any musicians on this site?

i'd like to know who plays musis here. what instruments, what style(s), are you in a band, any composers......????

i'll start, i play keyboards in 60s and early 70s cover band. we are actually a working band, playing shows every weekend. its the first time in my life i've been able to make good money at music.

i've been playing piano for all of my life (since i was 7), and i've picked up guitar and drums as well. i also write songs.

anyone else?

I play a number of instruments enthusiastically, but not necessarily well. Many of them I haven't played since either high school or college.

Clarinet
Piano
Organ
Guitar (acoustic, classical and folk)
Melodic percussion (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone)
Tenor Sax
Bass Clarinet
Trumpet
Frame Drum
Japanese bamboo meditation flute
Native American Courting Flute

i like them all, but last two seem very cool. world sounds. into world beats?

Not particularly.

There are a number of people that should speak up soon.

Mrs RS is a classical pianist, teacher and accompanist.

I didn't take any lessons as a kid, but some beginner lessons later. It was with a group of Renaissance muscians that were performers, teachers and instrument makers. I took woodwind lessons. I have a tenor Cornamuse, a wind-cap instrument with a double reed inside.

i want one. the big one.

I'll show you mine....

That reminds me, I forgot two ... Soprano recorder and tenor recorder.

naughty rock......i LOVE it......

I played viola for about eight years, but haven't really touched it since high school.

How's this for weird? When I was six, I asked my mother for piano lessons--and she said no.

i love strings. i played violin and cello when i was younger.

i can relate to the weird. i really loved my piano lessons, and practicing, and even doing my scales. what a dweeb i was.

i dabble

I am extremely proficient with the skin flute. ;)

I played Bb clarinet and bass clarinet for two years. I could probably feel my way through a trumpet and a tenor sax based on my clarinet playing. I can play a little guitar, but I could never form chords well.

Neato, Rock! When I was in college I played krumhorn in the early music group. (Also recorder and viola da gamba.) I also barely played enough keyboard to pass the proficiency requirement in music school, and some handbells.

But my "real" instrument is clarinet. At the moment I play in a local university orchestra that includes folks from the surrounding area as well.

Wow SD, that's some cool stuff.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I sing in the car. Does that count?

wolf wrote:

That reminds me, I forgot two ... Soprano recorder and tenor recorder.

How could you remember it all? Instruments of mass destruction. You could multi-track yourself and play as The Wolf Band.

guitar.

i wish i was a professional musician.

I gots yer low end covered.

Rock Steady wrote:

How could you remember it all? Instruments of mass destruction. You could multi-track yourself and play as The Wolf Band.

The clarinet is in bad need of repadding, and I have to work on my embrochure something fierce. I never owned the Sax, Trumpet, or Vibraphone, borrowed them all from the school. Everything else is in a closet, drawer, hanging on a wall, or just laying around on a spare bed here.

I have a bodrhan, but I don't pretend to know how to play it. RichLevy, however, can attest that I am able to give lessons on it despite this.

Some of my drums, a tambourine, and a guest appearance by my moose staff, and official broom.

Guitar, bass, hand percussion and synths. I can't play keyboards for shit, but I know synths.

smoothmoniker wrote:

i dabble

Ha ha! In case you have not noticed, sm is who we all thought we wanted to be back in the day.

I play mandolin for my own amusement and the torture of others.

So, shall we do a Cellar album?

What, like a "everyone contribute a track" sort of thing?

sure. Or we find some tunes that eveyone likes, and each record our instrument, FTP the files to a central person who mixes, and then we sell it for literally billions of dollars cash money.

I play French horn (and flugel horn) and concertina. I like the idea of the album, but am not computer-technically proficient and am on dial-up ...

sycamore wrote:

I am extremely proficient with the skin flute. ;)

How come your offended when I say that about you? :jig:

When did I get offended at that? I'm proud of that ability! :)

UT may be the 4-string bass god around here, but I'm the one-string god.

Uh,...well,...er,.....skin flutes don't have strings.......except for the waiter that uses the spoon to put it back so he doesn't have to wash his hands. :eyebrow:

smoothmoniker wrote:

sure. Or we find some tunes that eveyone likes, and each record our instrument, FTP the files to a central person who mixes, and then we sell it for literally billions of dollars cash money.

do we have the technology?

i'm sure you do, and prolly tony and maybe spode. i know i dont have any way of making my guitar digital. my dad threatened to give me his 4 track digital mixer that he doesn't use, but forgot to bring it up last time he came for a visit. i dont even know if that would work.

OK, this is outside my expertice. Wouldn't you layer the instruments? Otherwise, everyone's just playing to a metronome and it sounds canned.

Wouldn't it be more like this: UT lays down the bass track, passes the recording to ... do we have a drummer? .... then onto 50cent-shift for the keyboards... then to various leads guitars, french horn, whatever, then the vocals last. ???

If we do Cranberries, 10000 Maniacs or No Doubt, I can do the lead vocals in that range. Blondie is just too high for me.

I have an old version of Sonar on my computer and I can get my hands on Cubase. We could pretty much do it with anything if we do it in straight .wav files. Someone would have to be in charge of accumulating and mixing the tracks into a finished product.

Oh...and there couldn't be any music reading involved if I was going to have any part in it. :)

lumberjim wrote:

guitar.

i wish i was a professional musician.

you can be, brother. just keep at it.

smoothmoniker wrote:

So, shall we do a Cellar album?

YESSSS !!

let's call ourselves the cellar doors. any better ideas?

The Cellar Rats

One key person here considers the doors a lounge act..

I play folk guitar and piano/keyboards poorly (but well enough to suit my meager purposes). I'm getting fairly good at playing jazz bass - my main hobby these days.

My current band briefly went by the name "Cellar Door", because of the quote from "Donnie Darko"...

I'm just a drummer, not sure if that counts

shells:

Pearl signature Steve Ferrone snare - a "Black Beauty" (black nickel over brass shell) but w/ gold-plated rims and chrome tube lugs w/ gold-plated mounts
Pacific kit: birch, 10" 12" 14" & 22" kick, satin-oil finish
old Tama power-toms kit: 12" 13" 16" & 22" kick
22" vintage Ludwig clear acrylic Vistalite kick
vintage Rogers steel snare 14"
Tama 13" maple snare
10" steel Gretsch auxiliary snare
6" 8" 10" mini-timbales
old no-name 16" tom

cymbals:

22" Paiste prototype (double-hammered and double-lathed w/ slight "flange")
22" Paiste Colorsound ride (red finish)
22" Zildjian Oriental China
18" Zildjian "china type" (Impulse series, the B8 bronze precursor to the Z series)
18" Zildjian "rock crash"
18" Zildjian medium thin crash
16" Zildjian medium thin crash
18" old, no-name, thin crash/ride
2 12" Wuhan chinas
2 12" Wuhan splashes
10" Zildjian K splash
6" Zildjian A-Custom splash
UFIP Icebell 6.5"
*every piece of busted bronze I ever owned
*hoping to get an 18" Sabian Rocktagon soon

hats:

(all Zildjian 13")
K bottom
Mastersound bottom (non-lathed, crimped edge)
A-Custom bottom
A-Custom top
old thin 13" Zildjian (splash?) used as top

hardware:

all Pearl stands (w/ universal tilter) for gigging kit
all DW 5000 series pedals for gigging kit
Pacific cheapie hardware for secondary kit
alot of spare, cheapie Pacific pedals
*every busted piece of hardware I ever owned
*a shitload of multi-clamps and other trickeries

miscellaneous:

12" Djembe & various other hand percussion pieces, cowbells, jamblocks, etc. (can be mounted to footpedal) plus my wife's keyboard, bass and bass amp

I can't think of anything else right now, I'm in the middle of moving into new house

now we have a detached garage, 750 square feet, I am going to put central air in, and sound-insulate

EDIT: Gibraltar throne, now demoted to secondary because I got a Roc N' Soc hydraulic throne!
EDIT: most of this stuff I got used, at pawn shops, etc. and acquired over many many years

Flint--- Just a drummer. Ha. Above, I tried to briefly list a forum band, but didn't have a drummer. Glad to hear that you have a det gargage to work with.

do drummers count? usually, only to "8"

oh wait, are we listing gear?

Hang on, lemme get another pen, this one's out of ink.

Guitar (Ibanez RG550, I think? ...It's the S/S/HB one.)

Bass (Shitty Silvertone started bass, Traben Array 4-string)

trying to learn keyboards too, got me one of those crappy ones with the light-up keys

Gear????

Mrs RS has a 1910 Steinway C Grand Piano. In Classical, this is as good as it gets. Thank goodness she's not a string player.

Elspode wrote:

My current band briefly went by the name "Cellar Door", because of the quote from "Donnie Darko"...

that was my reference earlier.

but i like cellar rats even better.

Rock Steady wrote:

Gear????

Mrs RS has a 1910 Steinway C Grand Piano. In Classical, this is as good as it gets. Thank goodness she's not a string player.

i am drooooooliing. that's a sweet ride.

I sing, ...and pretty darn well I must say.

Thats almost like being a musician..

Used to play the Oboe...and mess around with a lil Ibanez Day tripper soemtimes.

I play geetar. Got a couple, and about 4 amps. I do metal mostly, but like to try other stuff too.

What kinda metal noodle? Do you enjoy Queensryche and Dream Theater? I dont know if theyre considered metal...love those bands though...

Iron Maiden? [old] Metallica?

@all: On you respective instruments, who are your biggest influences?

...for me (drums) I'd say, off the top of my head, the obvious John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, and Neil Peart, plus Mitch Mitchell and Bill Bruford, and every drummer who ever played for Zappa or Steely Dan (including, but not limited to Terry Bozzio, Steve Gadd, Vinnie Collaiuta, etc. etc.) . . . then there are the fusion guys like Billy Cobham . . . and of course the ultimate jazz drumming genius of Elvin Jones . . . in "lists" I always feel like I am badly overlooking somebody . . .

Munchkin wrote:

What kinda metal noodle? Do you enjoy Queensryche and Dream Theater? I dont know if theyre considered metal...love those bands though...

Iron Maiden? [old] Metallica?

all of the above. Dream Theater is amazing and I never miss a show if I can help it. Queensryche I like, but haven't listened to them since Empire. Maiden rules, of course -- I'm counting the days till the new album comes out. Metallica is kind of meh these days, but the old skool stuff was great.

Since my band got a vocalist, we've gotten heavier -- we do a Testament cover every now and then, one from a band called Grip, Inc. (side project of Dave Lombardo that's less demonic than Slayer), some Megadeth (I should've put them up top of my list -- they're the most bestest metal ever). We fool around with Wrathchild from the early Maiden days. We were toying around with a Ratt song, too, but I think we've crossed a line somewhere that precludes music by Ratt from making the setlist. Something about being physically assaulted by your audience.

I shouldn't have gotten started trying to list these. I just thought of about 5 more that we play in practice that never see the light of day. Oh well.

:band:



edit: as to influences, they're all up there too. I copy Eric Peterson when playing rhythm cuz he has the most disgusting right-hand technique ever when it comes to heavy playing. For lead stuff, I have tons of heroes, none of whom I can remotely approach in skill. So I just kind of do my thing.

@mrnoodle: On Megadeth's last album the drummer was Vinnie Collaiuta! He started as a Zappa drummer, almost got pigeon-holed as a chopsy show-off (of course, playing Zappa's insane charts) but broke out of that mold and became a hugely versatile drummer who went on to eventually do alot of groove-based work with Sting (and he also cut some Steely Dan tracks, so he was doubly on ^^^my list^^^) . . . anyways he rocked so hard with Megadeth it blew me away. Some very subtle but incredibly difficult figures on the double-bass. Who knew Collaiuta was a double-bass guy? That's the kind of dude he is, one of the best all-around drummers out there.

With the forum album, are you guys doiing originals and/or covers?

nah, it's going to be all vaugley celtic goth emo, all in G minor, all programmed with a DX7.

My influences range from Zappa to Rhoads to Vai to Johnny Ramone... But my biggest influence, I think, is Mick Ronson from the Spiders from Mars.

i got to see zappa with steve vai on leads. un-frikkin-real.

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Magenta"]Passion and Warfare[/COLOR][/SIZE] is one of my "desert island albums" . . .

One of the coolest credits ever was Vai playing "Stunt Guitar" for Zappa!

mrnoodle wrote:

all of the above. Dream Theater is amazing and I never miss a show if I can help it. Queensryche I like, but haven't listened to them since Empire. Maiden rules, of course -- I'm counting the days till the new album comes out. Metallica is kind of meh these days, but the old skool stuff was great.

sweeeeeet... Iron Maiden was my first real concert (The wallflowers dont count...billy joel was great, but until you see a "real" band you havent been to a "real" concert)... Once I saw them in concert (I wasnt as into their music at first) I was totally hooked... Then after that I saw Dream Theater and Queesnryche and PErfect Circle... Best evenings EVER.. I wish I wasnt so broke or Id go to more shows...

I think I enjoy Dream Theater And Queensryche the most because the songs are in my vocal range. I love singing... but the stuff out today outside of broadway is all runs and know feeling and substance...I love singing along with these albums... My car cd sleeve looks very strange... it has Oliver (auditioned for the show last weeked) LEs Mis, Queensryche, Dream Theater, Maiden, Billy Joel, The Sound Track to Les Choristes, The Used... etc... a very wide range of genres... Im weird...

I couldnt really pck any group or person that influenced me.. I just love it all and sing in any style that I can manage.

I play bass in these two bands
www.myspace.com/handofonan
www.myspace.com/pineboxserenade

:notworthy

Pinebox Serenade is GREAT STUFF, man. Hand of Onan is cool, too, but I am really digging the dark bluegrassy stuff.

DAMMIT, I wanna go see Zappa Plays Zappa.

Real Illusions:Reflections totally pwnz Passion and Warfare though.

sirwallace wrote:

I play bass in these two bands
www.myspace.com/handofonan
www.myspace.com/pineboxserenade

Good Stuff, Sir!

I play guitar and bass and have a small home studio (8-track hard disc recorder). I "compose" (I neither read or write music) songs. I'd be pleased as punch to contribute to an album of original, or tastefully re-done, music. Let's get something going!

squeedler wrote:

... a small home studio (8-track hard disc ecorder)...

That's great; wish I had an HD. I did mine pre-HD-recorders. I got a TASCAM portable DAT recorder with XLR inputs and digital & analog out. I always have to record acoustic. The DAT has a switch to provide phatom power to the mics.

Rock Steady,

Just out of curiosity, why do you have to record acoustic? Is it lack of electrics, or lack of modelers? Or just your choice?

By the way, Rock,

My unit (recorder, just to clarify) is a Zoom 802bCD. It has 2 stereo drum tracks, 8 mono tracks, stereo master track. The modelers are practically limitless, effects up the old wazoo, mastering suite AND a built in cd burner.
20+ drum kits, 400+ rythyms, plus the ability to create your own beats. It has phase looping as well as optional usb card/port. It is capable of producing a pro-level cd. It's a FABULOUS little machine. There are similar things out there, but for the price, it can't be beat. And no, I'm NOT affiliated with Zoom. I just LOVE this machine!!!

Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread, let's make a record!

Mrs RS is a classical pianist accompanying violinists, singers, cellists, chamber groups and more. All the instruments are acoustic. It's a completely different world. Mrs RS wants it straight up, no balancing, no mixing.

Ohhhhhhhhh.

So I guess we're talkin' basic two track live recording. That can be a gas as well.

UT.

You, me, and any other bassists who think they are up to it...

Must do a cover of Fish (Schindlaeria Praematurus) by Yes if we do a Cellar album.

There are, if I recall correctly, nine bass tracks on that song. It would be plenty rad if we could find nine bassists.

Oh man, I would love to do that! Excellent call.

Philly has this thing called the fringe festival, where shorter acts and weirder things can get some stage time. My idea is, I would like to get area bassists together and do a Spinal Tap-esque act, of maybe just 5-6 bassists and maybe one percussionist. Totally rock the low end of the house, with a stage full of rigs, and blow people away.

The funny thing is, it would get a full house for a 15 minutes set, because all the area bands looking for bassists would show up.

hahahahaha, that would rock so hard!

Heehee, I was reading my friend's Spinal Tap book thing, and it said that Harry Shearer (/Derek Smalls) was preparing for the movie, he went into this little hole-in-the-wall music shop, pointed to the doubleneck bass on the wall, and asked the owner:

"What, exactly, is the point of a doubleneck bass?"

"Uh... nothing, there's no point really..."

"PERFECT!"



EDIT: you should do just a buncha covers with the bass band, but bass them out! And then you could name the band "Bassicaly, A Cover Band..."

Yeah, it would be kind of cool to start with something obvious and ironically funny, like the opening bit of Smoke on the Water, and then do something "pretty", and then do something "difficult" where everyone could show off chops, and then do something funky like say RHCP, and then end it with Big Bottom. So, something for everybody.

You would pretty much have to do Big Bottom. I don't see how you couldn't.

Of course Big Bottom, that's a given. Damn, that song's fun to play, too...

Don't forget some kind of like, mellow groovy Wootenesque thing, too

Let's see...

I sing. My voice is best suited to country and folk, although neither is my favorite genre. I can't help it if its gravely and twangy ;)

I play the piano/electronic keyboard. I took many years of lessons as a youngster, but went overseas and had no access to either teachers or instruments. Only recently did I get a keyboard as a present and am picking it back up again.

I play the flute and violin as well. Lost access to both instruments while overseas, but acquired a flute a few years back and have been messing around with it again as well.

My partner plays guitar. Oh man does he play! He was in several local (for him, in Maryland) bands before I met him and is talking about doing that again. He plays both electric and acoustic and has a mixer, amp and other goodies.

If we ever get enough room to set up all of our instruments, we'll start practicing on some music together. Maybe lay some tracks down and see what we can do. My current keyboard interest is in electronica...trance style sounds, although I can play rock, pop or classical as well.

Stormie

Undertoad wrote:

Philly has this thing called the fringe festival, where shorter acts and weirder things can get some stage time. My idea is, I would like to get area bassists together and do a Spinal Tap-esque act, of maybe just 5-6 bassists and maybe one percussionist. Totally rock the low end of the house, with a stage full of rigs, and blow people away.

ForksBob works for the Fringe Fest, if you need a contact.

Danke! Entries are closed for 2006, so there is much time to consider this concept.

I have a Yamaha CS1x synth and also a PSR-510. I never forgave Sam Ash for selling the Korg Karma I was lusting after while unemployed...but Korg has moved on beyond the Karma to various flavors of Triton....so Karmas are getting cheap on eBay.

I used to be rather good at guitar, but don't play much anoymore...and I was classically trained in voice, but that was a previous lifetime and is now a very emotional subject.

Back in the late '90s I turned out a couple of little MIDI tracks on the PSR-510:
Friends in Houston and Julie

Hmm... Let's see. I play the flute (5 years of lessons when I was a kid, a lot of it stuck) and since December I'm learning to play the bagpipe which is loads of fun! Occasionally I play tinwhistle as well but not as good as I do the regular flute.

Ever heard the band Brother? Aussies who do the Celtic Fair circuit, they play bagpipes and didgeridoo (along with drums, bass guitar)

No, never heard of them, they sound like fun, pipes combined with didges, wow. I'm gonna look them up.

Posting after myself but am very happy right now. My pipeband came in fourth in their grade in the Continentals this Saturday. Woohoo! They expected 7th or 8th. And our drummajor came in first in the drum competition.

Beautiful and riveting. I like it.

Here's another electromusik technique I "play", Electroplankton. I enjoy it immensely.

Short audio only clip
Longer (30mb) video with sound (much more representative)
Press Release

MaggieL wrote:

MY kind of pipeband.

I have both DVDs. Fascinating and the story of how they did it, even more so.

I contacted them to see if there was some way to use the "angle" button, when playing on the PC. Their response was, Gosh, we don't know but if you find out be sure and tell us. :lol:

BigV - um...wow? That is amazing. More than a looper, yet intuitive and deep. Was that actually you in the video? I remember reading about the release of Electroplankton, but had never seen it in action. How's the sound quality? Can you get it to a serious amplification device with the stereo out on the DS?

Els:

It is waay more than a looper. It has two modes, one where it plays by itself, "Perfomance" I think, that cycles through the different creatures, while they play a set on their own, a few minutes long each. The other mode is interactive and I forget the name (it's visible in the video), where each of the modes is selectable and you have to drive it. It is very intuitive. I have gotten literally hours of enjoyment from this little gizmo. I put the headphones on and scribble away. Sometimes I shift over to autopilot and let them sing me to sleep. I got a startling wakeup once when the smooth synth sounds changed to clanging and crashing percussion just as I was crossing the border into dreamland. :yikes:

No, that is not me in the video; my appearance on the intarweb is restricted to the cellar only.

If you have a DS, I'm sure you could get a copy of the program from your local game retailer. Moreso, you could download a copy for free from anyone who had it. The copy would be fully functional, but live only in RAM. Now, I've done this with many other games, but haven't actually tried this with Electroplankton.

As to the level of amplification, it's a line out signal, suitable for headphones. I reckon that signal could easily be amplified when fed to the Line In on your own stereo. Haven't yet tried that. What I am wondering how to accomplish is how to get the video out along with the audio, so I can conduct on the big screen!

What's a DS? :confused:

A DS is a handheld gaming system from Nintendo. It has two screens, Dual Screens, hence the name. The bottom one is touch sensitive. Like a GameBoy or PSP. But lots betterer.

Whooo, just got a Zoom 505II multi-effect pedal yesterday... LOVE IT. Any guitarist (there's also a bass version) with sixty bucks in their pocket oughtta get one. One of the best digital effects processors i've used.

Wootage! The pipemajor of my pipeband told me I will soon learn my first tune! *dances around*

Tse Moana wrote:

Wootage! The pipemajor of my pipeband told me I will soon learn my first tune! *dances around*

That's great TM! There is absolutely nothing like playing music, nothing at all ... (just back from a rehearsal for West Side Story myself) ...:3eye:

Mmmm, finally got around to photographing mah baby...

I am a flute player.i can able to play various type of flutes .Flute is a divine instrument.The sound of lute depends on the diameter of flute and the number of holes in it.it is also in different costs.

Hawaiian style guitar

If we're going to turn this into a picture thread ...

I have drums.




I have several others, but they are commericially produced, not hand painted.

Aw man, I want a hawaiian guitar!

But I want a Ukelele even more.

i play (guitar) for a living (such as it is) also write songs. working on my own cd of mostly original tunes

Hi Gibsy, welcome to the Cellar. :D
Tell us more, man;
Band/Solo?
Studio?
Type of music?
Will you still love us when you're rich & famous?

I have been a baaaaad girl.

On the theory that they are just like potato chips, I have had a Native American Courting Flute population explosion.

I already had one in G, Forks attendees in 2005 probably heard me play it.

I have friends who play NACF. Of course, none of us have the same key. Actually we all have keys that cause incredibly painful dissonance if any attempt is made to play them together.

I like to hang out with my friends and do things like play the flute.

So I "corrected" the problem ... buy buying flutes tuned to A and F#, the other two most popular keys. Apparently most recorded NA Flute is F# because the tone is richer, so I should be able to play along with Carlos Nakai and Douglas Spotted Eagle now.

Ibram wrote:

Aw man, I want a hawaiian guitar!

But I want a Ukelele even more.

Do you know about Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole? Take a listen to "Facing Future". Nice stuff.

I've got a gig this afternoon, two songs only... I'm doing American Pie and Hotel California.

Wish me luck...

wolf wrote:

...so I should be able to play along with Carlos Nakai and Douglas Spotted Eagle now.

That would make you a very good girl.



(luck!)

Good Luck!!

Wait. Break a Leg!

How'd the gig go, Ibram?

Got up there, played American Pie, everyone loved it (well, didnt hate it too much, which is a win in my book), and then I played Queen Bitch by Bowie and didnt totally blow it, so...

All in all, a not-completely-awful gig!

(now, if I could just learn to sing...)

There ya go! American Pie is pretty hard to pull off well, too; it's so long, with a ton of weird lyrics to remember, all that interferes with how much soul you can put into it without blowing it.

So, Ibbie, "Ziggy played guitar" from the looks of how your axe is strung.

Wolf, perhaps if we ever jammed, it could be multiple bodhrans (which tend to develop hypnotic rhythms) or my bodhran to your flute (good for dancing).

But bodhran's only what I double on. I play the Highland bagpipe. Different sort of woodwind... a compass of nine notes, A to A plus a G on the bottom, one dynamic -- fff -- and no rests. Scale Of Bagpipe is a pentatonic-with-supplements approximation of B flat, and that is the only scale it plays -- oh, and my A is everyone else's B flat too.

@Urbane Guerrilla: Are you familiar with the band Brother?
Aussies who play the US Celtic circuit. Three dudes who play, variously, bass, drums, and guitar - plus bagpipes and digeridoos...

grats on the gig ibram -- doing stuff alone is so much harder than being in a band. to this day, i shake like a friggin leaf if i have to play without anyone backing me up.

Urbane Guerrilla wrote:

So, Ibbie, "Ziggy played guitar" from the looks of how your axe is strung.

Wolf, perhaps if we ever jammed, it could be multiple bodhrans (which tend to develop hypnotic rhythms) or my bodhran to your flute (good for dancing).

But bodhran's only what I double on. I play the Highland bagpipe. Different sort of woodwind... a compass of nine notes, A to A plus a G on the bottom, one dynamic -- fff -- and no rests. Scale Of Bagpipe is a pentatonic-with-supplements approximation of B flat, and that is the only scale it plays -- oh, and my A is everyone else's B flat too.

If I ever have my B-flat Clarinet recorked, we might have a heck of a jam there.

Or an accordion, of all things!

Flint, I might have heard Brother among others at the Highland Games at Pleasanton, CA. Quite a few years back though. There are a lot of electro-Celt-folkie groups with a piper and I'll listen to about any of them. There are a lot of pipe tunes that would sound very well wrung through a lead guitar, IMHO. I should learn guitar and put this before the public.

Back in the day there was an electro-Celtofolk outfit in your general neck of the woods called Celtic Stone. They seem to have lasted 1980-86, and I heard them at the SCA's Twenty Year Celebration on the Texas Renfair grounds outside of Houston. There's a charming history here.

Gig on the 21st... with a band, this time!

We're gonna do The Kids Aren't Alright (offspring) and Blitzkreig Bob (do I even need to say?), plus another song to two tbd.

@Urbane Guerrilla: I'm taking my baby to Celtic Heritage for her one-month birthday!

WHAT?!? You want to get dismissed early or something??

BigV wrote:

WHAT?!? You want to get dismissed early or something??

Nice reference. But seriously, we'll mostly be walking around to the booths of various people we know(showing her off!) as opposed to disturbing the musical acts with baby interference. Although, she does nicely during the day, in her little canvas baby swing that I carry her around in.

And, of course, if she gets fussy, mama can stick a boob in her mouth.

Flint wrote:

And, of course, if she gets fussy, mama can stick a boob in her mouth.

Just as long as she hides in the porta john where she belongs.;)

That looks like a nice festival. Ours are usually smaller here, although you are in Texas.

You should see North Texas Irish Festival or the Highland Games!

One of the local radio personalities on station KVEN Ventura is going to take a stab at a local upcoming Highland Games. I think he's praying he won't rupture himself tossing the caber. Novice class, I gather, circa eighty-five pounds @ fourteen feet. The more advanced strong-guys-in-kilts generally compete at over a hundred pounds of log. Highland Games athletes are generalists; everyone enters every event at the games, which list may vary.

Little baby girl attended her first Trinity River Whalers show from outside of the belly.

Alright, the band is GO for the gig next saturday. The Kids Arent Alright, Blitzkreig Bop, On Mercury (RHCP) and Immigrant Song (Zep, duh).

Aren't you doing See Spammer?

Hahahahahahahahahahaha


I do plan to steal it and turn it into a song eventually though.

My mates and I doing an Octoberfest show at a local conservatory. Me on the electric upright.

I *so* want an upright bass, electric or otherwise. How much greater difficulty do you find in playing that over the electric bass Dar?

The one in the picture is the same scale as a standard electric bass ~36 inches. I find it easier to play than a regular electric bass.

I've been taking lessons since June on a real doghouse. Real double basses and most electrics that mimic them are ~ 41 inch scale. So the strings are longer and they're also thicker. Because of the longer scale, the fingering is different from electric bass.

Both are a heck of a lot of fun.

I fear that I won't be able to play one without cheater marks. You probably call them "frets". :redface:

Then you want one like the Dean in the picture. They've got little dots on the side where the fret would be for 3,5,7,9,12 etc. -- the same frets that have mother of pearl markers on an electric bass. You can see them here. See the little white dots on the side? That's your virtual fret.

I'll be selling mine eventually, but probably not until next spring or summer when I get completely moved over to the big dog.

Dean makes that? Cool. My cheapass electric bass is a Dean Edge One. Plays great, but I have a lot of trouble with the highs being too bright compared to the lows. I've tried EQ and compression, but I just can't seem to find the right combination of processing to even it out a bit. String suggestions? And how much does that Dean standup electric go for, anyway?

Elspode wrote:

Plays great, but I have a lot of trouble with the highs being too bright compared to the lows.

Cheap drums have the same problem, in that case you have to put on thicker heads (it doesn't enhance the low, but it kills the high).
Apparently low-end is expensive to manufacture.

I play a mean jaw-harp.

I wish I could understand half of what Jeff Porcaro plays. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what the hell he is doing on Africa - and I know what he does on Rosanna, but it's frickin' impossible! The guy was as smooth as Bernard Purdie. This is one of those deals where I pick apart a Steely Dan song or something for years, and I never quite nail it, but I develop my own little thing based on the idea.

I wish I could play geetar like Paco De Lucia.

I got that De Lucia, McLaughlin, DiMeola live in (acoustic) concert CD.

You are one cruel bitch. I have Zyrab and Castro Marin.

sure sure ::: pretends to know who that is :::

Titles of his cds.

Elspode wrote:

Dean makes that? Cool. My cheapass electric bass is a Dean Edge One. Plays great, but I have a lot of trouble with the highs being too bright compared to the lows. I've tried EQ and compression, but I just can't seem to find the right combination of processing to even it out a bit. String suggestions? And how much does that Dean standup electric go for, anyway?

I use Rotosound 88s to get a woody sound out of it. I hear there is a La Bella set that also works well.

I think I paid $660 for it on sale. The current sale price at Musician's Friend is $729.

Is the body of the Dean standup bass an actual resonant chamber, or just a solid block?

If memory serves, Rotosound 88's have a fairly "loose" sort of tone, kind of a rattly intonation. I'm wondering how different the sound is between the standup and my standard bass using the same strings.

No chamber. It's a stick with strings.

I don't know what you would get from the 88s on a standard bass. This thing is fretless and has the piezo pickups instead of the standard magnetic jobs.

Today's the big day!

Our drummer bailed on us YESTERDAY, the day before the fucking gig, but we've found a last-minute replacement, so it's still on. We're meeting at seven to practice for a few hours, then the drummer has to work at the food fair, then we go on at 2.40ish.

Oh man its gonna be sweet.

Break a leg, Ib. Don't forget to flip some picks out into the audience, and make sure you've got a sock tucked down in your jeans for that "enhanced" profile.

Rock on, dude.

Psh, I dont play with a pick, and I dont NEED the sock.

Well, damn, man...you've got to have *some* rock star affectation. Do you have time to get hooked on heroin, or at least get ten or twelve really rad tats?

How's a totally ridiculous pink jacket and a Roseworthy voice?

HOLY FUCKING FUCK I LOVE YOUR SIG!
Fuckin' Zevon pwnz.

Tear it up Ib!

We rocked. The singing was terrible, but I was singing so nobody expected better. We couldnt really hear eachother, we were playing outside, but we were all together and playing the right chords. I even nailed the solo from Kids Arent Alright.

My latest acquisition -- an Eminence electric upright. A doghouse without having to carry around the whole house.

I'm [COLOR="Lime"][SIZE="5"]green [/SIZE][/COLOR]with envy. Nice.

Nice! Is that solid bodied or hollow?

DAR, get that damn thing off my clean valance lace or you'll be sleeping on the couch! :lol:

glatt wrote:

Nice! Is that solid bodied or hollow?

It is hollow. It's essentially an undersized plywood bass.

Have no idea if this is relevent, but here's my latest toy.

Um...that's gorgeous! Source? Price?

The wife and I have often toyed with the idea of getting squeezebox of some sort. That one's awful purty.

Elspode wrote:

Um...that's gorgeous! Source? Price?

The wife and I have often toyed with the idea of getting squeezebox of some sort. That one's awful purty.

Homewood, Alabama. I'd recommend going with a standard C/G anglo to start with (the pic is of a rather more rarified instrument) ... Or go and visit Bob and see what he's got ...
Price on application ...
Oh, and if'n you want lessons, come to my island in October next year ...

Yow! $1800? :eek: I believe I *will* look for something a bit less rarified at that.

Elspode wrote:

Yow! $1800? :eek: I believe I *will* look for something a bit less rarified at that.

You've gotta admire the fine woodwork, though.

Limey is that vintage? You don't see nice scrollwork like that anymore.

Elspode wrote:

Um...that's gorgeous! Source? Price?

The wife and I have often toyed with the idea of getting squeezebox of some sort.

Is this what you had in mind? ;)


Mama's got a squeeze box
She wears on her chest
And when Daddy comes home
He never gets no rest

'Cause she's playing all night
And the music's all right
Mama's got a squeeze box
Daddy never sleeps at night

dar512 wrote:

You've gotta admire the fine woodwork, though.

Limey is that vintage? You don't see nice scrollwork like that anymore.

Made for me by Mr Tedrow this year, dar. Hence the price tag (there's a lot of fiddly stuff inside, too, springs'n'levers'n'valves'n'all ...)

That is a thing of beauty, thanks for sharing limey!

dar512 wrote:

Is this what you had in mind? ;)

No, I was actually thinking more along the lines of a musical instrument, but then Mrs Els *does* often say:

"Squeeze me...c'mon and squeeze me
C'mon and please me like you do
I'm so in love with you"
Mama's got a squeeze box, daddy never sleeps at night

Griff wrote:

That is a thing of beauty, thanks for sharing limey!

Why thankee Griff! I have a couple of vintage instruments which I'll get round to posting at some point ... they're fab, too!

Why wait, eh? This one's about 100 years old (apart from the hand-straps):

Very pretty! How long have you been playing?

Griff wrote:

Very pretty! How long have you been playing?

Since 1999. What you see before you is a concertina, an "Anglo-German" concertina (there are many systems and you don't want to get me started on all that ;) ). It's basically a couple of harmonicas stuck together and bellows- (rather than lungs-) operated.

Beautiful. Stunning. Wow.

Thank you. I'll take a pic of the insides, too, at some point - though once you get the end off it's more of a dodad than a musical instrument somehow ....

What kind of music do you play on them, Limey?

Most people associate this type of concertina with Irish Traditional Music, but I'l go for any folky tune that I like, largely from the British traditions, though I have a Flemish tune, too, and a Russian one or two (natch). I'm currently working on a couple of ragtime tunes, and there's a great (classical) song by Russian composer Cui that I'd like to have a crack at.

I am completely green with envy. Gorgeous instruments, both.

Thank you.

http://www.garageband.com/artist/slurry

last band was in..

Gig friday, playing at the Amnesty International Annual Cafe.

If we can find a drummer, Blitzkrieg Bop and The Kids Aren't Alright.
If we can't, acoustic American Pie.

Whoaaaa, I go on in about ten minutes!

Ohhhhh man.

Every other act had come on and done slow, sad, lame emo-y songs... Then we got on.
"Man, aren't ya'll tired of all these slow songs?! How about something to bring some LIFE inta this party!?"
"WHOOO!"
Aside from the sub-par drums, we kicked ASS. Got on and led with a rad riff and sped it up until we were all over the place, just to get them pumped.
"D'ya think my gittar's loud enough?!"
"NO!"
*screeech of feedback as I turn it up to eleven*
"What about NOW?!"
"WHOOOO!"
We launch into Blitzkreig Bop and pwn. The drums were near-perfect (at least as good as Tommy ever was...), the instruments were perfect, and the vocals were...good enough. I got at least half the audience singing along.

Then into The Kids Arent Alright. I nailed my solo (aside from the drums going all over the place), we kept in perfect time (aside from the drums going all over the place), and we got the audience singing along the "whoa-oh!"s too. Ended with a dramatic hammeron/pullof for the outro, with my pickin' hand in the air, bringing it down for the finale.
"WHOOOOO!"
"THANK YOU GOODNIGHT!" *devilhorns*

Sorry about the shit drums, man. I'd do 'em right for ya. (Step #1: listen!)

I gigged Friday and Saturday on the new bass. Man was that a workout.

I love the way this thing sounds. It was a big hit with my mates and the audience as well.

Now back to my scales...

We did a gig Friday night at the Kansas City Museum, all acoustic. Interesting, that. The highlight was some drunken ex cheerleader type in white stretch pants and a cowl neck angora sweater who was hanging all over people while carrying her Pomeranian, breathing vodka fumes into their faces. Later, she thought our harpist had dissed her with a look, grabbed her hair and started harassing her. And this over the hill deb (actually, she said she was a "professional dancer") was a member of the Board of the neighborhood organization that put on the event for which we were playing.

Ah, the glamorous musician's life.

Aw, man. I never get the good gigs. :rolleyes:

On the other hand, I've never had beer spilled on my stuff either, so I guess it's a wash.

Sounds like one of my gigs... (drunken keyboardist's gf catapults entire pitcher of beer across the whole stage)

Flint wrote:

Sounds like one of my gigs... (drunken keyboardist's gf catapults entire pitcher of beer across the whole stage)

Who was drunk,the keyboardist or the girlfriend? Whatever, speaking as a keyboardist's ex-wife, it's still REALLY charming. :right:

limey wrote:

Why wait, eh? This one's about 100 years old (apart from the hand-straps):

I LOVE that instrument.
Do you have the Dan Zane's sea shanty CD? If you want it I'll mail it to you.
I also knew a guy that had one that I am buying. He passed away not too long ago (I miss him a LOT). Sailorman was a very hip, no-bullshit, kinda' guy who taught me a lot of what I knew about pipes and pipe smoking. I try to keep his legacy alive. His music (I have heard it on-line) is cool.

No one was impressed with my jaw-harp chops...:sniff:

rkzenrage wrote:

I LOVE that instrument.
Do you have the Dan Zane's sea shanty CD? If you want it I'll mail it to you.
I also knew a guy that had one that I am buying. He passed away not too long ago (I miss him a LOT). Sailorman was a very hip, no-bullshit, kinda' guy who taught me a lot of what I knew about pipes and pipe smoking. I try to keep his legacy alive. His music (I have heard it on-line) is cool.

No one was impressed with my jaw-harp chops...:sniff:

Why thank you for your enthusiasm - whether for my own instrument or the concertina in general :) . I don't know the music of Dan Zane and I'd be grateful if you're serious about sending me a CD - doesn't seem to be available over here. Does it have much concertina stuff on it? Are you buying your late friend's concertina? Do you play?

limey wrote:

I don't know the music of Dan Zane and I'd be grateful if you're serious about sending me a CD - doesn't seem to be available over here.

Dan Zanes was a member of the Del Fuegos a decade or two ago. He now makes a very good living doing children's music. It's the only children's music I've heard (besides maybe Peter Paul and Mary) that is good for adults too. He's pretty talented and fun.

anyone on here from around the atlanta area, that knows of a good guitar repair shop?