One of the unfortunate realities of playing music is the cost of the instrument. Most traditional instruments cost several hundred dollars, and it is an expense that many of us cannot afford. Sometimes though, there are fun, tonal instruments that can be made at home for next to nothing. Such as an instrument made entirely out of a few balloons!
The name says it all - a bass like instrument, where both the string and the resonator/body is made out of balloons. It has 3 and 1/2 octaves, which is a larger range than most smaller instruments - and you can make one too!
I've never really made an instrument myself, most often because I feel like I need a garage full of woodworking equipment etc. This instrument makes me wonder what other kinds of instruments could be made out of stuff I have lying around! Do you have any ideas?
- If you want to see more detailed instructions about how to make the diaphragm part of the balloon bass, go here and watch this video.
For more details about the instrument, and the artist who is recording/performing with this instrument, go to his website here.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Music in Nature: The Lyre Bird
The lyre bird is one of the coolest sound phenomenons in nature. A native species in Australia, they are the musical equivalent of a chameleon: That is, they can mimic the sounds of birds, other animals, and human machinery! This includes dogs barking, human voices, chainsaws, car alarms, and human instruments.
A natural synthesizer!
A natural synthesizer!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Collaborative Guitar Playing - On One Guitar
Today I'm going to talk about a few videos that showcase guitar playing in a completely different way: Two people playing the same guitar, at once.
The first, is a bluegrass number, and is self-explanatory. It's an old one, so if you've seen this, go ahead and skip to the next video. A Fun song, and great showmanship too!
Believe it or not, this next video is much, MUCH more technically impressive, and here's why: If you notice in the first video, the guy standing is constantly playing the bass line. Both of their right hands are playing the strings that their left hand is holding down - in other words, it's as if they are each playing half of the guitar. This is still really impressive, since there's no way to play this song on your own because we don't have enough fingers etc.
However, take a look at this second one. First of all, the song itself is much more complex. But more impressively, pay attention to around 0:53. They SWITCH the strings that they hold down, such that person A is finger picking what person B is holding down. If this doesn't seem quite obvious, it becomes more clear around 1:04-1:08. The lady is holding down the strings with the right hand, while the man is playing the strings with the left. Now imagine doing this, but doing the exact opposite roles with the other hand, on the same guitar, at the same time! It's as if you're playing one song on the right hand, and playing another on the left... all the while coordinating it with someone else!! Mind blowing ability!
Finally, something a little different. The guitar is typically strummed/picked in two ways: with a pick, or with your fingers. There's a lot you can do with those things, but it's still just two ways of hitting the strings. Here's something a little different: a guitar being played with a couple pencils, ala a Yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).
The first, is a bluegrass number, and is self-explanatory. It's an old one, so if you've seen this, go ahead and skip to the next video. A Fun song, and great showmanship too!
Believe it or not, this next video is much, MUCH more technically impressive, and here's why: If you notice in the first video, the guy standing is constantly playing the bass line. Both of their right hands are playing the strings that their left hand is holding down - in other words, it's as if they are each playing half of the guitar. This is still really impressive, since there's no way to play this song on your own because we don't have enough fingers etc.
However, take a look at this second one. First of all, the song itself is much more complex. But more impressively, pay attention to around 0:53. They SWITCH the strings that they hold down, such that person A is finger picking what person B is holding down. If this doesn't seem quite obvious, it becomes more clear around 1:04-1:08. The lady is holding down the strings with the right hand, while the man is playing the strings with the left. Now imagine doing this, but doing the exact opposite roles with the other hand, on the same guitar, at the same time! It's as if you're playing one song on the right hand, and playing another on the left... all the while coordinating it with someone else!! Mind blowing ability!
Finally, something a little different. The guitar is typically strummed/picked in two ways: with a pick, or with your fingers. There's a lot you can do with those things, but it's still just two ways of hitting the strings. Here's something a little different: a guitar being played with a couple pencils, ala a Yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)