[Dixielandjazz] Sarah Vaughan - lISTEN tO tHIS

[Al Levy]

Hi Charlie, Thanks for the help. It took me three months to figure out a 
way to demonstrate what I have sung, and taught to my students for the 
past 50 years. (actually 69 years).

To "cut to the chase" a) music (notes) are created by vibrations. 440 
times a second for example. Between 440 and 441 there are an infinite 
number of vibrations. 440.001, 440.0007 etc.

I completely forgot that many of today's keyboards have a pitch wheel. 
(I always played piano, I play at keyboard). This morning I did a lot of 
research.

I found the answer buried in an obscure foot note. My last email proves 
to people who can hear that quarter tones exist an for instance F# and 
Gb are NOT the same. If I use chords it ma be more obvious.

In 1948 I worked at a Syrian "Arabic" hotel. I heard zyther playing for 
the first time and fell in love with the mid-eastern scales. Aside from 
studying with, and working for, Sy Oliver, Dick Jacobs amd Johnny 
Warrington - All 3 gave me arranging lessons, I studied with Ludmella 
Uhlehla (not a jazz name) Vittorio Giannini, Nick Flagello, Tibor Serly, 
John Lewis (MJQ) et. al. Got my Bachelors and Masters of Music on the 
same day from Manhattan School Of Music.  My post graduate studies were 
at Columbia University. I "Ghost" wrote music for Dean Kincaide, Raymond 
Scott and quite a few others.

Enough about me. I beg to differ... Jazz players are very aware of the 
different sounds. They don't need a great education. They do need EARS.

One of the most important playing with ensembles is to listen. I will 
create a small MP3 of the five tones. Maybe next week I'll figure out 
two chord progressions to help guide some who say they can't hear the 
difference. They can but it is so natural the listener does not take the 
time to identify the sounds. So What!

Cheers,

Al

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On 12/13/2019 4:00 PM, Charles & Jane Freeman wrote:
Dear Al -

I couldn’t open your file, but I’ll weigh in anyway.

Music theory makes a distinction between the notes of flat key scales 
(F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb) and and the notes of sharp key scales (G, D, 
A, E, B, and C#) and this distinction /_is_/ important for written 
music.  Only orchestra players will tell you they can hear a difference 
— sharp keys being slightly brighter than flat keys — and orchestras do 
tune up and do shade their notes slightly differently for pieces written 
sharp keys than for pieces in flat keys When they are playing piano 
concerto, however, they tune to the piano, an instrument that makes no 
difference between C# and Db.

Unless you have perfect pitch, I can virtually guarantee that you'll 
never hear a difference. Jazz players certainly don’t make any 
distinction, except that they tend to prefer to play tunes in flat keys 
(especially Bb, Eb, and Ab) which fit the transposition needs of the 
reed and brass players. Rock, blues, and pop groups prefer sharp keys 
(especially G, A, and E) because the open strings of guitars fit sharp keys.

Hope this helps.

-charlie freeman
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