What is the first thing the ear hears? Some would say rhythm, the pulse and groove of music has the strongest impact. Others would argue that harmony is what grabs the ear first. However integral these two elements are to music as a whole, sound it self IS the first thing that the ear hears and it’s quality can make or break a listener’s experience; therefore it is an aspect that deserves much attention. A perfect example of this can be seen in the recording industry. So much money goes into the quality of sound of the recording. You book time in a studio that has all the right mics and recording equipment; hire a sound engineer to capture the best possible sound from you and your band. And after that, you send the tracks to go be mastered. All this because of the distinct medium of our art; sound.
An individual’s sound also is a reflection of who they are; there musical values and tastes. There are many ways in which sound can be sculpted: bright or dark; velvety, broad and romantic or hard edged, focused and aggressive, ….. In the process of finding your own sound, consider who your musical heroes are and what about their sounds’ excites your ears. This is the beginning of developing a concept of sound.
When I was first getting into jazz, I had a few tapes (this was a few years ago) that I had picked up from the library or that my private teacher had given me: Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Illinois Jacquet, Sonny Rollins. I listened to these and they became a formative start to my concept. One day I found a recording of Lester Young, with Teddy Wilson, “Papa” Jo Jones, and Gene Ramey; ”All of Me” from Pres and Teddy, Verve MGV-8205. His sound excited my ears like none other at the time. His was more introverted and cool, light and dry then the brash and robust sounds of Webster and Hawkins. These things, as well as his use of rhythm and shape of his lines, spoke to me. I tried to find what recordings I could as well as read a couple biographies of his life. I wanted to understand him and where he came from as best as I could; and by this process I became introduced to many other musicians and part of jazz’s broad history. Over the years, as I listened and was exposed to more and more music, my musical personality and tastes evolved in the same way.
In future articles I’ll get into the “nuts and bolts” of developing sound. Until then get curious, listen and learn as much as you can about the music you want to play.
