My kids ask: How do they do that?

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Tootler
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 05:03 PM

You can clearly see the strings from his foot in this one.

It looks as if the big drum beater is inside the drum and the string controlling the puppet runs up the outside of the drum. I don't think the puppet's drum sticks are doing much, though - more for visual effect.

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 01:57 PM

LOL...!!

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 29 Jul 11 - 04:57 AM

"You can see this guy's drum whacker"

I'm not sure that you should be writing such things in a public forum!

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 09:14 PM

The Japanese guy looks like his drum is rigged to be beaten on the inside, what a clever approach.

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Melissa
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 08:58 PM

another one

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Melissa
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 08:53 PM

You can see this guy's drum whacker:


one man band

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 04:15 PM

I just looked at that video, that's a tough way to earn a living. At least simple guitar busking lets you stand in one place.

That guy's drumstick looks a lot looser than the one I remember; maybe his has less of a spring or none.

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 04:12 PM

Ernest is right about the rigging as far as the one I saw as a kid: The drumstick was mounted as a vertical level and had a spring to keep it off the head if no pressure was on the line. The line went from the drumstick handle to the heel/ankle. The one I saw was set so the business end of the drumstick was in contact with the drumhead when the guy was standing, and I assume this required pressure against a spring, which pressure was released when he raised his foot. So when he stomped his foot the drum played. Not a lot of control over tone colour.

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Big Ballad Singer
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 03:56 PM

SOMEbody's got to know how those things are rigged!

I've seen plenty people play a bass drum on the ground, like usual; I want to know how you get the thing to play when it's strapped to your back and you're there alone... is there a wire to one's leg, or a pedal of some sort?

HOW do they DO that?!?

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 12:03 PM

I dunno about the movie, but when in marching bands I've seen, a big person has the drum upon his back, and another person walks behind and plays it.

I wish the big person had hearing protection, but probably not...

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 04:15 AM

In the UK at least one-man bands are pretty common these days so kids can study the mysteries first hand. Failing that, YouTube is a good place to look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2xOw-VXe_g

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Ernest
Date: 28 Jul 11 - 02:00 AM

Usually there`d be some wires attached to the drum and the feet or elbows so you bang the drum by tapping your feet or moving your elbows...

There was a thread here about one-man-bands (someone wrote a book about them I think), maybe that contains some further informatiion...

Good luck
Ernest

Subject: RE: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Beer
Date: 27 Jul 11 - 11:04 PM

Good question. Wish I had the answer for you.
ad.

Subject: My kids ask: How do they do that?
From: Big Ballad Singer
Date: 27 Jul 11 - 11:02 PM

We were watching Mary Poppins the other day (gotta love Bert and that dreadful attempt at an accent, but Julie Andrews makes my heart race to this very day). Kids saw Bert doing his busking routine, bass drum and all, and they asked how the drum is rigged to make it play while it's on his back.

Anyone?

Really, I've wondered it myself... how DO you rig one of those doodads to play like that? I sure as heck couldn't go lugging a damned bass drum around in my ARMS, let alone on my back, the shape I'm in, but the engineering of it must have been pretty forward-thinking in its day if guys were using it in 1910.

How's it done?