This month’s tidbits we’ll discuss the very basic of the Spanish Timbrado Song. Our participating author is the well known Roque Díez.

When we listen to a canary sing, is it not true that we notice that not all the notes are emitted with the same rhythm? In some of the birds these notes are extremely fast and, for those of us old enough, remind us of the old-fashioned electric doorbells that you go rrrriii/rrrreee… (Short vowel sounds). These are the notes that we call continuous that in the Spanish Timbrado comprise the categories known as timbres and variriaciones rodadas that our canaries sing so fast that it becomes impossible to individualize the syllables.

A second type of note that is also extremely fast but can be distinguished ever so slightly. You can hear the accelerated, but countable beat in this type song we call semi continuous (lililili/bliblibli/ clocloclo…).

Finally we can hear other notes that are emitted much slower and even hear the clear breaks between the syllables that make up each note or measure of song the birds sing. These notes we call discontinuous (tin-tin-tin/ tiroli-tiroli-tiroli…).

Most all song canaries sing all three types of notes but specialize in one or the other. The German Roller has its strength in the continuous notes while the Waterslager has both the continuous and semi-continuous ones. The Timbrado has two fundamental lineages. The CLASSIC or "continuous" singer is not specialized in any specific type note. In fact, it has almost every type and style of note known in its repertoire as well as tremendously varied speed of emission. Now, the FLOREADO, or "discontinuous" line of Timbrados have a very specific foundation on discontinuous notes, along with a small presence of semi- continuous song.

Last among the various styles of Timbrados we have a bird whose song is primarily discontinuous but has both semi-continuous and even continuous notes, though just in a residual amount. This line is known as the INTERMEDIAT line.

© Roque Díez