There a one liner made famous in the old TV detective show Dragnet "the facts ma am. nothing but the facts." I don't know if Jack Webb was a musician or a teacher, but considering that the study of music is infinite I better take his advice.
I am in the "October" of my life and I think , I finally understand a least man-made music and his conception of it. Asking questions and reading books or any literature on the subject has sort of satisfied my quest for the "whys" of music. I have been practicing how to do this or that for years and years but the "whys" can set the creative mind to take off, so no more "can't get no satisfaction...." Since the infinite is to deep for me, lets deal with man made music.
I have come to the conclusion that all man made musical instruments have to be in the range of the human voice, a little higher or lower that’s O.K. If not, they will become obsolete.
The human voice has kept man made music earth bound and the amazing things it that it range or distance is on the average only two and one half octaves! That's Johnny Cash territory and not Andrea Bucelli who really likes to stretch it, and its made him famous. The human voice is a marvelous instrument, the king and queen of all!
The well trained voice is fantastic with its ability to achieve its wide range of notes, like a diamond with its many facets. The fantastic Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel has composed a beautiful piece for guitar entitled "Angelina" but during the piece he hums in harmony with his finger picking and its beautiful. Check it out on Youtube.
My point again is the ultimate superiority of the human voice. Show me any instrumentalist, as good as he may be, that can match the drawing power of an Andrea Bucelli or your favorite who if he or she is real good can fill a stadium! So the bottom line is I like to sing and have Tommy Emmanuel be my accompanist, whaoo! That would be awesome!
The human voice has another big advantage. The power of the spoken word. A great Speaker, let alone a great singer has a powerful tool at his disposal. It can get you emotionally. Listen again to the late Harry Chapin sing his wife’s composition "cats in the cradle" or Roy Clarke’s "Yesterday when I was young" These examples of favorite powerful songs are not sung very often because the singer has a hard time emotionally singing it. That words are that powerful. If you are not affected you will have to fake it, I guarantee it!
Well I have enjoyed this, but it time to start training the king. Hey, it very takes a lot of discipline, but its worth it! Thanks for reading.