Too slow to be useful
January 29, 2018 4:14 PM   Subscribe

What is the slowest music humanly possible? Adam Neely discusses what it means to go beyond the slowest subjective rhythmization (feeling the beat) of 33 bpm. The discussion climaxes with John Cage's As Slow As Possible (previ ously, 4' performance). He concludes with a summation of Gustav Mahler's 9th (technically 10th) and last symphony's last movement's last page by Leonard Bernstein. The Neely video description also provides a good rabbit hole.
posted by numaner (19 comments total) 39 users marked this as a favorite
 
There's a piano practice technique of trying to play a piece as slow as one possibly can without having the rhythm disintegrate.
posted by lagomorphius at 4:39 PM on January 29, 2018


It is possible to play emotionally powerful music that doesn't even have a perceptible beat.
posted by flabdablet at 4:45 PM on January 29, 2018


...which is a point covered in the Neely piece. Nice work.
posted by flabdablet at 5:04 PM on January 29, 2018 [1 favorite]


By way of contrast, Neely also discusses the fastest rhythms.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:07 PM on January 29, 2018 [1 favorite]


Gotta say, the ending brought into sharp focus how much I'd prefer to be watching old, slow Leonard Bernstein lectures than rapid-cut, fast-talking youtubers who can't leave the zoom alone and cause me to become irrationally angry at their philodendrons.
posted by darksasami at 6:08 PM on January 29, 2018 [5 favorites]


know your meme
posted by thelonius at 6:23 PM on January 29, 2018 [1 favorite]


last year, I was slagging on electric bass players and their often painful renditions of Bach cello suites: but a youthful Neely shows how it is done
posted by thelonius at 6:27 PM on January 29, 2018 [4 favorites]


Love Adam Neely's videos, I think I first came across him with his Clapping Music video. His Offbeat Triplets one is great too!
posted by jason_steakums at 6:31 PM on January 29, 2018 [2 favorites]


he discussion climaxes with John Cage's As Slow As Possible

ASLP
posted by philip-random at 9:31 PM on January 29, 2018


MetaFilter: irrationally angry at the philodendrons.
posted by loquacious at 10:23 PM on January 29, 2018 [1 favorite]


The fire panel in the hallway's low battery warning beep triggers once every two minutes. It started on friday night and by monday morning I could snap my fingers in time to it.
posted by adept256 at 12:06 AM on January 30, 2018 [7 favorites]


omg the tags.

I'm super glad Bernstein gets a look-in, well known for taking slow things reeeeeeeal slow.
posted by lokta at 1:42 AM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]


His Extreme jazz fusion reharmonization has me laughing out loud.
posted by mubba at 8:29 AM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]


I hope everyone is enjoying my performance of 4'33" that is played so slow that it takes your entire life to finish the performance. Tickets only cost the ow low price of £5 and can be sent to me whenever you feel like sending it. You don't have to wait until the end. Support your local crazy avant garde musical artist.
posted by koolkat at 8:33 AM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]


Great stuff, thanks! I just want everyone to take a moment (or 600 years, if you prefer) to appreciate La Monte Young's facial hair. (Incidentally, I think Neely says his name wrong: isn't it "lamonty" rather than "lamont"?)
posted by languagehat at 9:15 AM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]


I was lucky enough to have Adam Neely as a private teacher when I started playing bass as a very old (50 years +) beginner. I knew he was a great teacher, but I didn't realize how much respect he had around NYC until I attended a jazz jam in a neighborhood restaurant for a story I was writing for a local blog. During a break in the music, I was talking to some of the players and mentioned I'd recently started playing bass.

One of the guys asked me who my teacher was and I said, "Adam Neely."

And three guys blurted simultaneously, "Your teacher is Adam Neely?!"

He really is a treasure.
posted by layceepee at 2:31 PM on January 30, 2018 [5 favorites]


(Incidentally, I think Neely says his name wrong: isn't it "lamonty" rather than "lamont"?)
I have always heard "la-MONT", which appears to be correct according to some Googling.
posted by dfan at 6:17 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]


Thanks, I will correct my mental pronunciation! (I'm not sure I've ever had an occasion to say his name out loud.)
posted by languagehat at 8:14 AM on January 31, 2018


That is awesome, lacyeepee! I wish I had had a bass teacher from the beginning; I could have saved myself a lot of wasted effort.
posted by thelonius at 9:39 AM on January 31, 2018


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