Hey...it's just all fun with the crayons! Sounds like a lot of fun, Steve! Love the ending and the fancy eyebrow work...lol.

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

Hey...it's just all fun with the crayons! Sounds like a lot of fun, Steve! Love the ending and the fancy eyebrow work...lol.

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Thank so much! Don't look too close. It looks like I got an "Alfalfa" cowlick going on. Do you spose anybody else remembers Alfalfa?

Fun and laidback!

Re cowlick-
As a fellow fiddler, I don’t notice hair…I am thinking, hmm what key is he in? Is he cross-tuned? And I am mostly looking at your hands, fingers and your fiddle. LOL! And. I don’t think we ever notice each other’s hair or outfits at jams LOL…(but I will notice if your A is flat! )

You sir play it like the blues runs through your blood. See also my YouTube comment hehe.

I really love the improv you put into this, but I'm kinda confused on what's actually going on. Maybe lots of folks on this forum know what you mean by "make a loop". Can you give some of us less knowledgeable dummies a little more detail on what you did to make that vid?

quote:Originally posted by RichJI really love the improv you put into this, but I'm kinda confused on what's actually going on. Maybe lots of folks on this forum know what you mean by "make a loop". Can you give some of us less knowledgeable dummies a little more detail on what you did to make that vid?
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Wow! I'm thrilled to do so.

youtu.be/v4IEPgh5O5g?si=GnkJRme3f-7U1iKh

Loop Demo

Hey Steve - Thanks for the quick response and the YT demo vid. Looks like the minimal equipment is a keyboard and some kind of loop pedal gadget. I've been using Strum Machine for several years. Sorta similar but, your looping method has more bounce. Not something that works with OT, but then there's always another genre to mess with. Sure seems like a good way to start fooling with improv.

There is no reason why someone couldn't use a guitar or banjer to create a loop. I'm sure one can run a microphone into the looper. And from the looper to an amp. There would be feedback issues, unless one uses headphones. So something presumed simple gets complicated fast. I don't like using headphones.

Rich, I'm no expert, but I think you can loop any instrument, not just a keyboard. This can be a rhythm instrument like a guitar or banjo or a lead instrument like a second fiddle. A looper is probably the easiest way, but I think most recording programs are able to do this in one way or another. There's often both "play" and "play looped" options.

Those Yamaha psre233 keyboards are like $50. They are old and outdated.
Band in a box is another option. Bluegrass Backing tracks on YouTube are fun to play along. Some tunes are not as Bluegrass as others. I've fooled around with several different options. If I find a loop I really like I am able to record it too. 

Well I've bee doing this all day...write something and hit the wrong thing and erase it all. But in a nutshell...there used to be some woman looping Cluck Ol' Hen...ran across it about maybe 8 years ago and she kept building new loops as she went along...I thought it was the coolest thing...but I can't find it on youtube now. Gonna keep looking because it was so cool. Presonus does looping but I have no idea how to do it.

I can easily "loop" in Garageband...
but I can't play the blues! :-)

The more I listen to this, the more I'm inclined think this sounds more like Cajun than Blues.

I have an Alfalfa cowlick in the back and one in the front that dictates which side I part my hair.

Blues ain't nothing but a good (wo)man feeling bad. Good stuff.

Would you believe the Loop Demo was flagged by Content ID (a YouTube bot)?
I'd be upset if I wasn't amused.

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Originally posted by RichJ

Hey Steve - Thanks for the quick response and the YT demo vid. Looks like the minimal equipment is a keyboard and some kind of loop pedal gadget. I've been using Strum Machine for several years. Sorta similar but, your looping method has more bounce. Not something that works with OT, but then there's always another genre to mess with. Sure seems like a good way to start fooling with improv.

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I read in a review that some users of Strum Machine complain it favours bluegrass players, how do you think about this? Now that I am getting closer to faster playing I am looking forward for an option to add some rhythmic background support. I really do NOT like a metronome, people have been blaming me for not willing to use a metronome in the past (not here let that be clear!)  but I find these things outdated and just annoying when I am playing. It only reminds me of classical trumpet classes and being forced to advance.

Sorry Steve for interrupting your topic! 

Anja, I can't answer about Strum Machine myself, but I've never heard Rich play any Bluegrass on his strum machine...just plain old, oldtime fiddle tunes...but of course, you'll wanna hear his answer about his Strum Machine experience.

Steve...Youtube has flagged, if you call it that, a lot of my youtubes with ridiculous things. I figure as long as I'm not trying to make money at it...makes no difference to me. I guess they get upset if THEY can't make a penny or two off...I think, but I don't know, they might not be able to put ads on a youtube unless the bots say the content falls within regulations and blah blah blah. Trouble is, they are often wrong about their decision on what's what on the youtubes.

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

quote: I read in a review that some users of Strum Machine complain it favours bluegrass players, how do you think about this? Now that I am getting closer to faster playing I am looking forward for an option to add some rhythmic background support. I really do NOT like a metronome, people have been blaming me for not willing to use a metronome in the past (not here let that be clear!)  but I find these things outdated and just annoying when I am playing. It only reminds me of classical trumpet classes and being forced to advance.

Sorry Steve for interrupting your topic! 

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Hi Quincy - I just can't say enough good things about SM. Luke Abbot, the author, has worked hard to made constant improvements on this app over the years. There are now a number of ways to set it up for different strum styles, include a walking base line. In addition you have options to add, bass and mandolin accompaniment. I'm not a particular fan of BG and, as Peggy mentioned, mostly play OT stuff. That said I have never found SM wanting. I totally agree with you on the metronome thing - always hated them.  I sure they have more value for people who play by reading sheet music, but for an ear player like me I find a solid guitar accompaniment far more fun to play along with. Over time I think SM has improved my sense of timing and rhythm just as well, or perhaps better than I could have achieved with a metronome.   

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

quote:

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Originally posted by RichJ

Hey Steve - Thanks for the quick response and the YT demo vid. Looks like the minimal equipment is a keyboard and some kind of loop pedal gadget. I've been using Strum Machine for several years. Sorta similar but, your looping method has more bounce. Not something that works with OT, but then there's always another genre to mess with. Sure seems like a good way to start fooling with improv.

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I read in a review that some users of Strum Machine complain it favours bluegrass players, how do you think about this? Now that I am getting closer to faster playing I am looking forward for an option to add some rhythmic background support. I really do NOT like a metronome, people have been blaming me for not willing to use a metronome in the past (not here let that be clear!)  but I find these things outdated and just annoying when I am playing. It only reminds me of classical trumpet classes and being forced to advance.

Sorry Steve for interrupting your topic! 

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I've thought about timing and rhythm apps just recently. I've listened to studio pros talking about click tracks and the lot. One of the better things I've heard is "Think of the click or rhythm track as another player." This does two really good things. One, it keeps one in time. Second, it gives one the mindset of playing with others. Personally, I can play along with a wind-up clicker metronome, or a drum machine, or a complete rhythm track. It seems more fun to play with more elements, like a band track. 

quote:

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Originally posted by RichJ

quote:

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Originally posted by Quincy

quote: I read in a review that some users of Strum Machine complain it favours bluegrass players, how do you think about this? Now that I am getting closer to faster playing I am looking forward for an option to add some rhythmic background support. I really do NOT like a metronome, people have been blaming me for not willing to use a metronome in the past (not here let that be clear!)  but I find these things outdated and just annoying when I am playing. It only reminds me of classical trumpet classes and being forced to advance.

Sorry Steve for interrupting your topic! 

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Hi Quincy - I just can't say enough good things about SM. Luke Abbot, the author, has worked hard to made constant improvements on this app over the years. There are now a number of ways to set it up for different strum styles, include a walking base line. In addition you have options to add, bass and mandolin accompaniment. I'm not a particular fan of BG and, as Peggy mentioned, mostly play OT stuff. That said I have never found SM wanting. I totally agree with you on the metronome thing - always hated them.  I sure they have more value for people who play by reading sheet music, but for an ear player like me I find a solid guitar accompaniment far more fun to play along with. Over time I think SM has improved my sense of timing and rhythm just as well, or perhaps better than I could have achieved with a metronome.   

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Rich , many thanks for your thoughts on Strum Machine and OT!  Meanwhile I received my code for the free trial....There is an instructional video I saw,  I will have to watch it first so that I know what I am doing with it.

I myself don't really love bluegrass either, I mean I like it when others play it but don't love it enough to dive into it myself. The band I shortly played with called themselves an Americana / bluegrass roots band. They had no ear at all for my wish to cross tune and basically needed a far more advanced player to keep up with them ( and their sheet music or written chords under the lyrics) If I think about it now I laugh because it really was nothing for a free bird like me, it was doomed to fail. They eventually found a GDAE violin player who I guess taught himself to play bluegrass after years of classical training.  

I  sold my music standard about a year ago because it was only catching dust. I prefer recordings where I play by ear! Play by ear comes far more closer to how I feel inside and how I want to express that. While with sheet music that specific part of my own seems absent.