Timbrado Floreado Song

Good Eggfood Recepe

2007-01-26T13:06:00.000-06:00

Here is a good very nutritional, healthy egg food which is tasty to the birds, and a bit cheaper for your budget.

Purchase an inexpensive chopper from Wal-Mart for around $15. and thaw out a package of frozen broccoli, and boil your eggs in advance.

Hard boil the number of eggs for the quantity of your birds. You can freeze the extra food, so I would make enough to last a while. I boil the whole dozen eggs at a time. I boil them lightly for 1 hour, but my sister says they do not need to be boiled that long.

Purchase an inexpensive chopper from Wal-Mart for about $15.00, or chop your own eggs to a very fine consistency.

thaw out a handful of frozen broccoli or frozen carrots. For a dozen eggs, I use 1/2 bag. Chop these in the same chopper, or grade to a very fine size.

The mixture you have will be way too moist and gluey for the birds. Add bread crumbs or commercial egg food, vitamins, and calcium (especially for females during the breeding season). I use Orlux or Cede egg food because they have a good reputation. Petamine is sometimes locally available. I sprinkle the vitamins s on top and must admit that I don't measure them. I sprinkle a bit heavier than I would salt and pepper. Mix everything together, and add small amounts of big food until the mixture is light and fluffy, rather like cake crumbs or fluffy rice.

I put the food in Yogurt cups, cover them and freeze them and use them as needed. Throughout the year I give all my birds finger cups, treat cops, one a day. My birds eat it right away, and the quantity is small enough that it will never have time to spoil. When I am raising babies, how ever, I use larger sized cups and change them at least three times a day. More often than that is just fine, as canaries like to pick over something fresh and new. I think more often encourages the birds to feed their babies better any food that's left, I'd give to the other birds, but here be careful to use finger cups so the other birds quickly attack their finger cup before it has time to become recent. Food should not sit around more then ½ day, if it has the slightest hint of a spoiled odor, it could make the birds very Il, or even worse. Make sure the food all we smells fresh and tasty..

Working Toward a Completely Discontinuous Timbrado Song

2006-07-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

Working Toward a Completely Discontinuous Timbrado Song

I wish I could read Spanish because I think that if I could, I could better understand the liquid state that the timbrado continues to be going through in Spain. I should like to try to explain the situation as I understand it. Perhaps continued interest in this topic can help us with our work on the beautiful song of these birds. As I understand it, the timbrado in Spain has divided into at least two different groups and possibly more variations of both of these. As I understand, there is the original type of timbrado, with a flurry of activity centered around Madrid, with a unique voice quality, as well as unique vocabulary. Long timbers, and unique variations of many of the Notes which can be compared to traditional European birds, but with this unique voice quality which has been labeled timbrado -- named after an old-fashioned doorbell which I still don't recognize even though I'm old-fashioned. This is the bird that has become popular in America and which timbrado breeders are more or less familiar with. Admittedly, it is a lovely singer. I believe these are now called Classics in Spain and America is also beginning to use that word. However, a while after this bird had been established, someone named Drove discovered in a rural area in Spain, a singing style which he thought was more in line with the "canary of the country" that had been described centuries ago. I hope I understand correctly, that this bird is rapidly becoming the bird of choice in Spain, while the classic timbrado continues also to have its aficionados.

the bird song described hundreds of years ago was described as having notes similar to both the linnet and the Nightingale, birds which we don't have here, but which we may have heard recordings of. This description is what caused Mr. Drove to become interested in the songs he was hearing. These birds sometimes have no timbre or minimum timbre, as little of the ever present "ch" sound of the canaries that we are used to, and an abundance of complex notes which we now call flourishes. The song of these birds are also called discontinuous, and to my ear are in contrast to he classic type of song, now called continuous.

Describing the two kinds of song is most difficult, and the best way to learn them is through song files uploaded to the internet. As this song winds more and more converts in Spain, there are a lot of song files on the internet. The song files are the method par excellance for learning which is now open the world, Everyone in the world now can hear the wide range of song and this wonderful resource is now the "only way to go".

How can two such different sounding songs be reconciled? I think that there is an answer. Rather than becoming attracted to either extreme, (I must confess that I'm attracted to as discontinuous, or florid as possible) the whole range in between is acceptable to timbrado breeders. That would mean that there is a whole continuum between the two ends. I have heard classic songs that are really very lovely indeed, and someone recently sent me a file of a lovely classic sounding bird. The result is that we can call our birds classic, intermediate, and discontinuous, which covers the entire range, but with a unique voice quality which is call timbrado.

Does this mean that we are free to choose any song we like? Cross with Waterslagers or rollers? American singers? This is very frowned on by any dedicated timbrado singer, although it has been done, it remains most frowned on. There is a unique quality to the entire continuum, and again, the best way to learn the quality is to listen to the many sound files on the internet. By the way, contrary to rumors, I would never cross a timbrado with another bird. this is to be looked upon as "playing with fire" and breeders that do this should not call the offspring timbrados.

There is another option, I believe. through the discussion groups and blogs and other internet resources, like minded people can band together and form "teams" where we can be part of a small group of people working together with a certain liked spectrum of the timbrado song. I've been lucky to belong to a group of bird breeders, allowing me to work with a team of local breeders, all working toward a common end. Birds shared by a team are more easily exchanged and shared, talked about, and enjoyed. I understand that this is also being done in Spain, and "teams" are exchanging birds for free or at a very minimal price. this allows for a bigger genetic pool, and sharing of ideas. If that's possible, it's a wonderful resource, and worth working for.

I have learned more from Spanish breeders, and, just as everything above is just skimmed over, so is everything below. I'm attempting to just scan topics which require much more learning, through books, articles, and friends. this is just a scan, just touching on the various ideas. Below are a few more, just skimmed over.

More and more breeders in Spain are using a training technique which is in contrast to the usual training method for young males in America and Europe. Rather than "training" young males under a tutor, the young birds are kept as far from mature singers or even other species. There is sound reasoning for this. The canary is a very creative and talented singer, and left to their own creations, the songs they can invent is really a fascination for breeders in Spain. Young birds are kept in groups to slow down their song until they are more mature, around the end of October or November, then males are put in their own cages, with their more mature voices, to create their own songs. The results are spectacular. These birds are amazing and the proof is in the sound files! Listen to them to see the endless creativity of these birds! There is also another sound reason. Those youngsters with the best genes are more evidently revealed by this method. I think the payoff is evident by listening to sound files of these birds.

If this method is used, November through January is the time to listen, listen, listen, and to select which birds you want to keep and which birds are to be shared with a team or bred, and which birds are to be put on the market. Remember, if you have done all this work, you qualify to have the best of the youngsters. Most people won't work this hard, but in the name of the best song, this works! Timbrados seem to be excellent breeders, so you are likely to have plenty of birds in a few years!

Still more: After you have selected the best singers, a certain amount of line breeding or inbreeding is done... very carefully. Remember that weaknesses as well as strengths are passed on. This should only be done for a few generations, as weaknesses can begin to show up. There must also be a plan for out crossing. I have a computer breeding program to help me decide line breeding or inbreeding. I don't know where this will lead yet for myself.

I hope I have laid out some of the major elements of the timbrado landscape, and now I wish to say more about the discontinuous song, or the floreado type of bird. There are tensions both in Spain and America over this, and I'm thinking that the way to handle this is to call it a matter of taste. I don't think the two extremes reconcile easily, and time alone will help to settle this. I know that I have heard beautiful continuous birds, and am happy to know that the newer standard of judging song can cover the whole range, and that the best singers can be anywhere in between. Still, I'm happy in thinking that a song as discontinuous as possible is where I wish to work, and in the mean time, I can love the birds I have. There is unlikely to ever be a finished bird, just as the work for the perfect rose, or the ideal orchid, or the loveliest German Shepherd (or potbelly pig, I have one). Welcome always to the world of the timbrado!

Resources: One of the sites that has particularly excellent sound files is www.timbrado.com. I have also tried to give more information at http://www.cwwcbc.us/tk/index.html and http://spanishtimbrado.blogspot.com .

Mr

2006-05-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

Save the Internet : Support the Campaign

Google Search

2006-05-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Google Blog Search: timbrado

I don't know if this page will load properly, but I just did a blogger search of timbrado and find everything to be in Spanish. Does this mean that only the Spanish are blogging about Timbrados? (of course my blog is in English and shows up as the first entry, probably because of language. The only Blog? Look at all the Spanish blogging.

Comments on The Newest Song Files

2006-03-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

Hi friends: I´m really glad to offer you the song of two really good Timbrados from pure floreado (discontinuous) stock bred this year by my friends Rovira and Obeso from Cantabria, a Northern Spanish Region. They are the birds “son 1” and “son 2” that you can listen at http://www.cwwcbc.us/tk/FolderOne.htm They are sons of the bird called “cadiz” mated with the same hen, so they are full brothers. If this is so why do they sound so different? They certainly sing pretty disimilar repertoires and , also, quite different from their father and they are a good example of the kind of work done in Spain to select birds. Many Spanish breeders try to work basically with the genetic pool of their birds, that´s to say, they avoid any teaching to the young chicks and these are isolated from any song as soon as they can eat by themselves. The unsexed youngsters are placed in flight cages, a cage for each group of siblings, and they will stay there till their song almost reach maturity. In these environment each group of brothers discovers its own genetic song and an accurate selection can be done. In this particular case the first two chicks were born in February and both of them were males. They were placed in a separate room when they were 35 days old. The second clutch came quite late, in June, two more chicks also males and at this point the birds born in February were quite ahead in their development. If my friends had proceeded as usually and placed all the brothers together for sure the four of them had ended with a very similar song, mainly the song of the bigger brothers. But these chicks are the outcome of an outcross and in this kind of crosses important genetic differences among brothers can be expected. Trying to discover these differences they placed the two small brothers in another different room, also completely isolated. And this is the outcome. Both males have a quality song, and this is a great sign of their parents genetic potential, but if any of them has to be chosen “son 2” has a much more slowed down song and a larger repertoire. And a very important conclussion: if we work with a good stock of Timbrado two young males are enough to build a song as elaborated and beautiful as you can listen here. For more information in English check http://www.cwwcbc.us/tk/index.html http://www.timbrado.com/articulosx.shtml Regards to all ---------------------------------LLama Gratis a cualquier PC del Mundo.Llamadas a fijos y móviles desde 1 céntimo por minuto.http://es.voice.yahoo.com[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Yet More Types of Song Canaries

2006-03-14T15:07:00.000-06:00

Home Page For more sound files and more information on German Rollers, Belgium Waterslagers, and song canaries generally, please go to the link above. Sebastian has worked out a link to the rest of the song birds. To admit my prejudices, prejudice is a bad word, but taste is not a bad word, I might say that I had a roller. A roller would not do in an average household with noisy children, barking dogs, vacuum cleaners or loud TV or Radio, I would say. Also, the song is way too "cultured" to sound like a bird to me. However, am I saying something bad? I don't think so, unless I use rude words. I can hear that the roller is highly developed and I can fully understand anyone making a lifelong project of them. How about waterslager? Well, I like the waterslager more than the roller. It's notes, if I've read correctly, are much more varied, and to me interesting, but not as highly perfected as a roller. I guess the roller can be judged very, very scientifically, and the waterslager has more room for taste, but I just remember reading that somewhere.

Anyway, there are soundfiles here to help you understand the different breeds. Me, I shall be most happy with the timbrado, and more exclusively, the discontinuous notes of the floreado. If you are still forming your taste, opinions, and prejudices, stick around here! I shall continue my work!

Thanks to Sebastian for his website with it's interesting twists and turns. Sebastian is now breeding Floreados, by the way, or as close as we can get to them in America, if I'm right.

More on the American Singer, from Lluis

2006-03-09T17:46:00.000-06:00

Ah ha, I knew that I could hear the roller in the American Singer song. It makes me happy whenever I'm right. I love being right. Here is really good reading on canaries from Luis... Roller, and timbrado. I think I should move on and touch upon Waterslagger (spelled?) and Roller. It's cool to know canary song generally. I think maybe even find a bit on the wild canary. Of course, wild canaries of today would not sound exactly the same as they did hundreds of years ago when the Spanish started breeding them.

From Luis:
Hi friends:
Thinking about American Singer song thereÂ´s an interesting subject to consider. American Singer is a blend between Border canary and Roller (33% Border, 66% Roller). Border is an ancient English race known since the XVIII Century but probably much older. A very interesting thing about Border song is its closeness to wild canary song, the general tone of his song is higher than Roller or Waterslager and Borders usually develop quite a lot of warbling like notes and what we know in Timbrado as flourishes. Probably this is because is one of the few races without or with very little influence of Saxon ancestors, root of Roller, Waterslager and most of form races. In a certain sense, also because of his voice, Border is very close to certain lines of Spanish Timbrado.

American Singer Canary Song Info

2006-03-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

American Singer Canary Song Info Sebastian Vallelunga [Sebastian.Vallelunga@shcp.edu] sent me an email which very much helped me, and if you go to the link above, you can hear the American Singer for yourself, which would be an excellent idea, should you be deciding which type of singing canary is for you. This is most definitely to be seen as a matter of taste and preference, as discussed earlier. It is not a matter of best and second best. I have all along made my preference clear, and have named both the web site and this blog.

I've been thinking of the comments I made below on the American Singer, to find out that it is not completely correct. There is room at judging contests for the American Singer. Yet, I remember reading the comments I've made, and I can leave them there, Am I right that that is among the struggles with the American Singer? Work with Timbrados is just as incomplete, and probably each individual person with each breed has a slightly different taste. Yet, Dog breeders would never (I hope never) mix breeds as wished to make another breed, although the most famous German Shepherd, and other breeds have begun just that way, and I know that in Germany some crossing with German Sheeping dogs to strengthen a breed which was weakened by too much inbreeding, together with the devastation caused to German dogs from World War II. So, there are truly no absolute laws, balanced with the need for the standard that is being yet in liquid form, but becoming ever more of a "gel". This is as essential to song as it is for any other feature.

All being said (and more) I shall continue to praise the event of the internet and the sound files to use as a magnificent tool for learning and thinking. Please remember that anyone can comment on any post, which should be used to broaden and clarify and become part of good work to have the most beautiful singing bird in the world!

The work goes on! Oh... And if you want to have posting privileges, please ask me, I can invite you to have posting privileges. Don't forget that you can always comment, of course, being friends. There could be no good reason to not be friends, but on the other hand, each of us has a right to have very strong opinions. Right?

I don't know if I clearly said, that the link above has files of the song of the American Singer. Listen to them.

I know there are also sites for the Waterslagger and the Roller. I think I shall put up links to those birds, also... A nice way to get a sense of the total picture, maybe to be compared with going to a Canary Show!

Please Click on This Link

2006-03-06T19:27:00.000-06:00

Please click on the link. It is a excellent description of the variety of canary song. Pleas go down about 2/3 of the page, where there is description of a standard for judging timbrado song. I'm hoping that with Luis' help to come to some agreement on judging our birds.

If anyone knows much about the "American Singer", I hope I can get some description of that. I'm not sure of myself, and would like to learn (here would be fun, I can also try the web). My understanding of the American Singer is that there never has been the consensus needed to make the song of the American Singer genetic. For that reason, I hope, if I remember, the American singer has never become a songbird that could be accepted for judging. All song ideas = no song ideas? I'm going to try to get a sense of the American Singer before moving on to the timbrado. The important things I learn, I hope to put here. Then, with some clear ideas of the chart (printed clearly on the link) we will see the need for standards. Work which has already been clarified, enabling us to come to understand song which can be in alignment.

For example, imagine one person loving the shepherd dog, and another loving the red colors of the Irish setter, another, loving the group hunting behavior of hunting dogs, and, ridiculously, one person loving the Chowowa/sp and another loving the great Dane. Put them all together, breed them, and your dog will be a mutt, having none of the qualities of any of the breed. Is that a description of the American Singer, which would be exactly what we would not want to happen to the timbered?

I truly hope there will be some discussion on the American Singer before we get back to the timbrado, and finally, the floreado.

Thank you so much in advance for the discussion we hope to get, I hope to be active for awhile again, before I get all these baby floreados! Thanks finally!

POSSIBLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE SPANISH TIMBRADO TOURS AND EQUIVALENCES IN FOCDE (COM) AND FOE STANDARD (with maximum points in brackets)
ENGLISH
FOCDE (COM)
FOE
RINGS / DOOR BELL
TIMBRES (9)
TIMBRE METALICO (9)
ROLLED VARIATIONS
VARIACIONES RODADAS (18)
TIMBRE INTERMEDIO (6) TIMBRE PROFUNDO (13)
WATERY BELL
TIMBRE DE AGUA (9)
NOTA BATIDA (6)
JINGLE BELL
CASCABELEO (9)
CASCABELEO (12)
FLOURISHES
FLOREOS (27)
CHAU (6), PIAU (6)
SLOW FLOURISHES
FLOREOSLENTOS (27)
FLOREOSDE ADORNO (18)
CHURCH BELL
CAMPANA (9)
CAMPANA (6)
CLUCKS
CLOQUEOS (18)
CLOQUEOS (16)
CASTANET
CASTANUELA (9)
CASTANUELA (9)
JOINT VARIATIONS
VARIACIONESCONJUNTAS (27)
DUOS (14)
SLOW WATER
AGUA LENTA (18)

SEMICONNECTED WATER
AGUA SEMILIGADA (9)

Moving On...

2006-02-23T15:15:00.000-06:00

it's been a long time since I posted here and I should have been making posts but I've passed up the opportunity. I'm anxious for my birds to begin building nests and they seem to be spending time paying attention to each other, but no nests building yet. I have carefully paired them up and now the work is up to them and the work for me is to be correcting my mistakes and watching how things develop.
In the meantime, I hope to be catching up with my web site and spending time learning song again. I think I should use this time to also be studying the sound files at the web site. I think I could easily decide between classic, intermediate, and discontinuous birds, and I think I could all so decide between a lesser singer and a better singer with pretty good judgment, but I still think I have not really learned the various elements and details of song. I think the problems I'm having is that a timber can be sung with so many subtle differences, and I'm having the same trouble with bell sounds, clucks, and the other elements. I'm thinking that timbrados can change their song with so many variations and subtle differences, that it can become difficult to decide these things. I'm definitely sure that I have trouble between consonants and vowels of the various element. I'm thinking I should learned the sound files again so that so that I can be more ready to judge next year's birds when they begin to sing.
I know that a now the thing I should work on at the site is the treatment of the birds as soon as they fledge up until they are ready for pairing off for the next breeding season. For now we're waiting for them to begin their nest building. I think more light would help them get going, but I can see no reason to rush them other than impatience. So I shall choose to have a bit of patients and go back to the sound files!
All is going well thus far.

Males Between Weening and Singing

2005-08-13T15:09:00.000-05:00

Young males shouldn´t be separated, if you do this they will probably develop a second class song. So put them together again, if they are not too mature you can be still on time. It is not clear why, but they discover to make songs one from the other. They are learning but without a proper teacher, as all of them are pupils. And seems that they learn not just from listening but also from seeing. Of course in any flight cage there´s usually a leader. If this leader is a good bird for certain that you have to keep him as , probably, he has learned less than the others and most of the quality of the song came from himself.

The best amount of birds is 6 to 8 (unsexed) in each flight cage so you´ll have 3 or 4 males or 2 at least. Put together brothers or half brothers if possible, as the final selection will be more accurate. Don´t separate them till their song is close to mature, that´s to say, october, november or december. And Tom if you can, keep the young males isolated downstairs till they come with proper adult song and we can evaluate and select them. Once this has been done is not too relevant if they learn anything from the gray singers or other birds.

From Luis on the Bigger Picture

2005-07-16T16:33:00.000-05:00

Hi friends:
The best way to suceed in song canaryculture ( and I mean suceeding as breeding good birds to satisfy us) is to work in a team, this is how our best birds are bred in Spain. There are several of these “teams” in Spain, are nor official but groups of friends with similar tastes and compatible blood lines. Serious breeders here don´t sell their worse birds to other breeders, they go to pet shops. If the bird is good enough it´ll be sold (quite cheap, a 88 points male can be around 50$) but if the bird is a great champion (93 or 94 points), brothers, sisters, parents and other relatives will be just distributed (often for free) between the members of the team. In this way we can be sure that the best birds will go to breeders that know how to work with them and, at the same time, when you need to outbreed you know who has birds compatible with your own line. Some of these teams keep amazing pedigrees of their birds, I´! ve seen birds which track could be followed to 1962 and ,lately, also recordings of their song.
I had, Tom, 4 or 5 mails about the web site, very praising all of them. I had one from a Canadian American Singer breeder who was very thankful to the “song course”, she´s starting and it was very helpful for her. But sorry, I didn´t keep those mails if I have a new one I´ll send it to you though I think you should put your mail adress in the web page too.

Regards

Plans for 2007, Beyond

2005-07-15T00:23:00.000-05:00

This is a message I wrote which might well be posted here.

I think I just got a whiff of what 2007 could be like. If next year is as successful I should have waaaay too many birds, as I thought I'd have this year. The wait will not be one bit hard on me, as this year is a great excitement, having plenty of birds to learn properly, and I'm sure to be most happy by Nov. already.

Now, next year, 60 or more babies in addition to already having full house? Hmm.. That's sounding like next year will be a problem already with too mny birds. 1

I'm supposing one problem will be selecting the best singers, but I'm not sure, because if I keep these 5 males, I'll maximize my genes. Maybe these 5, plus one or two of my best singers. That would be the most I can imagine.

I'm thinking, beginning right now, anyone locally wanting to breed canaries I can give them, under the condition that I get half the babies. Still giving me way too many birds for my little self to handle. I sure hope I can find some. Another option would be to give anyone birds that's willing to pay the air fare. Then I don't know how I would get babies, though. Maybe I won't need them, but the more babies I can watch each year, the better my odds will be for getting that exceptional bird, which I have a feeling I'll be able to identify, maybe even by myself, but for sure with Luis' blessing and passing grade. (Will you stil have that many patience in future years, Luis? Sebastian? Patricia? These sound files will be the basis for working with my special Tom Kufahl Strain. The best of the best that I raise, I think including some line breeding, but I think I'll just linebreed for 2 generations… that's what my pigeon friend thinks is max.

Then, we are into 2008 and later. By that time we should be importing at least another batch of birds, if we aren't a third world country yet, smile, I sure hope. When the batch gets imported, I think I'll include the best I can, hoping I can afford it.

Doesn't it look like I shall be the happiest person in the world in the forseeable future?

Now, some of the problems, of course guessing, would be to find anybody in Wisconsin who will take free birds under the condition that I get half the babies, and that they don't do any crossing. I won't have to worry if they spoil the song, as I will take only babies from them. I think the general Wisconsing attitude is that birds are a pretty stupid idea. But I think I have some ideas already, so I can already start talking to people to line them up for next fall. I already know of a few possibilities.

Of course there is always the possiblility of selling them for 400$ a piece, Laughing at Barb and the AASTB, but hey, how about 150$ I fear that's even too much. I bet give away again, but requiring the others to pay air fare. For Sure to Patty and Sebastian, free of charge, for putting up with my weird humor!

I think the future looks most exciting for me!

Oh… something not to talk about would be if I ever loose control of my Still's or worse, die, I bet I should have your phone numbers in my will! Let's keep looking for more breeders to spread the good word to!

Oh, Luis, does anyone ever write from the website? Probably not. Sometime, maybe in a year, I'll put my addy on the site. Until then, maybe could you forward any messages to me also? Please? I get occasional mail from my other sites. Believe it or not, almost weekly or more for the goldfinch article. I've never re read it. I have no memory of what I said, but it must have been pretty good!

Oh, a last thing, I made a recording of precious red and the other two birds, I really think they are singing better than they did last spring. I'm really beginning to enjoy even them, when they lay off the trills/timbres.

Good night all, tk

.G

Read Before you Purchase

2005-07-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

I highly recommend that before you make an expensive purchase that you get a snail mail copy of your agreement before you make your payment. A purchase can run easily over $1000, and you want to get what you pay for. As arrangements for flight, etc. Can be expensive and hard work, the seller may very well want to back out of or deny the agreement. This happened to me and I have heard from others, also. Be forewarned, and get that snail mail, signed agreement. You don't want to be caught paying that amount and loosing!

Pulse of the Floreado in America

2005-07-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

At this moment, as far as I know, there has been a single import in America of about 75 birds. All birds in America are related to this original importation. They came originally from 3 breeders and are considered to be of high quality, as far as I can tell. One breeder out crossed with a certain number of wild birds. I believe effort was made to have these 75 birds as unrelated as possible.

Eventually, I know not when, it will be necessary to import more birds. Sooner rather than later should be just fine, but the process is very difficult and expensive. As there are no specific plans yet, I'm hoping that the USTF http://www.spanishtimbrado.us/ will sponsor the project. If you have any interests in this project, I hope you will acquaint yourself with the USTF and make yourself known to them. As I said, this project will be very expensive, and the more people that can participate, the more the expenses can be spread out. It may be that many birds cost the same amount for the process as few birds, so the more, the better, I believe. This might actually take place in the farther future, not the more immediate, but please, even if your interest is only a thought for now, make yourselves known!

Check for awile now.

2005-07-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

I have several ideas developing which I think will be more blog like, and I expect that the blog will be more blog like in the future. I had been recommending that you start at the beginning, and if you are new, you still should, but the web page is still "course like", and from now on I expect to just be working aloud on ideas, which is what a blog is. Remember to write me if you want to participate. I can give you posting privileges. Everyone can still take part without posting, just by writing comments. I would be well worth your time to register.

Timbre or Timbre?

2005-06-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Hi Babis:
For most of us in Spain a team of four Timbrados executing a good deal of timbres and rolls is just pure boredom but I wouldn´t say that that kind of birds are not Timbrados, they are, as these other birds (floreados) without timbres are also Timbrados. Why the race is called Timbrado is something well set in the Code :
"This breed is named "Timbrado Español" because of the voice of the canary is "timbrada", brilliant, and metallic. It is an absolute must to clear up the fact that the word "Timbrado" had a double origin: the already seen about the peculiarities of the vocal timbre, and that it was supposed that timbres were not only innate, but the basic song of the race. This later origin was put above the former, even though time has demonstrated that the idea of timbres being innate has not any foundation. As the bird’s song has gone on unfolding, going better and richer, specially by the emission of notes performed in a discontinuous rhythm, each time more and more complex, it has been verified that there are many canaries that do not have "timbres" at all in their melodies, yet do not for that reason, cease to be Spanish Timbrados." (http://www.timbrado.com/code.shtml)
So, as the Code says, there are Timbrados without timbres and, actually, this kind of Timbrados are more and more spread in Spain. On the contrary, the birds which song is based on timbres and rolls are quickly decreasing.
So the bird I sent is a pure bred Timbrado, probably with some wild canary blood, and it´s an outstanding one. Check the Spanish site
http://www.timbrado.com/mp3.shtml you´ll find quite a lot of birds like this one, some of then champions in the most important Spanish competitions

Regards

Luis

The Floreado Song Historical Glimpse

2005-06-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

History

I would say by far the most succinct and understandable account of the floreado yet. Some accounts are difficult to read, but this one should make the picture so much more understandable.

Snips and Bits

2005-06-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

You're right, that classic bird is not bad, actually would be a good classic but he singss a couple faulty notes, an ugly scratched timbre and some "ch" notes. Without these notes the score would be much better (comment by Luis on the classic bird).

Luis on Tutoring Young Birds

2005-04-01T12:22:00.000-06:00

Luis:

Well the modern technology allow us the development of new teaching methods and I´m just trying to use some of them. I remember to have done something like this in my first years with a group of friends, nowadays some of them great judges. We used an old tape recorder and the quality was awful but slowly we learned... and still learning, the birds always come with something new.

By the way, Tom brought up yesterday a subject of the greatest importance, the tutoring of the young males. This has been extensively discussed in Spain for decades and we´ve reached some conclussions:
-it´s perfectly possible for all lines of Timbrado a non tutored training method, that´s to say, the isolation of the youngsters as soon as they can eat by themselves from any adult cock (including other species or whatever kind of recording)

-discontinuous and most of intermediate lines have been always selected with this criteria with outstanding results. The genetic selection is easier and the birds surprise us with new compositions

-tutored methods just can be considered when we´ve got first class teachers without any defect in the song (including harsh “r” in timbres and rolls or “ch” sounds). Remember that if we want to drive our line towards discontinuous song long and prevalent timbres or rolls are a defect. If we want to achieve pure discontinuous song any timbre or roll is a defect.

For more information check

http://www.timbrado.com/artlsanchez2x.shtml

http://www.timbrado.com/artaprendizaje1x.shtml

http://www.timbrado.com/artaprendizaje2x.shtml

Regards

Journal

2005-03-20T20:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got a CD from Spain, and my lasting impression is, "what a big job!" I don't know how long I will last in trying to learn the endless variety of song, much less teach it. If even I can organize the basics, it will surprise me. For now, I shall continue. Jut trying is fun. Mastering,... We shall see. Just in case, if you meet someone who says that there's nothing to it, I'd be suspicious of that person!

So why are We Working so Hard?

2005-03-12T11:05:00.000-06:00

So why are we working so hard? (well, really not all as hard as we should be). Because it's fun! No, that's not thee answer. We're doing it for the birds. Most of all our breeding program, which shouldn't be too much personal whim. The American singer is a flop because everybody is at cross purposes, even with themselves. The floreado has happened because there was a certain amount of agreement from the beginning, hundreds of years ago. It's been proven that the birds can pass on their song, because that's how the floreado came to be. A unified criteria is the best chance we have to pass on our work. If you are "a member of the club" The breed will profit. That is the reason for constant, most careful change, and constant critical observation. It's definitely a tough job, and not as scientific, I believe, as we wish. We can't see the gene arrangement under the microscope and then splice in the best ones. If you want to be convinced that it's working, listen to a superb floreado! So, let's roll up our selves, and if you enjoy it, as I do, that's an extra bonus!

An Extremely Essentil, Basic, Important, Essential Post

2005-03-10T12:44:00.000-06:00

Sorry, wordy again, but I want to be thorough and not too hard to follow. I hope the reading won't be too hard, because I think it's essential that you read and understand the entire message! Always, always, leave comments if you can help with this post, or If we can help you!!!
------------------------------------

The link below is absolutely essential to work with, and for me it's very tricky to work with. The fact that it's in Spanish makes it all the more difficult. I will do all I can to help you work here, although, I'm rather the blind leading the blind. Please, please leave a comment here if you are having trouble. It's going to become very basic and very essential for anyone's learning. Again, please, please leave a comment to get to the sound files that are here, especially.

Let me try to help here. First go to the page, go down 2 - 4 screens, until you see the blue message, Acceso a los archivos de canto It's in blue and underlined, and it's inside a box. It says something to the effect of "access the files of te songs". Don't click it yet. Below that, it says something like, you will have to sign in, and then it gives the sign in user name, and password in red letters. cut and paste concurso2004 and then password 2004. 2004 is to easy to remember to warrant cut and paste. Below that, I think it explains that the page won't always work, and come back at a later time if the page won't open. I don't know why, but that's true. It won't always open. When it does open, the page is different than usual, because it is a ftp page. You don't have to know that, but the page works a tiny tad differently. Please, please, please, do what you have to open that page. It contains the all important competition files of floreado birds. From this page you can also see that the floreado is alive and well in Spain. These are people who sent in sound files to be judged, and we owe them all! These are people working with the bird that I've so much fallen in love with. I hope we can all become co-workers in a way!

Once you open the page, I would tell you to download ALL the songs to your computer except the zip file. If you have a telephone line, I have no idea how long it will take. It's not that bad with broadband. These files will become our work.

To download them, if you don't already know, right click on a file, then choose "save file as" find a place to save it, probably on desk top or My documents, If you are new to the computer, the may be scary, but stay with it, it will come in handy the rest of your life. It's part of computer basics. Remember, always, I will be more than glad to help you get it. Just don't give up until you download all the files. I'm not sure we will use all of them, but why miss a chance to hear these birds!

Once you have all the files some place on your computer, you must stop to have a cup of coffee, wine, or beer. You will have made a grand accomplishment and will be ready for the next step!

I Concurso Curso de canario timbrado 2004

Week Ends

2005-03-06T11:54:00.000-06:00

I think that for awhile, I shall take the week ends off, but here I am, working again.

song files

2005-03-04T09:39:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I worked to make a good translation from the competition, and was listening to the matching file of each one, and I was feeling hopelessly dumb, as far as identifying elements and descriptions. A good judge or critic is indeed a knowlegable person, I'm thinking, and not just someone judging the jam at the local fair! It's easy for me to feel discouraged on my learning, but each time I think I can identify something, it feels good to me. I hope we'll be able to post some soon, as that's at the heart of what I'm trying to learn.

A Most Basic Aspect of Song Elements, Continuous, Semi Continuous, and Discontinuous

2005-03-01T22:07:00.000-06:00

I remember reading about chops, warbles and trills back in grade school, and that's still the easiest and most basic way to discriminate sounds when listening to a canary. We will use the words, continuous, semi continuous, and discontinues here, which are actually better terms, anyway. There are some long articles on www.timbrado.com on this, and you might look for them if you have time. This is the best place to begin learning. Canaries can do complex things that defy this breakdown, (I hope I'm right) but for the most part most of the song can be broken down with these three words.

I think I've already mentioned that this begins the division of the two types fo timbrados. With the floreado type, the continuous notes are minimized as much as possible. (Please comment whenever I'm wrong, I WANT to be corrected when I'm wrong, and it would be good for everyone). I am never sure, and that's a main reason for the blog; to polish these things out. Canary song is complex enough for individual interpretation, also. That's why it will be so helpful to get to the competition files, to see the judgments of the very best.

Again and always, I don't want to rephrase Luis' explanation, If I have time, I might post links to timbrado.com on this topic.

Luis says: Keep on studying, keep on studying. I recommend you to start by the basics, that´s to say, to difference the three main groups of notes by their emission rate. By this criterion we have continuous, semicontinuos and discontinuous notes.
Continuous when the syllaboles come so quickly that there´s almost no gap between one and other. We have two notes in Timbrado clearly continuous: rolled variations (variaciones rodadas) and metallic roll (timbre metálico)
Rolled variations: rrrrrreeeee (imperfect but quite common) rrrrrrrooooo (better)
Metallic roll: rrrrrriiiiii

Semicontinuous the syllabes come still quickly but we can realize that there are short gaps between them resulting in a "beaten like" sound.
Are always semicontinuous: jingle bell (cascabel= linlinlinlin), watery bell (timbre de agua= blibliblibli), semiconnected water (agua semiligada= bloblobloblo) . Clucks are usually semicontinuous (cloqueos= cloclocloclo)

Discontinuous the bird clearly stops between one syllable and the next, like resting. Church bell (tan tan tan) , slow water (bloui bloui bloui ) and slow flourishes ( tuiii tuiii tuiii / dulio dulio dulio....) are always discontinuous.

Good learning

Luis

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition.

2005-02-26T08:46:00.000-06:00

Moving on might become harder to do as I exhaust the little I know. At some point I wonder if I might think that this course may become a complete, or at least somewhat complete as a basic course. Truly identifying the many elements and qualities of voice, and variety of flourishes, would require much repetition, so the course would not be finished. Repetition, repetition, repetition would be required more and more as all this music "gels" in one's mind. There is no question but that to become proficient would require some plan to keep reviewing and replaying again and again.

First of all, we need these sound files. I would suggest, by the way, that you download these, and listen to them as if you were listening to birds. Play them all the time, morning, noon, and night, listen to them in reverse order, listen to them in alphabetical order, listen to them in random order, upside down, and inside out. If you don't come to love them, you can quit this blog. These birds aren't for you! If you think they should be like live birds, though, they can't. They are counterfeits. My family would love plastic birds and recordings, no muss no fuss. That just doesn't work. The recordings are counterfeits of the real thing. By the way, if you come to love the recordings, you may find yourself where I was: I have sold all my classic type of timbrados and have I would expect that you will be finding yourself in that position! Just a hint!

Both RealOne and MS MediaPlayer enable you to save a play list, and so does probably any media player. I would suggest that you make a play list, if you already haven't.

Listen to the files! That's your assignment for now.

Now, let me think about being painted in a corner. My next idea is to start some competition files from timbrado.com. I'll give you the pages where the files and the finished contesters are, but they are in Spanish. I'm hoping for permission to put an English version here. These should be invaluable.

Without knowing anything about judging and vocabulary, I will ask you to match the critiques with the sound files as best as you can. That's what I'm trying to do, and I can definitely see that it will help, even though abstract and imprecise. If I can do that, I'm not painted in a corner yet.

Then, I will try to learn, (I just wrote teach, but I do indeed mean learn) various sounds, as Juan Sanchez has tried to teach me. Juan is here, so he may enter the conversation (I hope he does, hint, hint). I will probably just be rewording or, easier yet, just copying his messages, and sharing them here, so the whole country and world can try to learn. If this works, I may not be painted into a corner yet.

Oh, yes I will. We need sound files! I can put as many as my ISP memory allows oup on my website, and then post links to them. Am I painted onto a corner yet? MAYBE not. We shall see. I do hope to put specific vocabulary here, though, such as timbre, continuous, discontinuous, semi continues, etc. And more etc. This is very difficult to learn, I'm finding out. The birds you have been listening to switch from one thing to another very quickly, I'm learning. Tough stuff, but is there any short cut? Well, maybe just skipping that stuff, or skimming it. If you are not planning on breeding, I would suggest that, but....

If you are planning on breeding, you will want to select the best birds you can raise to have the best songs. That means that you must be able to hear which birds best qualify! If you simply breed a floreado with another, you will have babies, but they will slowly degenerate, and they certainly won't improve. I should think that careful attempts to learn the vocabulary would be for those who intend to breed. That will be me :) Don't ask me how fast the young birds will degenerate, I have no idea! I do know that if you try to learn the songs you will also appreciate the birds more, I'm learning that. It's just like taking a music course! (I have a MA in music, AHem). This is very hard, but nobody is going to judge you! You can even fake (another AHem!).

And, of course there will be breeding thoughts. Not basic breeding, as there are any number of resources on the internet for that. I would suggest you join them to learn breeding (there are 3 timbrado lists on Yahoo, I belong to them, you should too, if you will be breeding these lovely birds.

Those are the basic Ideas I have so far for the future. Do you think they will work out??? We shall see!!!! I don't give up easily!!! Good luck to all the world with these birds that are so worth it!!!

Oh, one last word, I should be so happy to get to know evryone who wants to stick around. I hope you will write me or the others here. tkufahl@charter.net. Remember you can always post comments, and if you ask me, you can also post messages, rather like a discussion group, but if you stay here, you will notice that it's not the same. Blogs are the great new invention. The problem I'm having with this one is that the beginning is really at the bottom, and that it's developmental, from the bottom. I have yet to find out how that will work out.

Vocabulary Pep Talk.

2005-02-25T20:40:00.000-06:00

I think it should be good that I'm a slow learner when It comes to the next matters. It seems to me that at this point there is a huge vocabulary to learn, even regarding the words only, but associating the vocabulary with the correct sounds that the birds can overwhelm me sometimes even if broken down in to small parts. I'm thinking that the best way to learn would be with live birds, and how wonderful it must be for a small child to be learning the words from the birds with the guidance of a father, mother, uncle, teacher. Unfortunately we can't do that, so our only choice is to do this by ourselves, with sound files. I can't say that I know how good I will get at it, but I do know that I enjoy the learning, and that when I don't know, I can just sit back and enjoy the singing for the time being, and then come back to learn. I'm thinking that I'm trying to learn some specific sounds, and then I notice from the competition files that there are more general ways to use descriptions. I'm tying to make arrangements from help always from Spain, and I'm firmly convinced that that is the only way we can learn here. I think that, like reading a great book or great piece of music, there are times of not getting something, but then, another time it might makes sense. Every bit of learning helping us get farther. Perserverance has always helped me, and without it, I know I wouldn't be where I am with either ideas or sounds. So: I'm sure to go too slow or too fast, but hopefully things will average out.

As usual, or as pretty much always, I'm hoping for permission from timbrado.com to proceed.

Enter: Hard Work

2005-02-24T12:14:00.000-06:00

I think I have a good sense of the history of the timbrado, a history which has several versions, because it's so hard to accurately know what's been done to the birds in the last few centuries. I've given you the version I have because I think it takes into account the gorgeous floreado, and by now you know that's my passion, Although not so much so that I can't enjoy all the other beautiful birds! Don't forget to listen to the song! That's the only thing that makes clear that the story is going very well indeed. The secret is always in the song.

I'm ready to move to probably the toughest part now. Finding words to describe the song is exasperating to me, and learning that the place the number of words which come from Spain makes this a slow and tedious job, but essential, as we need a way to talk about what the birds are doing. If each of us invented our own vocabulary, it wouldn't help, as we wouldn't be understood. To me, the Goldfinch call note is "Georgia" as clear as can be. And the words and sounds must be learned to put us all on the same track. "Georgia" simply won't work, because I would have to learn the vocabulary of others (I have no idea what the accepted word is for the goldfinch call note) but the vocabulary must be agreed on. I hope you will very soon come head on to this, if I start putting up the score sheets from the timbrado.com site. Luis has been helping me identify some of the notes, and there is a breakdown of some of them on timbrado.com, I'll post the page, because that's the direction I intend to go. I bet there will be drop outs, because sometimes I think I would drop out, if I wasn't getting the birds. I'll try to make it easy enough for even myself to learn, because I hope to get Past the beginner--infant stage. If we ever need some time out, we can always just listen to them because they are so beautiful! Then lets get back to work again!

Of course, this blog is just a guide and I should not expect anyone to follow it exactly. Too much work! Ready to begin? Take a deep breath and put on your safety hat!

Summary and Main Point

2005-02-22T09:32:00.000-06:00

My intention is to drop the history and story at least for now, and to begin studying the song. I feel very much like a greenhorn here, but from the very beginning I thought I could never get anywhere near the sound of the files, and that this would be impossible. I still don't have my floreados even! If you read the entire blog or much of it, you will notice that the wait is too much to bear!

I think the most important point of the floreado story as I know it so far is below. Drove's discovery is the source for the floreado that is so much loved by a sizable number of breeders in Spain, and is now reaching America.

"Luis said...
Hi Tom and friends:
Certainly Drove found in the 50s the type of song that he thought lost and forgotten. This was in Asturias (North of Spain) where a very small number of fanciers managed to preserve the essence of the ancient Spanish Song. The master found the disciples, as in the old stories, and they started to rebuild, with Drove�s guidance, probably the most characteristic canary song since truth and Seifert developed modern Roller. And this has not ended yet, probably never will. The way that we select our 'floreados' allows them to develop all their inner capabilities, all their creativity, that seems to be endless. Every year we listen different things and amaze us the way that so little brains and bodies are able to compose and perform such beautiful music. "

A Link with more Information on My Last Post

2005-02-21T13:07:00.000-06:00

Spanish Timbrado Canary

A Superb Advice from Luis

2005-02-21T13:06:00.000-06:00

As I try to work out a version of the Timbrado's history, it's very easy for me to get stuck here, there, and everywhere, with some new idea comes from all the many peoples, when I need some time out, I know just where to go to find solace. Solace is in the birds themselves. The many sound files available give me so much sense if clarity and direction. Even there is a problem, as mentioned in aesthetics, Is Callas or Tebaldi the best singer? Is country or Hip hop the best music? Argument doesn't work, we still have all kinds of music and singers. There is no sign that will go away.

The song is all, though, and I guess the only choice is for people who like the same things to hang out with each other. Ultimately that may become the only choice for this blog. There still seems to be the problem of Country Western or Hip Hop enthusiasts to go to the Opera!

The most solid thing I can say for now is that if my birds sound anything like the files I'm hearing, I shall be most happy! I could only want to share that with others. And I don't even have the birds yet! My next post immediately will be a link to more information on this subject.

I hope to soon begin to talk about the aspects of song that I'm learning.

More History... An Important Point.

2005-02-20T15:12:00.000-06:00

An Important point of the Drove article is that he thinks he found an area in Spain where the most important birds were being bred. These birds have become the source for the floreado type. Madrid is still the center for the classic type. Not everyone agrees with everyone, isn't that true of all life? I'd say that the way to decide is to listen to the many files that are out there. That should be your source for the type of bird that you love the most, or, anything in between. I can hint that the reason for this blog is that I'm so completely taken by these new birds. I hope to talk more about song one of these days! That's at least my intention! I might mention that Luis is very much in the background, helping me as I try to sort things out, guiding me, correcting, and sometimes prodding me!

Advanced Information (short read)

2005-02-19T01:06:00.000-06:00

Although I definitely do not think that this is easy reading, even if you can't remember detail, I've gotten a much better sense of the care and work that has gone into the timbrado song. This article is from the mid 60s, by Drove Aza Pajaros, and I've read it twice with my trusty (nextup.com) text reader, and intend to read it again, hopefully more than once more. If you have the ambition, it's followed by more, very interesting an important articles, translated into English, just for us! I would say please at least skim. I'm not going to post for several days, as this is more than enough info to digest for a number of days. I intend to spend a lot more time at this site, in English, thanks so much to Sebastian Vallelunga.

Tor the entire article, on Sebastian Vallelunga's site, click here Custom Page

Sound Files, Compliments of Luis Sanchez

2005-02-17T22:19:00.000-06:00

I'm completely sure that the only way to learn song is to hear it. I begain simply by continuing to at first listen to the files now and then, and gradually realizing that there is something completely different. At first, I would say, simply listen. More than once, Many times, at your own pace. It might even be a good idea to listen to these a couple of times before reading the next post.

http://www.cwwcbc.us/tk/ Floreado Type Spanish Timbrado Canary

An Important Comment to Yesterday's History by Luis Sanchez

2005-02-17T22:02:00.000-06:00

Hi Tom:

Your "fictional" story is more or less true. In fact it could be as valid as any, as we don´t exectly know how things happened. We know that Timbrado comes from the wild canary and we know that wild canary song is very varied to the point thet we can say that , already in wild canaries, there are "lines of song", that´s to say, the birds from different islands sing in a slightly different way. Some are completely discontinuous, some have short continuous notes ( even less than the birds that we call intermediates) but not a single wild canary sings like a classic Timbrado. So, where do long continuous notes in Timbrado come from? There are two possibilities:
- some canaries could have been selected in Spain, from the very beginging, towards continuous song.
- long and prevalent continuous notes come, in Timbrado, from crosses with Roller.
I believe that this second possibility is true, as we know that during 19th and the first half of 20th century most of Spanish canaries were crossed, even song canaries. At that moment the only internationally recognized song bred was Roller and the fanciers thought that the path chosen by Germans was the only possible path. My own grandfather had this crossed birds. Some fanciers realised that this was ending with Spanish song canaries and developed ( after the Spanish Civil War 1936- 39) Spanish Timbrado. The problem is that these fanciers started with already crossed canaries, actually the crosses had gone so far and for such a long time that , probably, they thought that those birds were true Spanish Singers, they didn´t know how a non crossed Spanish Singer could sing. From these birds evolved what we know nowadays as "classic Timbrado".
This could have been the end of the story, if not by a man. This is one of those rare situations in which a single man can change the History, at least the History of Spanish Timbrado. This man was Antonio Drove Aza. Drove was in the 50s and 60s probably the most relevant Spanish expert in canary song. He was a Roller judge but, during his youth, he had bred pure Spanish Singers, working with crosses with wild canary, trying to recover the , already dying, Spanish Song. He knew that all those continuous notes in Timbrado come from crosses with Roller and he tried to explain everyone about that. He knew that Spanish Song canaries were different but he thought that were lost... til he found some alive!! This was in Asturias ( North of Spain) during the 50s. And everything started again, he organized this very small group of fanciers ( no more than 20 ) and explained them the way that he had already travelled during his youth. They were, certainly, rebels but the! ir birds were outstanding and they grew and bloomed. We´re already grewing and blooming thanks to this man.
I didn´t know him but, fortunately, he wrote quite a lot of articles. They are, today, as alive as 50 years ago. I send you the translation of one, made by Sebastian Vallelunga .

Regards ,

Luis

The Floreado, a Fictional History

2005-02-16T11:25:00.000-06:00

I know that it's difficult to read very long from a computer, but I do not think I could shorten this post. I hope you can skim or read to the bottom, as the bottom is the most important part.

Alright, so this story may be imaginative and fictional, it's the story that I made up and I'm sticking to it if no one makes any corrections. There is a history someplace on Timbrado.com, and Hurtado also gives one and I suppose I should check them out, but my story will be an easy read, and it will make the points that I wish to make.

I am imagining the 15th century (?) With its ships and travel. Sometime during this period the Spanish noticed the beautiful canaries and noticed that they were easy to breed compared to other birds. If I have the story correct, the Spanish even had a monopoly because they were cool enough to sell males, and not females to Europe and abroad. I guess that broke down when some shipment or some such crashed, releasing female birds, but it probably would have happened anyway.

I would say that from the very beginning there was a group of enthusiasts in Spain that were interested completely in the song. As the canary can be "improved", individuals and groups probably very near to the beginning became interested in all the other possibilities -- things like size, color, shape, feather, perhaps someone may have invented a talking canary if that was possible! All these birds have their champions, and I shall not pursue them, as I am interested solely in the song, as many Spanish enthusiasts have been to this very day.

Just one sentence on this, there has been interest in the song in other countries also, so we have the German roller, which I believe, although never pursued story, that the German roller is a physical mutation, as it really doesn't even have a call note, and I have a feeling that they want to sing the notes of a typical canary but can't. Then, we also have the Belgian waterslagger, which seems to be somewhere in between what has been developed into a song of its own. OK, so I lied when I said one sentence. I want to move on.

As I've said, there have been groups of Spanish people from the very beginning organizing themselves into certain song preferences. Not always the same, but close enough to be considered one. We are talking here about the Spanish Timbrado, of course. Might interest. I brought my first Timbrado's about four years ago and noticed immediately that they have about four times more vocabulary than the typical canary. The typical canary sounds rather like a wind up machine to me then it sounds like a bird. I do like the typical canary, especially with a collection of birds, but I noticed right away that the Timbrado was the bird of my heart. I have been mixing them with wild carduelids and have been very, very happy. I have a DVD to show this, by the way. Unfortunately, the wild types have been an endless source of worry, and especially in America, there seems to be a life and death struggle with these birds as far as I can see.

This is not the end of the story, but is the beginning as I am perceiving. I think the Timbrado may have had some trouble being accepted as a breed of its own right, and a songbird at that, and I think that rather late with a first accepted as a breed of their own right. I don't know the date.

Now here's where the story may be somewhat fictional, and even and even if I get corrected, I shall keep this version, as it makes sense. I guess it took a while to agree on a standard Spanish Timbrado song. I am imagining that this has been accepted, and to this day is the classic Timbrado song. It is the song accepted into America. And the story good and here, BUT the most interesting part is yet to come. We will call this bird the classical Timbrado. It is the Timbrado that you will find in America right now. BUT ...

I can only imagine, because I have never been to Spain, and my version makes a lot of sense to me. Being the true expert's, these groups of Spanish breeders, the people who truly know the Timbrado from the inside out, perhaps rebelled against the classical Timbrado? Is this a group of rebels? I like rebels, anyway, and I have a T-shirt to prove it. I can only make up that a sizable portion of Spain has continued doing what they have always done -- raise the best singers. This is going on today, and the point of this blog is to see if a I can fit in here someplace. I am imagining that the classical Timbrado is not really the bird of choice to these rebels. There seems to be a split in the Timbrado country, and I have been so taken by this other group of canaries that I have planned to make a complete switch. I have learned a great deal in the last few months, and I hope I can pass it on to others. Of course we would need a new name, and there is one. These are called the Floreado type, and the interest in this very different song is called a discontinuance. To me it is VERY, VERY difficult, and I shall make up an entire blog as I go.

Also, as Timbrado.com says someplace, there is absolutely no reason why the two groups should split, and that there must be an allowance for both songs, as well as anywhere in between. As my previous post says, when we are in the aesthetic domain, argument is fruitless and learning is all. I myself am committed wholly to this Floreado type, but I realize that all matters in between are good and valuable.

It's difficult to read a long time on a computer, and I shall and here for today. By the way, if you check out nextup.com you can't find a text reader which will read anything on the screen, all day long. My Paul reads to me pretty much all day every day!

Song Files

2005-02-15T16:38:00.000-06:00

Timbrado Floreado Song

Sound files and notes related to them can be found here. There is also a permanent link on the left hand column, called "Files and Song"

Aesthetics, Song, and America

2005-02-15T12:59:00.000-06:00

Aesthetics, Song, and America

Which Bird is the best singer? This question will enter into a discussion of aesthetics, and I will compare bird song to which opera singer is the best singer. I shall start by telling you that I've just reviewed the Britannica article on aesthetics. The article plainly explains the difficulty of a discussion like this, and yet acknowledges that it is not only a puzzling, but also a very interesting realm of experience. Defining the word is actually the main job in furthering the discussion. I shall not do that, but I'll note some things that are interesting to me. If you ask a question such as, is Renata Tebaldi or Maria Callas the best singer, depending on your approach, it is likely to be a fruitless waste of time, and at its best, it might cause very interesting further thought. What it is not likely to do is settle the issue. That is the problem the aesthete lives with. The discussion is too abstract for any of the kind of logic that a subject like math might give in to.

One thing we can notice, however, is that there is a body of knowledge. Only a person who has spent a lot of time listening to the two sopranos -- not one, but both singers could have a valid discussion. Country-western singers would have no place here. Of course, we know that with bird song because we work hard to get qualifying judges that know the timbrado song. There is no substitute for listening carefully and critically. Anyone who has not listened to the singers would have no way of understanding what the critics are referring to. There is no substitute for listening, if I am right.

Because listening is so important to learning, I would say that at this point Spain has a tremendous advantage over America. My guess is that most of the expert breeder's in Spain began loving their birds in childhood. I would guess that there is a point where these breeders became interested in the timbrado song by listening to the birds. Continued listening and discrimination has led them to the point where they are now. While in Spain, this whole process may have been unconscious, in America we have nothing to compare it with.

I propose that with the modern technology that we have in the versatility of our computers, we in America have a wonderful source of learning and that the beginning is write on this site. In fact, I became interested through listening to the sound files on this site. Only now first and I beginning to read the extensive and wonderful pages of text. I may be wrong, but I know of no American which is as expert as the information and sound files (and even video files) which can be found in this site. In fact, I have never heard either Renata Tebaldi (who just died last month) or Maria Callas. I learned all of my opera from records. Only by knowing their recordings have it become interested when ever I read about these two singers. I think the same would be true with the timbrado Bird.

If I understand correctly, the classic type of timbrado has become established in America, I am thinking the cause that's what we hear and have learned. Of course, the roller and the waterslagger have been here much longer and I suspect we have a body of knowledge of these birds which is much more extensive than with the Floreados type of timbrado. America has a lot to learn from Spain and with the Internet, we have a means of learning! Spain has been doing t! his for hundreds of years, and I definitely believe that America has the means for learning the basics through the Internet. I am guessing that it may become likely that we may produce birds with a somewhat different song from the Spanish birds, just as in Spain communities have had small differences in the various areas. I believe that it will put us on the right track and give us the body of knowledge we don’t yet have. I am so happy that Spain is willing to teach us! The evidence is on this site. Good luck to a! ll of us!

Blame the Dragon Dictation program -- ride with a glide -- Segway

Spanish Timbrado canary or canaries

2005-02-14T10:06:00.000-06:00

Spanish Timbrado canary or canaries

This is the site I owe everything to. It's much larger than you might at first think, and I hope to study pages forever. A word of warning, I don't think all the pages are in English, I think you should sometimes switch to Spanish and try to get around. Also, there is a large a mount if song files. I think it is impossible to learn the text and skip the sound files -- They are the most essential part of the learning path, and we can forever thank this fantastic group of Spanish experts for their effort to help us!

You won't get far without referring to this site.

Introduction

2005-02-14T08:52:00.000-06:00

I have been interested in birds song. From the very beginning. At the age of about five my father brought a singing Canary for my sister, and from the very beginning I wanted that bird to be mine. I spent five years waiting for it to sing, and every year she laid her eggs and I waited for them to hatch, which of course they never did, and neither did she sing :-) as my sister and the family became bored with her, I took on the responsibilities and the ownership. I would have been in the first or second grade. That's quite young to take on full responsibility. From then on I have always had birds, and I have always been a bird watcher and fairly expert at birds song. I want to skip to the present because I want to pass something on to as many people as possible, especially here in America. I might mention in an attempt to brag, that I was a music major and have a master's degree, but that I took a course in college on bird watching -- it might have been my favorite course -- and I rather mystified my processor because of my ability to recognize birds song. He tested me with a tape recorder and from then on I felt privileged in that class :-)
In writing this blog, I have a single purpose. That is to reveal these exceptional birds -- the Spanish timbrado -- to America. I think America has already been introduced but is far is I can tell is only beginning to take on the work that is required to breed birds anywhere near the standard that the Spanish has been working with since the very beginning. I don't think I will ever consider myself to be at the level that I have learned that the Spanish are, and here, I intend to slowly present my work as I learn, and I should love to help people along the way.
You are always invited to participate and can always leave a comment to anything and you certainly can praise me all you want. If you want to participate more fully, please e-mail me and I can give you full posting privileges. Actually, the ideal would be that this would become a community, but I am already used to my invisible audience.
I should also mention that my next post will introduce you to a Spanish web site which is the source of all my work. Much has been translated to English, but it might also help if you have Microsoft office to translate more pages on your own. I cannot stress enough how much I've oh to this site and some friends that I have made their. I don't think we can get far without the help of the wonderful people on that web site.
I might finish by saying that I have been doing rather serious work this winter, and I intend to continue to work at learning the Spanish timbrado song. Please be most welcome to learn with me and participate as I continue to work, or better yet, please be welcome to work with me!