The link above is one that Raymond posted to facebook. Actually I couldn't tell what I was supposed to be reading when I followed the link. But I feel the need to comment: We generally think of musical instruments as being difficult because of the musical challenge (understanding the math part), and the manual dexterity required to meet the musical challenge.
Right now I'm trying to get my trombone chops back after 35 years. More accurately, I'm trying to leapfrog the skill level I had 35 years ago because I have a more mature interest in the music and I want to instantly be a great trombonist.
But what I find the biggest hurdle is not the technical skill, nor the manual dexterity to play the right notes at the right time, but rather, having the physical ability to play the notes at all. It's like sports stars doing body building in order to play basketball or football. I have to develop the muscles before I have the physical capability of sustaining a note, because I'm short of breath, and I can't get the right tension in my lips to play the notes. It needs a whole new set of muscles, because it's a physically demanding instrument.
Part of this is the specialized muscles required to play this particular instrument. Another part is my age. When I was younger I just had amazing breath support, without really trying. On that basis I could classify age as a physical challenge. Of course, the solution to this is practice. Not just practice on the instrument, but any kind of cross-training that will help me develop breath support.
But do I really need to do all this work? Or, compared to someone who has an actual disability do I need to play this physically demanding instrument at all? Given the adaptive capability of modern technology, I could just play a keyboard with a good sample of trombone sounds, and it would serve the purpose. No breath support needed. Someone without arms couldn't play trombone at all. Or could they? Then again Django Reinhardt is considered one of greatest guitarists of all time, and his left hand was severely damaged in a fire, leaving him with only two useable fingers. (see solo at 2:10) This wouldn't have been a real challenge to a trombone player, but he chose guitar, where fingers are everything.
So when I followed Raymond's link, I thought to myself: Why have adaptive instruments? Each musical instrument has its own set of challenges. We choose an instrument for all kinds of reasons. Not just because we like the sound, but sometimes, specifically because of the physical challenge. Each and every instrument is adaptive, because while each instrument has it's own challenges, it also has its own capabilities.
And modern technology allows for even more capability. Just look at the musical capability in computer software. If you have a musical idea, you don't need physical dexterity, because you can program the computer to play the right notes at the right time. Stephen Hawking could do it. And you don't need to physically master all the instruments in an orchestra; just choose the right samples, and you can play any instrument you want. Or as many as you want, all at the same time.
But ultimately, I answer my own question. The history of each instrument is a story of how to meet a musical challenge. Each instrument is adaptive. And as a result, each instrument has its own character, both physical and musical. The development of musical instruments that meet a physical challenge will undoubtedly create an instrument with its own musical character. I guess that's a reason in itself.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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This reminds me of the times when people ask me to sing. I'd participated in choir during most of my years in school and had even considering attending college to study opera, which I decided against at the last minute.
But I always refuse to sing and its because I'm "vocally out of shape." I don't have the same core strength that was needed for good breath control. And back then, it took years to physically memorize certain mouth and throat postures. I have a small jaw and so figuring out what to do with my tongue was always a pain.
A few years ago, I made it my New Years Resolution to learn how to play the bass. Despite never being especially good at a rhythms, I just LOVE the sound of a good bass player. But I don't think I lasted more than a few weeks. I was prepared to deal with the issue of building calluses and strengthening my hands, but my short fingers made it very difficult to play even the most basic chords. For awhile, I even looked into buying my own bass rather than using the one I was borrowing from my boyfriend at the time. Remarkably, they do make "women's bass guitars." There was also a choice of jazz basses with have thinner necks or short-scale basses for people who was petite in general. Unfortunately, I didn't have the funds for an instrument at the time and I became too frustrated with the large bass guitar to really get very far with it. Its something I regret and I think, if I got to a point where I had some expendable income, I'd invest in a bass guitar and some lessons.
Its interesting to see the clash between purists and adaptive musicians. I thinks a good point that limitations can bring about new instruments and new sounds. But you'll also run into those that say "if you can't play x-type of piano/guitar/whatever, then you shouldn't play." When I was a kid, I remember a family friend who thought it was a travesty that my parents bought an upright piano for me to use rather than a grand or baby grand. The sound can certainly be different, but my parents were limited in their budget and space, so the upright was the best choice.
I'm not sure where I fall. I love to see new and different instruments, but I'd feel let down if I went to a concert and instead of playing a guitar or the drums, the artist only used some sort of sound machine.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I have no problem at all with flip flopping on issues. There are times when I'm a musical purist, and other times when I love listening or watching as people experiment with new ways of making sound.
I'd hate it if I went to see blue man group and they substituted a string quartet. But that doesn't mean that I prefer "A Fifth of Beethoven" to Beethoven's Fifth.
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