microtonal folk singers *do* know (was: Digest Number 1890)

> From: <Afmmjr@aol.com>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 4:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [tuning] Digest Number 1890
>
>
> In a message dated 2/12/02 6:44:16 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> stg3music@earthlink.net writes:
>
>
> > I wonder if the "intuitive" flexible tuning result gotten by my singers
> > after repeated rehearsals of a conventionally notated chart relates to
the
> > "EXACT cents values" written into your charts.
> >
>
> Yup. I remember Odetta preparing for her AFMM performances. She always
got
> deep into the character of the music she would be singing and she would
> polish her intervals. These were not microtonally notated, if notated at
> all. Up until that time I had believe the old canard that folk singers
don't
> know what they are actually singing. Odetta, who was classically trained
in
> L.A. places her pitches exactly the way she feels they need to be. And
one
> can hear in a repetition of the same program in 2 concerts that she gets
what
> she aims for like a musical archer...bullseye!

wow, thanks for that one, Johnny!

and i can confirm what you say here . . . it's exactly
the same thing i point out in my analysis of a Robert
Johnson blues vocal:
http://www.ixpres.com/interval/monzo/rjohnson/drunken.htm

he hits those microtonal notes on every verse of this
song, and right on the money too.

-monz

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com