Instruments » Down The Rhodes: The Fender Rhodes Story

  Down the Rhodes:
  "The Fender Rhodes Story"
  This is a documentary about the legendary   Fender Rhodes electric piano which can be       ordered at ~www.fenderrhodesstory.com
  in DVD format.

  The related video is the combination of six           short interviews quoted from the documentary.
  The interviewing artists are:  Bob James,    
   Chick Corea, David Paich, Eumir Deodato,
   George Duke and Joe Sample.

Instruments» "Slap" technique on bass guitar

On bass guitar, "slap bass" usually refers to a percussive playing technique most commonly used in funk, disco, soul, jazz, Latin, pop, and many other genres. The style sounds much more percussive than regular fingering of notes with the plucking hand, and is also usually louder (although on an electric instrument, the volume can be adjusted with the volume knob or through compression) and more distinct than the sound of a bass guitar played with the usual plucking techniques. The slap sound comes from the combination of two elements: striking the string with the side of the bony joint in the middle of the thumb, a harder surface than the pads of the fingers (used in plucked fingering); and intentionally allowing the vibrating string to come into contact with the metal frets, producing a "toney" or buzzing sound that is normally avoided in plucked/fingered bass.

In the slap technique, the bassist replaces the usual plucking motion of the index and middle fingers with "slaps" and "pops". In the slap, the bassist uses the bone of the thumb joint to strike the lower strings (usually the E and A, and occasionally D, strings) near the base of the guitar's neck. In the pop, the bassist will use the index and middle fingers of the plucking hand to snap the higher-pitched strings away from the body of the bass, causing them to bounce off the fretboard; this produces a prominent buzzing tone with a sharp attack and more high-frequency vibrations than present in plucked bass. The bassist can play many notes quickly by rotating the forearm, alternately slapping and popping: during the pop, the hand moves away from the fretboard, "winding up" or getting in position for the next slap. The slap and pop techniques are commonly used with pull-offs and hammer-ons with the fretting (usually left) hand, to further increase the rate at which notes may be played. Ghost notes, or notes played with the string damped, are also commonly played in slap bass to increase the percussive feel of the technique.

Source: ~wikipedia

Instruments» Manufacturing process of Bösendorfer pianos

Here's a promotional video of the legendary piano manufacturer Bösendorfer. You'll find examples from the manufacturing process, and also short reviews of jazz, classical and other genre's great performers who prefers Bösendorfer.

About Bösendorfer pianos:
Bösendorfer ranks among the world's oldest piano manufacturer, rich in tradition and world-famous for its unmistakably inspiring sound as well as the outstanding quality of its instruments. The selection of first-class materials and above all the extremely careful workmanship -most of which is still done by hand- distinguish each individual Bösendorfer.

Bösendorfer's official website:
~www.boesendorfer.com

Instruments» "Hammond-B3" organ (demo)

A demonstration of "Hammond-B3" organ

Here's a very beautiful demonstration of the legendary Hammond-B3 organ; found on YouTube.

The performer&uploader (nick: pianoprofin) describes his video as:
"Hello! This is my 1968 Hammond B-3 organ with two Leslie 122 speakers."

Short information about Hammond organ:
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, rock, church and gospel music. ~wikipedia

Video Address & Read Comments:

~YouTube

Instruments» Bass: The Secret Hero of the Orchestra

Ray Brown (1926-2002)

Sure it varies from person to person, but I think the absence of "bass" is more noticeable than its presence; I mean while I'm listening to a song with a "bassist" in the orchestra/group/etc; I don't talk to myself something like: "Thanks God, there's a bassist here!"; but if I'm listening to a song without a "bassist" (let's say for the first time); I always ask myself: "Where's the bassist?"

Below I wanted to share an example of this "Secret Hero";
hope all bassists forgive me :)
 ~Johnny Cage

Acoustic Bass: Eric Revis

Album: "Kerem Görsev - Relaxing (1998)"

Track: "Conversations with the Bass" (#2)

Instruments » Vibraphone (~wikipedia)

Vibraphone

The vibraphone (also known as the vibraharp or simply the vibes) is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.

The vibraphone is similar in appearance to the xylophone, marimba and glockenspiel. Each bar is paired with a resonator tube having a motor-driven butterfly valve at its upper end, mounted on a common shaft, which produces a tremolo or vibrato effect while spinning. The vibraphone also has a sustain pedal similar to that used on a piano; when the pedal is up, the bars are all damped and the sound of each bar is shortened; with the pedal down, they will sound for several seconds.

The most common uses of the vibraphone are within jazz music, where it often plays a featured role, and in the wind ensemble, as a standard component of the percussion section.

Instruments» Sabian Vault Crossover Ride Cymbal (~jazztimes.com)

NOVEMBER 2008
Sabian Vault Crossover Ride Cymbal
By Bill Meredith

Founded in 1981, the Canadian company Sabian is the fledgling among the world’s four leading cymbal manufacturers, predated by earlier 20th-century European innovators Paiste and Meinl and venerable 17th-century cymbal godfather Zildjian.

Robert Zildjian founded Sabian after the death of his father, Avedis Zildjian III. When another son, Armand Zildjian, was awarded control of the family-named company, a rift developed between the brothers. Robert Zildjian was eventually awarded the New Brunswick-based factory that had produced the classic K Zildjian line, originally developed by Kerope Zildjian in Turkey during the 19th century. (The K ride cymbal became a historical, standard piece of jazz equipment.) Robert named his new company using the first two letters in each of his three children’s names (Sally, Bill and Andy).

Instruments » "Bass" in Jazz (~wikipedia)

Jazz bass is the use of the double bass, or in some genres bass guitar, to improvise accompaniment ("comping") and solos in a jazz or jazz fusion style. The double bass began being used in jazz in the 1890s, to supply the low-pitched walking basslines which outlined the harmony of the music. From the 1920s and 1930s Swing and big band era, through Bebop and Hard Bop, to the 1960s-era "free jazz" movement, the resonant, woody sound of the double bass anchored everything from small jazz combos to large jazz groups. Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, some jazz fusion bandleaders began to substitute the electric bass guitar for the double bass.

Apart from the jazz styles of jazz fusion and Latin-influenced jazz and salsa, the double bass is still widely used in jazz. The sound and tone of the plucked double bass is distinct from that of the fretted bass guitar. The bass guitar produces a different sound than the double bass, because bass guitars usually have a solid wood body, which means that the sound is produced by electronic amplification of the vibration of the strings rather than from the resonance of the double bass' hollow body.

Most jazz bassists specialize in either the double bass or the electric bass; in some cases, though, performers achieve a high level of virtuosity on both instruments, such as Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci. Whether a jazz bassist is comping (accompanying) or soloing, or playing on a double bass or an electric bass, they usually aim to create a rhythmic drive and "timefeel" that creates a sense of "swing" and "groove".

Instruments » Fender’s ’70s Jazz Bass, Model: 013200/Series: Classic

Fender’s ’70s Jazz Bass, Model: 013200/Series: Classic





Overview

Fender’s ’70s Jazz Bass® captures the essence of the decade with striking looks and bright, full sound. That decade saw the bridge pickup placed closer to the bridge, creating a brighter, more cutting tone, and the addition of neck binding and block fretboard inlays. Features include ultra-slim neck with bullet truss rod nut, vintage-style alnico magnet Jazz Bass single-coil pickups, and vintage-style bridge.

Instruments: Piano's » Bösendorfer Model 185

Model 185

The baby grand – A born cosmopolitan

Our 185 model brings worlds together: The world of the home and the world of public performance. It creates a bridge between private space and public space. Why?

Model 185
The baby grand

Because it can

Because it can; it is, quite simply, capable of creating this link – in terms of both construction and performance. Its dynamic features make it ideal for more intimate perfor-mances in front of a small audience, whilst its sonorous sound is the unmistakable hallmark of a member of the great house of Bösendorfer. That same expertise has gone into its development; the same expert hands that create the full concert grands have brought it to life.

Its responsive touch and unique tonal character mean you will experience some exquisite musical moments in the company of your friends.

88 keys
l: 6'1", w: 4'11", net: 726 lb

Product Page » www.boesendorfer.com/...