Musicians. What instruments do you play?

vapviking

Old & In the Way
Tho I'm considering a keyboard where you can set the scale, key etc, and the keys light up for notes that are in tune.
Ouch! Please reconsider your direction. Music theory can be difficult and easy at the same time. You can take the time to learn to play, say, only 7 particular notes and (almost) never the other five, eh? Or, how about only white keys, never black, for example? Not soooo difficult) There are only 12 in the whole of western music (let's not talk micro-tonal quite yet) and a keyboard lays them out in the most orderly/analog fashion of almost any traditional instrument.

The 7 form a scale, the same notes are the notes in that key, the root of the scale. They are a family that goes places together. Stick to the white keys and you are (essentially) always playing in the key of C.
(side note; play on only the 5 black keys and you automatically are playing in what is called a pentatonic scale, one that has very wide application)

Next you can apply a little magic that today's keys allow; transposing to different keys. This just shifts all the notes over by 'X' number of steps, so that when you play your C major scale the notes played come out in another key, allowing you to play in a lot of keys now.

Irving Berlin famously had an analog version of a transposing piano. He apparently liked to play on the black keys.

I'm being very simplistic with all this, I know it is more complicated. My point is that I believe it would be more rewarding for you to go through a building process that leads to a more full understanding of what's going on, as opposed to taking time to learn to follow some blinking lites - and then trying to understand why they are blinking?
Later you can absorb that there are countless variants on major scales, forming new scales and modalities. I am not anywhere near understanding that stuff, myself.

My first music lessons were 3 different short runs at piano from the age 7-12. I just hated structured practice. But we always had a piano and organ in the house, and I would fool around because I loved the sounds (and I love to sing as well). My dad took several runs at explaining the magic of the Circle of 5ths but my eyes would glaze over.
At 18 I started in with guitar, playing only by ear and by rote learning from friends. Been at it for over fifty years, and I only got more into piano again in the last 10 or 15, finally looking back to some things I'm now ready and willing to absorb about theory.

But through all my years, if I ever do contemplate theory, it involves a mental image of a piano keyboard - not a guitar. I find it much easier to understand the theory, etc, and if I want to I can then go and apply that to the guitar fret board.

Hey, sorry to get a little preachy and a little chatty this morning.

I can't imagine people in my profession being very understanding about a colleague/employee vaporising marijuana cigarettes
vaporising marijuana cigarettes?
That oxymoron aside, you just might be surprised by some of your 'highbrow' associates...but we can understand why you might not want an employer to know!
 

EmDeemo

ACCOUNT INACTIVE
Ouch! Please reconsider your direction. Music theory can be difficult and easy at the same time. You can take the time to learn to play, say, only 7 particular notes and (almost) never the other five, eh? Or, how about only white keys, never black, for example? Not soooo difficult) There are only 12 in the whole of western music (let's not talk micro-tonal quite yet) and a keyboard lays them out in the most orderly/analog fashion of almost any traditional instrument.

The 7 form a scale, the same notes are the notes in that key, the root of the scale. They are a family that goes places together. Stick to the white keys and you are (essentially) always playing in the key of C.
(side note; play on only the 5 black keys and you automatically are playing in what is called a pentatonic scale, one that has very wide application)

Next you can apply a little magic that today's keys allow; transposing to different keys. This just shifts all the notes over by 'X' number of steps, so that when you play your C major scale the notes played come out in another key, allowing you to play in a lot of keys now.

Irving Berlin famously had an analog version of a transposing piano. He apparently liked to play on the black keys.

I'm being very simplistic with all this, I know it is more complicated. My point is that I believe it would be more rewarding for you to go through a building process that leads to a more full understanding of what's going on, as opposed to taking time to learn to follow some blinking lites - and then trying to understand why they are blinking?
Later you can absorb that there are countless variants on major scales, forming new scales and modalities. I am not anywhere near understanding that stuff, myself.

My first music lessons were 3 different short runs at piano from the age 7-12. I just hated structured practice. But we always had a piano and organ in the house, and I would fool around because I loved the sounds (and I love to sing as well). My dad took several runs at explaining the magic of the Circle of 5ths but my eyes would glaze over.
At 18 I started in with guitar, playing only by ear and by rote learning from friends. Been at it for over fifty years, and I only got more into piano again in the last 10 or 15, finally looking back to some things I'm now ready and willing to absorb about theory.

But through all my years, if I ever do contemplate theory, it involves a mental image of a piano keyboard - not a guitar. I find it much easier to understand the theory, etc, and if I want to I can then go and apply that to the guitar fret board.

Hey, sorry to get a little preachy and a little chatty this morning.


vaporising marijuana cigarettes?
That oxymoron aside, you just might be surprised by some of your 'highbrow' associates...but we can understand why you might not want an employer to know!

Different strokes for different folks. I've been at music for over 30 years, first had guitar lessons at age 13 or so, so I'm not just starting out.

To be blunt, I'm autistic and my hands dont work as they should so I have to find other ways around the traditional approaches. I understand your point but its far more complicated than that, and my brain simply does not accept maths or music theory, but it can hear melodies, basslines, drum beats etc, all together at once. I've taught myself everything from scratch, but still have to approach things from something of an 'outsider' art perspective. I could bash my head against a brick wall for the next 30 years or I could enjoy myself, stretch my skills, learn, grow and write some music at the same time! :) As an example, I still cant keep in my head the notes on the fretboard or the keyboard, after 30 years, I still have to count thru the alphabet from C on the keyboard. I have to do everything by ear instead.

For instance, all the drums and bass on this are programmed by me from scratch. Every sound you hear in this has been edited and pitched, constructed by me, from many disparate takes by local musicians I brought in and recorded against nothing but a background of a simple drum and bass guitar loop. I do it a lot better these days, I can hear nothing but mistakes in it now, but I learned a lot. I hadnt programmed drums before, or recorded clarinet and trumpet. Trying to figure out what was going on in something so complicated really hurt my tiny mind! :D

https://soundcloud.com/ear%2Fdolemition
If that looks like cheating to some, who cares, its all about the fun and the experimentation (not saying yours saying its cheating). I like the concept of generative music, setting up systems and letting them play out, and having interaction, but not having to 'play' as I will hit bum notes continually.

I wont be following just the lights, I love them wrong notes too much! Blue notes for the win! :) But if I wanna jam live, totally in tune, I'll be able to.

EDIT: This is my usual drummer btw. If ever I credit Bob "fucking" Hotskins III on any music, it usually means its me programming Fxpansions BFD :)

 
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vapviking

Old & In the Way
Different strokes for different folks. I've been at music for over 30 years, first had guitar lessons at age 13 or so, so I'm not just starting out.

To be blunt, I'm autistic and my hands dont work as they should so I have to find other ways around the traditional approaches. I understand your point but its far more complicated than that, and my brain simply does not accept maths or music theory, but it can hear melodies, basslines, drum beats etc, all together at once. I've taught myself everything from scratch, but still have to approach things from something of an 'outsider' art perspective. I could bash my head against a brick wall for the next 30 years or I could enjoy myself, stretch my skills, learn, grow and write some music at the same time! :) As an example, I still cant keep in my head the notes on the fretboard or the keyboard, after 30 years, I still have to count thru the alphabet from C on the keyboard. I have to do everything by ear instead.

For instance, all the drums and bass on this are programmed by me from scratch. Every sound you hear in this has been edited and pitched, constructed by me, from many disparate takes by local musicians I brought in and recorded against nothing but a background of a simple drum and bass guitar loop. I do it a lot better these days, I can hear nothing but mistakes in it now, but I learned a lot. I hadnt programmed drums before, or recorded clarinet and trumpet. Trying to figure out what was going on in something so complicated really hurt my tiny mind! :D

https://soundcloud.com/ear%2Fdolemition
If that looks like cheating to some, who cares, its all about the fun and the experimentation (not saying yours saying its cheating). I like the concept of generative music, setting up systems and letting them play out, and having interaction, but not having to 'play' as I will hit bum notes continually.

I wont be following just the lights, I love them wrong notes too much! Blue notes for the win! :) But if I wanna jam live, totally in tune, I'll be able to.

EDIT: This is my usual drummer btw. If ever I credit Bob "fucking" Hotskins III on any music, it usually means its me programming Fxpansions BFD :)

I understand, we each follow and make the music that we can make, following our own path.
I think Frank Zappa may have coined the term, 'the 5,000 layers of the onion', which is a fitting descriptor of the world of music (among other things).
A buddy of mine had the privilege of taking some sax lessons from Charles Neville (he passed away a year or two ago) and said Charles was always telling him about the many facets of music; just as you start to understand one face of the cube, you turn it and reveal new things. Always new things.
 

EmDeemo

ACCOUNT INACTIVE
Charles was always telling him about the many facets of music; just as you start to understand one face of the cube, you turn it and reveal new things. Always new things.

Absolutely. The learning never ends. I've had friends say 'but doesnt it ruin music, knowing how they did it?', god no, it just advances the learning and makes it more incredible. It doesnt remove any mystique, it asks many more questions than it reveals answers.

I'm lucky these days that there is the tech to help me along, otherwise I'd be stuck with random acts of noise and naive piano melodies, which in itself sounds kinda great tbh :)
 

EmDeemo

ACCOUNT INACTIVE
AND ITS BACK UP! :) The mix I posted earlier in the thread that I had to delete. The video is back online :)

 
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EmDeemo

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Weird instrument alert! I dont own one of these, but I'm always intrigued by it, even tho I think it looks fucking ridiculous when its not in the dark and full of flashing lights :) Lovely sounds tho, even if I can hear the crunch of the sample. A circular keyboard and different colours would make it much easier for me to play the piano! :)

 

crad_bbf

New Member

vapviking

Old & In the Way
Weird instrument alert! I dont own one of these, but I'm always intrigued by it, even tho I think it looks fucking ridiculous when its not in the dark and full of flashing lights :) Lovely sounds tho, even if I can hear the crunch of the sample. A circular keyboard and different colours would make it much easier for me to play the piano! :)

One could set up quite a Simon game with that thing!
 
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EmDeemo

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Finally got some proper acrylic cases for my little Pocket Operator drum synths/sampler. They now feel usable instead of like two flimsy naked circuit boards, which is all they were tbh. I havent finished gluing in the buttons yet, as you can see, but its amazing how good these things are for such a low price (not quite so low when one adds on the cases cost but still, worth every penny).

As soon as my friends kids know how to use the basics of a calculator or a phone, they're getting these for xmas/birthdays :D

Did a quick test to see how the new cases felt, the answer is 'delightful' :) The two werent connected in sync with each other so forgive my false start near the beginning :)

 
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EmDeemo

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Chandler

Well-Known Member
Cot dayum @EmDeemo you on top of all the cool musical gadgets! I got one for you if I can find it. Your probably aware of the tech already...

@crad_bbf that was awesome. Like Damn, that's your voice?? Holy shit. If I had a voice like that... I dunno, but I'd sing every popular song I know in opera. Might be a big YouTube audience for that bro? Opera comedy!! During sex I'd be like ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh EVERY time I bust.... Lol I'll stop there.

My bedroom studio continues to grow. Finally added a lil 10w amp. Yes I should've gone bigger n better for the long run, but times are tough n I'm not playing outside the home. So glad I picked it up.
20200917-195651.jpg


@EmDeemo
 
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EmDeemo

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Cot dayum @EmDeemo you on top of all the cool musical gadgets! I got one for you if I can find it. Your probably aware of the tech already...
@EmDeemo

Got one :) The small square multicoloured lights things top left. First gen of it tho, later versions are much better apparently. I dont like the one I have, but also, I've barely used it. Got it very cheap as bstock as the housing is slightly cracked. Works perfectly, and I will try and get round to using it properly one day. The company that made until recently owned the software developer that makes the drum software I use in everything so I hoped it would be more useful for that. Sadly not. EDIT: Its one of my few less successful purchases, made on the spur of the moment, purely because of price. It still might come in useful tho.

I've finally just started to crack this as demo... Still much to do (the mix is way off as its a headphone thing and Im mid editing, well everything I guess, its only got half a drum kit, parts arent fully written, things arent in the right, notes are constantly in flux while im working it out), but... Its finally hit some sort of state that hints at what its going to be... I hope! Chords still on the way in the track, and its getting updated every few days atm -

https://soundcloud.com/ear%2Fgrapefolder
 
EmDeemo,

EmDeemo

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Finally got this thing back from the shop...

new-bass-jpg.1666


Got it from Thomann and it was unplayable out of the box. The frets actually cut my hand up in multiple places. I bleed! Thomann eventually offered to pick it up and refund me but by that point, I'd already given it to the local guitar man. I got it back from the shop earlier today, and it plays as good as it looks to me :) Feels lovely to play. I havent plugged it in yet, but just to play it is beautiful.

Two days ago, I noticed that ALL of Thomann's stock of a similar design, all the neck thru's from Harley Benton are now on sale... I wonder if they all have razor sharp frets :D
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
@EmDeemo your base looks nice, I like the wood grains pattern. Glad you got it up n running!
I'm not surprised you have a block instrument already, as soon as I saw them I thought of you!

This amp I bought, it's not very loud. Thinking I shoulda spent the extra $150 or so n got the 30 watts version? All the same, what is cool is they include a version of Cubase so I can record directly to my CPU without having a mic. There's also included software that allows for altering tones and effects. Very cool.... Can't wait until I feel comfortable enough to record myself n show yall what I got!!

Before I forget. NPR TINY DESK MUSIC if you don't watch, you should. (I've probably asked this before) So many different genres and artists I've become receptive too because of NPR.
This latest one I was watching impressed me. The woman on sax is too beautiful and amazing. The bassist, pianist n drummer are all nice 4:45 mark 😍

 

Planck

believes in Dog
This amp I bought, it's not very loud.
Are you using this for acoustics? You may not have enough signal to drive it properly.
But yeah I think you have a couple of 8 cm/3 1.4" speakers and they are probably not that efficient. Said another way a typical 10 watt tube amp with a decent 12" speaker is loud to damn loud. Fender Deluxe Reverb (22 watts) is plenty loud for most club gigs with a drummer.

 
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Chandler

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@Planck yes I bought the amp for acoustic guitar. Now that I've been using it for a bit, it's actually perfect for my needs. I also find myself using it more with headphones so far! Also, because I practice fingerstyle more than anyhing I'm learning to strum using my nail instead of only the fleasy part of my thumb... Bigger, Brighter sound, more than enough volume through the amp.

@Planck nice video. I really liked the Stylistics cover. She's a Beautiful, talented musician, and band!!
 
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vapviking

Old & In the Way
@Chandler, I think @Planck was suggesting that you might need a small pre-amp to boost your ac guitar's signal; this would not be unusual. For playing at home, especially with phones, it may not be necessary, but you might be surprised how muck kick you could get out of a little amp...
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
I think @Planck was suggesting that you might need a small pre-amp to boost your ac guitar's signal
For real! I didn't get that, thanks for pointing it out. I'll do a search on preamps that pair well with this amp I have... I suppose in the end I should've just spent the extra $150-200 n got the latest version 30 watts, Bluetooth, bells n whistles... Alot of reviews showed this amp to be amongst the cleanest sounding in its price range. That's what sold me...

I keep improving. Things I used to practice but not so much anymore, I can play much better, but such a long way to go... I envy you guitarists n bassists who 'got it'! I'm dying to get it! Licks at their proper pace. Smooth transitions between the cowboy chords. Not there yet. The journey continues on the daily regardless!

New bubbler. King Louis IIIX. NBA Finals game one. Lot's of practicing tonight!
 
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