Evening star., 1947-05-30
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,peu.
ARLINGTON. Va.

Dear Sir: '' '"'
-, You have stated several times that the wood
tnrushs song is unit of three notes.
II you will listen more carefully, you will
notlce 1our notes-a very high note on the end
approximately thus: In the kew of r fat
G, low D, F, high D.
variations of the song occur as, still in the
key OF nat, low D. F, high D; or fiat:
nlgn A, c. low c, E fiat, or B fiat, low G, high
fiat c. ~
Mr. w. B. Olds, in his book, TWENTY-FIVE
pro songs, says: The wood thrush is without
oouot one OF our finest singers The intervals
comprising his melodies are quite distinct and
clean-cut. Each phrase has a decided tonality
ana successive phrases, while differing from
each other in form, are usually in the same kew
AS Tor his voice, what pen can do it ilIsticep
All OF the bird music lovers have exhausted
tner vocanular1es in describing it, but to
appreciate Its wonderful silvery tone and it's
peace-producing effect, one must hear II in the
quiet OF the deep woods
Sincerely your appreciative reader,
"JHF"
This correspondent has heard one Of the
variations OF the main three note phrase.
The notes of the wood thrush usually are in
clusters Of three
OF equal value, the most common notes of a
cluster or phrase are the tonic so-called. the
third, and the fifth tones
Mrs F. will see representation of this on
page 240 of DR.. F. Schuyler Mathews Field
Book of Wild Birds and Their Music" issued
by G. P. Putnams Sons
Many examples of these trios of notes are
given in the four pages devoted to this bird
Often the last note is doubled, and it NAV
be this which made our correspondent think
she heard four notes
There is often a harmonic overtone to all the
notes. Sometimes harsh tone succeeds the
three-note group.
On page 242 of the book just mentioned
occurs the musical representation of q string
Of wood thrush tripets.
The author holds that the essential character
OF the wood thrush's song is the comparative
even value of the first two of the three notes
which constitute its common form.
Aretas A. Saunders in his unusual handbook,
"A Guide to Bird Songs issued by D. Appleton
Century, says:
THE song of the wood thrush, as heard from
little distance, consists of series of rich
fute-like phrases of three to five notes each
the notes connected by liquid Like sounds
Each phrase is different from the last one
and the pauses between them are rather long
When we are nearer the bird, we find that
each phrase is either introduced, terminated, or
both by other notes which are neither as loud
nor so musical in quality.
The beautiful main phrases are of perfectly
pitched notes. often three-note phrase on the
notes OF major chord, so that they suggest, in
pitch, but not quality, bugle calls.
"Three-note phrases are the commonest and
in most of these each of the three notes Is on
a different pitch"
The best way to listen to the music of the
wood thrush is not to worry about how many
notes there are in his song but to listen to 1t
with open ears and mind at peace.
He is a great musician this wood thrush of
ours. He knew all about free Improvisation
centuries before primitive man had come down
out Of the trees. Like real musician, he loves
his triplets, but also he knows how to vary
them, now to use harmonics, and how to make
them chime
One of the features of the wood thrush song
is how fine it sounds close up and yet how far
it will carry. 1t is outdoor music at its best
but even the odd notes introduced from time
to time are inserted by the bird with q sure
knowledge Of contrast and do not mar the
melody, but rather augment 1t.