Every video of serpent playing I watch convinces me more that this is an exceptionally difficult instrument to play well. Like, even in the really nice professional playing here, there were still a couple of pitchy notes.
as is true with most historical instruments. before keys it was almost impossible to make an instrument with all its notes perfectly tuned with a clear tone just because the finger placement would be impossible
@@klemensvetter9178 With all due respect to Mr. Kershaw, when you hear how even a talented professional musician like him is having a bit of trouble playing in tune and with a good tone, it definitely makes it clearer just how extraordinary Wibart and Godard's achievements are.
Always interesting to see instruments with brass mouthpieces or reeds using finger holes instead of valves, keys or slides. I always assumed it was possible, you just don’t really see them around today.
mantistoboggan, the Serpent was mostly 'abandoned' because its weak, diffuse tone quality no longer worked well in the increasingly larger, and louder orchestras, and because the more modern brass instrument designs it would be played with in ensemble would overwhelm it. That is the main reason why the ophicleide was invented, and eventually the euphonium and tuba once valved systems became perfected. Yes, the Serpent is more difficult to play (usefully) than pretty much any other brass instrument, but that is not the main reason for it being overtaken by newer designs. (I am an experienced Serpentist for nearly 40 years).
@@youtuuba thanks for the information! Ah yes the groups got bigger and loudness became more important. The serpent though has so few players it seems.
Difficulty in playing period, but also many old instruments are largely diatonic. Chromaticism requires fork fingerings, hole shading, adjusting your breath pressure.
@@victotronics yes instruments were replaced with ones that can play evenly across the chromatic scale. I think you lose something special when you do that, though, personally. Also equal temperament was not the tuning of choice.
@@youtuuba Still, you'd think they would have found a steady niche in small instrumental groups, especially in combination with voices, where you don't _want_ something very loud (overwhelms the voice unless you use differential electronic amplification as in really modern times).
lemonimpala, it would not work with a reed. NO brass instruments work usefully with reeds. Brass instruments depend on the player's adjustable embouchure to select from the available partials of the instrument's harmonic series in order to get the desired pitch. A player cannot control a reed in the same way that the lips can be controlled, so trying to use a reed results in sound being produced, but without enough control to be useful musically (unless of course only a single pitch is desired, and then you basically just have a truck horn).
Bernard Herrman used the Serpent for part of the soundtrack score he composed for the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth." It can be heard in the climactic scene were the 'prehistoric reptile' is awakened from its slumber just before the end.
Despite bass cornett probably existing, the serpent was the de facto bass of the cornett family due to the former's poor acoustic proprieties and sound projection. Quite an handful to be played, by any account, but still it has walked in order for tubas to run in modern orchestras.
Needs some buttons, could they make saxophones in a similar fashion, a beginners cheaper saxophone in snake skin finish? Maybe quieter for practicing in a home?
There are sub contra bass flutes, made in a triangle shape, about 8 feet tall. Also the double sub contra bass, larger diameter. th-cam.com/video/Qmxnp_3KUt0/w-d-xo.html
There is the sub contrabass flute, made in a triangular shape, about 8 feet high - and the double sub contrabass flute, same height but larger diameter. Only a very few exist around the world, and they are very difficult to play.
If you use the Italian terminology there are no misunderstandings: Cornetto = Renaissance and medieval wooden instrument. The plural is Cornetti. Cornetta = Modern instrument of the brass family similar to the trumpet. The plural is Cornette.
The serpent is a brass instrument made out of wood. The saxophone is a woodwind instrument made out of brass. This goes a long way to explaining musicians. 🤣
arnhemseptember, depends on who "you" is. Normal adult male hands & fingers are plenty large enough for the typical 'church' serpent as shown in this video. Many women have fingers that are too small to adequately cover the holes with a good airtight seal, and some of them have resorted to using lightweight gloves to 'bulk up' their finger diameter. But offhand, I personally know at least half a dozen accomplished adult women serpentists who can reach and cover the holes just fine with the finger God gave 'em. I also know a couple more petite women who only play tenor serpents (unhistorical), or who use regular bass serpents but have inserts added to the holes to make them slightly smaller so their fingers can cover them adequately.
Every video of serpent playing I watch convinces me more that this is an exceptionally difficult instrument to play well. Like, even in the really nice professional playing here, there were still a couple of pitchy notes.
as is true with most historical instruments. before keys it was almost impossible to make an instrument with all its notes perfectly tuned with a clear tone just because the finger placement would be impossible
Then you should listen to Patrick Wibart or Michel Godard. They make it sound easy🤩
@@klemensvetter9178 With all due respect to Mr. Kershaw, when you hear how even a talented professional musician like him is having a bit of trouble playing in tune and with a good tone, it definitely makes it clearer just how extraordinary Wibart and Godard's achievements are.
The Serpent and the Cornet are two instruments that i find fascinating. I will never forgive modern society for making sure i could never afford them.
the cornet??
like the brass band instrument similar to a trumpet??
I think you mean the cornett.
@@oliverdiamond6594 I do mean the cornett. I've seen it spelled both ways in reference to it and didn't expect to get um actuallyd.
@@redgunnit sorry 😂😂
@@oliverdiamond6594 I just call them cornetto/cornetti, easily distinguishes it
Maybe the right solution to avoid confusion is to use the German word for it, Zink.
Love that it sounds like a woodwind
Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith used the Serpent in film scores ... usually to announce the arrival of the monster ;-)
I'd often seen pictures of serpents, but never heard one played until now. Thanks.
I love learning about instruments I had no idea existed. And, not just variants of better known instruments, but completely different ones.
It almost sounds like a bassoon!! I’ve always loved this instrument, so glad you made a video on it!
Thank you so much for sharing! I just love that this instrument is still in use, and celebrated by dedicated musicians like yourself!
love thisss wish it was longer
Once and future horn player, playing one of these is on my bucket list!
Me too! Im 16, from Argentina and i am fascinated about this instruments. I have a 3d printed Serpent and love playing it.
I didn't realise how nice it sounded or how melodic it was, thank you.
Always interesting to see instruments with brass mouthpieces or reeds using finger holes instead of valves, keys or slides. I always assumed it was possible, you just don’t really see them around today.
very cool instrument! Thank you for this video!
Lovely sound.
Very cool! I always learn neat stuff from these videos.
Love the serpent. Its a shame so many instruments were mostly abandoned because of the difficulty in playing. Some things are worth the challenge.
mantistoboggan, the Serpent was mostly 'abandoned' because its weak, diffuse tone quality no longer worked well in the increasingly larger, and louder orchestras, and because the more modern brass instrument designs it would be played with in ensemble would overwhelm it. That is the main reason why the ophicleide was invented, and eventually the euphonium and tuba once valved systems became perfected.
Yes, the Serpent is more difficult to play (usefully) than pretty much any other brass instrument, but that is not the main reason for it being overtaken by newer designs.
(I am an experienced Serpentist for nearly 40 years).
@@youtuuba thanks for the information! Ah yes the groups got bigger and loudness became more important. The serpent though has so few players it seems.
Difficulty in playing period, but also many old instruments are largely diatonic. Chromaticism requires fork fingerings, hole shading, adjusting your breath pressure.
@@victotronics yes instruments were replaced with ones that can play evenly across the chromatic scale. I think you lose something special when you do that, though, personally. Also equal temperament was not the tuning of choice.
@@youtuuba Still, you'd think they would have found a steady niche in small instrumental groups, especially in combination with voices, where you don't _want_ something very loud (overwhelms the voice unless you use differential electronic amplification as in really modern times).
Whenever someone says that they wish for "simpler times", I'm going to show them this video.
Beatiful Andrew!
Finally see you here!!!
The euphonium was a huge improvement!
Thank you so much - I enojyed this :)
I love this instrument, I think it would be interesting to try it with a double reed like a bassoon, but I can't afford one to try of course.
lemonimpala, it would not work with a reed. NO brass instruments work usefully with reeds. Brass instruments depend on the player's adjustable embouchure to select from the available partials of the instrument's harmonic series in order to get the desired pitch. A player cannot control a reed in the same way that the lips can be controlled, so trying to use a reed results in sound being produced, but without enough control to be useful musically (unless of course only a single pitch is desired, and then you basically just have a truck horn).
Bernard Herrman used the Serpent for part of the soundtrack score he composed for the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth." It can be heard in the climactic scene were the 'prehistoric reptile' is awakened from its slumber just before the end.
Support 👏
Despite bass cornett probably existing, the serpent was the de facto bass of the cornett family due to the former's poor acoustic proprieties and sound projection.
Quite an handful to be played, by any account, but still it has walked in order for tubas to run in modern orchestras.
So the instrument itself is much older than its orchestral use, which is relatively recent. Interesting as hell.
THE SERPENT!!!!!!
what a handsome man and intresting instrument
A serpent saxophone! Would it sound better in soprano or tenor?
DOES IT come in different sizes
The techincal name for this instrument is the Aniconicalda
So cool!
'Cool'.
Needs some buttons, could they make saxophones in a similar fashion, a beginners cheaper saxophone in snake skin finish? Maybe quieter for practicing in a home?
This is the Serpent of the Law.
Awesome :)
Wibart Patrick makes the ophicleide sing, but could he tame the serpent ? (The answer is an emphatic yes!)
Patrick Wibart, actually. His channel name is last first for some reason.
The serpent is totally cool, nice that you guys have one.
'Cool'.
@@kiereluurs1243 you don't think it's cool?
What is dangling from the mouthpiece?
Appeared in Frontier Psychiatrist 😂
Is that a serpent in c or d?
Could other traditionally brass wind instruments be made i.e flutes ect?
There are sub contra bass flutes, made in a triangle shape, about 8 feet tall. Also the double sub contra bass, larger diameter. th-cam.com/video/Qmxnp_3KUt0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Qmxnp_3KUt0/w-d-xo.html
There is the sub contrabass flute, made in a triangular shape, about 8 feet high - and the double sub contrabass flute, same height but larger diameter. Only a very few exist around the world, and they are very difficult to play.
So one has to think of 2 things at once.
Both the fingering and lip-tension, to get a single note.
Hard.
Pretty much the same as any brass instrument....
And woodwind.
If you use the Italian terminology there are no misunderstandings:
Cornetto = Renaissance and medieval wooden instrument. The plural is Cornetti.
Cornetta = Modern instrument of the brass family similar to the trumpet. The plural is Cornette.
"what the devil is that?"
hmmmm...all that's missing is the tree, and Eve.
oh. and some fruit...and a garden...and an avenging god.
As a trombonist, I can't really say out loud in polite company what I think about that sound.
The shape looks like A big snake
Hence the name! ;-)
The serpent is a brass instrument made out of wood. The saxophone is a woodwind instrument made out of brass. This goes a long way to explaining musicians. 🤣
You need large hands and big fingers...
arnhemseptember, depends on who "you" is. Normal adult male hands & fingers are plenty large enough for the typical 'church' serpent as shown in this video. Many women have fingers that are too small to adequately cover the holes with a good airtight seal, and some of them have resorted to using lightweight gloves to 'bulk up' their finger diameter. But offhand, I personally know at least half a dozen accomplished adult women serpentists who can reach and cover the holes just fine with the finger God gave 'em. I also know a couple more petite women who only play tenor serpents (unhistorical), or who use regular bass serpents but have inserts added to the holes to make them slightly smaller so their fingers can cover them adequately.
@@youtuuba I am clearly not familiar with this fascinating instrument!
So...the Serpent is kind of an anti-saxophone
sounds shitty 😅
No, it sounds like a serpent.
@@domitypemaybe your grandpa lol