Steve Fox makes the tárogató

Gandalfe

Gandalfe

Striving to play the changes in a melodic way.
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From Steve Fox's site where new taragato's are made: The taragato (Hungarian, plural taragatok), alias taragot or torogoata (Romanian), used traditionally in Eastern European folk music, has recently begun to reach a wider Western audience due to increasing interest in world music and its use in klezmer music.

The taragato of the present day bears very little resemblance to the instrument bearing the same name in earlier times. Before the mid 19th century, the term referred to keyless, conical bored, double reed instruments - shawms, generically speaking - which took a number of forms: straight or curved body, simple or with beadlike knobs; with an integral wooden bell or a metal bell.

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Gandalfe said:
Merlin said:
He recently borrowed my 'nino for a gig - I loaned it to him with a warning that the tuning was pretty sketchy. I got it back from him recently...with the tuning vastly improved!
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I need friends like that! :emoji_astonished:
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Send me your Eppelsheim bass.

I'll teach it a few things.
 
Gandalfe said:
Merlin said:
Haven't asked him. I'm still waiting to hear about some posts for my bass clarinet low C joint.
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Custom work or repair? Cool new avatar.
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Custom C extension to my low Eb Selmer.

Thanks, that's me playing tenor shawm with a renaissance consort at a fair in Sterling NY. I was sitting in, and had never played one before.
 
Seriously now, I'd like it if you could write a review of how it sounds/plays and any other thoughts you have on it. Hey, I've heard these, before, but I've never had a player around I could question.
 
Gandalfe said:
I'd luv to get a report from someone who purchased one of Fox's Taragato's. Especially if there were a sound bite. Merlin, you got time to help me with voicing on this beasty? :emoji_rolling_eyes:
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I've got one. I've had it since about August. It's made of maple which has been stained. The staining isn't the best it shows up some rings on the upper joint that look like tool marks from a lathe. Other than that slight cosmetic issue I have nothing but good things to say. It plays very well in tune which seems to be unusual for tarogatok from what I've read.

Here's a little recording with it on. Just to explain about this. The recording was done for a ukulele forum where they pick a tune every month an the members record their own version of it. This is my version of Sunny on tárogató, electric ukulele and hammond organ. Silly 60s vibe. I don't play tárogató very well but I guess this gives you an idea how it sounds. Like a soprano sax but kind of woodier.

http://www.box.net/shared/2coym5lhq6
 
MrDibbs wow, just wow. How'd you get rid of most of the whine; my playing is much looser I think. Do you know the opening and make of your setup? I'm using a sop sax #4 mouthpiece (can't name the maker as I'm at work right now) with a #3 Vandoren ZZ which seems to work the best for me. My tárogató is a no-name instrument that looks a lot like the Fox.

I especially like the end (before the break) of the piece where you get a wha, wha sound that comes across like a human voice laughing. I see this as an instrument to bring out just to freak people out and provide a alien sounding addition to the appropriate song.
 
Thanks Pete.

Gandalf,

I don't know what you mean by the whine. I just blow it and that's the sound that comes out. I'm a clarinet player rather than a sax player so maybe it's to do with the clarinet embouchure. I make a horrible honky noise if I ever blow a sax.

The mouthpiece is the one Steve Fox supplied with it. He just says it's medium length and a medium opening. It was made by Ed Pillinger here in England http://www.pillingermouthpieces.co.uk/ . Apparently it's a copy of a Stowasser. It does play very easily for me but it's hard to say since I don't have anything to compare it to. I've got a plastic Legere #3 reed on it at the moment.

It's more than just a novelty instrument I think. I'm liking playing it a lot though it's taking some doing to get around it fingering-wise.

Does yours play the second register D and Eb in tune using the first register key? They come out sharp on mine if I play them like that but Steve Fox says those notes should be played by 1/2 holing the LH1 hole (like a recorder) rather than use the register key. It plays perfectly in tune when I do that but it isn't what any fingering chart I've ever found says.

So I've got to 1/2 hole for the D and Eb, 1st register key from E to G# then second register key from A up. It did my head in for a while but it's gradually becoming second nature.
 
MrDibbs said:
Gandalf
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I use the olde English spelling of Gandalfe. :cool:

MrDibbs said:
It's more than just a novelty instrument I think. I'm liking playing it a lot though it's taking some doing to get around it fingering-wise.

Does yours play the second register D and Eb in tune using the first register key? They come out sharp on mine if I play them like that but Steve Fox says those notes should be played by 1/2 holing the LH1 hole (like a recorder) rather than use the register key. It plays perfectly in tune when I do that but it isn't what any fingering chart I've ever found says.

So I've got to 1/2 hole for the D and Eb, 1st register key from E to G# then second register key from A up. It did my head in for a while but it's gradually becoming second nature.
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Hmm... I'll have to pull it out and take a look. I haven't played it in a long time.
 
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