Tambourine troubles

[FuNkShUi]

I play in a acoustic duo, and we often loop a tambourine sample, so there is a beat whilst we are playing.
Played a wedding last night (wednesday!?) and a few of the people dancing wanted to get involved.
We are all for that, so handed a tambourine out.
Little did we realise just how off-putting it would be.
It was incredibly hard to keep a steady tempo when the tambourine was being shaken to a rhythm as constant as a broken grandfather clock
I wasn't surprised that they were off time, but i was surprised at how hard it was to ignore it, and keep playing as normal.
Try it, give a tambo to someone who you know has no rhythm, and try and play a song.

Edited August 6, 2015 by FuNkShUi

[cheddatom]

yes I hate it when the audience clap along and I'm trying to play drums. Actually I hate it when our singer tries to clap along and have banned him from doing it

[gazhowe]

Funny you should post this because that happened to me also when someone in the audience 'borrowed' our singers tambourine. I usually can ignore out of time audience clapping but I found it really difficult to ignore the tambourine. I wonder if it's anything to do with the frequency of the sound making it harder to ignore, or just that the woman who had the tambourine had a 'talent' for being both irritating and off-putting at the same time???

[leschirons]

We have a tambourine in our acoustic duo and when not in use, it's under my left foot where it stays until we need it again.

I wouldn't mind so much people using it if they could not only keep time, but actually know how to use one. They all have a tendency to give up at 1min 30secs as their arm has started to ache

Funny just how many people "think" they can keep time.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='gazhowe' timestamp='1438851527' post='2837912']
... I usually can ignore out of time audience clapping but I found it really difficult to ignore the tambourine. I wonder if it's anything to do with the frequency of the sound...
[/quote]

I would have thought it's more likely the volume. Tambourines are much louder than clapping IMO

[FuNkShUi]

Yeh the off time clapping hasn't ever been too much of a problem.
Tambo is a different story though!

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1438851969' post='2837917']
Funny just how many people "think" they can keep time.
[/quote]

The lady in question actually said "im really good on the tambourine so don't worry"
I felt like shouting "LIARRRR!!" mid song

Edited August 6, 2015 by FuNkShUi

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1438847547' post='2837854']
yes I hate it when the audience clap along and I'm trying to play drums. Actually I hate it when our singer tries to clap along and have banned him from doing it
[/quote]

Ive been in a band before where the singer had an awful sense of time.
Absolutely brilliant singer, but unless you kind of nodded at him of his cues to come in, he would've had no chance.
Makes you think if he actually heard the music or would have just sang the song regardless of whether the music was playing.

[cheddatom]

I actually have a customer who prefers to sing without music, and then gets me to put it into time

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1438853503' post='2837950']
I actually have a customer who prefers to sing without music, and then gets me to put it into time
[/quote]

That is insane. Are they actually in key? Do they stay in time? Or do you have to alter everything in production?

[cheddatom]

I'd better not say any more

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1438856554' post='2838004']
I'd better not say any more
[/quote]

And as such, told me all i needed to know

[tauzero]

I regularly mention to Mrs Zero that she should keep her tambourine well away from the audience when not in use.

[AndyTravis]

Our singers have tambourines and honestly have a knack of giving them to people who have the least rhythm in the venue as part of their audience participation bit.

After the last gig, I banned them from doing it again.

The worst. Hate it.

[FuNkShUi]

Yes, our new policy is to hide it when not in use.
Lesson learnt!

[EssentialTension]

[media]http://youtu.be/z_UF1PqM6Ng[/media]

[FuNkShUi]

Brilliant. Just need to get him along to our next gig now and we are sorted

Edited August 6, 2015 by FuNkShUi

[KiOgon]

Tambourine = Nothing but trouble!

I wanted one just so there was a variety of percussion 'tools' available for jam sessions. My son bought one for a birthday present years ago - it hangs high on the wall now where no-one can get at it funnily enough it says on it "Tone Deaf Music"

[mrtcat]

Our singer is in tambourine training. He has one with all the jangly cymbal bits removed until he passes his test.

[Norris]

And if you're lucky enough to find someone who can actually keep time, it's always on the first and third beat

[discreet]

It's because the tambourine is very high-frequency and will cut through any mix, even when not anywhere near a microphone. So it's very difficult to ignore. The trick is not to have one anywhere near the band when you're playing live. Tambourines should be reserved exclusively for children, and the kind of people who learn to ride a unicycle and think that juggling is a valuable social skill, i.e. the homeless.

Edited August 6, 2015 by discreet

[mrtcat]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1438892212' post='2838533']
the kind of people who learn to ride a unicycle and think that juggling is a valuable social skill, i.e. the homeless.
[/quote]
The homeless and students from upper class backgrounds who want to appear to be 'free spirits' despite the fact daddy pays for their monthly teeth whitening and audi convertible.

Edited August 6, 2015 by mrtcat

[paul_5]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1438890484' post='2838508']
And if you're lucky enough to find someone who can actually keep time, it's always on the first and third beat
[/quote]

Nothing, and I mean *nothing* irritates me more than the 'clap on beats 1 & 3' brigade. Have they no soul?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1438899102' post='2838620']


Nothing, and I mean *nothing* irritates me more than the 'clap on beats 1 & 3' brigade. Have they no soul?
[/quote]
Soul but no backbeat.

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1438899102' post='2838620']
Nothing, and I mean *nothing* irritates me more than the 'clap on beats 1 & 3' brigade. Have they no soul?
[/quote]

I feel your pain

[Dan Dare]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1438892212' post='2838533']
It's because the tambourine is very high-frequency and will cut through any mix, even when not anywhere near a microphone. So it's very difficult to ignore. The trick is not to have one anywhere near the band when you're playing live. Tambourines should be reserved exclusively for children, and the kind of people who learn to ride a unicycle and think that juggling is a valuable social skill, i.e. the homeless.
[/quote] Too wide a distribution. Tambourines should be limited to the Salvation Army, imho.