HI James,   
      
   On Thu 2039-Mar-24 04:00, James Bradley (1:342/77) wrote to Richard Webb:   
      
   JB> I'm addressing this to you Richard, because I pick on Ardith too   
   JB> much. It  applies equally.   
      
    AH>  Improvisation   -- what we do when the music falls down   
      
    RW>  Also what we do when we're running out of songs to play   
    RW>  and want to make them last longer.   
      
      
    AH>           Yup.  :-)   
      
   JB> "Where's that confounded bridge?"   
      
   "I'm just tryin' to find the bridge."   
      
   Btw  it's funny how many young drummer come in and when I   
   ask them to show me an example of the kind of drum sound   
   that would come as close as could be to musical orgasm for   
   them if it were to be heard on their recording they play   
   that band for me.  THen they look at me strange when I don't close mic the   
   kit, or even funnier when I tell 'em what we   
   need is a big room to record their drums in.    I explain to them that you   
   don't put your ear right up to a drum to   
   listen to it, which is essentially what you're doing with a   
   close mike.  tHe Bonham studio sound was big rooms, only two or three   
   microphones.   
      
    AH>  Chords          -- something organists play with one finger   
      
      
   JB> MOD: Chords  -- something accordionists play with one finger PS: I   
   JB> just read your next post, so the MOD stands.    
      
   YOu bet!!!   
      
    AH>  Time Signatures    -- trivial details often irrelevant   
    AH>  to drummers   
      
    RW>  WOrked with a few who resembled that remark .  I   
    RW>  endeavor not to.   
      
    RW>  For drummers for whom that was true often dynamics are   
    RW>  trivial as well.   
      
   JB> We get all the blame, even if it *was* the base player/horn section!   
   JB>     
      
   Yeah I know, bass players can do that easily, or other   
   rhythm section elements.  USually because they're not paying close enough   
   attention to the drums, or because they're   
   trying to push the tempo for other reasons, i.e.   
   uncomfortable singing at that tempo or similar.  That's one   
   thing all the midi work did for me, it improved my sense of   
   when I was trying to push or pull the tempo.   
      
      
   JB> I've mentioned here earlier to Ardith, that when I was a wee lad I   
   JB> saw  these guitar players spend more time tuning their instruments   
   JB> than playing  the ruddy songs. "Nope, I just want to play!" Then, I   
   JB> counted the lugs on  my snare drum and later realized I had to   
   JB> double that number and adjust  (mostly) all of those if my kick   
   JB> rattled the snares!!! !!! !!!       
      
   YEp, the tension adjustment for the snares, the lugs on the   
   top heads, lugs on the bottom heads.   
      
   You'd be surprised in my bar band days though how many times I'd go to a gig   
   to find a pickup drummer who didn't have a   
   drum key or common hand tool.s  A drum key, common hand   
   tools, and wd40 for kick drum pedals was part of my gotta   
   have it toolkit for gigging.   
      
   JB> Boy, did I pick it wrong!    
      
   Yeah I know, think about those guys carrying those cp-80   
   Yamaha "electric grand" pianos with the pickups. 88 keys. AT least they didn't   
   have the unisons in the middle and upper   
   regions.   
      
    AH>  Melody             -- an ancient, now almost extinct art   
    AH>  in song writing   
      
    RW>  Oh yeah, that's for sure.  Back when I was doing studio for   
    RW>  hire I did a rap album for a young man.  Never again!!!   
      
      
   JB> Smartest entertainers of our days! As mentioned, who needs to carry   
   JB> a tune  these days or even annunciate the "lyrics"? I've hated on   
   JB> the current state  of "popular" music for years, but George Clinton   
   JB> said it best. In a mumble,  "Whatever you say - and we tried - Rap   
   JB> music brought blacks and whites  together for better or worse."   
      
   YEah I know, I see as many suburban white kids digging that   
   stuff as black kids.  I just shake my head.  That rap album   
   I did was for a suburban white kid.  .   
      
   JB> I mentioned Shirley Manson last year, and that band Garbage fits   
   JB> that  description *exactly*. A couple of compatriots were extolling   
   JB> how they would  run the snare drum through a Sans Amp, and Fuzz Box   
   JB> the electric keys,  bla-bla-bla. Shirley has a great instrument, but   
   JB> the "producers" (Four or  five of them rounded out the rest of the   
   JB> lineup.) wet dream seemed to  obfuscate it every chance it could.   
   JB> Now, Shirley's no Patsy Kline but she  has plenty to offer. Had it   
   JB> not been for those boys that discovered her, we  would likely never   
   JB> know her name but, I'd still love to hear her do a  duet with The   
   JB> Holly Crow Trio.   
      
   I always thought the same, I'd like to hear her voice   
   without all that.  But then you have to remember that Butch   
   Vigg is heavily into that stuff.  That was sort of the   
   effect this alternative band I mentioned was going for.   
      
      
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   --- timEd 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)