Spititual/Psychological Significance of Tone Quests

[Paul Marossy]

I can do things with my Boss Metal Zone that I can't do with any pedal that I have. It's great for singing leads, which is mostly all I use it for. But, you can get some other great tones out of it, too.  

[smoguzbenjamin]

And that's why I have both a MetalZone and a DS-1

[Mark Hammer]

My hero, composer Charles Ives, said in his Essays Before a Sonata, "My god, what does SOUND have to do with MUSIC?!!".

It sounds like heresy, but Ives was arguing for a number of things there, among them the need to not have to sound pretty all the time (he hated what he referred to as "Rollo", the prototypic listener or critic who had to have everything sound a certain way, usually like Brahms or Beethoven.  I imagine he would have disdainfully described "American Idol" as a show made by Rollos, for Rollos.), and the freedom to think about music in a conceptual way, without having to be burdened by instruments and their limitations.  Frank Zappa commented on how, when he got his Synclavier, it permitted him to write and score things without having to be concerned about whether people could actually play it.

So, on the one hand, some of the purest musicians find sound, tone, and instruments kind of like the way Buddhists find possessions to be weighing them down.  If you want to get to the music, you have to unburden yourself from all of that.  At the same time, I imagine every single one of these folks is/was thoroughly capable of becoming entranced by timbre and how things sound.  In the 1870's or so, Ives' dad used to experiment with the difference between how things sounded played loud far away vs softly close up, and he'd get the kids (wee Chuckie among them) to help out with his sonic experiments, smacking a piano on the other side of the pond.  The elder Ives built a quarter-tone piano and taught the kids to sing in quarter tones.

One of the other great American musical thinkers was Harry Partch, who made instruments out of found objects, some of them chosen for their symbolic value (such as empty cannon shell and bomb casings).  Partch wasn't so much aiming for a specific tone in his head, but he freed himself up to be able to explore tone. (You are all encouraged to visit the website of the exquisite radios series "American Mavericks" to learn more http://musicmavericks.publicradio.org/).

I'm certainly no composer on the level of any of these folks (and not a player on the level of many folks here), but I try to take both approaches identified here.  On the one hand I like to make the music not be subservient to the tone.  Rabid pursuit of the tone can distract from and get in the way of the musical idea.  At the same time, the type of music I like is an inherently improvisational type.  Serendipitous tones just enrich the thing and make it more playful.  Like anyone else, I like having the sound I imagine available to me, which is why I'm always suggesting mods.  But could I ever imagine all the sounds that I might take delight or challenge in?  I doubt it.  Which is, of course, why I'm always suggesting mods: it's important to be able to produce sounds that take a left turn, do a quarter twist, and make you do a double take.  In that respect, I'm open to anything, and I want tones that stretch me because THAT is part of my musical vision too, not just the stuff I can already imagine.

[strungout]

Paul: yeah, I'll agree that it makes much sense to include playing style along with tone. Cause, afterall, how you dampen the strings with your fingers or with you pick and thumb (eihter by mistake or intentionally) will alter the tone. Same goes for playing near the bridge, or near the neck.

Is there two tones or just two (main) parts to it? One that defines the type of land one is on (tone, treble, bass, mids knobs, etc) and another that defines its topography (personal or mimicked playing style)?

Personally, I'm lazy. But I still don't count on tone to sound great, maybe a little better It makes it alot easier to hear the notes played when you're trying to figure out a tune if you've got a tone similar to the song.

WGTP: I'd say we need to do this to share, teach and learn, along with everything else you mentioned. Pass on and recieve some knowledge, and gain a new understanding of it.


Ciao.

BTW: They never did find that grail cup thing.

[Lonestarjohnny]

Field's of Ambrosia !
Johnny

[petemoore]

For me it could be two or even three notes, each played a number of times each and alternating, ...through a BOom Box that's clipping.  ...Just the right timing and simple Lyric line can be plenty for fantastic entertainment value. [A total beginners approach is hard for me to even get anymore].
 Or it could be the SSB under extreme overload conditions, harmonics and phaze shift ligh years beyond what regularly calledl 'Distortion".
 Having a guitar that's in tune/out of tune can make a huge difference in what it makes you feel and think.
 This goes kinda wayy OT...
  My take is that there are moods referenced by tones, pitches, attack 'sequences', sustain, vibrato...which can be pleasing...[when 'good'] cause you to think differently, and even change your chemistry...and I don't even mean by 'supplements', you are controlled/you can control your chemistry. Vitamin C is a psycho-active drug...I have a feeling some of you may feel a change in your chemistry simply by reading this...and no I didn't just burn the lawn clippings...lol.
 Everything percieved can relate to/is conveyed-percieved as frequencies. Sight, sound, taste, thought ....
 The long and short phrases heard in music 'emit' frequencies, very well thought out phrases [Gilmour, Yes, Beatles etc.] become very popular among those who percieve images when stimulated by them...ever had music 'take you to a place' like you've never been? Frequencies can convey alot of information very effeciently, that's why I like to see colors [visual stimulation] and listen to music [aural stimulation/through hearing] ...King Crimson on the Windowpayne...whew...talk about getting the info fast and hard...the 20th Century Schitzoid Man melted me then blew me back.
 For those who 'recognise' there is a ton of info that can be packed into music phrasing, tones, rythms, and IMO phase shifting, Trem*, vibrato...I like hearing 'twisted tones' [as my brother used to say], thoughtfully mixed tones is the bees knees for setting mood/relaying Information, be they 'hard' 'soft' mellow,.aggressive..
 Sorry if I'm percieved as 'out there, going over your head, or 'redundant'.

[WGTP]

Maybe that is part of the question, what am I trying to express??? :?:

The DS-1 diode to ground sound, is not it for me.  It lacks the "sweetness" I like in my tone, even if it is a monster power chord riff.  The Jfet Mu-amps and Vulcans or Black Fires seem to be more my sound.  Even the Muff Fuzz with diodes in the feedback loop is there.

I guess I like less harsh, softer clipping, even/especially if there is a mountain of it.  Sometimes I think I'm just after the sustain.

What does a guitarists tone tell you about them???  Same with the type guitar used or amp???  I guess I'm trying to figure myself out by analyzing my tone!  That is what I've been try to get at.   :shock:

What does Hendrix/Van Halen/Page/Beck/West/your tone say about you???

[Paul Marossy]

It makes it alot easier to hear the notes played when you're trying to figure out a tune if you've got a tone similar to the song.

I'll agree on that one!

I guess I'm trying to figure myself out by analyzing my tone!

Well, it is true that certain kinds of music have a certain sound that you expect. If I look at it that way, I am definitely a mood player.