Dad3353

In case it still interests you, a reply from GC Admin... 'There are posting settings saying you need 5 posts to be able to post in 'General Discussion'...' I suspect that it's an anti-Spam measure. No idea about "warning points'; probably a 'start-up' glitch. A 'Report' to Admin would probably get it fixed. Hope this helps.

Makes no odds; they're deaf anyway. ...

Now you know how you can help him, with the time you've saved with your own rapid set-up.

I'd echo all of the above; you get what you pay for, and your ears will tell you if it's what you want for your music. I'd add a couple of details, which concern the higher-priced cymbals, mostly, but is good for all, basically. Most quality cymbals are cast, and then turned, on a lathe, which results in them having grooves in them, in similar fashion to vinyl records (remember them..?). This helps to explain why careful handling is key to having their original tone maintained throughout their life. Most folk take care handling vinyl, and wouldn't dream of leaving grubby fingerprints on the playing surface. Once degradation has started, no amount of cleaning will restore the music; the only real solution is to keep them as clean as possible for as long as possible. Thus it it with cymbals; one does not 'clean' them, one maintains their cleanliness. Getting them shiny with Brasso and the like may be good for the video shoot, but the sound they had in the studio is then ruined. My cymbals, for example, are kept in 'Cymbags', until they are on their perches; I remove the Cymbag when I play, and put it back immediately when finished. The metal is never touched by human hand, only the tip (olive...) of the drumsticks. I use nylon olives, which leave no marks on drum heads nor cymbals. Another factor to be considered is strength. By their function, one is hitting the cymbals; they must be able to resist this. The more delicate the sound, the more delicate the cymbal, generally (and the more expensive..!). When playing in the UK, with light folk/pop groups, I had splendid Paiste 602 cymbals, which sound awesome (to me...). I moved to France, and toured in variety bands, playing larger venues, with no PA support (mid-seventies...). 'Variety' is what the name suggests : various styles from '30s dance music (musette...), '70s popular songs and some rock stuff. These latter did for my cymbals, as, although not being a particularly heavy hitter, they did not appreciate being played in that fashion. I replaced them, as and when they split, with Paiste 2002 versions, which don't have the same crystalline ring, but withstand rock rhythms much better. I now play with a mixture of Paiste and Sabian, but insist on using, in our micro-studio, my Paiste 602 Sound Edge hi-hat, as it's the most responsive to the way I play. I don't 'leather 'em', though. Although I have bought cymbals second-hand, if the price is right and the condition is pristine, but I prefer to go through a rack of cymbals in a shop, using my sticks, and choose by ear, as there can be quite some difference in tone and response, even from the same model. Slightly academic these days, as I now play mostly e-drums, and can choose from a vast selection of top-end instruments without spending a fortune or deafening fellow musicians on stage. No, it's not the same as playing acoustic, but I get a repeatable great sound without having to worry about mis-handling them. Disclaimer : I'm a drummer; I could go on and on for ages on the subject, so I'll stop now. Hope this helps.

You can check out any time you like, but ... ...

The more you post there, the more others will post there.

An extract from Wikipedia : ... the composer's program gives one very telling clue regarding the work's musical architecture. Assertions to the effect that "the first movement represents Fate" are oversimplifications: according to a letter the composer wrote to Madame von Meck in 1878, it is actually the fanfare first heard at the opening ("the kernel, the quintessence, the chief thought of the whole symphony") that stands for "Fate", with this being "the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness ... There is nothing to be done but to submit to it and lament in vain". As the composer explained it, the programme of the first movement is—"roughly"—that "all life is an unbroken alternation of hard reality with swiftly passing dreams and visions of happiness ...". He went on: "No haven exists ... Drift upon that sea until it engulfs and submerges you in its depths". The whole Wikipedia article is wort h consulting, especially the section on 'Structure', giving, as it does, valuable insight as to the reason this work is so major in the orchestral music world. The music, of course, stands on its own merits, but the background to its conception adds, in my view, much to its comprehension, and hence enjoyment. Great Stuff.

'Report' button working overtime.

Indeed.

It takes time to build up a reasonable flow of posts and topics. Originally started as a 'feeler', the site is now (sparsely...) populated with Regulars, and the subjects are evolving. The more folk visit, and interact, the better. It's not necessary, still less essential, to own or play guitar, in the same way as BC has an 'open door' policy (I'm a drummer, for example...), and the same 'rules' as BC concerning etiquette and comportement make it a smooth slide over to the same comfortable and secure environment. Not yet up to full speed, but growing at its own pace, there are more and more worthwhile topics and posts. Yes, there are days when there is less 'traffic', but is that a Bad Thing, in today's hustle and bustle..? Chill..!

Basically, there are two methods, one open and public, the other private. For the former, one may use the 'Quote' button which appears below each post. From there, one may edit the part quoted, if need be, and add one's own comment, and submit the post. The private method involves getting the cursor (the mouse pointer...) to 'hover' over the poster's avatar on the left, and use the 'Message' button that appears below. Type the reply and send it; the poster will receive the message, which others will not be aware of. Does this help..?

Excellent; almost a record..! I lasted 1:40 (I couldn't find the 'Pause' button...). Good to see identical twins enjoying themselves, although one wonders why.

Jefferson Starship never sung no tat. Never forget : they built this city..! ...

Clip these on to re-centre the pa cab if it's turned..?

Coincidence; I posted a Roy Harper video here just the other day..! Time for a resurgence of the style..?

To me, it's all one; simple, repetitive, complex, strenuous, whatever... I have to be 'in the zone', concentrated, relaxed, listening, all of the time. For drums, there's nothing more potentially boring as hearing someone learning and executing the 'rudiments', playing for hours at a time just the sticking of 'mama-papa' on the snare, to a metronome, then going over the variations of 'chabadoo' on the hit-hat, and lots more. It's the equivalent of playing scales and intervals, then chord tones chromatically up and down the neck of the bass and/or guitar. One has to be enjoying it, and concentrating on doing it right, for there to be any benefit, and life's too short to spend any of that not inconsiderable time and energy if it's just a chore, or to be done whilst watching a film. For my part, I can't really imagine being able to do any of it at all if I'm not consciously focusing on it. Disclaimer : I concentrate on doing the washing-up as best I can, or putting on my socks, too. I may be alone in this.

Heh heh..! I've just asked Our Youngest if he'd be willing to play one of the bass lines..! Great minds, or what..? Our Eldest could indeed play guitar, but would it fit this here Mickey Baker stuff..? Hmm... Might be worth a shot. Can't be any worse than different to Lenny, Shirley.

I'm struggling with this, as I don't know how to play 'songs', so have nothing really to 'cover'. I've decided that my version of the Mickey Baker exercises from his method book is as close as I'll get, but it's proving to be more tasking than I thought, and much more difficult than simply composing my own stuff. I hope I get something ready before the guillotine, though. I had advice from Our Eldest last night on EQ and Fx for what I've got down presently. Apparently my hearing is properly 'shot'; I can't hear the cymbals after he EQ'ed my drum track, saying that they were deafening, and he suggested 1db adjustments for reverb 'wet' levels. For me, the minimum is 3db to hear any difference at all..! Oh dear. I think I'll be clear of any risk of plagiarism, though. Never mind; onward and upward, it'll all come out in the wash, in for a penny, etc...

As a drummer, playing in a variety of styles, one has to be comfortable with the notion of passing quite some time with basic 'four to the floor' drum patterns, as quite a lot of rock/pop music has this at its core. There are often enough occasions where a sly hi-hat lift at a judicious moment can punctuate the proceedings, or surreptitiously sticking a 'three against four' rhythm to a ride cymbal, to vary the 'pulse', can be worked in, so there is no place for boredom, as long as the audience are not disturbed in their enjoyment. A whole evening of more complex stuff (SOAD, Trust, some Bowie etc...) makes one appreciate the more basic patterns, when they are suitable; it becomes less pleasurable when the drumming is unnecessarily complex, or just simply 'odd' (Muse..? There are others...), where one is obliged to metaphorically fit square patterns into round holes, though. Simple is fine, complex is fine; a healthy mix is best. The essential is that it be appropriate for the music and the occasion.

And there's your drummer thinking 'I'll concentrate more on what the bassist's playing than on what I'm playing. Then my arms and feet will take care of themselves..!'

I'm a drummer. I've done gigs, and depped gigs, on bass. Everyone danced, everyone enjoyed their evenings. I usually got asked back. No kittens were harmed. I'm a drummer. Mistakes..? S'what makes it fun..!

By definition, 'problems' have 'solutions'. If there's no solution, it's not a problem, it's a 'fact', and one doesn't resolve facts, one accepts them. It's a fact that, try as one might, on occasion, there will be missed, duff, wrong notes. This is normal. One practices to reduce these to a minimum (and sometimes there are none..!). Striving to improve things is fine, and laudable. Obtaining perfection is not the objective; just 'as best as possible' is fine. Do not treat this 'fact' as a 'problem'; there is no 'solution', by definition. You're doing fine if you at least recognise that there are occasional mistakes. Carry on.