Re: OT: Integrity of Performance and the Sample

["Peter Underwood" <skullyshakespeare@hotmail.com>]

>From: "Jon Wagner" <jondrums@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: jon.wagner@stanfordalumni.org
>To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
>Subject: Re: Integrity of Performance and the Sample
>Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 22:22:57 -0000
>
>>But then I took it one step further: I began using my acoustic bass 
>guitar
>>more for solo/loop stuff, and began playing the body of the bass as a
>>percussion instrument and making loops in real time with that.  Now I
>>prepare the bass with aligator clips for faux gamelan type sounds, use
>>chopsticks, different muting techniques, and, of course, sound processing
>>to alter the timbres.
>
>Max, others:
>  I have found myself in exactly the oposite position!  I am a
>drummer/percussionist trying to find ways to include melodies and 
>harmonies
>in my performance.  I am thouroughly opposed to using prerecorded
>samples/loops because I passionately believe that live performance is
>incredible powerful.  So I find myself in the position of wishing for more
>melodic possibilities using percussion.  I am in conflict between my
>minamalist nature and my wish for more molodic possibilities, which keeps 
>me
>from going out and buying a marimba or similar.  By minimalist, I mean I
>don't believe in thinking that I need to go buy something new so that I 
>can
>make _good_ music.  I believe that I can make music with whatever I have 
>at
>the moment.  So I have been working on techniques to get tones out of my
>drums.  I have also been trying to (gasp!) sing, chant, and use body music
>(I never thought I had even a passable voice, but I'm finding ways to use
>it).
>  I would love to hear ideas that other people have in this vein.  Max: 
>you
>might try some ideas that have worked for me in the past - actually use 
>your
>body to make rhythms.  Stomp your feet, clap your hands, slap your knees,
>whistle, hum, and make farting noises under your armpit....  Of course 
>this
>requires a microphone, but think of the possibilities.  I think this sort 
>of
>thing could really endear you to the audience because these are things
>everyone can do.  Plus you can practice these techniques anywhere!
>bye-
>jon


Jon et all,

About ten years ago I band I played in did some shows with a band called 
Caterwaul. Their drummer was really good. On his kit he included  one of 
those african instruments (and forgive me, I don't know what its called) 
that consists of a wooden bx with the topcut into differently porportioned 
wooden tines (used to see them at "Natural Wonders" type stores) anyway, 
during his solo(s) while playing his rhythms he would maintain a melody on 
this instrument. Came off as a very cool effect. I realize the consists of 
the "something new" that you were trying to avoid, but I thought it worth 
sharing all the same.

-skully


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