OUR BANDSMEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12284, 5 April 1918, Page 2

OUR BANDSMEN

(By TROMBONE.) SOUND—AND HOW TO PRODUCE IT. The process of tone production, so far, may bo summarised tints The lips are placed upon a convenient surface (called a mouthpiece); tho lungs are filled with l air, which gathers force by thei closing of outlets whilst the muscles are contracting to expel it. Tho tie of tho tongue acts as a“stoppor,” which closes the small aperture between the lips; tho “stopper'’ boing withdrawn smartly, the compressed air leaps forth and strikes upon the sensitive edges of the lips, causing thorn to vibrato’ instantly. Tho lips being in contact with the air column causes that to vibrato in sympathy, and wo hear tho thing we call a sound, So long as the stream of air plays continually on the lips they will, continue to vibrate, and the sound will! also continue. If the stream of air stops, the vibration (which ig sound) stops too. • It the vibrations are of regular frequency and,power wo shall! have what is termed a musical sound; if the) vibrations are irregular and spasmodic, tho round will bo classified ns a noise only. Stated otherwise, noise, as distinct from a musical sound, is the product of irregular vibrations. It is not always easy to believe some, thing which cannot ho seen, heard, felt, or demonstrated. One cannot see tho vibrations of tho lips, obviously. One cannot hear them, apparently, for what one does hear credited to the instrument). Ono cannot feci tho vibration of tho lips on most instruments, for the vibrations of small reeds are inconceivably minute and rapid; but tho player who plays a largo instrument with largo reeds (lips on a largo mouthpiece) often feels their vibration distinctly when producing low notes of comparatively slow vibration. But, fortunately, it is easy to demonstrate the fact of similar vibration on other instruments. A tuning fork sounds when its vibrations are too minute and rapid to be seen; but touch tho point of tho prong with a. fingertip and tho vibrations can bo felt. Draw a bow over a vioilin string and its vibrations are not evident to tho eye for tho same reason; hut touch the. string lightly with a finger-tip and the vibrations can be felt.

By other simple experiments vibrations of a tuning fork, etc., can bo made visible, but there is no need to cite further evidence hero.

Players should give close consideration to tho processes as described here, for they can thereby Hearn not only what to do, but also what not to do. Into this latter category comes a lot of hard blowing, which is not only unnecessary, but positively destructive to good tone. The phrase “ blowing the instrument” probably causes a' lot of misunderstanding to beginners. II they were taught to “ vibrate the air column,” understanding would come quicker to them. That blowing alone will not produce sound can, be easily demonstrated. Place the mouthpiece in tho mouth and simply blow into it, and it will not sound. Sound is vibration, and vibration can be initiated and sustained only when there is a vibrator of one sort or another, and in the case of brass instruments the lips are the vibrators. (To be continued.),