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Is anyone "branching out', musically speaking? Trying new things?


Jack Aubrey
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I love my Martin, it's just a newer model DRS1 with that weird pressed wood used for the neck. It plays and sounds great. I've played a lot of other people's Martins in the past and decided I wanted one, this was what I could afford. IIRC it replaced an Alvarez with built-in pickups. I've also owned mid-level Yamahas and Washburns. The HD-28 looks identical to one a friend owned years ago, was a very full sounding instrument but I recall he kept heavier gauge strings on it and it would hurt my fingers after a bit of jamming. The 0-17S is closer in style/body size to what I own. Enjoy the geetars!

 

The action on my HD-28 is extremely low, because that’s how the original owner had it set up- but no fret buzz at all, and it’s really easy to play.

 

I have a Martin with a rosewood neck and a laminate body as well, that was the first guitar I ever bought- and they also sound really good, especially for the price point.

 

Happy pickin’ and grinnin’!

 

:guitar:

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I love my Martin, it's just a newer model DRS1 with that weird pressed wood used for the neck. It plays and sounds great. I've played a lot of other people's Martins in the past and decided I wanted one, this was what I could afford. IIRC it replaced an Alvarez with built-in pickups. I've also owned mid-level Yamahas and Washburns. The HD-28 looks identical to one a friend owned years ago, was a very full sounding instrument but I recall he kept heavier gauge strings on it and it would hurt my fingers after a bit of jamming. The 0-17S is closer in style/body size to what I own. Enjoy the geetars!

 

The action on my HD-28 is extremely low, because that’s how the original owner had it set up- but no fret buzz at all, and it’s really easy to play.

 

Yeah, in hindsight that friend likely had the wrong strings on their HD-28. They weren't the sharpest tool in the drawer. :P

Edited by stoopid
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Six months into re-learning the drums after a long histus, it's finally feeling automatic. For me, there's nothing worse as a musician than having to think about what's to be played on the next measure, and there's nothing better than being able to focus on feel alone.
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I’m doing Adult school of rock again and playing bass on two songs!

What songs are you doing?

It's only love (Bryan Adams) and Gimme Some Lovin, Blues Bros. Tried it with the band last week, so much fun but those strings are hard!

 

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In my quest for unique and different percussion, I recently purchased this and I'm having a blast with it!

 

ETA: If you're at all interested in this, I recommend you go ahead and buy it.

 

https://www.amazon.c...U_bGRUEb2S69BYY

Edited by Jack Aubrey
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I also recently turned my Cajon into a bass drum by ordering a clamp that allows you to attach a pedal to it. There are also beaters that are specifically designed for Cajons so I don't recommend using standard ones. The ones for the Cajons look like small tennis balls and they're filled with a soft foam rubber.

 

I also recently bought a Gibralter single bass pedal off of eBay for only $20 and I am using it for my pedal-mounted cowbell. It sure works a lot better than the cheapo I was using before!

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Small suggestion: Get you a pair of the nylon brushes made by Meinl and play your congas and doumbek with them. You will love the sound, guaranteed!I'm not sure what happened, I'll bet it's because I'm posting from a tablet, but anyway the above was meant to be a response to Blue J's post on page 2. Edited by Jack Aubrey
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I've been switching between bass and left hand keyboard as I've been practicing. Play a few bars on the keyboard... switch to the bass...repeat.

 

Also doing some stuff like hammer on the E string and play the rest of the riff on the keyboard. Like one example .. the first riff in CX1. That E2, E3, D3, F#3. Play the E2 on the bass..the rest of it on the keyboard.

 

Just for fun.

 

What got me started on this, is that I'm learning some 'pop' songs for a band we're putting together at work. For one song, the bass line was done on the keyboard. So I'm transposing it, and got to playing it on both. With the right VST sounds, it sounds cool.

 

From this, I'm learning that when I play the parts on the keyboard and the bass, overall I remember them better. So, having fun with that.

Edited by grep
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Well, I just pulled the trigger on an el cheapo piccolo snare on Ebay because I've been wanting to try one for a while now. To be continued...

 

Also, I bought a couple of bronze finger cymbals and took a piece of para cord and attached one at either end then I took them and put them on my crash/ride so they sit flat and they add some beautiful texture to the sound of the cymbal. I strongly urge all drummers to try this trick, I think you'll genuinely love it.

 

One last thing: I bought a bicycle horn on Amazon and mounted it on my Doumbek stand because why not? :D :D :D

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Well, crap. The abovementioned piccolo snare is NOT working out. I've tried everything but I can't get the snare to engage the drum to save my life! I took off the snare and removed the clear plastic straps used to attach it to the drum and replaced them with some bank line (stout nylon cord) so I could pull harder on it before tightening it down but it hasn't made a dime's worth of difference! I'm think I'll take it to the range and use it for a target!
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A few things:-

I've been doing a zoom open-mic thing for the last 1/2 year and the guy who runs it has carried it on because even though we are wandering to venues here in the UK, he's enjoyed continuing it because we have a few people from all over the place- the US, South Africa, Germany plus us UK based lot spread around mainly the Midlands.

 

And one guy who was coming regularly until recently was adept at a lot of unusual instruments like the saw and the penny whistle.

Plus the guy from Germany plays an Autoharp as well as one of the UK based ladies.

So we have most people doing the usual guitar or guitar+sing (or trying to sing, in my case) thing (acoustic or amplified), one playing the ukulele and singing, a couple from different places doing autoharp, an occasional flute and the guy who plays all sorts of unusual instruments like the saw.

 

It makes for an interesting evening of listening.

Which is a branching out from a listening perspective for me.

 

So it's inspired me to look for a few more 'interesting' tunes to play rather than the usual mainstream rock/pop/metal-type tunes that I try to do.

So I'm working on things such early Pixies tunes with splashes of spanish singing and bits of feedback, some of the more rhythmic Faith No More tracks like We Care A lot, a Greek Rembetiko-type song with faux-bouzouki-like playing, a jazz piece like Take the A train and then topping it all off with The Gruffalo which is based on the Julia Donaldson's kids book character and which may have been written by her or in collaboration with someone else.

 

And my son has taken to playing his kid's xylophone in a kind of free jazz style while we play the Gruffalo!

 

I also bought some bongos last year which an instruction book but I haven't had the chance to practise with them yet as I'm really more of a guitar-playing wannabee. I'd love at some point to try and do some Santana band still fills that's probably a long way off!

 

However, my son also has a beginner electric piano, a kid's tambourine and a bell. So I was thinking I could possibly knock up a rough one-man-band version of Xanadu at some point in the future minus all the elaborate drum fills at play that at the open mic too!

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How is it developing?
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After being an electric guitar player exclusively since about 2009, I recently purchased a Taylor 514ce acoustic guitar. It is very refreshing to just pick up a guitar and play it without having to turn anything on or tweak any knobs. The tone is right there, the volume depends of how you play it. It is just nice to focus on the guitar.

 

Also, over the last few weeks, I have been mulling over getting a bass guitar. My Kemper amp came with several bass amp profiles, so I have that already taken care of.

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After being an electric guitar player exclusively since about 2009, I recently purchased a Taylor 514ce acoustic guitar. It is very refreshing to just pick up a guitar and play it without having to turn anything on or tweak any knobs. The tone is right there, the volume depends of how you play it. It is just nice to focus on the guitar.

 

Also, over the last few weeks, I have been mulling over getting a bass guitar. My Kemper amp came with several bass amp profiles, so I have that already taken care of.

 

Probably more than half of my compositions start on an acoustic, even ones that end up being tracked entirely on electric.

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How is it developing?

 

If you mean Xanadu then I've only really played around with the guitar part but I'm also trying to identify which of my son's instruments I can use for a bit of fun - glockenspeil, 1st keyboard, bell.

 

As for the other songs, I've done the The Gruffalo with my son for a bit of fun. I've done Pixies songs and the Greek Rembetiko song in the past but getting the feel for the rhythmic parts of Faith no more on the guitar (using tambour or drumming on the top) is needing a bit of practise to sound ok.

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Not just Xanadu, no. Just everything else!

Sounds like you are experimenting with new sounds. Not unlike Sir Alex has described in his last couple of years of using new approaches to music recording.

There has been some criticism of ignoring traditional guitar instrumentals, but what a way to express one's music - do what you feel is right for the session, you are actively playing and that is good?!!

Sorry, I don't know how "electro" you are going, but Alex seems to have zero problems with showing new musical approaches and being different with synth (the irony?). Good for you, too!

Cheers!

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My wife wanted me to take her to the craft store last Saturday. I said sure because a new music store had just opened right next to it. I dropped her off at Joanna's and I went to the music store. I scored a pair of Meinl solid oak bongo drums and they sound amazing! especially when I play them with brushes or mallets. The best part is that they were only $50. I'm sure Guitar Center would have wanted twice that if not more.

Edited by Jack Aubrey
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On 6/12/2017 at 3:21 PM, Jack Aubrey said:

Lately I've been getting my feet wet in "percussionist" territory. I recently bought a very cool log drum and found a Meinl cajon at a pawn shop for $40, I even got brushes for it. I've never dealt seriously with brushes in my life but now it seems they're all I want to use. They have a way of taking hold of you. I have to say I'm having a ball and am contemplating assembling an somewhat-exotic percussion kit.

 

How about y'all?

I am reading through Far and Away: A Prize Every Time (NEP, 2011) Kindle version, again, and I recently passed page 204. I don't think I will ever stop loving this man I never met.

 

He is describing " 'The Drum Also Waltzes' and that rhythmic frame remains a comfortable and creative warm-up every day, as it has for many years. Slowly, gradually, I moved on to some more recent experiments in rhythm, first with wire brushes (I've had a long secret love affair with brushes, unexpressed professionally as yet - note to self)..."

 

I'm late to the topic, but I love seeing people discuss personal musical experiences that match our beloved trio. Cheers :)

Edited by Bahamas
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On 5/16/2022 at 5:29 PM, Bahamas said:

I am reading through Far and Away: A Prize Every Time (NEP, 2011) Kindle version, again, and I recently passed page 204. I don't think I will ever stop loving this man I never met.

 

He is describing " 'The Drum Also Waltzes' and that rhythmic frame remains a comfortable and creative warm-up every day, as it has for many years. Slowly, gradually, I moved on to some more recent experiments in rhythm, first with wire brushes (I've had a long secret love affair with brushes, unexpressed professionally as yet - note to self)..."

 

I'm late to the topic, but I love seeing people discuss personal musical experiences that match our beloved trio. Cheers :)

I play mostly on the lap snare these days, so I've come to love brushes as well.  The dynamics are a lot of fun.

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21 hours ago, goose said:

I play mostly on the lap snare these days, so I've come to love brushes as well.  The dynamics are a lot of fun.

I watched a Steve Smith video featuring brushes recently (video was from a few years ago), and they're more interesting than I gave them credit.  Helps they were being handled by a master though.  I know it's common to use them in jazz, and haven't been into jazz in a long time.  Kinda forget they were a thing.

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On 1/22/2022 at 2:59 PM, Maverick said:

After being an electric guitar player exclusively since about 2009, I recently purchased a Taylor 514ce acoustic guitar. It is very refreshing to just pick up a guitar and play it without having to turn anything on or tweak any knobs. The tone is right there, the volume depends of how you play it. It is just nice to focus on the guitar.

 

Also, over the last few weeks, I have been mulling over getting a bass guitar. My Kemper amp came with several bass amp profiles, so I have that already taken care of.

I love your profile pic! I'm a huge fan of Ol' Doomrooster myself!

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I had been building a block and bell tree since two years ago and finally finished it yesterday when the mounting clamp for my agogo bells arrived!! I will try and post some pics.

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