Huun Huur Tu
No, I'm not just clearing my throat.
Tonight, Erin and I were privileged to see Huun Huur Tu, a folk group versed in the traditional music of Tuva, especially the art of Tuvan throat singing.
Try this: pick a comfortable pitch and sing the vowel "ee." Now, still singing the same pitch, gradually change over to "oooo". It should sound something like a drawn-out "eeeewwww." Even though you're staying on the same pitch, you should be able to hear something descending. Try it backwards: "oooooooeeeeeeeee"; it goes back up. This is a harmonic overtone; it's always there, but we usually don't notice it because it's too quiet. The previous exercise changed the overtone while keeping the base pitch constant, making it easy to pick out.
What Huun Huur Tu does is essentially the same thing. However, the Tuvan people, through centuries of tradition, have developed a different singing register -- based in the throat -- which magnifies this effect. That nasal overtone you were able to make suddenly becomes a haunting whistle. Tuvan throat singers have such control over the pitch of these overtones that they can make melodies out of them. In the traditional Tuvan music, they bear a resemblance to the way flutes are used in some native American music.
Huun Huur Tu combines their throat singing capabilities with some superb "normal" singing and a handful of traditonal instruments and percussion. Their songs are all evocative of their homeland, particularly of the natural features: horses, rivers, birds, caravans, mountains. They are in the same vein as Silk Road Journeys by the Silk Road Ensemble (featuring Yo-Yo Ma). One particularly captivating piece featured all manner of birdcalls, insect noises, rain, thunder, etc., all done with voice and instrument. I don't think I've ever been so transported by any music.
I know this sort of thing isn't for everyone (I got some strange looks when I told people where we were going tonight), but if you think you might like this sort of thing, check out their tour schedule. Tonight's audience wasn't satisfied until they played TWO encores!
You can hear some samples of what all this sounds like in this NPR studio session.
Or, just click these videos: (I hope this works)
Pure throat singing: Sygyt style. This is probably the most dramatic example of overtone control.
The instruments take a while to tune, so the song actually starts about 1 minute into this one. Chiraa-Xoor (Yellow Trotter):
More throat singing: Kargyraa style.
Ezir-Kara (Black Eagle)
Tonight, Erin and I were privileged to see Huun Huur Tu, a folk group versed in the traditional music of Tuva, especially the art of Tuvan throat singing.
Try this: pick a comfortable pitch and sing the vowel "ee." Now, still singing the same pitch, gradually change over to "oooo". It should sound something like a drawn-out "eeeewwww." Even though you're staying on the same pitch, you should be able to hear something descending. Try it backwards: "oooooooeeeeeeeee"; it goes back up. This is a harmonic overtone; it's always there, but we usually don't notice it because it's too quiet. The previous exercise changed the overtone while keeping the base pitch constant, making it easy to pick out.
What Huun Huur Tu does is essentially the same thing. However, the Tuvan people, through centuries of tradition, have developed a different singing register -- based in the throat -- which magnifies this effect. That nasal overtone you were able to make suddenly becomes a haunting whistle. Tuvan throat singers have such control over the pitch of these overtones that they can make melodies out of them. In the traditional Tuvan music, they bear a resemblance to the way flutes are used in some native American music.
Huun Huur Tu combines their throat singing capabilities with some superb "normal" singing and a handful of traditonal instruments and percussion. Their songs are all evocative of their homeland, particularly of the natural features: horses, rivers, birds, caravans, mountains. They are in the same vein as Silk Road Journeys by the Silk Road Ensemble (featuring Yo-Yo Ma). One particularly captivating piece featured all manner of birdcalls, insect noises, rain, thunder, etc., all done with voice and instrument. I don't think I've ever been so transported by any music.
I know this sort of thing isn't for everyone (I got some strange looks when I told people where we were going tonight), but if you think you might like this sort of thing, check out their tour schedule. Tonight's audience wasn't satisfied until they played TWO encores!
You can hear some samples of what all this sounds like in this NPR studio session.
Or, just click these videos: (I hope this works)
Pure throat singing: Sygyt style. This is probably the most dramatic example of overtone control.
The instruments take a while to tune, so the song actually starts about 1 minute into this one. Chiraa-Xoor (Yellow Trotter):
More throat singing: Kargyraa style.
Ezir-Kara (Black Eagle)