# Instruments noises.



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

The majority of the musical instruments are mechanical devices. So, apart from hearing the sound they produce for musical purposes, we can also hear sometimes the sound or noises of the mechanical system of the instrument. But these noises also contribute to the instrument's personality.
Which of these "noises" do you like and which not?.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

This one would be a "dislike", to put it mildly.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

I like the squeak of strings in classical guitar (when you move your fingers up/down them).

I can't stand the noisy (clacky) rotary valves on my son's horn and I wish he would get the bumpers replaced.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

a lot of guitar music is about percussive effects. Flamenco guitar is an example. Michael Hedges and similar guitarists who use guitar like a drum is another one.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> This one would be a "dislike", to put it mildly.


I don't think you understand the topic of this thread. Its not about great music, its about noises that are generated by instruments when you play them, unintentional noises caused by the mechanics of the instruments.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

As with Lunasong, I like the squeak as fingers slide along strings. I also like the mechanical sounds of a grand piano in a nice, clear recording. An upright piano, not so much. Oh, and the little clicks of keys on woodwinds, particularly clarinet.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Kopachris said:


> Oh, and the little clicks of keys on woodwinds, particularly clarinet.


Yes, I forgot to mention that one.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

The pipe organ has its own mechanical sounds, like the 'chiff' on a soft flute stop, that contribute greatly (imho) to the character of the instrument. Some pipe organ installations have had the pipes nicked (the bottom edge of the pipe, where the air enters to resonate, gets notched) to eliminate that natural sound, and for me the result is too sterile. 

The pipe organ that I play has electro-pnuematic action, meaning that a mechanical switch (operated on 12v DC) in turn uses air pressure inside the chest to operate (opening and closing the leather valve below the pipe to let air in or stop the flow or air) each pipe.

Some of the great organs in France use Barker Levers (operated by wind pressures from inside the organ) for the key levers - this produces a very mechanical sound for the performer, but yet hardly detectably by the listener.

Tracker organs are all mechanical ... the key, when depressed, is physically linked through a series of levers and wires to the assigned note, so in fact the organist had full control over the speech of each pipe as he/she can control how fast the valve opens/closes.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I don't mind the sound of the clavichord levers dropping back into place in a recording, unless they really mike it too close, then it takes away my focus from the music too much, especially if the play is trying to be all nuanced and slow, two things that bug me about clavichord performances when they happen together. 

Classical guitar(and plain acoustic) squeaks are actually kind of nice, I agree. 

Baroque woodwinds have the advantage of not having keys in that regard, but usually key sounds don't bother me at all. 

Pianos have a pedal release mechanism that I have noticed in action in live performances. Sometimes it adds imperfection to otherwise flawless performances, which I really like actually because it adds this reality element.


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## etkearne (Sep 28, 2012)

I also like the release mechanism on a piano, especially during incredibly delicate and tense sections of eerie music. It adds to the uneasiness.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I find that harsichords are rarely well recorded. They have a flat dynamic naturally, so record companies normalize the hell out of them and pull up all sorts of thumping and clunking. I got Scott Ross's Scarletti box and it's twice as loud as my other recordings and it booms and thumps like a lowrider car. I pulled the volume way back and it's much better.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Its kinda annoying in some piano performances and records where you can hear the damper pedal each time it is lifted to mute the strings, with this thumping sound. It can be a cool effect, but when its not meant to be part of the music its pretty distracting.


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## Praeludium (Oct 9, 2011)

It's funny to see how everyone like the squeaks on the strings of a classical guitar when actually most of classical guitarists are very careful to avoid them (there are even specific exercices) 

I like all instrument noises, depending on the context. There are some sounds that I liek less, though. There's a sound you can hear in recordings of bowed strings, I think it's the sound of the bow against the strings, which _can_ be distracting and itching.
I think I particularly like all the mechanical sounds a pipe organ can make - I find the contrast between the music, often spiritual or even religious (or at least that's the cliché) and all the little sound this huge machine makes quite cool.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

BurningDesire said:


> I don't think you understand the topic of this thread. Its not about great music, its about noises that are generated by instruments when you play them, unintentional noises caused by the mechanics of the instruments.


As far as I'm concerned, the clip I posted very audibly had noise caused by the mechanics of the instruments, and the "composer" himself, and mushed up into one "piece of music" that is noise.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I once snapped the low G on my piano playing Rachmaninoff. The resulting explosion almost made me fall of my chair. Was cool.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> I once snapped the low G on my piano playing Rachmaninoff. The resulting explosion almost made me fall of my chair. Was cool.


You play piano? You play _Rachmaninoff_?


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

clavichorder said:


> You play piano? You play _Rachmaninoff_?


Yup, although not so much these days. I took lessons for over 10 years but stopped once I went away to university.


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## Llyranor (Dec 20, 2010)

There's humming sounds coming out of the piano when Glenn Gould plays it.

I used to find it really intrusive, but I've seen gotten used to it and just focus on the music instead now.


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