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Topic: Sol's percussion effects |
Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2004 3:08 pm |
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How'd he do it?
I'm talking about those great little fills Sol Hoopii would take where it sounds like a washboard, somebody tap dancing, maracas, you name it.
Were these effects strictly from his guitar, or was someone else supplying a latin percussion effect?
Here are 2 examples of what I mean, both from Farewell Blues (I believe... a lot of my material doesn't have the tracks listed):
http://members.cox.net/swingbros/Mp3s/FBluesBreak1.mp3
See what I mean? Here's another example:
http://members.cox.net/swingbros/Mp3s/FBluesBreak2.mp3
On another forum Bob Brozman explained that the washboard effect comes from raking the bar against the edges of the frets.
But I'm wondering how Sol also got those stomps and kicks. Does anyone know how this is done? (George Keoki Lake, I'm looking straight at you).
Thanks,
Craig[This message was edited by Craig Prior on 27 October 2004 at 04:34 PM.] |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 27 Oct 2004 4:30 pm
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I think that he might have used his right hand fingers on the guitar body..
Baz
------------------
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| Steel players do it without fretting |
 
http://www.waikiki-islanders.com
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2004 5:47 pm
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Hi, Basil.
It seems that right hand fingers with fingerpicks sound a little "tic tacky" for that effect.
Sol is getting a sound similar to what vaudvilleans used to call a "slapstick," sort of a split cricket bat sort of thing that'd make this loud sound.
Possibly it could be someone else supplying the knocks while Sol did the washboard fret-rake... but my intuition tells me I'm cold. I think it's Sol doing all of it...
I think there must be someone out there who knows how this was done. Dang! It's got me intriqued and I know how I get - I won't rest until I figure this one out.
Craig. |
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2004 6:08 pm
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Here's what Stacy Phillips has to say in his book The Art of Hawaiian Steel Guitar (Mel Bay Publications (c) 1991):
"The Hawaiian-style steel guitarists who made their professional careers in the continental United States picked up tricks that were crowd pleasers in their day. Such vaudevellian "shtick" as quickly dragging the bar along the frets (easiest with a bullet bar), beating the resonator cover with picks, and scraping the metal sound-hole mesh to produce washboard-like sounds are machinations that lurk in the dark corners of this music. Cheap theatrics? Sure! Lots of fun? Sure!..."
The clues are out there!
Craig. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 27 Oct 2004 6:19 pm
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| You need a flat bar to do the scrapes. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 28 Oct 2004 1:56 pm
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I saw Bob Brozman doing some of this stuff when I was backing him. He slid his steel bar down the frets in between the strings... I don't recommend that to anyone with an expensive bar !  |
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 28 Oct 2004 8:38 pm
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Thanks, guys.
Well, I shall resume beating up my guitar until I get something resembling those great percussion fills.
Craig. |
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