Re: Academic/musicological research on looping technique?

[George Demarest <g_demarest@yahoo.com>]

Steve Reich once commented in an interview that Robert Fripp should pay him royalties

for Frippertronics (ie, looping)

so, make checks payable to...

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From: Mark Showalter <folkstone57@operamail.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Sent: Mon, November 8, 2010 6:53:29 PM
Subject: Re: Academic/musicological research on looping technique?


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: Re: Academic/musicological research on looping technique?
> Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 20:16:24 +0100
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 7:25 PM, Mark Showalter
> <folkstone57@operamail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I studied for over 8 years, never heard a word about looping.
>
>
> Maybe the particular term "looping" was not used but doesn't the sign
> :| mean something like "loop previous part once" ;-)

No, it does not mean "loop", it is a repeat sign & although it has some similarity to a loop, it is in reality very different. A loop is a recording that is repeated whereas a musician cannot exactly repeat a part no matter how much he or she might want to. Also keep in mind that symbol is normally used to indicate a repeat of a section of music, say an 8 or 16 bar phrase, not a single bit of music. To use it for a single measure or 2 is not traditional & would quite frankly look a bit silly. A closer symbol would be something like *//* which is a "repeat" whatever came before, often used for drums or a simple rhythm part, but again, it does not mean you get the exact same bit played repeatedly. "Looping", the way it is used here, is very definitely the idea of a recorded part that gets played over & over again. It is a technique of electronics, not performance, which is what my point really is.

As far as I
> understand composers like Steve Reich may write loops all over the
> score. I was talking to Elliott Sharp over one of his recent scores
> and he actually used the term "loops" to explain what he had written
> for the musicians to play (a bunch of bass clarinetists in this case).

No idea since I've never seen one of their scores & had the chance to listen to the piece.

> Something we talk a lot about on this board are the sound design
> related aspects of looping. However, not all composers - or teachers
> in composition - might agree that sound design is an important craft
> in composition.

If you mean sound design in terms of electronics, I completely agree since a theory & composition class is not really where such things would be studied. Teachers would leave that to the studio electronics department. They did in my school & I suspect that is still the practice.


I would assume that a lot more is written about
> looping in the meaning of repeating patterns in composition compared
> to looping as a sound design tool/process. Try searching for partial
> synonyms to "looping" as for example "repeating", "cycle", "ostinato"
> etc etc.

I think the point is still that we're using the word "loop" to mean by electronic means, not in performance by an actual musician. Also, keep in mind that "loop" can mean something that goes on for as long as the power lasts, something a human being simply cannot do.




> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> www.boysen.se
> www.perboysen.com
> www.looproom.com internet music hub

>



Mark Showalter
Minden Jot!

myspace.com/folkstone57
http://www.last.fm/music/Mark+Showalter



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