[Dixielandjazz] Playing blue notes

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Instruments that can't bend the note (Piano) often play a grace note into
the note to be bent but I don't know of any other instrument that can't bend
a note.  I know a lot of players that can't however.
Larry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 11:11 AM
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Playing blue notes


> Hi all,
>
> I thought about what Bob Smith said about "blue" notes (see citation
below).
>
> It seems to imply that in order to play a "blue" note it must be bent. I
> don't think I agree with that.
>
> I will agree with the following statements:
>
> 1. Some instruments can bend notes - others can't.
>
> 2. All instruments which can produce any specific note can play a blue
note.
>
> 3. Bent notes MAY not be "blue" and "blue" notes MAY not be bent.
>
> 4. Playing two adjacent notes on a piano doesn't necessarily make the
sound
> "blue" - it may simply be a discord.
>
> 5. Jazz pianists play "blue" notes all the time and they are not
'pseudo' -- 
> they're real.
>
> 6. A blue note is most commonly simply a note played a half step down from
> some expected note.
>
> 7. There are many exceptions to #6 (above)
>
> 8. It's possible that I can produce a "blue" note on my washboard.
>
> Anybody wanna debate this (Steve?) -- step right up!
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Bill "Am I Blue" Gunter
> jazzboard at hotmail.com
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
> >[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Robert Smith
> >Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 12:25 AM
> >To: Dixieland Jazz
> >Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Playing blue notes
> >
> >
> >Several families of instruments can produce blue notes. These are: the
> >violin family; the slide trumpet family; the human voice; fretted string
> >instruments (by pushing the string to one side with the finger on the
> >fret);
> >Swanee whistles keyboards with a glissando lever. Other instruments can
> >"bend" tempered notes, e.g. woodwinds, valve brass (half valving)
> >Instruments with fixed notes (e.g. pianos) can only produce pseudo blue
> >notes by playing two adjacent notes together (in Ken Gates' example E and
> >Eb). Thelonius Monk does this. I think most people can hear blue notes
when
> >they hear Bessie Smith sing, or when Johnny Hodges plays the blues, just
to
> >quote a couple of examples - there are a thousand others. Outside OKOM,
> >composer David R. Holsinger (ASCAP) wrote "The War Trilogy: 1971", and in
> >the 1st movement ("Rebirth and Awakening: New Day One") he has written
> >quartertone glissandoes for the trombones, e.g. from B to a flattened B#.
> >This can certainly be heard. In fact, Ken, I'm sure you will hear the
> >difference when the notes are played in sequence.
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Bob Smith
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>
>
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