![]() ![]() How to learn voicing is complicated by the fact that so many different esteemed builders have taken divergent paths. That guitar is destined to the display case instead of its rightful place-in a player’s hands, inspiring musical creation. No amount of fancy wood, elaborate inlay, celebrity endorsements, or artistic design will rescue an instrument with an unresponsive soundboard. It might be a little frightening that there is so much emphasis on the soundboard of the instrument, but what Galloup says in the quote above is true. Think about it: Something called “the soundboard” should be the first clue that it’s the single most important component in developing the overall coupled system that will become an acoustic musical instrument” -Bryan Galloup, Premier Guitar Magazine 10/18 In the acoustic-guitar market, however, too much attention is given to peripheral components of the instrument, and the soundboard’s significance is too often diminished to that of hype. It’s the gatekeeper to tone and a guitar’s overall lifespan. “The soundboard is the heart of any acoustic instrument. It’s a skill, and in many cases, a talent, that is shrouded in mystique, is romanticized (rightfully) by beginners and onlookers and is the fundamental arena of the luthier’s quest for perfection. Nothing else a luthier does is more demonstrative of his or her experience making instruments. It’s a skill, and a set of methods, that is the unique purview of the luthier. Voicing the guitar (or any other stringed instrument) is the process of strengthening and defining the instrument’s voice. The combination and relative strength of these overtones contribute to what is known as the instrument’s voice, it’s unique tonal character or timbre. The mechanism will also cause some overtones to be louder or quieter. The nature of the plate (the soundboard in a guitar, uke, mandolin, etc.) and the box (the instrument’s body) will amplify the string’s sound in a general way by employing the tension of the string to (more or less efficiently) cause the soundboard to vibrate sympathetically and therefore, move (vibrate) air. Tense up a length of string between two points and pluck it, and you will discover that very little happens in the way of sound.īut connect that string to a vibrating plate, and that plate to a resonant box and all the overtones present in that vibrating string come to life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |