In a sense the complexity has no "floor" - that is, no fundamental raster
or connectivity - it's completely analog, oozing, and that's a different
form of engagement. setup time for example may be minimal; if I want to
work on an improvisation, I may well just pick up an instrument and begin.
There's also a diffrent level of care - no updating, but continuous
tuning, maintenance, etc., on the instrument as something close to
"living" in its environment. We keep humidifiers going, for example, in
the winter, since the wood breathes and may crack -
On Thu, 29 Feb 2024, Mark Hancock wrote:
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:23:00 +0000
From: Mark Hancock <m...@memecortex.net>
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
<netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org>
Cc: Alan Sondheim <sondh...@panix.com>
Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] long covid blues
>>More than you asked for!
Heh, not at all i find it fascinating. As someone who just dabbles* with
Ableton, field recordings and whatever Arduino device I can connect, it?s
really interesting to understand analog instruments and their heritage and
the complexity of playing them.
M
On Thu, 29 Feb 2024 at 16:35, Alan Sondheim via NetBehaviour
<netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org> wrote:
Hi Mark,
Now that you ask... Nylon is easier on the fingers than steel,
and harder
to 'twang' - it's subtle in a different way. And there's nylon
and nylon -
originally strings were gut and on some instruments I use Nylgut
which
imitates the acoustic properties of gut but is another
composition
altogether. It's easier to bend notes with steel strings, a
displacement
sideways of steel (or composition) raises the pitch to a greater
extent
thann the displacement of nylon (or composition). I have a very
old gambus
here from near Nepal with the original strings - they're very
thin gut and
I'm afraid if I play it, they'll break.
With the guqin or qin, it's other issues. They should be played
with gut
strings, relatively low tension. Under Mao, who was responsible
for the
dstruction of 300 antique qin, which went back centuries, the
qin was
'modernized' to take steel strings. My two qin have steel
strings, even
though one is centuries old; the gut strings tend to break and I
don't
have the physical strength to replace them (another story). I
have a
friend who plays and teaches a number of instruments; he has gut
strings
on his reproduction medieval instruments.
The blues always used metal - it was what was available, but the
strings
bent for the blues notes as well. And I don't want to say
'always' for
that matter, not sure of that. Electric guitars of course need
metal
strings but you can electrify a classical guitar as well with
contact/
vibration mics.
My sazs are all metal strings, as are my Albanian gifteli. The
saz is very
very easy on the fingers.
The oud uses nylon or gut strings but a related instrument, used
in local
Jewish musics, the cobza or kobza, uses very light gauge metal
strings.
Old-timey banjos can go either way; mine has nylon or nylgut
strings
(forget which now, like the latter more), bluegrass banjos
always use
metal strings for their percussive quality.
The whole mandolin family, metal.
More than you asked for! :-)
Best, Alan
On Thu, 29 Feb 2024, Mark Hancock wrote:
> Date: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:39:58 +0000
> From: Mark Hancock <m...@memecortex.net>
> Reply-To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
> <netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org>
> To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
> <netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org>
> Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] long covid blues
>
> Hey Alan,
> That's really interesting. Any differences as a player between
nylon and
> steel? Apart from the twang?
>
> Bloody long covid, what a nightmare it all is. Hope you're
finding some
> respite, or solace from it all.
>
> Mark
>
> On Wed, 28 Feb 2024 at 22:13, Alan Sondheim via NetBehaviour
> <netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org> wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> The music is from a while ago, unfortunately my playing now is
> stranger, more angular.
> It was a steel string guitar, I still do blues on a nylon
string
> banjo, mainly for myself, but it doesn't have the 'twang.'
> Years ago I remember finding a steel-body National guitar for
Son
> House through Al Wilson.
> I got infected by free jazz.
> Spoke too soon about being over long covid; today was one of
the worst
> days.
>
> Best, Alan, exhausted and so glad you liked the music!
>
> On Wed, Feb 28, 2024 at 4:15?AM Mark Hancock
<m...@memecortex.net>
> wrote:
> I love that guitar sound, Alan. I need more of that,
> please!
>
> Reminds me (in my limited cultural references) of the guitar
on
> Psychic TV?s A Pagan Day album.
>
>
> Glad you?re on the mend, that was my favourite verse.
>
> Mark
>
>
> On Wed, 28 Feb 2024 at 04:48, Alan Sondheim via NetBehaviour
> <netbehaviour@lists.netbehaviour.org> wrote:
>
>
> long covid blues
>
> https://youtu.be/c8zWeSeZDvM video
>
> i got the long covid blues
> i got the long covid blues
> any way you choose
> i got those long long covid blues
>
> wake up this morning in the middle of the night
> wake up this morning in the middle of the night
> looking for the sunlight sight long covid fright
>
> wake up in midday nothing left to lose
> wake up in midday nothing left to lose
> got those long longer longest long covid blues
>
> they say there's nowhere to go but down the covid
> hall
> doctor comes i said yesterday maybe had a fall
> i said maybe something else can't remember at all
> said maybe that was it maybe was a fall
>
> i got the long covid blues
> i got the long covid blues
> any way you choose
> i got those long covid blues
>
> --- >>>> *
>
> * although i seem to be getting well and pulling
> through
> * anyway you look the mood's a lot less blue
>
> _
>
>
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>
>
> --
> =====================================================
> directory http://www.alansondheim.org tel 347-383-8552
> email sondheim ut panix.com, sondheim ut gmail.com
> =====================================================
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