WORLD CONFEDERATION OF ORNITHOLOGY
(COM)
World Order of Judges
SONG STANDARD OF THE
WATERSLAGER/MALINOIS CANARY
Preface
to this American Edition
The
present document was re-edited from the translation received by Richard Rolloff
from European sources. It has been
adapted to be more readable by English speakers in America. The adaptations do
not change the basic meaning of the original document but are intended to make
it more clear and accessible to readers.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first English version to be
made widely available to English speakers and the first to be posted on the
internet.
Sebastian
Vallelunga, editor
* * * * *
Norms
of Judgment for Waterslagers/Malinois
The
waterslager is descended from the SAXON canary which, in point of fact, was not
a roller bird but truly a slagvogel (a beat bird).
(In
this vocabulary, a beat bird is one that emphasizes discontinuous or beaten
tours rather than rolled or continuous tours—editor).
This
was a big yellow, strong bird that was highly appreciated in Belgium. It was the Belgians who tried to teach
this bird the song of the nightingale.
Early on, there was no official system of evaluating these birds, but
each breeder separately endeavored to perfect what he liked best in their song.
This is how different stams (in this context, song
strains—editor)
with very different interpretations of the repertoire were formed.
With
the application of a system of selection (in the same way the Germans have
practiced it with their harzers), at the beginning of the last century there
occurred the creation of distinct stams of waterslagers with specific
differences in their song tonalities.
Also at this time, the first associations were founded and the beginning
of the waterslager fancy occurred.
The
breeders of harzers didnÕt appreciate the waterslagers with their sharp pitched
sounds and always endeavored to exclude them from their song contests (song
contests outside of Belgium were inevitably roller contests at one point
historically—editor).
At
that time, those who admired waterslagers had to go to Belgium in order to get
their judgeÕs certificate. In the
beginning, they had to adopt one of the various systems of judgment then
existing in Belgium. However,
after some time and many difficult debates, success was reached in the
implementation of a unified system of judgment. The bird was also named at this time and continues to use
the name currently:
waterslager/malinois.
It
has been a very popular cage bird, especially because of its robust type and
the impression of vitality that it gives.
The song of the waterslager compared to that of the harzer is like the
sound of the piano compared to that of the organ.
Both
are magnificent instruments that, in the hands of artists, can touch their
listeners. The organ and the
harzer produce relatively slow, nostalgic, and soft accents; the piano and the
waterslager/malinois produce a more animated rhythm with detached musical chords
(i.e., when an organ is played the vibrato of the sound serves to connect
the notes into one humming sound while the notes of the piano are more
individually distinct—editor).
Fortunately
nowadays, the breeders of harzers no longer fear that their birds will copy the
song of the waterslager/malinois.
At present the two races meet side by side at exhibitions.
One
harzer breeder commented in the following way: ÒNone of my birds picked up the sound of the waterslager
although they were amongst them.Ó
Questions and Responses
Where
does the waterslager come from? From the SAXON, a slagvogel
How
were the first stams created? By selection in Belgium
What
were harzer breeders afraid of? That their birds would copy
waterslagers
Is
there still a difference in the systems of judgment? No,
the COM unified the different systems
How
does one express the difference between the song of the harzer and that of the
waterslager? By the sound of the organ for the
harzer and that of the piano for the waterslager
What
must be eliminated in the song of the waterslager? All
song tonalities that continue too long
Generalities
Without
sufficient knowledge of the song, a breeder may be able to produce some good
birds, but he will never be able to become a judge.
Knowledge
of the song is useful and necessary, but it doesnÕt have any value without the
faculty to appreciate the harmony of the sounds.
It
is good to listen to many birds in order to refine theory into
appreciation. Yet theoretical
knowledge is also indispensable of one wants to judge a bird as to its real
value. One will be able to verify
the following assertion with experience:
often while listening to a certain sound, the theory comes to mind and
one arrives at the correct appreciation of it.
One
must also learn to recognize the possible deviations.
In
summary, it is indispensable to:
It
appears that the song of the canary cannot be easily transposed into musical
notation not only due to its semi-intervals but also because of its quarter,
eighth, and sixteenth notes.
Phonetic induction consists of describing song tones in vowels and
consonants, as it is done with the harzer. Different consonants can be used to this end and, with the
choice of different vowels, the structure of specific chords can be expressed.
The
tonal basis is always a vowel that, because of its movement, expresses a
certain accent.
The
value of a chord is based on divisablility by three.
This
divisibility means that it is satisfactory, good, or very good.
This
same divisibility also applies to the assignment of possible penalties: slight faults, serious faults, and very
serious faults.
To
reduce some obvious difficulties, we can represent the value of a song in
general as falling into one of three degrees:
a.
loud,
sharp, or hard
b.
middle or
average
c.
low and
deep
This
means:
In
addition to the three degrees of tonality stated above, there are also the
rhythm and the movement.
We
must observe the way the song is executed, whether the tempo is slow, fairly
fast, or partially or totally fast.
In addition to this, the main tonal structure must be
distinguished: complex, middle, or
simple.
Main
tonalities that are complex will harvest, so to speak, more points than simple
ones.
In
the song of the waterslager/malinois some parts are of uninterrupted tempo,
interrupted tempo, and composed tempo (rolled tempo, beaten tempo, and
combined tempo—editor).
We
will approach this topic when we describe the tours.
When
one is listening to a bird, it is important to recognize the recitalÕs quality
and to label it. The valuation
takes place thereafter because it is necessary to first observe the way in
which the bird presents the sound.
It is necessary to verify the tonality and to note undesirable sounds.
At
the time of the assessment of the tonality, it is necessary to compare the bird
being judged to an ideal.
If
the song is precisely performed, including possible variations named in theory,
and exploits proper length and repetition, only then may the judge consider the assignment
of the maximum points.
It
is also necessary for the basis of the tour to be correct and for one to be
able to discern the exact consonants as they have been determined phonetically.
One
only meets a bird of this class very rarely because perfection does not exist
in our waterslagers and it is indispensable to have a good ear and to interpret
the theory correctly.
Attentive
listening and critical judgment are necessary to avoid the consecration of an
unworthy ÒchampionÓ.
Questions and Responses
On
what evidence is the system of judgment considered very tight and logical in
structure? All the different musical tendencies
find their place and the beauty of the song is encouraged when using the system
What
is the basis of the system? Divisibility by three: satisfactory, good, and very good
What
are the composed tours? Those that contain water sounds: beaten, bubbling, and rolling
What
are uninterrupted tours? The knorr and the belrol
What
are the interrupted tours? The metallic sounds, the tjoks, the soutes, and the waterschokkel
What
is the waterslag or
water beat? It is a tonality in which the sound of water
dominates the tonal base
What
principle must a judge observe in his evaluation? He
must start with an image of an ideal bird singing a determined tour
The
Water Beat
Several
sounds in the song of the waterslager can present aqueous accents which donÕt
have anything in common with the water beat.
The
following definition may help.
The
water beats consist of all those tonalities in which the aqueous features
dominate the tonal base.
By
aqueous in
the song of the canary, we mean the sound produced within a tone which is
reminiscent of moving water, like boiling, splashing, etcÉ
It
is necessary to make an exception, however, for the waterrol because this tonality is not beaten;
it is rolling.
Due
to the domination of the rolled tempo and of the watery tone of the base, one
stretches to give equal standing as a water ÒbeatÓ to this tour, in that which
concerns its musical value.
The
water beats are divided into the following main kinds: interrupted, boiling, and rolled.
All
these kinds have a point in common:
the sound of water; the differences are to be found in the rhythm and
the tempo of the beats. We must
distinguish between them and recognize them immediately.
As
a starting point, let us take the interrupted water beat: the beats are detached
here. The strokes donÕt have any
link between them; there is a space and a curved water sound is located in the
tonal base.
In
the bubbling beat, the beats have a faster cadence and follow each other more
closely; there is less curve in the basic tone and the beats are less detached
than in the interrupted version.
In
the rolling water beat, the beats are presented even more closely together and
the basic tonality is even less bent.
The
judge must be determined not only to really know the water beats but to also be
able to differentiate between the three immediately.
He
must never lose sight of the fact that the water beat is a main tonality that
can be produced in an interrupted or in a bubbling manner.
The
bubbling water beat is easily identified:
it is sung with deep, well-detached beats that rise up from the bottom
of the throat.
Its
value is attributable to the musical pleasure they give to the hearer. The tonal base of the water beats must
be expressed as OUILLE, AULLE, OU, or OO.
All other vowel forms lessen the quality of the water beats.
A
bent water beat that intensifies in sound to a crescendo and then moves from
strong to piano (soft) or to pianissimo (very soft), waving or rocking back and
forth, has more value.
Questions and Responses
What
is the water beat? It is a main tonality that can be sung
in different ways
How
can it be sung? Interrupted, bubbling, or rolled
What
are the best tonal bases? OUILLE, AULLE, OU, OO
What
quality increases the value of a song?
When it begins
in a soft way and passes in crescendo toward forte
What
else increases the value? A waving or rocking aspect to the beats
What
is the definition of water beat? The water beat is the tonality in which
the aqueous feature dominates the sound of the tonal base
DEFINITIONS
OF THE TOURS
Interrupted
Water Beats (Klokkende—editor):
The
special character of the interrupted or tolled water beat is the rhythm which
is different from that heard with the bubbling water beat.
The
basic tones are: OUILLE, AULLE,
OU, and OO. Sometimes A, E, I and
U are used, but these are of lower value.
The consonants DL, BL, WL, and GL are used. In this form the tonality is presented in its best
aspect. Sharp or hard vowels
attached to the good basic tonalities can also devalue this sound.
It
is better with good basic tonality and a good form.
We
must realize that there are both wavy interrupted water beats and hammered
ones. The hammered sound is
quicker but must not be of lower quality than the wavy.
The
hammered beat will have vowels like KL or GL. The birds that present us with hammered beats have, in
general, a lot of water beats in their songs. The tour looses value when the beats are only
semi-interrupted. It also looses,
in this case, its great suppleness and richness of sounds, and this must be
considered a drawback.
Questions and Responses
How
does one recognize the interrupted water beat? Deep
beats and detached rhythm, with soft but vigorous beats giving a more valuable
sound; it should come from the depth of the throat as a sort of gargle; it is
pleasant to listen to
What
are the consonants which are part of the interrupted water beat? KL, DL, WL, HL, GL
What
water beats are less good? Those with the basic tones A, E, I, and
U
When
is the interrupted water beat at its best? When
it is beautifully rounded, full, and deep; it should be distinct and complete
What
is a bent water beat? A water beat that swells to a crescendo
and then falls from strong to pianissimo; rocking and wavy
When
should a higher score be assigned?
When the beats
of a normal water beat are sung in a wavy way and are rocking in a repetitive
manner
When
can one assume that the sounds are pure and clean? When
they are sung with a closed beak
When
are they nearly valueless, with some exceptions? When
they are sung with an open beak
Bubbling
Water Beat (Bollende—editor)
á
satisfactory,
1 to 9 points
á
good, 10
to 18 points
á
very
good, 19 to 27 points
The
bubbling water beat is the second main tonality in the song of the waterslager;
it is not merely a distortion of the interrupted water beat. There are many birds that are able to
present beats of impeccable bubbling water.
It
seems like a rolled water beat but possesses a rising tone. One may describe the tonal base of this
tour as bubbling. Because each
beat is shorter in duration, the rhythm of this tour is more accelerated than
in the preceding.
The
essential difference between this and the interrupted sound resides in the fact
that the beats are less detached.
Although the bubbling tour is classified among the uninterrupted tones,
there are very short interruptions between the beats. The value of the tour depends on the aqueous sound being
produced with the correct basal tone.
The tour is sung with the vowels O, OU, and U and the consonants B, W,
H, and D. It should be obvious
that the vowel U is of lesser value than the vowels O or OU.
When
the aqueous effect is not emphasized, one speaks of a dry water beat and the
sound looses its value.
Questions and Responses
Is
it difficult to distinguish between the tours? ItÕs
difficult to distinguish the bubbling water beat from the interrupted. With the interrupted water beat one
hears: BLOU – BLOU, LOUILLE
– LOUILLE, BOUILLE – BOUILLE, KLOUILLE – KLOUILLE; with the
bubbling water beat the sounds are:
WOU – WOU, BOU – BOU, HOU – HOU, DOU – DOU
What
is the big difference between an interrupted water beat and the bubbling water
beat? In the interrupted water beat one hears
an L sound formed by the tongue.
This is not the case with the bubbling water beat.
What
are the consonants of the bubbling water beat? W,
B, H, and sometimes D
What
are the basal tones of the bubbling water beat? OU,
O, U, and sometimes E and A; the last two vowels lower the value of the tour
How
many beats must be included when interrupted or bubbling water beats are sung
in order for them to be considered valuable? As
long as they are watery, 3 to 7 beats are sufficient for them to be valuable
When
can a bubbling water beat be called hard?
When it has a
deep, profound aqueous sound but a basal tone that is of a hard form and
presented in a faster rhythm
How
does the bubbling water sound, in form and rhythm, compare to the sound of
interrupted water? A bubbling water sound can be very pure
and clean of rhythm to the extent that it is so pleasant to the ear that it
outclasses the interrupted water sound.
Must
one penalize a waterslager for singing a sharp sound? Most
waterslagers can produce sharp tones; it is not sanctionable
Rolling
Water Beat (Rollende—editor)
satisfactory,
1 to 6 points
good,
7 to 12 points
very
good, 13 to 18 points
As
is the case with the interrupted and bubbling water tours, the rolling water
tour is composed of a series of beats.
The difference is due to an accelerated rhythm. The intervals between the tones are
shorter than those between the tones of the bubbling water tour.
As
for the rest, the structure of the rolling water tour looks a lot like that of
the bubbling water tour; it uses the vowels O, OU, and U and the consonants W,
G, D, L, R, and B.
Here,
too, the aqueous effect has a big influence on the value.
Identification
of this tour depends on the length of the basal tone and the speed of the
succession of the sounds.
It
can be presented in high or low musical pitch, except the highest pitch using
the vowel I. The tour can also
come in variations which decrease its value, for example: high, flat, dry, and splattered.
Hard
consonants make the tour less pleasant to hear while the vowel A devalues it.
Questions and Responses
What
is a rolling water tour like? It can be compared to the interrupted
and bubbling sounds but is remarkable for the density (uninterrupted
rhythm—editor)
of the rolling sound; the tones melt away until the vowels are not heard
anymore
What
are the consonants of this water beat?
The consonants
are W, G, D, L, R, and B
What
are the basal tones? OU, O, and U
Does
this tour have a greater continuity?
Yes
What
are its phonetic sounds? LOULOULOULOULOU, LOLOLOLOLO,
WOUWOUWOUWOU, WOWOWOWO, LULULULULU, WUWUWUWUWU
How
is the tour held for a longer time than the interrupted tour? The sound is less deep and requires less effort
What
are the possible values for the tour?
Satisfactory, 1
to 6 points; good, 7 to 12 points; very good, 13 to 18 points
The
waterrol is
classified with the rolling water beat.
The
waterrol is
a rolled sound in which, in addition to other consonants, R is used. While listening to a good waterrol, one may imagine being near a
splashing stream where the water runs in swirls around obstacles like stones or
other objects. One has the
impression that the unpredictable waves are whispering vaguely with their
splashing.
Here
there is no question of water beats because the tour is made up of an
uninterrupted rolling.
The
base tones of the waterrol
are the same as those of the bubbling water tour: OU, O, and in certain cases A.
The
consonants are barely audible and consist of the letters R, W, L, G, D, and
B. These consonants are used in
combination with the vowels in a double or triple shape.
It
is essential for the letter R to me mingled somewhere into the sound of the waterrol. The waterrol is scored like the rolled water beat.
Questions and Responses
Is
there any question of water beats in the waterrol? No,
it is all about rolls and not about water beats
What
are the basal tones of the waterrol? The good tones are OU, O, and U; a
sloshing waterrol
sometimes uses an E
What
consonants are used with these tones?
W, G, D, L, R,
and B; the R is the main characteristic and must always be present
What
is the value of the waterrol? The same as that of the rolled water beat
Chor
The
chor is an
interrupted tour; the vowel sound is short and the intervals between sounds are
distinctly audible. It sounds more
or less like ÒCHOR CHORÓ. The
vowel is O and the consonants are CH and R with a distinct tremolo.
Sometimes
the lead consonants are SJ (probably SH in English—editor). There are deviations concerning the consonants and the use
of the vowel A which are faulty.
The chor
has not been presented anymore in the last few years.
The
nightingale sings this tour and for this reason it is to be preferred in the
song of our waterslagers once again.
A
lot of breeders no longer recognize this tour at present. They take it for a knor even when it is clearly sung as a chor.
Questions and Responses
What
is a chor? A chor
is a short knor,
or to be more precise, a short link between two sounds
What
are the basal tones? O or OU
What
are the consonants? CH and R
What
are the faults which lower its value?
With A or E it
becomes too flat or too sharp and unpleasant to listen to
Knor
The
knor, as we
hear it in the song of the waterslager, is usually a rounded version. It is a tour which is a pure
uninterrupted roll. Contrary to
the knor of
the harzer, it is not presented in lots of different variations. In general, there is a rounded knor
and a knor with a gluck accent called the gluck
knor.
The
most valuable variety is the rounded knor. When
the tours are, so to speak, winding, we call it a ÒscrewedÓ knor.
The
basal tones of a good knor
are O and OU and the consonants are KN and R.
It
must be sung with a closed beak, incorrect vowels cause less valuable
deviations and the vowels A and E lower the quality of the knor.
There
are detached knors
in which the vowels are not bound.
Others are aqueous or shivering when they are creating by faulty vowels.
An
ideal knor
is one that is closed, deep, melodic, vigorous and not too short; however, it
can also be held too long.
A
good waterslager knor is
short and ÒscrewedÓ.
Questions and Responses
What
is the difference between knor
and chor? The knor, as opposed to the chor, is an uninterrupted sound and
therefore a rolled tour
What
type of knor
is ideal? The rounded knor
What
causes it to be deviant? The use of incorrect vowels or
consonants
What
are the characteristics of the ideal knor? Very closed,
deep, warbling, vigorous, and not held too long
What
is a screwed knor?
When vocalized vowels are bound and sung without interruption
Metallic
Tones and Tjonken
These
are characteristic tones for a waterslager. A waterslager that has all the tours on the score card
except the metallic tones does not have 100% of the beauty of the song. The metallic tones are composed of
sounds that separated by large intervals.
An
appropriate metallic sound must be audible, without echo, or the tour is not a
metallic tone.
One
may often hear flutes struck without any resonance, but donÕt be deceived: they
are not metallic tones.
The
metallic tones can be sung at any pitch; they have a T that starts them and an
NG that finishes them. The basal
tones are O, OU, and U. If the
metallic tone is sung with the vowel O, begins with TJ (sounds like
English CH—editor),
and ends with NK, we qualify it as a tjonken.
We
rarely hear these consonants currently; they will come back only gradually but
would mean a big improvement to the song.
Numerous
deviations exist due to incorrect consonants.
Sharp
I and flat A cause the tour to loose tone and value. The same is true for basal tones formed with EU or IEU.
The
struck metallic tones have a lesser value and the high and sharp tones may be
penalized.
Questions and Responses
What
is special about the metallic tones?
It is part of
the song which is considered as having come from the nightingale
What
is the resonance of these tones? That of metal hitting metal or a
crystal glass
What
are the consonants? T at the beginning and NK or NG at the
end
What
are the basal tones? O, OU, and U
How
does this tour look phonetically? TOUNG TOUNG and sometimes TING TING
With
what do the tjonken
start? TJ
How
does it end? NK or NG
How
do the tjonken
look phonetically? TJONK TJONK, TJONG TJONG, or TJOUNG
What
are the criteria for evaluation? Fullness and purity of the basal tone
and slow movement; when present fast, the tjonken have less value; if one hears A or E,
the tour is without value
Soutes and Flutes
The
flutes are an indispensable part of the song, but too many flutes can hurt
it. 4 or 5 successive flutes
produce the best effect.
The
vowels must be stretched, producing a basal tone of appropriate length, and the
intervals must be long enough.
Except
for the soutes,
which are even slower, the flutes have the slowest rhythm among the tours. They are form by a vowel that is
preceded by a consonant. The
deepest vowels, O and OU, present the most pleasant melody. D or T at the beginning can add
sharpness. Sharp or acute flutes
damage the whole. The letter combinations
TSI or SI can be penalized.
The
soutes are
classified with the flutes on the score card.
They
are a form of flute and are, therefore, scored in the same way on the score
card.
Although
these havenÕt been heard in the last few years, they are thought to be a tour
coming from the nightingale and, for this reason, are considered to be very
attractive. Soutes are unforgettable.
They compare to the deep OU flutes. They can be sung with another basal tone. The difference between these and the flutes
is that here the basal tone is longer and is presented with a slightly
ascending curve. The first
consonant is S and the final one is T.
The rhythm is slower than that of the flutes and the intervals between
basal tones is longer.
Questions and Responses
Are
flutes indispensable? Yes, but they should not be excessive
How
is the structure characterized? As simple
What
is the structure of flutes? A vowel preceded by a consonant
How
must a good flute sound? With a tone of O or OU that is
stretched and held
What
consonants must be presented? It should begin with D or T; TSI and SI
are of least value in flutes or soutes; soutes are to be presented as described above with a
rhythm that is a little slower than that of the flutes
Woutes
Woutes are not presented any more and are
practically extinct. They have
been removed from the score card.
Tjokken
and Rolled Tjokken
Tjokken
Rolled Tjokken
The
tjokken belong
to the category of interrupted simple tones. The structure is short and vigorous without aqueous effects
in the basal tone.
The
basal tone is O or OU with the consonants TJ (sounds like English
CH—editor)
at the beginning and K at the end.
It is a nightingale tour that can influence the song of the waterslager
a lot.
Occasionally
we hear tjokken
pronounced incorrectly; this happens when birds use SJ at the beginning and G
at the end.
The
tjokken which
is expressed with an A is flat and the basal tones of IO, IOU, and U are
faulty.
The
rhythm must be slow with long intervals between the phrases. The form presented with a base of O and
with distinct intervals is a good tjok.
Rolled
Tjokken
Contrary
to its name, the rolled tjok
is not a rolled tour. The ÒtjokÓ
sound is always
interrupted, but the origin of the name is a result of the accelerated rhythm
of the strokes here.
The
possible deviations are the same as those for of the tjok. The vocalization is sometimes shorter, and a good
presentation must sound like the clicking sound of a marble rapidly bouncing on
a hard surface like ice.
An
aqueous effect will slightly lower the value of a rolled tjok.
Sometimes
waterslager song contains a tour that could be described as either a fast, good
tjok or as a
slow, good rolled tjok. In this case, points are only awarded
for one or the other form and not for both.
For
positive variations, one can add one (1) point to the score.
Questions and Responses
How
is this sound presented on the score sheet? It
is noted in a rubric
To
what type of tone does the tjok
belong? It is a simple and interrupted tone
The
rolled tjok? In contrast to its name it is an interrupted tour; it is
the faster rhythm that gave it its name
How
is a good tjok
presented? It begins with TJ and ends with K with
a basal tone of O
When
is it flat? When it is expressed with a basal tone
of A and with the consonants SJ
What
is the rhythm of a good tjok? Slow with very long intervals
With
what can we compare it? To the noise made by a marble rolling
on rough ice
How
is it scored when two forms are audible?
One scores one
of the forms and one point can be added for the variation
Berceuse (Schokkel)
The
schokkel is
an interrupted sound with its beats being very detached. The vocalizations follow each other in
a rocking movement, and here resides the difference between this tour and all
the other interrupted tours.
The
basal tone is shorter than that of the flute and this tour can be presented in
any basal tone. O, OU, and U are
good sounds while A, EU, and E are less good or even nasal.
The
consonants are H or sometimes a soft B or L.
The
schokkel is
considered very good when it starts with H in combination with the vowels O or
OU and when it possesses the aforementioned detached, rocking rhythm.
There
are some faulty forms such as:
hard, long, nasal, forced, or stricken. The use of certain vowels or erroneous consonants is the
cause of this.
One
schokkel is
the wet schokkel or
waterschokkel;
this form is sung in the countryside by the nightingale. The structure is similar but the basal
tone includes a curve that recalls the sound of water. This form is very pleasant to hear. Some birds present ascending or
descending variations of the basal tone.
The
schokkel is
a fairly rare tour.
Questions and Responses
What
consonants are used? H or L; sometimes B or G
What
are the basal tones? OU, O, U;
sometimes A, IE, or EE
Can
the schokkel
be bent or rolled? No, R is not present
Are
the vocalizations linked? No, the sound is produced in a rocking
rhythm of separated vocalizations
Bells
(Bellende/Clochettes)
The
bells are interrupted and detached but are presented at a very fast rhythm. The basal tone is most often U or I
with the consonant L at the beginning and NG at the end.
Rarely,
bells with deeper basal tones occur.
In this case we have to raise deep bells. Considering the restricted tonalities of the bells now being
presented, the attention of the listener is unlikely to be grabbed.
Birds
like to sing some bells, but care should be taken that they are not excessive
or too often repeated.
Bells
add variety to the song. Some
faulty sounds that exist are the sharp or hard bells.
When
one notes the use of S, ST, or T, the tour is faulty and should be penalized.
One
rarely hears good bells.
Questions and Responses
To
what form does this sound belong? To the interrupted sounds
What
basal tone does it have? U or I
What
is the term for bells with deep or profound basal tones? Deep bells
When
are bells only of average value? When they begin with the consonants S,
ST, or T
Rolled
Bell (Belrol—editor)
The
rolled bell belongs to the uninterrupted simple sounds and is a rolled
tour. It uses the consonant R and
the vowels U and I.
The
difference between this tour and the bell is the use of the consonant R which
makes it a rolled tour. The rolled
bell is sung with an open beak. It
degenerates easily and a surplus of this tour can influence the song in a
negative way.
The
use of some vowels and faulty consonants make the tour hard, nasal, sharp, and
rough.
Questions and Responses
Is
this a rolled sound? Yes, it is an uninterrupted sound
What
are the vowels and consonants used? The vowels U and I and the consonant R
What
makes it nasal? The use of faulty vowels like E in
combination with singing it with an open beak
What
is the difference between bells and rolled bells?
The use of R in the rolled bells
Rolled
Flutes (Fluitenrol—editor)
In
spite of the name, this is not a rolled sound. The rolled flute is an interrupted sound; the name comes
from the fact that due to the quick succession of vocalizations, the normal
flute rhythm is very much accelerated.
Each vocalization is also shorter.
The
consonants are D or TL mingled with the vowels OU, U, or I. It can be sung at any pitch, but it is
most often sung in a medium to high pitch with U or I and rarely in a deeper
pitch with O or OU. It is more
valuable with the O or OU sounds.
Good
rolled flutes are real master pieces, but they can degenerate easily.
Hard,
nasal, sharp, or too highly pitched rolled flutes beginning with S, TS, TSJ, or
T are considered faulty and penalized.
Questions and Responses
Is
this a rolled sound? No, despite its name, it is an
interrupted sound composed of flutes sung at a fast rhythm
What
are the vowel and consonant sounds used?
OU, U, I, and D
Is
the OU used much? Rarely
How
is the value increased? With D at the beginning and, more
rarely, with the use of OU
What
is the main negative deviation? Nasal sound with an I basal tone with
an initial sound of S, SS, or TS
Unforeseen
Tours
These
do not exist and have been eliminated from the score sheet.
Impression
This
is a category which gives supplementary points to the song of certain
birds. It rewards a positive
impression given by the bird to the judge. It is all about determining if the bird expressed itself in
a natural, comfortable way, if the splices or connections between the various
tours were smooth, and if the whole song was harmonious.
Breaks
in the song will make a bad impression.
The song must be presented in a spontaneous way and without disruption.
Questions and Responses
When
does a song present a positive impression? When the
bird presents the different successive tours without hesitation, the whole song
is harmonious, and the song is presented without breaks or disruptions
Is
impression narrowly prescribed? No, it is the judgeÕs ear and capacity
for interpretation that decides impression
Can
a bird that sings good tours but often interrupts its song get a high
impression score? No, the song must form a cohesive whole
Team
Harmony
Team
harmony points are a reward for the breeder who was able to raise and to enter
4 birds producing the same song.
Here
again, it is the judgeÕs ear and his sense of interpretation that decide the
score.
Questions and Responses
What
is this category and how is it counted on the score sheet? As its name implies, harmony results from raising 4 birds
with songs in which the judge can distinctly hear that the tours are identical;
it is a supplementary reward for the breeder; the score is simply added to the
totals.
Conclusion
The
ideal bird is unachievable. There
is always some detail which adversely influences the musicality of the song.
The
judge can only evaluate the positive parts of the song as they are
presented. On no account is he
able to later subtract points from the already assigned score as the same tour
is sung again. What the bird has
earned cannot be taken away.
Nevertheless, the whole song can be treated in the impression category
and fewer points can be assigned there.
Small
faults are not punished. It is the
serious assaults on the ear that must be noted. The assaults are recorded on the score sheet, for
example: aspirations, high and
sharp flutes, snetter,
snitter,
nasal sounds, and tjip,
tjep, and tsiet.
If
one assigns penalty points, as is common with nasal tours, it usually occurs
when the song is sung with an open beak, the sound being distorted. The vowel is distorted and, where the
normal basal tone should be heard, one either hears E or EU.
The
sharp tones are discerned when the bird begins with a faulty consonant. This often happens when flutes, bells,
rolled bells, and sometimes metallic tones are sung. It is important to note these incidents on the score sheet.
Most
birds have some aspirations which are considered to be resumptions of
breath. They are not considered
serious faults. Snetter and snitter are serious faults and should be
treated as such.
In
the case of tjip,
tjep, and tsiet there must be an attempt to eliminate
these faults from the song of the waterslager in all circumstances.
DonÕt
forget, be generous in your judgment.
DonÕt loose view of the difficult nature of the task which is incumbent
upon the breeders; to produce good birds of a musical character, especially
formed for the pleasure of their listeners.
Finally,
may you have pure and healthy birds to judge in good conscience and honor, but
donÕt ever forget:
Nothing
is perfect in this world—not even our beautiful song canaries!