Gestures, Salzedo style

[barbara-brundage]

David, have you had a B12 level during any of your problems? That sounds very much like what I had with optic neuritis from pernicious anemia, and I had regular eye exams, too, but the opthamologist never found it.

[Evangeline Williams]

Tony,

Perhaps knowing they’re/you’re playing on plated or solid silver headjoint has some sort of subconscious effect on how the person plays it and therefore it does produce a different sound but not for the reason one might suspect.

[tony-morosco]

All good questions, and honestly I don’t know. I have never paid that much attention. I think it may just be a matter of the workmanship being better. Forming the lip is vital to good tone and the folks who work on the solid silver, gold and platinum head-joints are always the best the company has.

As far as guitars, even the rock guitarists I know have this debate. Personally I can feel a difference, and I don’t think that is too extraordinary a claim since the woods are very different with very different grains. Rosewood is not as smooth and slick. It doesnt wear as smoothly and offers a bit more resistance when doing bends. Bends on maple slide more easily. But I don’t hear a difference.

But I know guys who swear they can hear a difference, even with electric guitars. I have my doubts, but they are out there.

Oh, and I can’t stand the backs of Ovation guitars. Just doesn’t feel right, and doesn’t sit right for me.

[David Ice]

Hmmmm….I haven’t had a B-12 level done ASAP.

[barbara-brundage]

Yes, get that checked. FWIW, if it is perncious anemia (I hope it isn’t), the oral B12 won’t do any good, since pernicious anemia means your body loses the ability to metabolize it. On the plus side, if caught early, it’s not hard to treat and the symptoms are reversible.

[unknown-user]

Hi Tony,

Asked my flutist about the gold head joint thing – she thinks its mainly the level of craftsmanship rather than the quality of the metal itself. But then when i mentioned that gold would warm at a different rate than silver, she said yes, and started thinking on that. That would affect your tone & playing

[unknown-user]

Well, that didn’t work….Knock off the www and it should be right.

http://rizzolo.customer.netspace.net.au/

And it still won’t work, just goggle Gary Rizzolo Guitars!

Another site that might be of interest is Cary Lewincamp – a Tassie guitarist that plays one of Gary’s archback guitars. It has some sound bites on it.

http://www.cary.com.au/

And once again, if it won’t work just goggle the guy with wild abandon!

Cheers!

[kreig-kitts]

In theory, the denses silver should have a darker sound than the silver plated headjoint.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I just spoke with my physicist friend. Atomic theories aside, the reason the gestures affect the tones produced is because we make the tone with the concept of the gesture already formed. Because the follow-through is part of our concept of the tone, the duration of the tone is affected by how we play the tone. When a golfer conceives of the entire swing and where they want the ball to go, it affects the result more than if they simply hit it and hoped. I hope that is a clear summation.

[unknown-user]

I think that is where releasing the hand too soon is a liability as it lets the sound die off sooner than necessary. It should happen right away with the intention of sustaining the sound; I was shown to release back to the playing position of the notes just played and to raise with the hand in that fashion. I know one Salzedo student who opens outward, which has a very rich quality, but lacks forward thrust. It depends on what you are playing and where. The use of releasing, I was taught, was only for the most advanced players, who know how to sustain tone.

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