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Topic: Check out this Asian cousin of the pedal steel |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 5:48 pm |
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Its called a dan bau, and this cat is a master at it.. Has a single string with kind of infinite raise and lower capabilities and a sort of vibrato built in to the "changer".. Bet it takes a ton of skill to play this well... enjoy... bob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37qw5vNyYzE
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 6:35 pm
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Wow! It took me awhile to figure out how the heck that amazing thing works. At first I was trying to figure out how he was getting all those pitches with his left hand and that vibrato stick. Wrong. He's varying the pitch with both hands. His right hand set's the basic pitch. It is all palm harmonics. He touches the edge of his hand as he picks. The left hand and stick are only for bends, and vibrato. So this is tecnically not a slide or steel guitar, because there is no slide - unless you want to call the edge of his hand a slide.
I can't see that he is doing anything with his feet.
It seems to be amplified with some sort of pickup. But where is it? Maybe in that little spinning reel thing the string goes into? |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 6:42 pm
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| Check this one out (click here). It has a cool Spaghetti Western sound. Around 2:36 he goes into a lower octave section with what sounds like a fuzz. It seems like he went to the fundamental, and got the different notes with the stick? Or maybe he has an octave stomp box. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 6:54 pm
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But wait! Here's the instructional DVD: click here.
He fooled me. He does get a basic pitch with the palm block; but, he gets whole-steps and half-steps in that vicinity with the stick. So there is a right hand palm block position for C. But if he wants Bb, he palm blocks at the C position, but precisely bends the stick to get Bb. |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 7:22 pm instructional videos
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Bob, very cool, thanks. David, you just beat me to it! I found the instructional video on his web site:
http://www.phamducthanh.com/video-online/70-dan-bau-monochord.html
He has a small library of instructional DVDs available, but at $110 each, I think my curiosity will have to pass.
Here's a quote from the site:
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the words of the poet Van Tien Le:
One string with all words light and heavy
Half a gourd containing a world of sound.
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I think that the half a gourd must be the 'spinning reel'.
Good stuff, guys.
_________________
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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Pete Finney
From:
Nashville Tn.
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Posted 21 Jul 2009 10:30 pm
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That sure is very cool, thanks Bob...
A lot of what he says about intonation in the short youtube instructional video is perfect for the psg too...
My first thought was that I want one of those to play with... Second thought was that I already have several ten (and twenty) string versions of the same kind of thing, I just need to get in the right frame of mind and try it...  |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2009 4:06 am
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you know, I bet that monstrosity is a HELL of a lot harder to play than it looks to be .. just a feeling...
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2009 4:15 am
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| Does the instructional video mention anything about "cabinet drop"? |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2009 5:21 am
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Is there a dan bau forum? 
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Chuck Stowe
From:
Sycamore, Illinois, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2009 7:11 pm
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I couldn't help but notice that he plays a black push-pull. No wonder he sounds so good!
_________________
1980 Emmons PP D10, Hilton Pedal, Peavey Session 500 & Nashville 112 |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 22 Jul 2009 8:12 pm
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| Key changes in Bb have to be a b!@#% on that one. You must get only one key choice. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 24 Jul 2009 5:40 am
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Not to denigrate this guys sense of melody and soul, but the instrument is pretty crude and you can only play in C, one note at a time.
Any slide instrument is more versatile.
David M's Jeff Beck example show what a more modern instrument capable of. |
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