Re: instruments

[dadoun@cs.ubc.ca (Nou Dadoun)]

Andy writes:
> One flutist went farther, though.  The flutist played the music, then went 
> back and edited out all of the breaths between notes--forming one 
>"superbreath" for the duration of the music.  Now, this is a real instrument, 
> but an unreal performance.  Which is better?  Flute playing with breaths, or 
> flute playing without taking a breath? 

A jazz saxophonist multi-instrumentalist named Rahsaan Roland Kirk pioneered
the (the contemporary use of the) technique of circular breathing, a method
of simultaneously inhaling through the nostrils while exhaling/playing 
through the mouth.  This technique is part of the standard repertoire of
many contemporary jazz saxophone players and allows a continuous (breathless!)
performance.  This has also been applied to the flute by a New York player
named Robert Dick who has written a book on circular breathing for the flute.

The technique actually goes back to 'ancient' times; at the Vancouver Folk
Festival here a number of years ago, traditional Egyptian musicians (called
the Musicians of the Nile; recordings on Ocora) used it as part of their
performance in playing their shawm-like horns.  Also said to be the inspiration
for the design of the bagpipe which is an 'artificial' application of the
same principle.

Jeff writes:
> Anybody who's a fan of the Ian Anderson school of flautism (and I know
> there are a number of Tull fans around .gaffa) should have a rather easy
> answer to this one.... ;-)

The singing while fluting style that Anderson is so well known for actually
originated with the above-mentioned Roland Kirk in the early 60's,
check out I Talk With The Spirits, Kirk's flute record on Mercury from 
about 1962.

------------------------------------------------------------------> Nou


"...all must dance to the invisible whip of volunteered slavery.." RRK

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