Are these as bad as shaky eggs or... (gasp!) bodhrans?
Does anyone play with some really good bone-ists? I don't see many in my neck of the woods, so I was wondering about others' experiences with this fine old instrument.
We have a bones/spoon player who comes to our session. Nice older guy, very tasteful in his playing, doesn't play along with everything, and when he does it fits well.
Funny thing, our publican is very fussy about limiting the number of musicians that play at the same time, but doesn't count this guy as a musician. But he is more musical than some others who walk through the doors with instruments........
The keys to being a good bones player are timing and restraint.
I've found that people who play another instrument very well have relatively little problem picking up the bones or the spoons and sounding decent at it. It's something for a little variety and a few giggles but it's not a mainstay instrument and you'd be better off playing another instrument the majority of the time.
.
The key to being a bones is no keys - car keys to be precise, my one experience of this was not good.
...although obviously I may have had a far richer experience: the jangler in question may not have had a deep knowledge of the tunes he was accompanying and maybe he was driving his wifes car and therefore unaccustomed to the different pitching
My grandfather played spoons... I'd hate to see a tradition like that disappear because of snobbery. He was real good, too. Used to whack them off the elbow and everything.
I try to whip out my bones very sparingly. Too much seems to irritate the crowd. I think my rhythm is fairly good. I haven't tried two handed bones at a session, I think that might be a little much. Just a little something so I don't spend the WHOLE night not knowing any tunes. Thankfully, slowly, this is becoming less of a problem.
I was taught how to put quarters between my knuckles and play percussion by a guy in a bar one night. He was able to play the bar, and bottles and ashtrays and whatnot on the bar, like they were a drum kit. He was VERY good at it, was probably a real drummer of some type. I can see, though, how in the wrong hands, that technique could be a nightmare.
bones at the session
bones at the session
Is this a bad thing?
Are these as bad as shaky eggs or... (gasp!) bodhrans?
Does anyone play with some really good bone-ists? I don't see many in my neck of the woods, so I was wondering about others' experiences with this fine old instrument.
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by ottoschmelk
Re: bones at the session
Hey, why not Bones at a session? After all ottoschmelk, aren't they one of the oldest 'traditional' instruments:
http://www.rhythmbones.com/history.html
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: bones at the session
Like most instrumnets. It depends on who's playing them.
We used to have a great bones player at our session, great to play with.
Really brings out the rhythm over the top of a 'you know what'
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by jfiddlerh
Re: bones at the session
Well, Hallowe'en is coming up
Be afraid...
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by kilfarboy
Re: bones at the session
I've certainly been in sessions with excellent bone-ists in Durham (UK).
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by nicholas
Re: bones at the session
We have a bones/spoon player who comes to our session. Nice older guy, very tasteful in his playing, doesn't play along with everything, and when he does it fits well.
Funny thing, our publican is very fussy about limiting the number of musicians that play at the same time, but doesn't count this guy as a musician. But he is more musical than some others who walk through the doors with instruments........
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: bones at the session
The keys to being a good bones player are timing and restraint.
I've found that people who play another instrument very well have relatively little problem picking up the bones or the spoons and sounding decent at it. It's something for a little variety and a few giggles but it's not a mainstay instrument and you'd be better off playing another instrument the majority of the time.
.
# Posted on October 17th 2006 by Hanley
Re: bones at the session
The key to being a bones is no keys - car keys to be precise, my one experience of this was not good.
...although obviously I may have had a far richer experience: the jangler in question may not have had a deep knowledge of the tunes he was accompanying and maybe he was driving his wifes car and therefore unaccustomed to the different pitching
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by harrywhohaa
Re: bones at the session
My grandfather played spoons... I'd hate to see a tradition like that disappear because of snobbery. He was real good, too. Used to whack them off the elbow and everything.
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by Farr
Re: bones at the session
I try to whip out my bones very sparingly. Too much seems to irritate the crowd. I think my rhythm is fairly good. I haven't tried two handed bones at a session, I think that might be a little much. Just a little something so I don't spend the WHOLE night not knowing any tunes. Thankfully, slowly, this is becoming less of a problem.
I really like the way they sound with reels.
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ottoschmelk
Re: bones at the session
I was taught how to put quarters between my knuckles and play percussion by a guy in a bar one night. He was able to play the bar, and bottles and ashtrays and whatnot on the bar, like they were a drum kit. He was VERY good at it, was probably a real drummer of some type. I can see, though, how in the wrong hands, that technique could be a nightmare.
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: bones at the session
Srprised that this man's not been mentioned yet. Our Dansk friends will know him very well.
http://www.macbband.com/index2.htm
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by Johannes J
Re: bones at the session
See also
http://www.yirdy.dk/
Hurry up and finish the site, Yirdy!
# Posted on October 18th 2006 by Johannes J