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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 03/21/2010 : 1:21:58 PM
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| Yeah, don't ever pull Jay's finger. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2010 : 7:13:40 PM
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| Sometimes, we have to pull thumbstruck's finger. Seriously. It seizes up on him. |
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olu143
Aloha
21 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2010 : 11:27:59 PM
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| Can I ask why we shouldn't pull Jay's finger? |
Feed a man a fish you feed him for a day.
Teach him how to fish you feed him for the rest of his life. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2010 : 04:26:33 AM
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| Oh my....Braddah Sam - Jay is very, very kolohe. And maybe he ate too much kim chee. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2010 : 10:34:25 AM
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The easiest way to minimize squeaks is to use Elixyr Nanoweb strings--or polywebs which I dont like. I use nanowebs on my steel string guitars.
Good guitars tend to squeak more too. Contrary to what I hear players use as a reason to get a great guitar, I think that good guitars are actually tougher to play well becaues they amplify everything.
I enjoy playing my lesser guitars quite often just because they are not so sensitive.
On calssical I am not sure who makes coated strings, but on good guitars, the "frosty" quality that tends to make them squeak also gives them life. I think it is best to work on a non squeaking technique with a classical than dull them with coated string--if they exist.
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Bob |
Edited by - RWD on 03/22/2010 10:37:57 AM |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2176 Posts |
Posted - 03/22/2010 : 3:54:02 PM
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| I found out that I need to stretch the nerve for the left index finger. PT to the rescue! |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2010 : 1:29:06 PM
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Mark, ...this particular topic has come across the TP a couple of times before, (no doubt again in the future)
You more than likely viewed the video of Ray Kane, lots of string squeaking going on there. To me string squeaking is great! I consider it a part of the "slack key sound" (many would argue this, but that's a different story for another time)but it sounds cool to me...let's you know the player is really working the song.
String squeak can be caused by "moist" finger pads, old rusty strings, humidity, excessive pressure on the strings, certain string brands/materials, just to name a few. The newer coated strings, (such as elixer's) reduce/eliminate most of this, but to me, you get a "softer" sound from them. Coated strings are often used for players who play alot, and hate the squeak, or just plain pussies!!!
Squeak on!! i say.
~slkho |
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garson
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2010 : 5:20:52 PM
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When I started out I hated squeeks, so I tried sanding down wound strings. (Just wrap fine sandpaper around the string and run it back and forth along the whole length 10 to 15 times.) It works. You have to be careful to do this evenly because otherwise the string can go out of tune with itself.
But now I don't bother. First, playing a lot has the same effect, so why not sand e'm with your fingertips? Second, you get nice shiny calluses that way that help you glide better. Third you can use a more fluid motion on slides. Slides can be a lot slower than you think and still sound good. On Hawaiian time, a slide squeeks less. Fourth, I just don't care. Fifth, I just don't hear them anymore anyway, even when they are there. Sixth I would probably miss them if they were gone. |
Jim Garson |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 08:16:01 AM
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We were watching American Idol last night (yeah, I know, but ya gotta do some things to maintain family harmony) and my daughter tells me there is new software that ensures voices are on pitch when they sing. It has been used in many recordings and, she says, it is even being used in live performance. In my opinion, it makes something that it is not.
The best thing about live performance is to be able to hear all those imperfections that convince us that THIS IS REAL; it is tangible. Should you try to minimize your mistakes? Of course, yes. But the "additional sounds" convince us all that the person playing is not a robot and is human -- that is what we appreciate. When we hear fewer mistakes we are convinced that the artist is a master at his/her craft -- but we still expect them to be human. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 10:02:28 AM
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If I ever get to the point where I don't make any mistakes, I'll probably forget the words!
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 12:41:34 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mika ele
We were watching American Idol last night (yeah, I know, but ya gotta do some things to maintain family harmony) and my daughter tells me there is new software that ensures voices are on pitch when they sing. It has been used in many recordings and, she says, it is even being used in live performance. In my opinion, it makes something that it is not.
Antares AutoTune. Clever as an effect (listen to "Windward Skies" by Ten Feet or "Believe" by Cher to get the effect), but really annoying (to my ears) in live performance. Many of the acts at the Grammys used it this year.
There's already been a backlash against its use in the industry, for the past five years or so, leading some artists to put a note on their recordings to the effect that no auto-correcting software has been applied to the vocals on their album.
This is another example of a technology developed with a different purpose in mind - it was designed by a guy at Exxon who was working on ways to interpret seismic information. |
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slkho
`Olu`olu
740 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 1:01:03 PM
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...mistakes?!!! what's a mistake?
~slkho |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 2:33:31 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by slkho
...mistakes?!!! what's a mistake?
Don't you mean "misteak"?
(Don't mention it.) |
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Ozzie
Aloha
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 7:58:36 PM
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When I started recording, and squeaks bothered me, I was told squeaks are an accepted acoustic sound - I've listened to some of the greatest slack key players and they squeaked on their recordings too. I know I've squeaked but I don't consider myself to be in the same category of those I listened to and learned from so it was reassuring in a way.
I like Elixir Nanoweb now - I used to hate coated strings because they felt so slippery and had a different sound in my opinion. Now, I like them and they last longer - also more pricey but I think worth it.
I think I went to nylon a long time ago to explore that issue too - which led me to play on a classical (and I still do now and then). Different texturally and not as easy to chime but still sweet to me and a lot less squeaks!
I squeak mostly on my lower wound strings - like the intro to Ke Anuenue - ouch. Some of the early players used flat wound electric guitar strings to avoid the squeaks but I don't know what sort of tension is involved on the acoustic guitar neck - I've never tried that. The only other way is to lift instead of sliding but you lose the smoothness and essence of "nahenahe" which is so dear to slack key.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Aloha!
Ozzie |
Ozzie |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2010 : 03:00:58 AM
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| But Ozzie's two cents are priceless. Way more than two cents. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Topic |
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String Squeaks
