Lectures

Wolfgang Saus

New aliquot software“Overtone Analyser 1.4“ – this software help the composers to understand the positioning of singed aliquot tones in classical tone system.
History and physical background of aliquot singing.

Jan Staněk

Aliquot singing in classical choir

Prague, Sunday 4th of September 2004

Aliquot singing is still getting more and more popular. The fiends of this way of singing are often from jogins and people interested in eastern philosophies, and who have no experiences with classic singing. They relax and meditate by humbling aliquot tones on one, shoddy ground tone. They usually don’t look for a way of using the aliquot singing in music.

Whereas in advanced choir we can make a very beautiful noise, thanks to the aliquot singing, which can multiply the music experience. It is enough, when the singers get used in the easiest singing (so called „ng“), it’s technique, and the intervals in aliquot line. In fact they must only discrimate between the „sharp tone“ (with higher number of aliquot tones) and the „soft tone“ (with stifled aliquot tones), and when they know how to aply these changes during the song

With a good combination so set colors of individual voice groups we can make a beautiful choir sound and improve the tuning of the choir a lot. We work out from the knowledge of the intervals in aliquot line.

For example: if we would demand from the bass on great G a sharper tone ( educated aliquot singers can sing consciously even then fifth aliquot tone) and the alt would sing h1 (rather softly), the tone of the alt would be identical with the aliquot tone of the bass, and the singers would tune on this tone subconsciously. But they can tune their voice straight to unisono with the aliquot tone, which is naturally easier than to tune into consonance of the interval ahead of two octaves.

To teach aliquot techniques is possible only in the choirs that are systematically working on the voice education as well. Progress in aliquot singing must go on hand in hand with the classical singing tuition. Without that it is nonsensical.

From using the aliquot singing in choir we can expect a lot, but I recommend not to expect wonders while you wait. The basic countdown – that we cannot sing a text in aliquots, and we cannot use them in fast melodies – are always here, seriously complicating the selection of matching repertoire. Although even only one song with aliquot techniques can enrich the concept of the concert really much, apart from the fact, that during the rehearsal learns the choir to hear it’s sound from quite new point of view.

The aliquot choir Spektrum from Prague is going to perform on the planned lecture, illustrating with instances the possibilities of the work with the sound-color. If it’s possible, we can create an experimental choir from the visitors of the lecture. It’s going to be real fun.

I’m looking forward to see You.

Jan Staněk

On the left: Jan Staněk, from the right side: Lothar Berger and Volfgang Saus (Bergen 2002)

Zdeněk N. Bričkovský