More Complete Noise

Howdy Folks,


The Big News from the band is that I have come up with a way to play the Hi-Hat or Symbol using a contraption I designed.

The last big breakthrough was adding the bass drum which I considered to be a big deal at the time. As far as the sound, It was probably a bigger deal when I got the better bass drum. The first one was a piece from of a beginner set that I bought on Ebay.

Lately though, I have found myself pondering for extended periods trying to find a way to add symbols to the ongoing mix without taking away from the guitar or other sounds. I am basically out of limbs & really don't want to have to use un-natural or odd movements to play. I don't want the focus to be on a freak show. I know from experience that as far as live performance, the novelty of the one-man-band will only last so long. It has to sound good.

But back to the pondering. I really have just sat and thought about this quite a bit & really had nothing. The wierd thing was that I was just relaxing at home Sunday & without really thinking about it just started working on the stand & drum stick. All of the sudden I had it.


It is a very simple design & instead of using a spring to pull the drum stick back, It uses gravity. I drilled a hole in the stick where there was more weight behind it than in front & ran a piece of coat hanger wire through it and taped it to a stand. Then I just attached a piece of string to the the stick and at the other end tie it to the bass drum pedal. I think Isaac Newton would have gotten a kick out of it.


The sound difference is not completely subtle but the small addition of a symbol at the right spot in the beat is huge.

I am going to use it Thurday at Whiskys Pub in Galvestown and am really excited about it.

The other thing I like about is the image. There will be a drumstick hitting a symbol just off to the right. It looks kind of like something from the Adams Family.


I have conceptualized a way to also add another drumstick but I am going to work with this set-up for a little bit before I do that.

I have decided to take the floor tom out of the mix for the time being. Partly becuase I don't use it that much & also because it doesn't fit as easy with my new symbol striker contraption. It is also bulky to transport & I am trying to make my set up and break down a little less taxing.


If all this useless information is putting you to sleep, then enjoy your nap.


Thanks & Blah, Blah, Blah!

Crazy

They had a show on channel 8 (PBS) the other day about Patsy Cline. It showed TV appearances in a chronological order. I am not sure what I would say about Patsy Cline that people don't already know. Maybe I could look up some interesting fact and pretend like I knew it.

I did't ever really think about it but I was surprised that she was only 30 when she died.

It really amazed me how she sang Crazy & you could hear Willie Nelson's Vocal Inflections in her voice. Once you write a song like that and it is a hit record for Patsy Cline it kind of takes all the pressure off of having to prove anything.

Anyway, It is a good program & I am sure it will get re-played if you missed it.

Are you scared yet?

According to all the news it is now officially hurricane season.


It doesn't get much better for newspeople than hurricanes. They love to do that shot where the reporter stands at the water and talks about a storm that might be a couple of days away but they love it the most when they can actually be in the hurricane itself.

They are talking about how we might need to start having a Category 6 classification just in case. I thought it was pretty funny when the one weather dude started saying "Cat 3" & "Cat 4" instead of actually saying the word "category"

Alex Trebec has to say catagory alot more times than that but he doesn't say "Cat". But at the same time he does pretend to know the questions to all the answers.