Subject: RE: PUPT: Musical Saws
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 12:57:03 -0400 


Hi, Everybody:

I just have to say I'm truly impressed by the number of people on this list
who are able to comment intelligently on the construction and playing of the
musical saw.  I had no idea it was such a popular instrument.  You're all
too cool for me!

Brid Fall
Toledo, OH
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Grego
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Sent: 4/9/02 4:42 AM
Subject: PUPT: Musical Saws

 I'll cut in with a tip on the tool.  The art of the saw bower involves
more
than the
aforementioned uncommonly good pitch perception and ability to hold and
bend the thing properly. In a mirror image of violin technique, where
the left
fingers have to hit the strings within nanofractions of the target, (or
in the
case of folk fiddlers, within an inch or so) the place on the saw where
the bow

strokes it changes note by note according to pitch.
To get a quick, cheap, and easy feel for the difficulty of just bending
to a
note, pull out the "flexitone" that you undoubtedly have in your sound
effects
trunk. (invaluable, albeit 20 bucks in the percussion section of the
music
shop) It's that thing that looks like a mutant inverted spatula with
dingle
balls. The blade has the bend built into it, and the thing is framed for
easy
one
handed use. Possibly invented by some Commedia Dell'Arte people to make
that
endearingly springy waoweeuuee sound, they were also used by some
fanatic
jazzers, who managed to coax melodies from them back in the big band
days.
Noise vs sanity warning: Keep out of the hands of small children.
Sinking your teeth into saw bowing also runs the risk of reciprocal
damage.
Since so many people stricken with musicianship are best kept away from
sharp
objects, the specifically musical pro models (Stradivarius etc.) are pre
dulled.
Assuming you overcome the technical issues with fingers intact,  the
real
killer problem with musical saws emerges later. You thought convincing
people
that puppetry is serious business was difficult...

Ciao y'all,
Grego
GregoMusical Puppets
 www.gregoland.com








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