silk kerchief. The singer tenders the cup of arak to the winning rider, and in a solemn song, praises the winning horse;Its eyes are like two saucers of arak.lts' breath Is like mist in the valley,Its gait is like a strong wind in the steppe, etcAlong with horseracing and wrestling, marksmanship must also be included among sports beloved of the Tuvins. No special songs were devoted to these games, but the spectators often cheered on the contestants with shouts or songs of the kozliamik genre (a song with refrain‑‑MS) with Improvised words.Until recently the Tuvins had no folk dances outside of the panto­mimic imitation of the "eagle's flight" at the entrance of wrestlers.Khoi alzir songs are a special section of the Tuvin folksong tradi­tion. These are melodic recitations accompanying the pastoral ceremony of transferring baby sheep, goats, cows and horses to another mother when their original mother does not have milk, refuses to nurse its child or has died. They led the young to its new mother, placed them next to each other and turned to both with the words of traditional animal‑goading noises (e.g. "tiro. tiro, tirogat" for sheep, "chu, chu, chu" for goats and "oog,,oog, oog" for cows), sung to melodies In recitatory style. The tunes of these melodic recitations are close to each other and are strikingly close to Tuvin lullabies (urug opeileer) with melodies of analogous recitatory style. For rocking children such melodies are sung to a few words. "opei, opei ("rock‑a‑bye"), "udui ber, olgum" (“sleep, my son"). or "sariim" (“yellow one, " an endearing term). The Tuvins say that from a far one cannot distinguish whether one is rocking a baby or accustoming a calf, kid or lamb to a new mother…It is characteristic that in the past Tuvin shamans turned to the same type of melodic recitation. The tunes of their séances (according to the faithful account of Kok‑ool) wore similar both to the tunes of lullabies and to the melodic recitation accompanying the domestication of animals... (EX . 1)The Tuvins divide folksong into two groups of genres: irlar (“songs”) and kozhamik (songs with refrains). Irlar is the plural of ir, “song”, from the verb irlaar, "to sing. " The word kozhamik stems from the verb kozhar (“to unite," connect”, “pair off “). According to the Tuvin poet S. Piurbiu, this term is explained by the pairing of strophes of poetic text, character­istic of the kozhamik, especially for one if its typical forms a dialogue of two singers. To the irlar genre belong slow melodic lyric songs with poetic texts mainly of a contemplative nature (about the homeland, pastoralism or hunting. love and separation, complaint about one's hard lot in the old days), and also historical songs (e.g. about the uprising of the “60 heroes") and a large part of contemporary folk songs. To the kozhamik genre belong fast melodic lyric songs often with refrains (kozhumak) with largely improvised texts. The themes of love and youth are most characteristic for the song texts of the kozhamik genre, since songs of this type are mainly sung by young people during holiday promenades…..Songs of both genres are traditionally sung solo, but on holidays and during young people's promenades they may be sung by a chorus in unison. Heterophonic departures from unison are looked down upon by the Tuvins as being the result of untalented performance. They use unison singing as a means of learning new songs.The guttural or throat song (Khomei) is a special vocal genre of Tuvin folk music. This is the simultaneous performance by one singer of a held pitch in the lower register and a melody (composed of overtones) in the higher register. Throat singing is known not only to the Tuvins, but also to several neighbouring peoples (Mongols, Oirats, Khakass, Gorno ­Altais and Bashkirs). However, among the Tuvins it has been preserved in the most developed and widespread form, in that there is not one but four stylistic varieties of throat‑singing. It appears that Tuva is the, centre of the Turco‑Mongol culture of throat singing…The solo ostinato two‑voice throat (or guttural) singing of the Turkic peoples has aroused the amazement of all observers. It has seemed incomprehensible and inexplicable to everyone. “It is unnatural for a human being to carry two voices simultaneously”, wrote L. Lebedinskii apropos of the Bashkir uzliau throat singing. “The timbres themselves of uzliau are unnatural, as is the ostinato lower organ point, as well as the sounds of the upper register; the necessity of such lengthy breath ‑holding is unnatural too”. (Lebedinskii 1948.50‑51). The unusual timbre of throat singing and the enigmatic character of its technique has been characterized by observers as "forest wildness" (Rybakov 1897.271), or they have seen in it traces of shamanism. (Lebedinskii 1948:51).The Tuvins make no connection between throat singing and shamanism. They view it in purely every‑day aesthetic terms and approximate it to the purely everyday act of playing on the khomus (Jew’s harp) to which the art of throat singing is strikingly close both in musical style and in the character of the sound. In fact the melodic style of one genre of Tuvan throat singing (kargiraa) is reminiscent of pieces played on the iash khomus (wooden Jew's‑harp‑‑MS). The Tuvins' converging of the art of throat singing and the art of Jew's‑harp play is certainly not coincidental. Both these types of Tuvin music arts based on a common technique of producing melodic sounds; they differ only in the technique of producing the ostinato basis of the melody (organ‑point). ..In throat singing the performer sings only a single low fundamental rich in upper partials; the partials, forming a melody, are selected from this unceasing sound through changes in the width of the mouth cavity just as in playing on the Jew's‑harp. However, the melodic possibilities of throat singing are incomparably richer than those of the Jew's‑harp. On the khomus one can produce a fundamental of only one unchanging pitch and timbre, and in throat singing the singer can produce (with the vocal chords) several alternating fundamentals of varying pitch and can select partials (forming the melody) from each.... The types of throat singing of various peoples differ not only in melodic style, but also in the height and timbre of the fundamentals forming their melodic possibilities. In Tuva, four genres of throat singing and four associated melodic styles are found. Each has its own name: kargiraa, borbannadir, sigit and ezengileer.The Kargiraa.Style: The fundamental, similar in timbre to the lower register of the French horn, is produced by the singer with half‑opened mouth. Among various performers its height varies in the range of the four lowest pitches of the great octave. During performance it may be kept unchanged, but sometimes it is moved down a minor third for a short period.The melody, placed in the upper pitches of the first and lower pitches of the second octave, is made from the eighth, ninth, tenth and twelfth partials of the fundamental, though some performers add the sixth partial as well. The change to a fundamental down a minor third is used by the performer only when the eighth partial sounds, which then also shifts down the same minor third. This is a traditional means of widening the scale of the tune. The partials forming the melody sound cleanly are heard clearly and distinctly and are reminiscent of reed‑pipe tones in bright and whistling timbre. Each partial sounds to a specific vowel sound and the melodic change from one partial to another is accompanied by a change of vowel‑sounds. (Ex. 2a).The repertoire of kargiraa throat‑singing consists most commonly of, special ornamented broad‑breathed melodies not performed as songs, though distinctive musical pieces might also be performed in kargiraa. These pieces begin with a psalmodic recitation of the text (sometimes any text and sometimes special kargiraa opening texts) on two pitches or, more accurately, on one fundamental tone in two positions: raised and lowered by a minor third. In such recitations the eighth, or more rarely the ninth, partial sounds simultaneously with the fundamental (in both its positions). Each half‑strophe of the song of these opening recitations is interrupted by a wordless melody usual for kargiraa throat singing. This melody is analogous to the traditional melodic line at the end of each text‑line or half‑strophe of Tuvin folksong, featuring a melodic figure for each syllable.The Borbannadir style: The fundamental in the borbannadir style is softer and quieter, similar to the timbre of the bass clarinet’s lower register. It is produced by the same position of the vocal chords as the kargiraa style but with a different position of the lips, almost totally closed (as in pronouncing the voiced fricative consonant v) Due to this, the breath is released significantly more economically in borbannadir style than in kargiraa. In the former the performer can encompass a greater number of melodic tones (partials) than in the latter. Thu fundamental in borbannadir style remains unchanging in pitch as opposed to the kargiraa style, where it moves down a minor third occasionally.The height of the fundamental varies among individual performers within the range of the three middle pitches of the great octave. The melody, placed in the range of the whole second octave and the lower third octave, is made of the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, twelfth and sometimes thirteenth partials. It sounds more resonant and soft than in the kargiraa style, reminiscent of the harmonics of the viola and cello. (Ex. 2b)In contrast to the kargiraa style, which remains unbroken for the space of an entire breath, singing in the borbannadir style is sometimes interrupted and sometimes broken. In unbroken singing the fundamental and its melodic partials are heard only as a single tone‑colour of the consonant v. In the broken singing of this style the intoning of v is interrupted by the full closing of the lips followed by opening either on x the plosive voiced consonant b or on the nasal consonant m. The timbre of the sound on m has two nuances differing in the height of the tongue: The lowered tongue sounds a usual m while the raised tongue (as for pronouncing...n) along with closed lips (as for . ..m) sounds like ... mn. ..The Tuvins consider the borbannadir style as technically similar to the kargiraa style. All performers who master the ... kargiraa style master ... borbannadir style, but many cannot master the remaining two styles of throat singing, which depend on a different technique of sound production. The technical similarity between kargiraa and borbannadir styles allows sudden changing from one to the other in the same vocal piece, as often happens among skilled performers. Some pieces begin on barbannadir, change to kargirua in the middle and return to borbannadir at the end. Other pieces begin with a melodic recitation of text in thekargiraa style and then move to the borbannadir style instead of kargiraa for the melodic section (after each half‑strophe).The Tuvins sing only special songs belonging exclusively to borbannadir in that style. Characteristic of the melody is descending motion, beginning with the high pitches (predominantly from the twelfth partial) and descending through leaps usually to the seventh, or more rarely the eighth partial, which is lengthily ornamented in a varied complex rhythm, mostly by trills. Pieces of this sort, but without the ornamenting on the seventh and eighth partials, are also typical for instrumental tunes on the iash hkomus. In some locales the borbannadir style is also known under a different name, khomei (a term also used by the Mongols for a related style‑‑MS). In the locales where borbannadir is called khomei they use the term borbannadir for melodic recitation of song texts begin­ning with several pieces in kargiraa style.The sigit style: The fundamental is tenser and higher than in the kargiraa and borbannadir styles. Its height varies according to performer around the middle pitches of the small octave, and is similar in timbre to a muted French horn or at times to a cello playing ponticello. It is produced by a special strained position of the vocal chords with half‑open mouth and sounds markedly weaker than the kargiraa style. During the course of a single piece it does not remain fixed but changes, but according to a different principle than in kargiraa. The character of its motion is the distinguishing feature setting off sigit from the other styles of Tuvin throat singing.. The fundamental is used not only as an ostinato tone with melodic partials but as a mobile, lower melodic voice without melodic partials.Two types of throat singing alternate in sigit: a monophonic one only in the low register and a two‑voiced type with a simultaneous lower and upper line. At the beginning a special melody (not from a song) of recitatory nature is sung with the fundamental to the words of any song. Next (either after the ending of each line or, in songs with a refrain (dembildei after each verse) the melody remains on a held pitch (the fundamental) on the basis of which the performer selects partials for a second, ornamented melody in higher register.In. pieces with a two‑voice melody each odd line of verse (first or third) is ended with a fundamental of one pitch while the even lines (second or fourth) end with a fundamental of a different height, a tone below the first. In the continuation of two‑voiced episodes after an even line the fundamental sporadically and briefly lowers a minor third, as in kargiraa style, and each two voiced episode ends with a traditional glissando fall of an octave, along with its partial.. . (Ex. 2c)Ornamented melodies of partials are produced in two‑voiced melodies after each line, from both alternating fundamentals. In two voiced melodies, following the odd‑numbered lines of song text such ornamented melodies are built on the eighth, ninth and tenth overtones ... and on the eighth, ninth, tenth and twelfth overtones after even numbered lines…...The partials on which ornamented melodies are built in sigit sound in a very high register (upper part of the third and beginning of the fourth octaves) in a sharp, whistling timbre reminiscent of the piccolo in the same register. The vocalisation of vowels in such a high register can hardly be distinguished and the corresponding relationship of vowels and their partials cannot be established. The upper voice in sigit…. Does not constitute a melody so much as an ornamented trilling and punctuating rhythm principally on two pitches (the ninth and tenth partials of the two fundamentals). This special melodic hallmark sets sigit off from all the other styles of Tuvin throat singing, in which the upper voice constitutes a developed melody.The Ezengileer Style: This style is identical in sound production and timbre to sigit, and is special only in melodic terms. The fundamental in ezengileer is placed in the same register ... as in sigit, but in contrast to sigit it does not move during the course of the entire piece. The opening melodic recitation on the fundamental, typical of sigit, lacks in ezengileer.The melody of the partials has melodic significance, as in kargiraa and borbannadir, and is not merely ornamental as in sigit. The melody in ezengileer is quite varied as it is improvised by performers from various partials. Thus, in one piece of this style recorded on a disc in 1934 from the performer Soruktu, in based on the sixth, eighth, ninth, tenth and twelfth partials (Ex. 2d), whereas a piece in the same style recorded in 1932 ... from D, Trubacheev is built on the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth partials (Ex. 2e)In all the details just described (Including sound production and timbre) ezengileer is strikingly close to sample of Bashkir throat singing, uzliau. The latter differs from. . ezengileer only in the national character of the melody. In addition, the use of agogic accent in pieces of Tuvin ezengileer style sets it off from Bashkir uzliau.In the melody of the partials, as In the sounding of the fundamental of ezengileer one clearly hears the uninterrupted dynamic pulsations (alternation of strong and weak tones) in the rhythm of a… gallop… This characteristic dictates a tradition of performing pieces in this style on horseback. The term ezengileer in literal translation means “stirupped”, from the word ezengi, "stirrup”.... The persistent upward leaps of a third and a fourth (to the twelfth partial) with holds on the upper pitch….sound like fanfares or calls.http://www.soundtransformations.btinternet.co.uk/aksenovtuvinfolkmusic1964extract.htm
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Original Research and Acoustical Analysis in connectionwith the Xöömij Style of Biphonic SingingTran Quang Hai , Centre National de la Recherche Scientitique, Paris 1980Denis GUILLOU, Conservatoire. National des Arts et Métiers, ParisThe present article is limited in its scope to our own original research and to acoustical analysis of biphonic singing, this is preceded by a summary of the various terms proposed by different researchers. The first half the article concerning xöömij technique was written by Tran Quang Hai. Guillou has written the second half concerning acoustical analysis.Until the present time it has not been possible to confirm that the centre, of biphonic singing within Turco‑Mongol culture is in fact Mongolia. Biphonic singing is also employed by neighbouring peoples such as the Tuvins (Touvins), Oirats, Khakass, Gorno‑Altais and Baschkirs; it is called kai by the Altais, uzliau by the Baschkirs, and the Tuvins possess four different styles called, sygyt, borbannadyr, ezengileer and kargyraa. A considerable amount of research is at present being carried out throughout the world into this vocal phenomenon, particularly as it is practised in Mongolia.Research can be carried out in various ways: by means of observation of native performers after one or more visits to the country concerned, or by means of practical instrumental or vocal studies aimed at a better understanding of the musical structure employed by the population being studied. My own research does not belong to either of these two categories since I have never been to Mongolia and I have never learned the xöömij style of biphonic singing from a Mongolian teacher. What 1 shall describe in this article is the result of my own experience which will enable anybody to produce two simultaneous sounds similar to Mongolian biphonic singing.DefinitionSimultaneous two‑part singing by a single person is known in the Mongol language as xöömij (liter­ally "pharynx"). The manner in which the Mongol word is transcribed is by no means uniform; ho­mi, ho‑mi, (Vargyas 1968), khomi, khöömii, (Bosson 1964: 11), xomej, chöömej, (Aksenov 1964) chöömij, (Vietze 1969:15‑16. Walcott 1974) xöömij, (Hamayon 1973). French researchers have used other terms to describe this particular vocal technique such as chant biphonique or diphonique (Leipp 1971, Tran Quang Hai 1974). voix guimbarde. voix dédoublee (Heitfer 1973, Hamayon 1973), and chant diphonique solo (Marcel‑Dubois 1979). Several terms exist in English such as split‑tone sing­ing, throat singing and overtone singing, and in German sweistimmigen Sologesang.For convenience 1 have employed in this article the term biphonic singing to describe a style of singing realized by a single person producing simultaneously a continuous drone and another sound at a higher pitch issuing from a series of partials or harmonies resembling the sound of the flute.Origin of My ResearchIn 1971, the date of my first contact with Mongolian music in the form of recordings made in Mongolia between 1967 and 1970 by Mrs. Roberte Hamayon, researcher at the Centre National de la Rech­erche Scientifique and especially after listening to a tape on which were recorded three pieces in the biphonic singing style, I was struck by the extraordinary and unique nature of this vocal technique.For several months I carried out bibliographical research into articles concerned with this style of singing with the aim of obtaining information on the practice of biphonic singing, but received little satisfaction. Explanations of a merely theoretical and sometimes ambiguous nature did nothing so much as to create and increase the confusion with which my research was surrounded. In spite of my complete ignorance of the training methods for biphonic singing practised by the Mongols, the Tuvins and other peoples, I was not in the least discouraged by the negative results at the beginning of my studies after even several months of effort.Working ConditionsAccording to Hamayon, the xöömij, which exists throughout Mongolia but is gradually dying out, is practised exclusively by men. It represents an imitation, by means of a single voice of two instruments, the flute and the Jew's harp.The xöömij refers to the simultaneous production of two sounds, one similar to the fundamental produced on the Jew's harp (produced at the back of the throat), and the other resulting from a modifi­cation of the buccal cavity without moving the lips which remain only slightly open; positioning the lips as for a rear vowel results in a low sound, whereas front vowel positioning produces a high sound (Hamayon 1973), a technique similar to that used by the Tuvins (Aksenov 1964). The cheeks are tightened to such a degree that the singer breaks out into a sweat. It is the position of the tongue which determines the melody. Anybody who possesses this technique is able to copy any tune (Hamayon 1973).1 worked entirely alone groping my way through the dark for two yews, listening frequently to the recordings made by Hamayon stored in the sound archives of the ethnomusicology department of the Musee de I'Homme. My efforts were however to no avail. Despite my efforts and knowledge of Jew’s harp technique, the initial work was both difficult and discouraging. 1 also tried to whistle while producing a low sound as a drone. However, checking on a sonograph showed that this was not similar to the xöömij technique. At the end of 1972 I got to the stage that I was able to produce a very weak harmonic tone which when recorded on tape, showed that 1 was still a long way from my goal.Then, one day in November 1973, in order to calm my nerves in the appalling traffic congestion of Paris, I happened to make my vocal chords vibrate in the pharynx with my mouth half open while ­reciting the alphabet. When I arrived at the letter L and the tip of my tongue was about to touch the top of my mouth, I suddenly heard a pure harmonic tone, clear and powerful. I repeated the operation several times and each time I obtained the same result. I then tried to modify the position of the tongue in relation to the foot of the mouth while maintaining the low fundamental. A series of partials resonated in disorder inside my ears.At the beginning I obtained the harmonics of a perfect chord. Slowly but surely, after a week of inten­sive work, by changing the fundamental tone upwards or downwards, 1 had managed to discover all by myself a vocal jaw's harp technique or biphonic singing style which appeared to be similar to that used by the Mongols and the Tuvins.Basic TechniquesAfter two months of research and numerous experiments of all kinds I was able to establish some of the basic rules for the realization of what I call biphonic singing.1) Half open the mouth.2) Emit a natural sound on the letter A without forcing the voice and remaining in the middle part of the vocal range (between F and A below middle C for men, and between F and A above middle C for women).3) Intensify the vocal production while vibrating the vocal chords.4) Force out the breath and hold it for as long as possible.5) Produce the letter L. Maintain the position with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth.6) Intensify the tonal volume while trying to keep the tongue stuck firmly against the palate in order to divide the mouth into two cavities, one at the back and one at the front, so that the air column increases in volume through the mouth and the nose.7) Slowly pronounce the sounds represented by the phonetic signs "i" anti “u” while varying the position of the lips.8) Modify the buccal cavity by changing the position of the tongue inside the mouth without inter­rupting orchanging the height of the fundamental already amplified by the vibration of the vocal chords.9) In this way it is possible to obtain both the drone arid the partials or harmonics either in ascending or descending order according to the desire of the singer.For beginners the harmonics of the perfect chord (C. E. G. C) are easy to obtain. However, a considerable amount of hard work is necessary especially to obtain a pentatonic anhemitonic scale. Every person has his favourite note which permits him to produce a large range of partials. This favourite funda­mental tone varies according to the tonal quality of the singer's voice and his windpipe. It often happens that two people using the same fundamental tone do riot necessarily obtain the same series of partials.Regular practice and the application of the basic techniques which 1 have just described above per­mitted me to acquire a range of between an eleventh and a thirteenth according to the choice of the drone. Biphonic singing can also be practised by women and children, and several successful exper­iments have been carried out in this connection.Other experiments which I have been carrying out recently indicate that it is possible to obtain two simultaneous sounds in two other ways. In the first method, the tongue may be either flat or slightly curved without actually at any stage touching the root of the mouth, and only the mouth and the lips move. Through such variation of the buccal cavity, this time divided into a single cavity it is possible to hear the partials faintly.In the second method the basic technique described above is used. However instead of keeping the mouth half open it is kept almost completely shut with the lips pulled back and very tight. To make the partials audible, the position of the lips is varied at the same time as that of the tongue. The partials are very clear and distinctive, but the technique is rather exhausting and it is not possible to sing for a long time using it.In the northeast of Mongolia in the borderland area between Mongolia and Siberia live the Tuvins, a people of Turkish origin numbering one hundred thousand. The Tuvins possess not only the biphonic singing style used by the Mongols, but four other different styles within this genre, called svgyt, ezengileer. kargyraa and borbannadyr. Table 1 will facilitate comparison between these four styles.Biphonic singing is also practised by a number of ethnic groups in the republics of the Soviet Union bordering on Mongolia.The late John Levy made a recording in Rajasthan in 1967 on which can be heard an example of biphonic singing similar to that practised by the Mongols and the Tuvins (1). The virtuoso performer in the recording imitates the double flute called the satara (an instrument producing simultaneously a drone and a melody) or the Jew's harp with his voice. However, this may well be an exceptional ex­ample in that no mention is ever made of biphonic singing techniques in the musical traditions of Rajasthan or elsewhere in India.Tibetan monks, particularly those in the monasteries of Gyume and Gyuto(2), make use of a technique using two simultaneous voices, although this technique is far less developed than that used by the Mongols and the Tuvins. The low register of the drone makes it impossible to produce harmonics as clear and resonant as those emitted by the Mongols and the Tuvins, and furthermore the production of harmonics is not the aim of Tibetan Buddhist chant.In Western contemporary music groups of singers have also succeeded in emitting two voices at the same time and vocal pieces have been created in the context of avant‑garde music (3) and in recent years of electronic music (4).An X-ray film was mode for the first time in 1974 at the Centre Medico‑chirurgical of the Porte do Choisy in Paris at the request of Professor S. Borel‑Maisonny, speech therapist and of Professor Emile Leipp, acoustician. This film which was made with the cooperation of the present author made it possible to examine closely the internal functioning and placement of the tongue during biphonic singing, and was thus of great interest. Thanks to this film the author has improved his biphonic singing technique as a result of which he has been able to decrease the volume of the drone and in­crease that of the harmonics.Table 1 Characteristics of the biphonic singing styles of the Tuvinssygyt ezengileer kargyraa borbannadyrPitch of Changes in the No change No change, No changethe drone or course of singing although sometimesfundamental lowered by a minorthirdTonality More intense and Same as sygyt low Softhigher than that ofthe kargyraa stylePosition Half open Half open Half open Almost closedof tilemouthHarmonics 8, 9, 10 for uneven (6), 8, 9, 10, (6), 8,.9, 10,11.2 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 12.or partials verses 11, 12,13 138, 9, 10, 12 foreven versesSpecial ‑Harmonics used ‑Alternation of ‑Each vowel ‑Occasionallyfeatures as an ostinato strong and weak corresponds to a three voices withaccompaniment. accents like a partial two used as athus resulting in a gallop rhythm ‑Psalmodic drone: tonic andnarrow range recitation with or fifth (in exceptional‑in the course of without special cases) and thirda. song, at the end text on 2 pitches voice producingof each phrase a or drone in 2 harmonicsnote is held 1 positions rising and ‑Called khomei in(fundamental for descending by a certain areas,uneven verses, or a minor thirddescending tone ‑Called borban­for even verses) nadrt in caseswhen the borban­nadyr is namedkhomeiAcoustical Analysis‑introductionThe present study is concerned with biphonic singing its understanding and interpretation, and does not constitute a complete and definitive piece of research. In fact the discovery of certain phenomena permits us only to imagine what might be the reality, this being particularly true in relation to the mechanism involved in the production of biphonic singing. Thus it will be necessary to carry out further research in the following areas: psycho ‑acoustics and particularly the perception of pitch and phonatory acoustics.Biphonic singing differs from so‑called natural singing on account of its sonority as well as of course the vocal technique involved. As its name indicates it consists of two sounds. On the basis of simple aural observation, it is possible to distinguish a first sound whose pitch is constant and which we shall call the drone and a second sound which takes the form of a melody which the singer can produce at will. It is basically possible for anybody to produce this biphonic sonority but to make the second voice dominate and to trace a melody with it depends upon the talent of the artist.Firstly, we shall examine the concept of pitch perception in terms of acoustics and psycho‑acoustics. Secondly we shall try to define biphonic singing, to differentiate it from other vocal techniques and to specify its scope. It will then be worthwhile to formulate several hypotheses concerning the mechanism whereby this style of singing is produced and finally to present a few examples of such a technique.Pitch PerceptionIt is first of all necessary to comprehend exactly what is meant by the pitch of sounds or tonality. This concept presents a considerable amount of ambiguity and does not correspond to the simple principle of the measurement of the frequencies produced. The pitch of sounds is related more to psycho-­acoustics than to physics.Our own proposals are based partially on the recent discoveries of certain researchers, and partially on observations which we have made ourselves with the help of a sonagraph machine.The sonagraph makes it possible for us to obtain the image of the sound which we wish to study. On a single piece of paper is given information concerning time and frequency, and, in accordance with the thickness of the line traced information concerning intensity.The classical manuals on acoustics tell us that the pitch of harmonic sounds, that is sounds with, for example a fundamental with the frequency F and a series of harmonic, F1, F2. F3.... multiples of F. is determined by the frequency of the first fundamental F. This is not entirely correct in that it is possible to suppress electronically this fundamental without thereby changing the subjective pitch of the actually perceived sound. If this theory were correct an electro‑acoustic chain not reproducing the lowest sound would change the pitch of the sounds. This is evidently not the case since the tonal quality changes but not the pitch. Certain researchers have proposed a theory which would appear to be more coherent: the pitch of sounds is determined by the separation of the harmonic lines or the difference in frequency between two harmonic lines. What is the pitch of the sounds, in this case for sonic spectra with “partials" (harmonics are not complete multiples of the fundamental)? In this case, the individual perceives an average of the separation of the lines in the zone which interests him. This in fact corresponds with the differences in perception which may be observed from one individual to the other (Fig. 1).Fig. 1 Sonagram representation of three types of sounda) Harmonic spectrum: the harmonics are whole multiples of the fundamental.b) Partials spectrum: the harmonics are no longer whole multiples of the fundamental.c) Formant spectrum: two harmonics are intense and constitute a formant in the harmonic spectrum.Formant spectrum: the accentuation in intensity of a group of harmonics constitutes a formant and is thus a zone of frequencies in which there is a large amount of energy.Taking this formant into consideration a second concept of the perception of pitch comes to light. It has in effect been established that the position of the formant in the sonic spectrum results in the perception of a new pitch. In this case it is no longer a matter of the separation of the harmonic lines in the formant zone but of the position of the formant in the spectrum. This theory should be qualified however, since conditions also have to be considered.Experiment: Tran Quang Hai sang two C's an octave apart making his voice carry as if he were addressing a large audience. We observed, using a sonagram, that the maximum energy was situated in the zone perceptible by the human car (3, 4 KHz) and that the formant was situated between 2 and 4 KHz. We then recorded two C's an octave apart in the same tonality, but this time he used his voice as it addressing a small audience, and we observed the disappearance of this formant (Fig. 2‑a. 2‑b).In this case the disappearance of the formant does not change the pitch of the sounds. We then rapidly observed that the perception of pitch through the position of the formant was only possible it the formant was very acute for knowing that the sonic energy was only divided on two or three harmonics. Thus if the energy density of the formant is large and the formant is narrow the formant gives in­formation concerning the pitch as well as the overall tonality of the sonic item. Through this expedient we arrive at the biphonic vocal technique.Fig. 4 Normal singing and biphonic singinga) Sonagraph representation of normal singing. An octave passage is equivalent to a doubling of the gap between the harmonic lines and to a drone of double frequency, (The first bar repre­sents the base line of the sonagram, and the drone is represented by the second bar.)b) Sonagraph representation of biphonic singing. An octave passage is represented by a displace­ment of the formant. The harmonic lines of the formant are displaced in a zone in which the frequency is doubled.Comparison between Biphonic Technique and Classical TechniqueIt may be said that biphonic singing consists as its name indicates, of the production of two sounds, one a drone which is low and constant, and the other at a higher pitch consisting of a formant which displaces itself in the spectrum in order to produce a certain melody. The concept of pitch given by the second voice is moreover somewhat ambiguous. The Western ear may need a certain amount of training before becoming accustomed to the sound quality.Evidence concerning the drone is relatively easy to obtain thanks to the sonagram: it can be seen clearly and is also very clear on an auditory level. The device in Fig. 3 also makes it possible to see a pure amplitude frequency of a constant nature.Fig. 3. Device for providing evidence of perfect constancy of the drone in intensity and frequency.After having examined the fundamental tone we compared two spectra, one of biphonic singing and the other of the so‑called classical singing style, the two being produced by the same singer. The sonagrams of these two types of singing are shown in Fig. 4. Classical singing is characterized by a doubling of the separation of the harmonic lines when an octave is exceeded (a). Biphonic singing is characterized on the other hand by the fact that the separation of the lines remains constant (this was foreseeable since the drone is constant), and that the formant is displaced by an octave (b). In fact it is easy to measure the distance between the lines for each sound. In this case, the perception of the melody in biphonic singing works through the expedient of the displacement of the formant in the sonic spectrum.It should be stressed that this is only really possible if the formant is high, and this is obviously so in the case of biphonic singing. The sonic energy is divided principally between the drone and the second voice consisting of two or at the most three harmonics.It has sometimes been stated that it is possible to produce a third voice. Using the sonagrarn we have in actual fact established that this third voice exists (see sonograms of Tuvin techniques), but it is impossible to state that it can be controlled. In our opinion this additional voice results more from the personality of the performer than from any particular technique.As a result of our work we have been able to establish a parallel between biphonic singing and the technique of the Jew’s harp. As in the case of biphonic singing the Jew's harp produces several different voices, the drone, the main melody and a counter melody. We may consider this third voice as a counter melody which may be produced on a conscious level but can presumably not be controlled.As far as possibility of variation is concerned, biphonic singing is the same as normal singing except in connection with pitch range.The time of execution is evidently a function of the thoracic cage of the singer and thus of breathing, since the intensity is related to the output of air. Possibility of variation with regard to intensity is on the other hand relatively restricted and the level of the harmonics is connected to the level of the drone. The singer has to try and retain a suitable drone and produce the harmonics as strongly as possible. We have already observed that the clearer the harmonics the more the formant is narrow and intense. We are able furthermore to observe connections between intensity, time and clarity. Possibility of variation in relation to tone quality may pass without comment, since the resulting sound is in the majority of cases formed from a drone and one or two harmonics. The most interesting question is that of pitch range.It is generally accepted that, for a sensible tonality (in consideration of the performer and of the piece to be performed a singer may modulate or choose between harmonics 5 and 13. This is true but should be stated more precisely. The range is a function of the tonality. If the tonality is on C2, the range represents nine harmonics from the fifth to the thirteenth, this involving a range of a major thirteenth. If the tonality is raised for example to C3 the choice is made between six harmonics, numbers 3 to 8 (see Table 2), representing an interval of an seventh. The following remarks should be made in this context. Firstly, the pitch range of biphonic singing is more restricted than that of normal singing. Secondly, the singer theoretically selects the tonality which he wishes between C2 and C3. In practice however, he instinctively produces a compromise between the clarity of the second voice and the pitch range of his singing, since the choice of the tonality is also a function of the musical piece to be performed. Thus if the tonality is raised, for example to C3, the choice of harmonics is restricted but the second voice is very clear. In the case of a tonality on C2 the second voice is more indistinct while the pitch range is at a maximum. The clarity of the sounds can be explained by the fact that in the first case, the singer is only able to select a single harmonic, whereas in the second case, he may select almost two (see Fig.5). As far as pitch range is concerned, it is known that the movement of the buccal resonators is independent of the tonality of the sounds produced by the vocal chords, or, put in another way. The singer always selects harmonics in the same zone of the spectrum whether the harmonics are broad or narrow.It results from all this that the singer chooses the tonality instinctively in order to have the maximum range and clarity. For Tran Quang Hai, the best compromise exists between C2 and A2. He can thus obtain a range of between an octave and a thirteenth.Mechanism for the Production of Biphonic SingingIt is always very difficult to know what is taking place inside a machine when we are placed outside it and can only watch it in operation. This is the case with the phonatory mechanism. The following remarks are only approximate and of a schematic nature and should not be assumed to be the final word on the subject. In dealing by analogy with the phonatory system we can get an idea of the mech­anisms but surely not a complete explanation. Fig. 6 is a representation of the phonatory system which can be compared with Fig. 7, showing an excitation system producing harmonic sounds and a series of resonating systems amplifying certain parts of this spectrum.A resonator is a cavity equipped with a neck capable of resonating in a certain range of frequencies. The excitation system, i.e., the pharynx and the vocal chords emits a harmonic spectrum consisting of the frequencies F1, F2. F3. F4 ... of resonators which select certain frequencies and amplify them. The choice of these frequencies evidently depends upon the ability of the singer. This is the case when a singer projects his voice within a large hail in that he instinctively adapts his resonators in order to produce the maximum energy within the area in which the ear is sensitive.It should be noted that the amplified frequencies are a function of the volume of the cavity, the section of the opening and the length of the neck constituting the opening:Through this principle it is possible to see already the action of the size of the buccal cavity, of the opening of the mouth, and of the position of the lips during singing.However, this does not tell us anything about biphonic singing. In practice we need two voices. The first, the drone, is given to us simply by virtue of the fact that its production is intense, and that in any case, it does not undergo filtering by the resonators. Its intensity, higher than that of the harmonics, permits it to survive on account of buccal and nasal diffusion. We have observed that as the nasal cavity was closed, so the drone diminished in intensity. This occurs for two reasons, firstly that a source of diffusion is closed through the nose and secondly, by closing the nose the flow of air is reduced, as is the sonic intensity produced at the level of the vocal chords.The possession of several cavities is of prime importance. In practice, we have established that only coupling between several cavities has enabled us to have a sharp formant such as is required by biphonic singing.For the purposes of this research we initially carried out investigations into the principle of resonators in order to determine the influence of the fundamental parameters. It was observed that the tonality of the sound rises if the mouth is opened wider. In order to investigate the formation of a sharp formant, we carried out the following experiment. Tran Quang Hai produced two kinds of biphonic singing, one with the tongue at rest. i.e., not dividing the mouth into two cavities and the other with the mouth divided into two cavities. The observation which we made is as follows (an observation which could have been foreseen on the basis of the theory of coupled resonators). In the first case the sounds were not clear: the drone could be heard distinctly but the second voice was difficult to bear. There was no clear distinction between the two voices, and, furthermore, the melody was indistinct. The cor­responding sonagrams bore this out: with a single buccal cavity the energy of the formant is dispersed over three or four harmonics and so the sense of a second voice is very much on the weak side. On the other hand, when the tongue divides the mouth into two cavities, the formant reappears in a sharp and intense manner. In other words, the harmonic sounds produced by the vocal chords are filtered and amplified in a rough manner with a single buccal cavity and the biphonic effect disappears. Biphonic singing thus necessitates a network of very selective resonators which filters only the harmonics required by the singer. Fig. 8 shows the responses in frequencies of the resonators, both simple and coupled. In the case of a tight coupling between the two cavities, these produce a single and very sharp resonance. If the coupling is loose, the formant has less intensity and the sonic energy in the spectrum is stemmed. If the cavities are transformed into a single cavity, the pointed curvebecomes even rounder, and one ends up with the first example with a very blurred type of biphonic singing (tongue at rest). The conclusion can be drawn that the mouth along with the position of the tongue plays the major role, and it can be compared roughly to a pointed filter which changes its place in the spectrum with the sole aim of selecting the interesting harmonics.We should like to express our gratitude and sincere thanks to Research Team 165 of the Centre Na­tional de la Recherche Scientifique directed by Mr. Gilbert Rouget, who allowed us access to valuable documents concerning biphonic singing stored in the sound archives of his department. Our thanks go also to Professor Claudie Marcel‑Dubois, Head of the Department of Ethnomusicology at tile Musee National des Arts et Traditions Populaires, who gave us a great deal of help and encourage­ment. We should like also to thank Professor Emile Leipp, Dr. Michele Castellango and Professor Solange Borel‑Maisonny, who made it possible for us to examine the internal functioning of biphonic singing by means of the production of a radiographic film.(Translated from French by Robin THOMPSON)NOTES1. This tape is preserved in the Ethnomusicology Department of the Musee de L’Homnic. Paris. Archivenumber BM 78 2, 1.2. See the record “The Music of Tibet." recorded by Peter Crossley‑Holland, Anthology Records (30133)AST 4005, New York, 1970.3. See the record “The tail of the Tiger.” Ananda 2.4. An example is the electronic music composition entitled “Ve nguon” (Return to the Source), composedby Nquyen Van Tuong, with Tran Quang Hai as soloist. The first performance was given in France in1975. The third movement (25 minutes) uses biphonic singing.http://www.soundtransformations.btinternet.co.uk/tranquanghaiguillouacouticalanalysisxoomij.htm
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