12/21/2012

Comparing CW sending with playing music

It seems interesting for me to compare sending CW using a key with performing music with an instrument.

For the first process, we consider what to send with CW using a key and what to perform with the instrument. For CW, the topic and the way it should be sent might be of concern. The topic might be variable from the QSO formula to self introduction etc. We choose the way how to send it, slow or fast, strictly controlled or freely composed and so forth. In music performance, we should determine what piece we would play. How about the tempo, the rhythm, the tonal quality and so forth. These factors could be changed within a music. Without that changes, the music sounds colorless and expressionless. We might image of any particular sender or the player when considering of the way how to send or how to perform.  He or she might be the one whom we yearn for their ability in expressing themselves in CW or in music.

Then, our higher center in brain orders the motor center various things. The latter may choose the way of motion as well as the background tension of each muscle involved in that motion. Prior to have this process realize, we need to obtain the intrinsic memory to do some complicated motion for a purpose. That is why we need to practise hard to enjoy CW or playing music. Practice makes it possible to perform the motion without being conscious of the motor function every time.

Depending on the order from the motor center, the parts of our body try to move purposefully. The interaction between the key/instrument and our body produces beautiful CW or music in a successful case. Our body should be in a relaxed position and could move freely as the motor center orders. It is needless to say the key/instrument condition should be optimal for the operation/performance.

During operation/performance, we should go on listening to the codes/music we are sending/playing and check if it is right in the tempo and quality. If it sounds out of order, we should feed it back to the higher center. It will instantaneously modify and improve the CW and the music in the same process descibed above. This feed back is quite important for us to improve our skill in sending CW and in performing music. This will enable the operator or the performer improve his/her skill. It is often difficult for some beginners to do this by themselves. Thus, there should be a reason why a teacher or an elmer is necessary for them. In complicated culture of music, the presence of a good teacher is essential in learning  instrumental performance.

Thinking of the relationship between CW and music, I again realized how complicated instrument performance is compared with sending CW with a paddle. CW sending is a simple and easy motion, even though reception of CW requires much exercise. Anyway, for now, I am going to grasp my cello much more often than a paddle, even though I am not so optimisstic for my future with it.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for that comparison of playing a musical instrument to sending morse code via cw paddles. I often have asked you if there was correlation between the two as it seems there might be many things in the brain to be the same. Keyboards are no fun, what is the challenge there, only to be a good typist. I guess that might take some practice too, but it does not compare to the beautiful music of QRQ cw sent from paddles HI.

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    1. Steve,

      Yes, key board seems to be another thing. It is a machine. No room for our sense, skill and motor function to be involved. In addition, it won't make us intoxicated like paddles or bugs etc. I love listening to your art from the single lever Begali.

      Shin

      PS: Have good time in AZ.

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