Growling (wind instruments)
Encyclopedia
Woodwind growling is a musical technique where the instrumentalist vocalizes into the instrument to alter quality of the sound. Growling is used primarily in rock and blues style playing; it is popular in the woodwind family of instruments, especially the saxophone
. It is commonly used by mainstream artists such as Ben Webster
, Illinois Jacquet
and Earl Bostic
. Outside of these styles and instruments, it is often considered a novelty effect
.
The growl gives the performer's sound a dark, guttural, gritty timbre
resulting largely from the rustle noise
and desirable consonance and dissonance
effects produced. The technique of simultaneous playing a note and singing into an instrument is also known as horn chords or multiphonics.
The vocally produced note can be the same note (though this is believed to be less effective), a natural third or perfect fifth, or indeed, any random note, usually from a different octave than the note the instrument is producing. The latter choice is believed to cause the most interference and yield the darkest, grittiest timbre.
Alternately, it is possible to use multiphonic
fingering to create a growl-like effects. The performer selects, essentially at random a bizarre or unusual fingering that causes the instrument to attempt to sound on multiple notes. This creates interference, but no beating or rustle noise.
Other methods include constricting the airway to create a "rasp".
played by Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton.
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. It is commonly used by mainstream artists such as Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
, Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
and Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic was an American jazz and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist, and a pioneer of the post-war American Rhythm and Blues style. He had a number of popular hits such as "Flamingo", "Harlem Nocturne", "Temptation", "Sleep", "Special Delivery Stomp", and "Where or When", which showed off his...
. Outside of these styles and instruments, it is often considered a novelty effect
Novelty effect
The novelty effect, in the context of human performance, is the tendency for performance to initially improve when new technology is instituted, not because of any actual improvement in learning or achievement, but in response to increased interest in the new technology...
.
The growl gives the performer's sound a dark, guttural, gritty timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
resulting largely from the rustle noise
Rustle noise
Rustle noise is noise consisting of aperiodic pulses characterized by the average time between those pulses , known as rustle time...
and desirable consonance and dissonance
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
effects produced. The technique of simultaneous playing a note and singing into an instrument is also known as horn chords or multiphonics.
Method
The most common and effective method of woodwind growling is to hum, sing, or even scream into the mouthpiece of the instrument. This method introduces interference within the instrument itself, breaking up the normal quality of sound waves produced. Furthermore, the vibration of the vocal note in the mouth and lips creates rustle noise in the instrument.The vocally produced note can be the same note (though this is believed to be less effective), a natural third or perfect fifth, or indeed, any random note, usually from a different octave than the note the instrument is producing. The latter choice is believed to cause the most interference and yield the darkest, grittiest timbre.
Alternate methods
A woodwind growl can also be produced by allowing air to escape from around the corners of the mouth, causing a vibration in the lips and mouthpiece. Although this method does not set up patterns of interference, it does produce the characteristic rustle noise of the growl.Alternately, it is possible to use multiphonic
Multiphonic
Multiphonics is an extended technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument is made to produce several notes at once....
fingering to create a growl-like effects. The performer selects, essentially at random a bizarre or unusual fingering that causes the instrument to attempt to sound on multiple notes. This creates interference, but no beating or rustle noise.
Other methods include constricting the airway to create a "rasp".
Use in other instruments
A "growl" can be produced by instruments outside of the woodwind family such as the trumpet or the trombone. Bubber Miley is often referred to as "growl trumpeter". A "growl trombone" may be seen in a 1929 film Black and Tan FantasyBlack and Tan Fantasy
Black and Tan is a musical short film written by Dudley Murphy that exhibits the ideas and thoughts of The Harlem Renaissance Movement. Duke Ellington's musical talents along with Fredi Washington's extraordinary acting potential make this movie a good example of the emergence of artistic culture...
played by Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton.