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Subject: attention spoons players From: The Sandman Date: 12 May 09 - 08:36 AM when you do your thing[claccking of the e n p s],could you please ensure you listen to the melody instruments. the skill of accompanying is listening,if you cant or dont listen, please put your spoons away. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,Jack Campin Date: 12 May 09 - 08:43 AM It also helps, when doing full-arm swings for dramatic effect, to check whether somebody's head is occupying the trajectory of the spoons. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Sugwash Date: 12 May 09 - 08:46 AM Enough with your sweeping generalisation, I know some very fine spoonists. Mr Geoff Lakeman is a partucularly fine exponent of cutlery percussion. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: VirginiaTam Date: 12 May 09 - 09:04 AM ahhh! That's the ticket. Just the giggle I needed. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 12 May 09 - 09:12 AM Noted. RtS |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Bernard Date: 12 May 09 - 09:43 AM I've heard that spoons players are frustrated bodhran players... or are the last two words a superfluous oxymoron?! I'll get me coat... |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: IanC Date: 12 May 09 - 09:48 AM Well, it's true that the art of spoons playing is twofold (a) Listening to the melody (b) Knowing when not to play But to be honest, that's true of any instrument and I've heard my share of guitar, melodeon, fiddle, ukelele etc. etc. players who could benefit from the same advice. ;-) |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,Stainless Steel Metal Spoons Date: 12 May 09 - 10:03 AM Thought you might apreciate knowing I've soldered pickups to my spoons and will soon be joining in sessions plugged into a portable 80 watt combo amp. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: WalkaboutsVerse Date: 12 May 09 - 10:17 AM Bzzzzz...hope you've remembered an earth wire, SSMS. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Jack Campin Date: 12 May 09 - 10:29 AM Turkish folkdance with spoons and another one and yet another None of them quite what you're likely to see in a British folk club. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Midchuck Date: 12 May 09 - 11:18 AM I realize we're not talking about bluegrass sessions here. But #III of the Ten Commandments of Bluegrass Music is still relevant, I think: III. Rattle not your tableware, nor strike it first against thy leg, then thy rib cage, all the while assuming the countenance of the stooge, for it is unclean and an abomination before me. Such apish behavior is damnable for seven generations. Peter |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: theleveller Date: 12 May 09 - 11:33 AM Another words of warning: never try to substitute other items of cutlery unless you're wearing leather gloves. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Bernard Date: 12 May 09 - 12:13 PM Erm... these pickups... are they peas-o or moving cauli? |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Les in Chorlton Date: 12 May 09 - 12:13 PM you're wearing leather gloves. At last this thread comes alive. L in Leather in C |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: reggie miles Date: 12 May 09 - 01:01 PM Captain Birdseye, on the path to spoon playing bliss and perfection there are often bumps in the road. Some would say that these bumps are the bodies of those who didn't heed such advice as you are so generously offering in this thread. Others believe those same bumps to be the bodies of those who dared to be foolhardy enough to offer such words of advice to those so armed with utensils like forks, sporks, knives, pie servers and yes, spoons, some of which can hold quite a sharp and jagged edge after a particularly long jam session. As IanC explains, it's no different with every musical pursuit. We all try our best to gain a level of ability with our chosen instruments. Those that have more experience shouldn't be so quick to look down upon those who are just beginning their journey to tread this musical path. Helping one another to gain a better understanding of how to reach our musical goals is a much more positive means of spending one's time. If we all took the time to offer such assistance, when we noticed a need in someone's musical endeavors, think of the difference it would make. Think of how much closer we would all be to our musical nirvana. Guest, Jack Campin, those are words to live by. A very good friend, one of the best known utensil percussionists in the world, managed to accidentally knock an old woman flat on the ground with such a move, when she ventured too close to listen. Once, while I was playing with him and a fiddler friend in a rather cramped corner of a tiny restaurant, he banged into the fiddler's prize fiddle with such a move and I thought that I was going to be witness to his end but the fiddler, being a kindly soul, was far more interested in what damage his instrument might have sustained than in thoughts of murder over such a transgression. When in the moment and reaching for the ultimate expression of one's soul, accidents can happen. GUEST, Stainless Steel Metal Spoons, my friend has already done this with a set of his spoons. Then he pumped them through a loop station and a digital sound bank. It's quite a setup. The digital world offers so much more latitude to play within. The possibilities can be endless. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 13 May 09 - 12:12 AM Jack Campin, thanks for the link to the Turkish group. Sexy! ====== Why is it that some tradfolk alternate between sneering at every newbie (whether playing spoons, shakey egg or drum) and then wondering why younger people aren't joining the movement? |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: open mike Date: 13 May 09 - 12:32 AM midchuck..please post or p.m. the other 9 commandments.. reggie...good to see you hear (here) stir it up...take a lesson from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artis_the_Spoonman http://www.artisthespoonman.net/ example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3TFkvEmBYM see also : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonerism (unrelated) |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 13 May 09 - 01:02 AM Spoons - is just an uppity presentation of the white man's ostentation.
Those in the know - know bones - Silver- is the source of the white boy's burden and a reason for a lock on his door.
Sincerely,
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Liz the Squeak Date: 13 May 09 - 01:53 AM It depends a lot on the tuning of your spoons. Getting a pair that sound good together and have some semblance of pitch is good. The odd shaving off the bowl with a metal sander can enhance the tone. Old fashioned (i.e., pre 1960) dessert spoons are the best, having a deep bowl, rounded ends to the handle and have had the sharp edges worn down. They're also more likely to be of a proper solid metal and thus have an even tone, not like the modern stainless steel ones that clack rather than ting. If any spoon player was in the second carriage from the front of the Hammersmith and City line Barking train that got into Euston Square tube station at 6.50am yesterday morning, you dropped one of your spoons and I have it. It's rather nicely pitched to G and shows no sign of grinding, so I'm asuming it was a lucky find. As my spoons are in Bb, they are of little use to me. Apply by PM and give me a description and you can have it back once I've finished me soup. LTS |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: MartinRyan Date: 13 May 09 - 03:32 AM And, of course, choose your victims ...sorry - fellow musicians - carefully. Regards |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Stu Date: 13 May 09 - 03:43 AM "Why is it that some tradfolk alternate between sneering at every newbie (whether playing spoons, shakey egg or drum) and then wondering why younger people aren't joining the movement?" Because the tune is the key and rhythm can only provide . . . well rhythm. Now I know some fine bodhran players, no spoons players, a good bones player (the shakey egg is a crime against sessions and should be scrambled on sight) and I myself played the drum for many years but at the end of the day you can sit with a tin whistle and make music for people to dance to, but sit with a bodhran or spoons and you'll simply be beating solo. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Will Fly Date: 13 May 09 - 05:57 AM LTS: It's rather nicely pitched to G and shows no sign of grinding, so I'm asuming it was a lucky find. As my spoons are in Bb, they are of little use to me. Hang on to this spoon, Liz - Bb and G are part of the nice chord of Gm. Turned round, of course, they part of the chord of Bb6. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: manitas_at_work Date: 13 May 09 - 06:18 AM Just don't expect to be welcomed in sessions playing mainly in D or G. On the other hand they would fit in nicely with trad jazz or bagpipe bands. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: VirginiaTam Date: 13 May 09 - 06:19 AM particularly long jam session I read that as LOG jam session. Wooden Spoons anyone? |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: WalkaboutsVerse Date: 13 May 09 - 06:22 AM The World Spoons Championships is held, annually, somewhere in County Durham, I believe. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Jack Campin Date: 13 May 09 - 08:34 AM And another Turkish spoon dance video. The occasion is interesting: brothers at a circumcision party |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Piers Plowman Date: 13 May 09 - 08:43 AM The prudent spoon player is also well-advised to remove pudding, meat-drippings or other liquid or solid contents from the spoons _before_ beginning to play. Apologies for yet another shameless plug: Musical Spoon |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 13 May 09 - 10:02 AM Check out this: adorable The young guy playing guitar is pretty cute, too. How in the world do they remember the routine? These are accomplished musicians. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Beer Date: 13 May 09 - 10:33 AM Captain you are right on. If you are going to accompany a fiddle player. Please ask his permission first. But overall, if you don't know the tune or not sure of the rhythm, put your instrument down. Beer (adrien) |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: reggie miles Date: 13 May 09 - 11:02 AM Hey Open Mic! I've been as busy as ever or busier these days. So, that leaves little time to peck at my keyboard. You correctly guessed the identity of my friend the spoon player. Artis and I were both guests at a recent show in Seattle at the Moore Theater and had the chance to play some pre-cussion together on an old Stevie Wonder hit, Living For The City. I was scrubbing on my old Maytag. He also had a chance to jam on Bach's Invention #2 with an entire ensemble joining him. The video of this show is forthcoming Artis has lots of stuff on YouTube to view of his various exploits. Here is the only video that I have of us playing together. It's about 20 years old. Artis, on the left, is playing through his digital spoon kit. I'm on my 1929 Maytag Custom Special Dixie Delta Deluxe Eldorado Rhythm Board, harmonica and backup vocals (in the center)and our friend Crow is singing lead and playing electric guitar offering his song, Rocker's Deesase. GUEST,.gargoyle, My friend, Artis, also plays bones. Virginia Tam, He also plays wooden spoons and some nifty cutom made hard plastic spoons that have a shape closer to his wooden spoons but a sound that has more bite but not as harsh as metal. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Banjiman Date: 13 May 09 - 11:13 AM "The World Spoons Championships is held, annually, somewhere in County Durham, I believe. " Sedgefield is the spot. I believe Bert Draycott retained his crown again. You can see him at Saltburn Folk Fest this summer..... amongst many other venues in the Northeast. He's a fine entertainer as well as s spoon basher. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: The Sandman Date: 13 May 09 - 01:06 PM Correct,last time I was booked at Wolverston,Bert[at my invitation]joined me for a tune,at the end of my set,but Bert can play,and listens to th melody. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Jack Campin Date: 13 May 09 - 01:44 PM Sedgefield? Tony Blair's home town? So seeing throngs of people suddenly pulling spoons out of their pockets must be where he got the strange fixation about concealed weapons of mass destruction. |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Banjiman Date: 13 May 09 - 02:00 PM "So seeing throngs of people suddenly pulling spoons out of their pockets must be where he got the strange fixation about concealed weapons of mass destruction." Now that's funny! Do you think he sent the photos to Mr Bush? |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,Abby the Spoon Lady Date: 21 Feb 11 - 03:47 PM Spoons is something that takes practice. If you think that you can just pick up a pair of spoons and click them togather and be a professional then don't bother. If those playing strings around you have practiced and practiced and now you want to join in because you can make a noise, then that is disrespectful. Give it the attention it deserves. That also goes for the washboard, and any other "simplistic"-seeming percussion. Seriously. Here is my spoon playing |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: Bev and Jerry Date: 22 Feb 11 - 12:31 AM We have taught many a spoons workshop and they always include a lecture on etiquette as well as an admonition to go home and put on some music that you like and practice, practice, practice. Don't know how much good it does but we always say it anyway. Bev and Jerry |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,John J Date: 22 Feb 11 - 07:56 AM Abby, that's tremendous! JJ |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,Desi C Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:30 AM Must admit I find the spoons most irritating. I shouldn't as I do tell people who can't master a stringed or woodwind instrument to try some simple percussion. Having said that I despair going round the clubs how so lacking in timing many tambourine players are. even one top guitar player who occasionally plays one, has no timing whatsoever. One notable exception is a duo in the West Mid's area, Brett Huckfeld with Marie, Brett schooled Marie in Multi percussion instruments and in only two years is noe one of the best percussionists on the Folk Circuit |
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Subject: RE: attention spoons players From: GUEST,Dom Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:58 AM Anyone know Pat Beastie from Hull? THE spoons player! |
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