These can be useful: https://www.amazon.com/Meinl-Percus...lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A3HS8Z1850Z56U&th=1
The different color eggs are marked with how loud they play. For learning to play along so you can clearly hear a band's timing, it may make sense to start with the Soft sound shaker. That way the shaker sound isn't louder than the play-along track even if you accent fairly hard on some notes. That said, the first thing is to practice what Yani teaches in the youtube videos, and maybe find some latin or similar music that is an easy fit for his demonstrated technique.
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If you still have ears that can take that sort of punishment. And it is punishment, particularly if you're playing loud unaccomplished. As I mentioned elsewhere (I think...) my very best band practice arrangement was to isolate, mix, compress and individually monitor via headphones the whole sound of the band. Couldnt stand to practice any other way!
That That corp - isnt that what DBX turned into? I'd say they know what they're doing in the realm of dynamic range manipulation. I used a DBX 1BX in stereo (I know one channel influenced the other) after the mixer and before the headphone amp. That was half a life ago.
I personally have no doubt about it. Tone of course is important too, and Gilmour acknowledges it in an interesting way too, in one of his interviews. He says something like, "well, you need this special box to make a distorted sound, but it is still different from playing on a big stage - you cannot reproduce it in a small room, you can sort of lean against the sound" - from memory, not an exact quote.
But the way he says it sort of gives the impression that the tone is a separate thing from the actual playing, besides the tone is different depending on where you play.
Wish You Were Here makes it very obvious that the electronics is secondary: it is acoustic! Both rhythm and solo are acoustic. And especially in the second solo, it is all about how he bends. Without bending, not only it'll sound dull, I doubt it'll be even recognizable.
Bending is of course a form of expressive playing. However, its not just how much you bend or whether you slide or bend, its also how you time the bend. For one example, you could take ZZ Top, La Grange, album version, starting about 2:30 into it, the guitar playing includes lots bends and pinch harmonics:
Some of that sort of stuff would seem to come under the topic of Musical Ornamentation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornament_(music)
However, if the band wasn't playing tight in time then the soloist wouldn't have the freedom to play so freely and sill sound good/professional.
Some of that sort of stuff would seem to come under the topic of Musical Ornamentation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornament_(music)
However, if the band wasn't playing tight in time then the soloist wouldn't have the freedom to play so freely and sill sound good/professional.
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When I was a kid, I'd hear on the shortwave Radio South Africa that had a guitar tune in their "interval signal". As transmission was probably bouncing off the ionosphere to get the the east coast USA, it was full of all that lovely AM radio phasing and filtering, noise. I always thought the beginning of Wish You Were Here was a take on that, where someone hears this repeating guitar phase, learns to play it and turns it into a song. Alas, that brilliant intro is not.
YT doesnt miss a thing;
In lovely Olympia WA, besides the open mics, they have a samba bateria; https://www.sambaolywa.org/ They have percussion instruments of all kinds and "provide the opportunity for anyone, regardless of experience, to join". Pick any type of shaker and they will teach you how to play it and become part of the bateria in a live marching performance. The "procession" happens annually.
Right but in some cases - and I think Wish You Were Here is one - bending is essential to the melody.
Another example, albeit less interesting and mostly technical is me trying to play an old-ish russian jazzy song, where the solo is on a sax (I think). But I am playing it on a strat, and the strat is a step short of the highest note! But I can get there with a bend! Only I need to re-tune the neck - it buzzes and catches wrong frets when I am very close to the end of the scale.
Update: here is that song, I love it!
A luthier can probably fix that for you without raising the action. They can be very good at polishing the frets a little to eliminate little problems like that.
Regarding microtonal music, yes, some music can arguably never be played in recognizable form on a piano. However there are some tricks such as playing two adjacent keys at once to give some sense of a note somewhere in between. Or, two notes can be quickly alternated, or maybe hammered-on such as from a minor third to major third in order to suggest a blue note somewhere in between. The question is, can a particular tune be recognizable without requiring a microtonal instrument? Often just playing the groove and the accompaniment well is enough to make a tune recognizable.
Changing the subject a bit, still looks like there is some of the sentiment of the average failed garage band where everyone wants to be able to play the expressive lead guitar part first before necessarily being good enough to play the tight accompaniment role well first.
In that regard, the tradition of small, early jazz bands was that everyone got to take a turn at improvising/soloing, but they had to be able to play well enough to support the other players when it was some else's turn to improvise/solo.
In reality, the privilege of being allowed to solo with a tight, professional backing band is most commonly only afforded to those who have the chops to play a supporting role really well too. In amateur bands where everyone is loosely playing as they wish (without playing tight in time with each other), the resulting overall sound may come closer to being a good fit for yet another word: cacophony. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44613292
Of course there are some exceptions in a few very successful bands. Fleetwood Mac, by the time they did the award winning white album, had been playing together so long, and were all accomplished enough that they could each play their own groove and have each personal instrument's groove fit in with every other one. Not many people can do that. Being able to play tight together mostly comes first in the normal course of skill development. Just getting that point can be hard enough.
However even to that there may be exceptions: There may be groups of a few players who can play polyrhythms very well together on makeshift instruments, as is sometimes seen in African music. Of course maybe there is cultural history of growing up listening to such music which helps to make it easier for succeeding generations to have a feel for keeping time that way. Not what I grew up listening to, but wish I could do some of that now and then if I wanted to. Saw Timbaland doing some of it in a MasterClass video. Don't know how he does it either.
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I like to learn to do it myself. I've done basic tuning. Recently, I got a decent fret file and some polishing contraptions, so I am game to try. I have two cheap Squier strats, so I am not too worried to break them.
I personally completely agree with what you said, if the overarching point is to become a competent guitarist. While it is a goal I aspire to, I mainly want to have fun while doing it, and I don't have to rush. So for me, it is a balancing act of getting good exercises while not getting bored to death and stopping playing altogether.
First its important to identify the underlying problem before starting to implement the fix. Luthiers usually have tools like fret radius gauges, etc. StewMac is one place to go for professional luthier tools, or just to see what tools may be used. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/tools-by-job/tools-for-fretting/?mtm_source=google&mtm_medium=cpc&mtm_campaign=|+GOO+|+TXT+|+NBR+|+GuitarAccessories&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqObzvpOHhQMVfiqtBh0giwcgEAAYASAAEgJ44fD_BwE
Also: https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/books-plans-dvds/fretting/fret-work-step-by-step/?mtm_source=google&mtm_medium=cpc&mtm_campaign=|+GOO+|+SHOP+|+NBR+|+BroadUSA&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwNzbmZSHhQMVUSCtBh3VpQdAEAQYAyABEgJn__D_BwE
Maybe this will help: https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-i...xing-fret-buzz-spot-leveling-and-re-crowning/
Also: https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/supplies/books-plans-dvds/fretting/fret-work-step-by-step/?mtm_source=google&mtm_medium=cpc&mtm_campaign=|+GOO+|+SHOP+|+NBR+|+BroadUSA&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwNzbmZSHhQMVUSCtBh3VpQdAEAQYAyABEgJn__D_BwE
Maybe this will help: https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-i...xing-fret-buzz-spot-leveling-and-re-crowning/
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There is no guitar of mine I did not modify in a way. Long time ago I tried to re-fret my classical guitar and miserably failed.
Since then I have some respect to this science and so I decided never to do that again.
Some years ago I gave my 50 yrs old dreadnaught to a luthier for general refurbishment, and yes, it is better than ever now.
btw, another sample of tone bending that comes into mind is the "sleepwalk" by Santo and Johnny (covered by Jeff Beck!)
Since then I have some respect to this science and so I decided never to do that again.
Some years ago I gave my 50 yrs old dreadnaught to a luthier for general refurbishment, and yes, it is better than ever now.
btw, another sample of tone bending that comes into mind is the "sleepwalk" by Santo and Johnny (covered by Jeff Beck!)
I attacked my "by Ovation" guitar with sandpapir and a file for ignitions 30 years ago. Luckily its still kind of playable and some day I will refret after sanding it properly. The guy who had it before me, had already worn down the frets and fretboard from playing the D chord🤷. Weirdly it has an awesome sound plugged even the pickup is piezo.
Looks like a straightedge and fret sanding block are among the standard tools for fretwork. There are also tricks such as painting a fret with a felt marker to see where material is being removed.
Good book for people looking for fairly detailed repair information, including fretwork: https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Playe...er+repair+guide&qid=1711128050&s=books&sr=1-1
Aside: IMHO aftermarket tuning machines may be needed for low-er cost Fender guitars. Had to replace the ones on my Nashville Telecaster because there was no way to tighten the tuning machine friction.
Good book for people looking for fairly detailed repair information, including fretwork: https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Playe...er+repair+guide&qid=1711128050&s=books&sr=1-1
Aside: IMHO aftermarket tuning machines may be needed for low-er cost Fender guitars. Had to replace the ones on my Nashville Telecaster because there was no way to tighten the tuning machine friction.
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I did attempt standard neck tuneup a couple of times now, and have a healthy respect for how deceptively simple it is on paper and subtly difficult in rel life. At the same time, it seems silly to go to a luthier with a hundred-dollar strat, and I do like messing with it.
At the same time, it is not like I got nowhere: I was able to tune two strats up ok - they are better than they were. Not perfect - still some fret buzz, mainly, but playable.
One of the strats I got for free, and it had the tremolo hand broken off at the bridge. I was able to rethread it, and tune well enough, so it works both ways, and the strat stays in tune.
The other strat has a hardtail bridge, and I turned it from top-mounted strings into through-mounted, and the bridge does not buzz anymore.
All in all - satisfying!
At the same time, it is not like I got nowhere: I was able to tune two strats up ok - they are better than they were. Not perfect - still some fret buzz, mainly, but playable.
One of the strats I got for free, and it had the tremolo hand broken off at the bridge. I was able to rethread it, and tune well enough, so it works both ways, and the strat stays in tune.
The other strat has a hardtail bridge, and I turned it from top-mounted strings into through-mounted, and the bridge does not buzz anymore.
All in all - satisfying!
If you're bending strings a lot and trying to play along with a jazz or prog-rock record in tune, you may find the tuning machines are a problem. Because jazz relies on complex harmony, being the slightest bit out of tune sounds too much off-key to me. IOW, there is a an exact point at which you are in tune and it can be less that the dead-band span of a digital tuner.
An easy way to check is to push a string up, or go to the next lower pitch fret if necessary, then slowly push it up in pitch until it is exactly in tune with the record. Are all your strings at all fret positions in tune with that?
Also, when adjusting intonation above the 12th fret, it can help to play some perfect intervals up there to verify that relative harmony is in tune. Sometimes a typical tuner is too coarse to get the pitch dead-on.
An easy way to check is to push a string up, or go to the next lower pitch fret if necessary, then slowly push it up in pitch until it is exactly in tune with the record. Are all your strings at all fret positions in tune with that?
Also, when adjusting intonation above the 12th fret, it can help to play some perfect intervals up there to verify that relative harmony is in tune. Sometimes a typical tuner is too coarse to get the pitch dead-on.
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This is pretty natural to me! I do use tuners these days because they are so simple and fast, and usually get things done well enough. But I am yet to see a tuner that tunes better than my ears, which is to say - I hear imperfections even between the first and the sixth open when all tuners say it should be good - it often isn't.
As a kid, I played cello, and I am used to tuning by the fifths. With guitar in college, we did not have any tuners, so I just always tuned with the "fifth fret method", as it is sometimes called, apparently, and then spot-checked with fourths and fifths here and there.
I have a - actually 2; beats the tar out of the "- | +" style ones. Some dont like these and they show up on ebay for ~$40, but not today, or I'd put a link here.
One I had the switch broke and I carelessly cracked the screen trying to get it apart. So I bought another of the better model (color display, lipo battery), and, when the seller sent me this one, I asked for, got a $10 refund bringing it to $40.
One I had the switch broke and I carelessly cracked the screen trying to get it apart. So I bought another of the better model (color display, lipo battery), and, when the seller sent me this one, I asked for, got a $10 refund bringing it to $40.