d halfnote Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Decided to post this as an orbiting comment rather than on that thread where it might not be seen. https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2853908/Just_learned_of_Gary_Burton_s_#Post2853908 Some may wonder why they might care abt that cat. Besides his great skill as a player/composer & teacher, he was one of the most astute bandleaders in selecting great young jazz guitarists as the co-lead voices in his bands. I hinted at that in the OP's selection of vids but wonder if that came through. Burton prolly sponsored the early careers of guitarists who grew into phenoms more than anyone other than John Mayall or Paul Samwell-Smith of the Yardbirds. d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Yes, Gary is a brilliant musician who had a distinguished career. I have enjoyed him over the years, and yes, he did a lot to help the careers of people like Pat Metheny, Larry Coryell, Jerry Hahn and others. He said one time that guitar and vibes were an instrumental combination that just worked well, and that has been the case before Gary came on the scene..... Charlie Christian with Lionel Hamilton, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Yeah, come to think of it, the guy who turned me ON to Burton was another guitarist. And many other "jazz lovers" I know either never heard of him, or claim they're not fond of vibes. Go figure.... Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 The trick w/electric gtr & struck instruments is a contrast of sustain & sharp attack. d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 How "sharp" the attack on vibes is depends on the type of mallet used. Some have soft, padded heads and others have hard, bare wood balls. And each provides a distinct tone. Guitar picks on the other hand(or in ) although made of various materials are all hard surfaced. Now, back in my early days of learning I ran across what was called a "bass pick" which seemed to be a super thick device, shaped like a standard guitar pick, but coated on each side with a type of felt. I bought one for the hell of it, and noticed a big difference in the tone of my guitar. But, as at the time I only had an acoustic, I never heard or knew how using such a pick on an ELECTRIC guitar would sound. But, I'm SURE there must be some out there who've tried it. I know they still make 'em, but as most bass players I see only use their fingers, I'm not sure a lot of them are still used. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Vibes and guitar are a really nice combination. One cool album is "Bags and Wes" with Milt Jackson on vibes with Wes Montgomery on guitar. And Bobby Hutcherson is another great vibist. He plays great on Grant Green's classic "Idle Moments". Any of you guys ever played with a really good vibist? I know it's not really a common ROCK'N'ROLL instrument...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Duplicate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzilla Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 While I never played with him while he was doing vibes (just a few times with him on drum kit), one of my friends in college did an arrangement of Steve Howe's "Mood For A Day" on vibes for his senior concert. Good cross-over of the two worlds. "Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion) NEW band Old band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Vibes and guitar are a really nice combination. One cool album is "Bags and Wes" with Milt Jackson on vibes with Wes Montgomery on guitar. And Bobby Hutcherson is another great vibist. He plays great on Grant Green's classic "Idle Moments". Any of you guys ever played with a really good vibist? I know it's not really a common ROCK'N'ROLL instrument...... I remember hearing that LP at a buddy's house back in the '60's. Pretty cool. Rock'n'roll vibes DOES sound like a good idea though. I never played with a vibist, but the chorus teacher at my high school had some vibraphones set up in class one day. He was kind enough to let a few of us try our luck on them, and it sure gave ME a new level of respect for those who play vibes. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 There's a vibraphone in the back cover photo of Umma Gumma, portraying all of Pink Floyd's touring gear from 1968. I believe Rick Wright played it a bit in their spacey atmospheric jams of the period, though that role was covered by Rhodes in later years. There's also a trombone in that pic, which I don't recall ever hearing any of them play. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 Regarding attacks: a "sharp" attack, as I mentioned above, is somewhat muted in timbre by a softer mallet but the note attack is still "sharp". The one non-electric way to soften the attack on a struck instrument is to "feather" the strike, as perhaps by very soft strikes gradually increasing to raise the volume. As for "rock & roll vibes", guess what ? Ruth Underwood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzSWJdgXUoM [video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzSWJdgXUoM d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 The only other "struck" instrument I can think of off hand (outside of the xylophone and marimba or other vibe similar instruments) is the ZITHER, which can be either strummed, plucked or struck by using special shaped "hammers" which, in my case, I've NEVER heard "feathered", which would be NICE now and then if ya ask me. RUTH UNDERWOOD! Yeah, forgot about her. And incidentally, it's HER BIRTHDAY today! 71. Played vibes, xylophone, marimba and a host of other percussion instruments in the various ZAPPA bands over the years. THANKS for that reminder d. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Drums & most percussion instruments are struck. Pianos are struck instruments, as are most, not all, kboards. Gtrs are almost struck insrtruments , except that they can be plucked as can harpsichords, not just struck. Besides Ruth Underwood (& in fact I shoulda thought of him first) there's another Zappa alumni (as well as Cincinatti, & other, Symphonies). For many his greatest fame came as a long-term member of Don Van Vliet's (Captain Beefheart) bands, as well as the post-Beefheart band Mallard.. Curiously he can also be heard on Al Stewart's decidedly not-rock hit record "Time Passages". Here he's leading the intro to one of the rip-roaringest rock gtr solos y'll ever hear, played by Elliot Ingber, guitarist & postal deliveryman. BTW & FWIW, those are not audio edits you may think you hear, the cat played that way ! [video:youtube] Here he's putting vibes to work in a rock-blues context [video:youtube] Art Tripp / Ed Marimba playing drume live on German TV w/ the classic Beeafheart Magic Band Hope you like polyrhythmic blues ! They drift from ColtraneLand backwards [3 1/2 min mark] through the blues then jump forward [7 min] to hyper-hipster poetry & [9 min] funk-rock using John Fogerty's fave e7 chord variation ! [video:youtube] Here he's jazz-rocking along with Beefheart/Mallard guitarist Bill Harkleroad. [video:youtube] d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 I know you probbly mean to say that ALL harpsichords are "plucked" but the wording was slightly misleading. I'll bow out now as I don't know much about any BEEFHEART alumni due to my not being able to ever get "into" the Captain. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 Is there an echo in here ? d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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