The Dying Cow Theory

[cow109]

I thought I would try to shed some light on the eternal mystery of why a lot of people dislike yodeling. I call it the Dying Cow Theory of Yodeling. Basically the sounds made by yodeling are very similar to those made by a dying cow, however, if you were to digitally sample the cries of a dying cow and then feed that sound into a synthesizer it would have the effect of stabilizing the sound and converting it into perfectly pitched intervals using the keyboard. (Many synthesizers available at your local music store have this capability to record any random sound and then play it back). So, for example, you could play a Bach fugue or Mozart sonata with sampled dying cow sounds and it would actually sound like fabulous music. Likewise, yodeling takes what is basically a dying cow noise and converts it into perfectly pitched intervals, except this is done via human voice rather than by a machine. This is why it is very very critical for a yodeler to have pinpoint precision in their pitch and timing. Yodelers without an impeccable sense of pitch need to be quickly yanked off the stage because the result is much more horrible than other slightly off-key singers.

And now to the heart of the theory: I think we can all agree that people we know either love yodeling or hate it. There are very few who say, "aaahhh, it's OK I guess." The difference between these two groups has to do with how the ear is attuned to music. To get this point, recall that proper yodeling is equal parts dying cow and perfectly pitched intervals. The people that like yodeling (the people of this forum, yay!) are very attuned to pitch, and the people who hate yodeling are far more attuned to timbre (the dying cow quality). Our love for yodeling is actually rooted in the shock factor that results when the ear hears the discrepancy between the timbre of the music (the dying cow quality) and the pitch. Because we have such bad unconscious associations with the timbre (Oh no, another carcass to be removed from the pasture!) there is a much greater distance, as it were, between what we expect to hear from the timbre and what we actually end up hearing than there is with just about any other kind of music. The people that hate yodeling have very little sense of pitch (that is why these people go to Springsteen concerts, haha!) and thus are almost completely attuned to the timbre. When they hear yodeling all they can think is "omigosh I hope that cow goes to the woods to die!"

OK so I'm being cute, but I"M SERIOUS

[Bob]

I believe your theory! Except that the yodel haters also go to Who concerts, not just Springsteen concerts. (A certain Who fan I know says that yodeling makes his ears bleed.)

Basically, like you say, you either like yodeling or hate yodeling. And I don't think you have a choice. If you hate it, no amount of training or discussion will make you learn to like it, it is NOT an acquired taste. If you hate it the first time you hear it don't waste your time trying to change your opinion.

Those of us here who love yodeling should consider ourselves very lucky!

[afandan]

yea lucky, or maybe us (yodel lovers) just have a lot better ears !!!!!!!
_________________
yodelologist

[goteamusa]

Ok... Well, I am guess I am weird (as usual), but actually I have to be in the right mood to like yodeling - sometimes I would rather not listen to it. Depending on my mood, I want to listen to happy sounding music, or calm, peaceful sounding music. If I feel like listening to happy music then I am all for yodeling, but if I am in the mood for calm, relaxing music... well, no yodeling for me!

[Bob]

Well, maybe yodeling isn't quite right for a candle-lit dinner or a funeral, but otherwise I'm almost always in the mood for yodeling.

But I'm old, so when I hear calm, relaxing music I usually fall asleep.

[cow109]

I'm guessing no one here listens to nothing but yodel. I listen to the Mozart piano concertos fairly often and I sure don't want to hear yodeling with them

[Bob]

Yes, we do listen to other music! I'm not a huge fan of classical, but I like the oldies, rock and roll, country, from back when it was original and had a beat or a message.

I would guess that today I listen to yodeling maybe 20% of the time, just like I occasionally replace my normal diet with a nice juicy steak! I admit I wouldn't want to listen to yodeling 24/7, but it's a real treat!

Btw, there are CD's from people who yodel to classical music, and I can't stand it. I don't think the two forms of music belong together. Don't know what I would do if Taylor ever yodeled the William Tell Overture, I would listen with my eyes closed.

[cow109]

You say yodeling wouldn't be proper at a funeral. I disagree. Imagine, for a moment, that the people flushed out of New Orleans by Katrina had ended up in Switzerland. Then give it about ten years for cross-fertilization and....

Kerry Christensen actually does yodel the William Tell Overture. He does a great job of course, but it falls under the category of "comic relief" and you wouldn't want a steady diet of it!

[Bob]

Yeah, I have rethought the funeral yodeling thing. I would like yodeling to be a large part of my funeral.

...strange, I know.

I don't really like comic relief yodeling, because like you say you can't listen to it too much before it gets sickening, and I think it ultimately hurts yodeling.

[goteamusa]

I love classical music Bob! I know deep down where it really counts you do too...
At least at the present moment, I have to agree with Bob that yodeling and classical music do not mix. Who knows though, perhaps Taylor can adapt yodeling and/or classical music so that they go well together. I know she wants to expand the realm of yodeling. I would be amazed if anyone can sound good yodeling Bach and Beethoven, but who knows...

[Bob]

Possibly there is classical music where yodeling could be used as an instrument, but it's difficult since classical music wasn't written with yodeling in mind.

The song 'Taylor's Yodel' from Taylor's 2nd cd, and also free from her website, comes close to a classical/yodeling mix, but it was written to be yodeled (by Taylor!). I went to her website and tried to listen to it, but it didn't work, so I don't know if it's my browser, or a bug on the site. But about 6 months ago I adapted it as a ringtone for my cell phone, this is what I hear when my cell phone rings... http://friendlycountryforum.com/aa/songs/RingTone.mp3

I never answer my calls on the first ring!

[goteamusa]

Well, in all truthfulness, I think it would probably be best if classical music and yodeling stay away from each other! I think they are each good on their on, but I guess they are practically doomed to form a mess when combined... Oh no Bob! If we keep this up, this may become the most popular part of the forum after all....

(Then we can finally see what you will do)

[Bob]

This will never be the most popular part of the forum.

Actually, I should move this thread somewhere else, because nobody is complaining about yodeling, only that it doesn't mix with classical music.