I've been playing the water drums at the bar for twenty years now. I find that if you fill (or rather empty) the bottles to different levels with stout as against water, they give a more mellow sound as the night wears on.
Any suggestions for different liquids or bottles that I could try out at the next session?
The increasing mellowness is because of where you are emptying the bottles to. At a given point the sound will be so mellow that it is inaudiable. This is because you are unconscious. Unconscious bodhran players are an obvious asset to ITM sessions, so please feel free to empty as many bottles as possible.
As for suggestions for alternative liquids, surely you are taking the p*ss?
Joe, Do you play/setup more than one at a time? If so, you could fill them from extra stout to stout to lager etc. Staying within the same colour scheme so to speak, just variance of tints. I wonder how mellow the sound would be when filled with the carbonated french business (Champagne)?
Well Clay, In ancient Celtic times at the Royal court the lads would amuse themselves when bored by the harpist by filling (or emptying) a series of bottles to varying levels with mead. If you strike each bottle with a pipe stem or other object the resulting sounds vary according to how much liquid is in the bottle. This or these eventually became known as the "Uisce Bodhràn" which has been incorrectly translated as "Water Drums". In point of fact "Uisce" is the word that gave us the English "Whiskey or Whisky".
Tapping ashtrays with coins is another time-honoured way of accompanying a session.
I trust this is now clear? thank you for your interest. oh, by the way, if you're coming over for Willie week, you can find impromptu lessons on water drums in many of the pubs in the town.
Debwah, stout & champagne mixed is, as you probably know, called Black Velvet which gives a new insight into "The Black Velvet Band".
Zina, the marching season is upon our Northern brethern. Hence I conjecture your use of the Loyal Orange Lodge acronym.
It was bright and it was beautiful tum tee tum rattatatat.
Seeing as Martin has gone, who's round is it?
Blech, especially in her hair. Ah. No, wasn't going for anything like that, Joe. I wonder, can you play The Curlew on those things? That's the one I'm starting on today...
I should mention Joe, I got my Dad to pick up the spoons this past weekend. Not bad for a rather lengthy hiatus. I asked him about which finish is best, he said it doesn't matter.
Fair play to your dad, Debwah. Picking them up was the first thing. What did he do next? and how DID he finish? is he interested in water drums (or go go boots)?
Maybe we could organise a transatlantic go go guys percussion session, eh?
Dad's a little unsteady on his pins now due to age and arthritis, Go-Go boots for him are out. He played solo spoons just to show that he remembered. Did rather well too! He started slowly and built up to a rousing finish (Stainless Steel)!
I'll ask him if he would like to do the transatlantic go-go guys session.
Most people will know that "Water drums" or Watertabers as they are known in England entered Irish music in late 50's London, Pub Session seen.
The instrument evolved from the late Medieval Flagontaber made of pewter or pot.
"Strike up the Flagontaber
Rap it full hard
With a hay and a ho and a hay nony no."
In the late 17th century the traditional materials were abandoned in favour of the newly invented Black glass bottle. http://www.antiquebottles.com/blackglass/
A great player from this early period was
Tobias Rogers a knife grinder from Tewkesbury who made quite a name for himself and even played for the newly restored King.
In the first decade of the 19th century Jack Dixon known as "Bottle Jack" extended the range of the instrument to produce two fully chromatic octaves, but came to a violent end beaten to death with his own low Eb.
Perhaps the instruments greatest popularity occurred at the Great Exhibition of 1851 were Bottle Jacks apprentice Samuel Dodson entranced the Crowds with selections from popular light Operas.
The late 19th century marked a decline in the popularity of the instrument and the changes after the First World War saw it almost disappear.
The only player known to have survived into the era of the Pub session was Raymond "Dogsy" Butterworth of Camden Town who though a frail 92 years of age attended local Irish sessions until his peaceful death in 1960 at the age of 101.
Water Drums
Water Drums
I've been playing the water drums at the bar for twenty years now. I find that if you fill (or rather empty) the bottles to different levels with stout as against water, they give a more mellow sound as the night wears on.
Any suggestions for different liquids or bottles that I could try out at the next session?
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
The increasing mellowness is because of where you are emptying the bottles to. At a given point the sound will be so mellow that it is inaudiable. This is because you are unconscious. Unconscious bodhran players are an obvious asset to ITM sessions, so please feel free to empty as many bottles as possible.
As for suggestions for alternative liquids, surely you are taking the p*ss?
Martin
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Conway
Re: Water Drums
OK, I'll bite....What's a waterdrum?
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by dumpingsirkey
Re: Water Drums
Joe, Do you play/setup more than one at a time? If so, you could fill them from extra stout to stout to lager etc. Staying within the same colour scheme so to speak, just variance of tints. I wonder how mellow the sound would be when filled with the carbonated french business (Champagne)?
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
Well Clay, In ancient Celtic times at the Royal court the lads would amuse themselves when bored by the harpist by filling (or emptying) a series of bottles to varying levels with mead. If you strike each bottle with a pipe stem or other object the resulting sounds vary according to how much liquid is in the bottle. This or these eventually became known as the "Uisce Bodhràn" which has been incorrectly translated as "Water Drums". In point of fact "Uisce" is the word that gave us the English "Whiskey or Whisky".
Tapping ashtrays with coins is another time-honoured way of accompanying a session.
I trust this is now clear? thank you for your interest. oh, by the way, if you're coming over for Willie week, you can find impromptu lessons on water drums in many of the pubs in the town.
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
Debwah, le Tambour Champagnois is used in Provence, for instance, to accompany Occitano music.
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
*snicker* Joe, you're a bright spot in a harried day, you really are.
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Water Drums
Zina, is that perchance a dark reference to my friend Harry (aka the Ashtray)?
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
Martin, I won't deign to comment other than to say it's your round next.
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
LOL - in a word, no.
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Water Drums
So Joe, Mayhaps combining your Stout w/ Champagne would "Mix" well with the Celtic Fiddle Festival's Brittany tunes, yes?
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
Is it Joe? Oh, er ... actually I really must be going. Next time perhaps?
Martin
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Conway
Re: Water Drums
Debwah, stout & champagne mixed is, as you probably know, called Black Velvet which gives a new insight into "The Black Velvet Band".
Zina, the marching season is upon our Northern brethern. Hence I conjecture your use of the Loyal Orange Lodge acronym.
It was bright and it was beautiful tum tee tum rattatatat.
Seeing as Martin has gone, who's round is it?
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
Blech, especially in her hair. Ah. No, wasn't going for anything like that, Joe. I wonder, can you play The Curlew on those things? That's the one I'm starting on today...
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Water Drums
Bonk tiddly thunk rap claterry bang. There you go!
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
For that, I'll get the next round...
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
Mine's an uisce. Slainte, Debs. Oh and can I have the bottle, half empty or half full, as you will.
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
How do you play a curlew? Don't they squawk a lot? Typical bodhran player; leads off without knowing what's what beforehand. Sheeesh!
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
For you, it's always half full!
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
I should mention Joe, I got my Dad to pick up the spoons this past weekend. Not bad for a rather lengthy hiatus. I asked him about which finish is best, he said it doesn't matter.
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
Fair play to your dad, Debwah. Picking them up was the first thing. What did he do next? and how DID he finish? is he interested in water drums (or go go boots)?
Maybe we could organise a transatlantic go go guys percussion session, eh?
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
Zina, "Band" as in musical group. Whaddya say we do a black velvet night session? Anyone on?
Joe
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Water Drums
There's already a band called The Black Velvet Band. (I don't know if they drink it. I rather assume so...) But I'm up for it. *grin*
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Water Drums
Guiness and barley wine is the very best liquid for the aforementioned drums. That was a session to remember - I don't remember much of it.
# Posted on June 28th 2004 by geoffwright
Re: Water Drums
Dad's a little unsteady on his pins now due to age and arthritis, Go-Go boots for him are out. He played solo spoons just to show that he remembered. Did rather well too! He started slowly and built up to a rousing finish (Stainless Steel)!
I'll ask him if he would like to do the transatlantic go-go guys session.
# Posted on June 29th 2004 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Water Drums
Most people will know that "Water drums" or Watertabers as they are known in England entered Irish music in late 50's London, Pub Session seen.
The instrument evolved from the late Medieval Flagontaber made of pewter or pot.
"Strike up the Flagontaber
Rap it full hard
With a hay and a ho and a hay nony no."
In the late 17th century the traditional materials were abandoned in favour of the newly invented Black glass bottle.
http://www.antiquebottles.com/blackglass/
A great player from this early period was
Tobias Rogers a knife grinder from Tewkesbury who made quite a name for himself and even played for the newly restored King.
In the first decade of the 19th century Jack Dixon known as "Bottle Jack" extended the range of the instrument to produce two fully chromatic octaves, but came to a violent end beaten to death with his own low Eb.
Perhaps the instruments greatest popularity occurred at the Great Exhibition of 1851 were Bottle Jacks apprentice Samuel Dodson entranced the Crowds with selections from popular light Operas.
The late 19th century marked a decline in the popularity of the instrument and the changes after the First World War saw it almost disappear.
The only player known to have survived into the era of the Pub session was Raymond "Dogsy" Butterworth of Camden Town who though a frail 92 years of age attended local Irish sessions until his peaceful death in 1960 at the age of 101.
PP
# Posted on June 29th 2004 by Pied Piper
Re: Water Drums
Flagontaber! LOL
# Posted on June 29th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Water Drums
Pied Piper, are ye on for the transatlantic go-go session with Debwah's dad? we can dedicate it to "Dogsy"
Joe
# Posted on June 29th 2004 by Joe Quinn