[Dixielandjazz] Re: stride vs. comp; 'holes' in dixieland

[JimDBB at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/23/03 11:10:05 AM Central Standard Time, 
ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu writes:


> Folks--
>     I wrote the following a couple of days ago, but then didn't send it 
> because i thought y'all with more experience playing and decades more of 
> listening than i have would find it at the best overly simplistic and at 
> the worst flat wrong.
>     But i see Sheik (to whom, congratulations and felicitations on his 
> post) has said a lot of what i wanted to say, with better detail and 
> knowledge, so i thought i'd send this along as a "me too".  I think a lot 
> of people don't post because they're intimidated by people with vastly more 
> experience and knowledge than they have.  All it takes for them (and me) to 
> cower in their shell is the occasional flame of abuse or ill-feeling from 
> one poster to another.  I felt that way a couple of days ago by what a 
> couple of people said to each other (not to me), so i said awthehellwith 
> it.
> 
>     Dan

       Dan...your piece (below) is excellent.  You articulated the essence of 
playing Dixieland jazz very well. You are absolutely right that 'leaving 
holes' is vitally important to good Dixieland. May I say that I hope that 
people will not refrain from posting because they may be intimdated by some 
posters on the List.  Everyone should feel free to express their thoughts and 
all are equally valid.  One thing that helps is not to take it all too 
seriously. Yeah, some of us have more experience than others...so what? Once 
in awhile a poster may like to buzz another poster but it should be taken 
lightly.  I post probably more than I should but I'm a damned invalid now and 
can't get out to do other things.  In any case this is a good outlet to 
express things, to seek information and to enjoy reading others sentiments 
and proferred information. Don't hold back, Dan.

Jim Beebe


-------------------
> 
>      One of the things i like about good (or 'good') dixieland bands
> is that their sound is 'transparent'.  That is, i can hear all of the
> instruments, even though they're all playing at the same time, but
> they're purposely leaving 'holes' in the line of notes they're
> playing, so that the other instruments can be heard in the gaps.  I
> think that studies have been done on the human perception of sound
> that is continuously the same, which tends to 'disappear' into the
> background after a while.  Novice dixieland bands (including
> excellent players from other musical styles) usually seem to think of
> dixieland as a free-for-all, play as many notes as you can as fast as
> you can, without listening to the other players.
>      The tuba player 'should' be playing almost entirely on the beat,
> in the tuba (not trombone) range, leaving the off-beats for the banjo
> and drums.  If he plays continuous notes, he covers up the holes for
> the other rhythm instruments to sound in.  I have to remind myself of
> this sometimes while playing, and when i play fewer notes, the band's
> rhythm seems to get stronger and more focused (i think, "What would
> Bill Carroll do?"). String bass playing 4-beat is a different kind of
> sound, since it's usually not quite as loud and the note-stream is
> soft enough to allow the off-beats of banjo and drums to be heard
> better than if a tuba were playing it.  Both establish and anchor the
> beat.
>      Better trumpet players seem to be able to play enough notes of
> the melody to let it be recognized, but they don't play continuous
> notes either and so leave room for the clarinet to be heard,
> embellishing the melody and giving it a two-dimensional effect and a
> linear tone-color.  The trombone also gains by not trying to play a
> continuous stream of notes, and adds fills and punctuations at
> unexpected places, little japes and pointed remarks.  For the best
> mix of sound and style, each instrument needs to stay in its role; we
> don't need the tuba-player playing harmony parts in the trombone
> range, or trombonists playing the bass part.
>      What we have, ladies and gentlemen, is an organized hubbub, but a
> civilized one in which each voice leaves some room for the others to
> make comments, while still speaking in a different voice, the role
> for that instrument.  It is, precisely, counterpoint, and to my mind
> the main joy of good dixieland, in much the same was as a Bach fugue
> is counterpoint, except that this is mostly improvised. To my mind,
> nothing finer or more human has ever been invented than this kind of
> dixieland, and shows how a wonderful piece of immediate art in sound
> can be created by players who limit what they do to improve the whole
> sound of the group.  It takes years of playing dixieland and playing
> together to be able to play less, for a greater sound.
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