I was watching Jeopardy and the clue was about one voice singing two notes at the same time - overtone singing. I'd never heard of it so I googled it and here's an example. How useful it is in real songs is debatable but it is quite amazing.
Check out starting at about 3:18 on the link below - that's where it starts getting really interesting.
https://youtu.be/vC9Qh709gas
Fascinating Josie. I was not aware of this either.
And yes, I do wonder how it might be used in a real song. I would really like to witness a real-world example.
Trevor
OK, I am well aware of the overtones associated with a note played by an instrument or sung. It can be very important for achieving a musical tone. But I have never heard what she is singing. No sure this is real?? To my ear a bit creepy. Don't know what to make of this.
When I was a youngster in college, I knew a vocalist who could do this. I never heard her use it in a song, but it was still quite a feat.
Dan
Josie, that's a great clip. I've only ever heard overtone singing once before. It certainly wasn't to this standard though!
I really appreciate the Youtube clip. Thank you!
Regards,
Noel
Dan, they said on Jeopardy it's origins are in Japan and there's a Japanese word for it (which was the answer to the clue which I of course forgot). LOL!
It sounds weird as all get out but fascinating. Glad y'all got to see it. I think it would sound too bizarre in a real song.
This is a tradition in the Mongol area. It was exercised by monks. First time I've learned about this was sometime in the eighties through German tv. You get a lot of hits when you search for Mongolian Throat singing. For instance:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mongolian+throat+singinghttps://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=polyphonic+overtone+singing+mongolianI was really impressed with this one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPu9XMMY1Y8
Interesting, Josie B! Thanks for the link.
I read a book about this, (Tuvan throat singing) and actually watched a documentary about it (rented from Netflix).
There are some who can sing 3 notes at a time. Quite fascinating.
I learned to do two at a time, but I never got good at it. Tried to do 3 but failed at that.
Insights and incites by Notes
Thanks for posting, Josie.. that really is an interesting clip!
I'm not surprised to hear that the practice is of Asian origin... one of her examples sounded just like an Erhu (an Asian bowed instrument having only one string)
I was especially impressed by her mastery of the technique and her ability to use it in so many ways.
Regarding its weirdness: in the context of western music it seems out of place.. but then, so does the Gregorian chant. I can see this easily fitting into eastern or new age music.
Whoever figured this out in the first place must have had a lot of time to kill... or a really boring and solitary job! ;-)
Whoever figured this out in the first place must have had a lot of time to kill... or a really boring and solitary job! ;-)
Does being a monk in Asia qualify?
One year at the National Folk Life Festival on the Capitol Mall in DC, China was one of the featured countries. One of the exhibits was a number of folks from the Mongolia area who performed what they called Tuvian Throat Singing. It was amazing to watch and listen to. Two notes from the same person.
Singer Bobby McFerrin ("Don't Worry, Be Happy") was known to be capable of polyphonic overtone singing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_McFerrin