tower of Babel Making sense out of chaos
Main content: glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp...
Pedagogical objectives
- The student is able to create a smooth glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp...
- The student is able to respond precisely to the gestures of the conductor
Pedagogical intentions
- Familiarize the student with the concepts of glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp... and reverberation
- Improve the students response to the conductor’s gestures
Tools
Example
Realised at Camp musical Père Lindsay, Val-St-Côme, Québec
Process
The teacher plays each of the “hello, bonjour, guten tag” files, asking the students to identify each language. The version corresponding to the mother-tongue of the students is played reversed (without warning), so as to introduce to the students, the reverse playback function.
Step by Step
- The teacher asks each student to select (with the selection-tool) one of the “hello” greetings: "sounds - varia" bank > [hello]. The student activates this sound when the conductor points to them.
- The teacher points to each and every student, until each sound is activated (tutti). Once tutti has been achieved, a moment is taken to appreciate the “Tower of Babel” effect (chaotic mixture of languages, phasing effect...).
- Following the gesture of the conductor, the student initiates a glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp... by slowly sliding their sound into the extreme high register, using the pitch/speed tool.
- The teacher initiates another glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp..., this time in the opposite direction: a glissandoA glissando is a musical term of Italian origin that designates the continuous sliding of a sound in an upward or downward movement. The glissando can be produced by the human voice and, among other things, by stringed instruments and the slide trombone. A glissando effect can be produced on fixed pitch instruments such as the piano and the harp... down to the lower register.
- The teacher can optionally add the reverberation effect.
- The teacher ends the experiment by either cutting all sounds suddenly or by initiating a slow decrescendo.
- Assessment: Were the crescendos and decrescendos well executed (smooth and following the gesture of the teacher/conductor)? Were the glissandos well executed (smooth and following the gesture of the teacher/conductor)? When using extreme variations of speed, can one still understand the words spoken? Which images and sensations come to the mind of the student during these extreme variations?
VARIATION: The group is divided into 7 sub-groups, each responsible for a different “hello” greeting, allowing interesting cross-fades and polyphony among/between the groups.
NOTE: The teacher can ask a student to conduct.
