Re: Acoustic/Koto with Paper Clips and other tips for PREPARINGLOOPABLE INSTRUMENTS

[Richard Zvonar <zvonar@zvonar.com>]

At 11:19 PM -0800 2/6/01, Rick Walker (Loop.pooL) wrote:

>I've used...those Chinese Chrome Balls with the little chimes in 
>them (used for hand exercises) which sound incredible if you put the 
>guitar or bass on a very slight incline and let the very heavy balls 
>roll up slowly towards the pickups.

The Art Guys are an art duo in Houston.  One of their video pieces is 
a one-take close-up of the bass strings inside a grand piano. The 
first sound one hears is a quiet but complex glissando which turns 
out to be made by a small ball bearing rolling a long the strings and 
ending Clunk! against the tuning pegs. The first ball bearing is 
followed by another, then by several at once. Then the sounds get 
louder and deeper, and the next swarm of ball bearings is larger, 
heavier, and more momentous than the first. After all these rolling 
balls build to a crescendo there is a grand pause, then comes a sound 
both louder and more ominous and Wham! a bowling ball heaves into 
sight and smashes into the piano frame.
-- 

______________________________________________________________
Richard Zvonar, PhD                     zvonar@zvonar.com
(818) 788-2202 voice                    zvonar@LCSaudio.com
(818) 788-2203 fax                      zvonar@well.com

                 http://www.zvonar.com