Can someone define "sweetness"?
- spittin_in_the_wind
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I'm with you on 'subjectiveness' Wolf. . .
I describe a whistle as 'sweet' if the tone is pure (lack of overtones), not terribly loud especially in the upper register. I don't usually use the word 'rich' with it...to me that impiles a more complex sound than a simple, 'sweet' sound.
I might add that I think sweetness is also a factor of how an instrument plays...lack of backpressure, less breath. I've never consciously thought of that before, but its definitely part of the whistles I call sweet. 'Good natured' might be an apt phrase.
Tartan Ball tonight...so The Cat's getting tarted up. . .no sweetness here tonight! Time to start the prep....bye!
I describe a whistle as 'sweet' if the tone is pure (lack of overtones), not terribly loud especially in the upper register. I don't usually use the word 'rich' with it...to me that impiles a more complex sound than a simple, 'sweet' sound.
I might add that I think sweetness is also a factor of how an instrument plays...lack of backpressure, less breath. I've never consciously thought of that before, but its definitely part of the whistles I call sweet. 'Good natured' might be an apt phrase.
Tartan Ball tonight...so The Cat's getting tarted up. . .no sweetness here tonight! Time to start the prep....bye!
Remember, you didn't get the tiger so it would do what you wanted. You got the tiger to see what it wanted to do. -- Colin McEnroe
- chas
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I'm probably one of those more guilty of using the word sweet to describe whistle sound. Of course, I use it because I can't think of another term for what I want to describe. I would say that it's distinct from chiff, full, and, to some extent pure.
Some pure sounding whistles are Rose, Susato, Burke Al, and Silkstone alloy. Of these I would say the first two are sweet sounding, the latter two, not. I would also call the D and E Water Weasels sweet.
Some more examples: I would call the vibrophone sweet, but not the marimba; the pianoforte but not the modern piano; the celesta.
As Redwolf said, definitely subjective, but it's nice to know what some of the frequent contributors mean, should be a very interesting thread.
Some pure sounding whistles are Rose, Susato, Burke Al, and Silkstone alloy. Of these I would say the first two are sweet sounding, the latter two, not. I would also call the D and E Water Weasels sweet.
Some more examples: I would call the vibrophone sweet, but not the marimba; the pianoforte but not the modern piano; the celesta.
As Redwolf said, definitely subjective, but it's nice to know what some of the frequent contributors mean, should be a very interesting thread.
Charlie
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- Easily_Deluded_Fool
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It's hard to define, but you know when you hear it.
I have a chieftain sop'D that has a 'wide, rich' sound, especially in the lower octave.
Compared to the chieftain's upper octave my Dixon sop' D is sweeter, but narrower!
I know that doesn't help much
I have a chieftain sop'D that has a 'wide, rich' sound, especially in the lower octave.
Compared to the chieftain's upper octave my Dixon sop' D is sweeter, but narrower!
I know that doesn't help much
No whistles were harmed in the transmission of this communication.
tyghress, i agree with the purity part of your definition, but i think that the presence of at least some overtones, in the technical sense, is actually a good things. lack of overtones results in a thin sound without 'character': maybe another thread? i think i know what you mean. anyway, what you say, to me, applies very well to the sweetheart professional. as i keep mentioning, i've got the laminate version and i'm crazy about it. i just read your extremely interesting thread on it--lots of good information and your analysis of it hit the nail on the head (or as jeeves would say: rem acu tetigisti.). i think the sweet's deserve a lot of credit for developing a remarkable instrument, one with wonderful purity of tone and sweetness, but with character, too.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tinuviel on 2003-03-01 16:17 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tinuviel on 2003-03-01 16:17 ]</font>
- Redwolf
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That's actually why I added "rich" to my definition. I like some overtones (they add character...that's the timbre I keep talking about with my Elfsong). Perhaps there are subcategories to "sweet"...I would define both my O Briain improved and my Elfsong as "pure," but the Elfsong definitely has more tonal character and "expressibility."On 2003-03-01 15:16, Blackbeer wrote:
Sweetness: Dead, lack of charicter, no guts, unable to project emotion, frivolous and safe.
Well you said it was subjective.
I hate sweet.
Tom
Redwolf
- serpent
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Sweet whistle == Elfsong
Chiffy whistle == Serpent Village Smithy
In-between whistle == Brass or Copper Serpent
http://www.serpentmusic.com/music/countydownvs.mp3 to hear the chiffy. Sandy Jasper's site http://www.elfsongwhistles.com to hear the sweet.
I like both voices, but for different sorts of music. And I'm dying to get my hands on my new Busman D!!!
serpent
Chiffy whistle == Serpent Village Smithy
In-between whistle == Brass or Copper Serpent
http://www.serpentmusic.com/music/countydownvs.mp3 to hear the chiffy. Sandy Jasper's site http://www.elfsongwhistles.com to hear the sweet.
I like both voices, but for different sorts of music. And I'm dying to get my hands on my new Busman D!!!
serpent
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Well, defining "sweetness" is sort of like asking someone to define "green". Go ahead, how would you define it?
I think of sweetness as having a relatively pure tone, with a soft roundness to it. ie, little to no chiff, and no shrillness.
Of my own whistles, I would say my Dixon high-D is the sweetest.
I think of sweetness as having a relatively pure tone, with a soft roundness to it. ie, little to no chiff, and no shrillness.
Of my own whistles, I would say my Dixon high-D is the sweetest.
Again, the pragmatic answer: green is the electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum with a wavelength of 5770-4920 Angstroms .
But again, Lewis Carroll had it right, "When I use a word, it means exactly what I intend it to mean."
_________________
Tyghress
...And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-03-02 12:58 ]</font>
But again, Lewis Carroll had it right, "When I use a word, it means exactly what I intend it to mean."
_________________
Tyghress
...And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-03-02 12:58 ]</font>
Oh, and I wanted to post a response to you Tinuviel...I don't want to say that overtones are good or bad...they simply exist or don't. When I'm playing certain tunes and certain tones, a complexity of sound is important: I want the overtones. Other times I look for a purer sound...something that reminds me of a tuning fork rather than an organ pipe.
Just as back pressure isn't good or bad, its very much a matter of taste. For me, I don't like it much in a soprano instrument, but need a certain amount in the lower keys or I run out of breath too soon. Some people really like to 'lay into' a tune (Blackbeer...does this ring true?) and want to push at the instrument.
_________________
Tyghress
...And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-03-02 13:29 ]</font>