Sorry, This is not really Musical Saw related – but this is such a cool tie knot that I had to share – And let’s say you are getting all decked out to play your singing saw in a jazz quintet or at a folk music festival – you would certainly want to look your best!
And speaking of getting dressed up for a musical performance, there is always the danger of rosin getting on your tuxedo pants (or black gown) – To guard against this, try draping a cloth over your knees first.
Being in a band can be immensely fullfilling – Of course, there is the downside… Frequently, you are dealing with musicians’ frail egos, venues that try to rip you off, drunk/obnoxious audience members…
But for some reason – people still form bands
Put together the band. – Usually, you have a core group of musician friends who you are comfortable playing with. Often, you will be missing a component. – So, you can go around giving other bands a listen and try to poach their members, post an ad and hold auditions, locate one by word of mouth, etc. – If you are already performing gigs, you may get lucky and find that one of your fans actually has the missing talent! Of course, this is the ideal situation. You can be sure this person loves the music and will have a strong comittment to the band.
Name the band – this is always best done when everyone is toasted. You will possibly come up with some name that at the time was absolutely hillarious or deeply meaningful, yet when everyone is bach in his/her right mind the chosen name will be awful, flat, bizarre, etc. – Sorry, this is just how most band names are chosen.
Draft a contract up – You should be able to download various templates off the web. It is very unlikely that a startup band will have the resources to hire an attorney to cobble up a contract
Line up some gigs – Lots of times bars will hold open mic jams which do dual duty as auditions. – You are essentially giving away your music for free, but it’s a good way to parlay them into paying gigs. Deliberate over what type of environment you will be compatible with and pursue that. For instance, would you fit in at wedding receptions? – if so, start building up your network of wedding related professionals: DJ’s, Wedding stores, photographers, flowers, etc. You can collaborate with them and give each other leads. Or if you could fit into the corporate convention scene – line up those contacts. Try to think of other venues than just playing bars or coffee houses.
Other issues: promoting your band, recording a demo, …
Most bands disintegrate – and probably, yours will too. – One preson usually ends up doing the majority of the grunt work while everyone else just shows up at the last minute to play. And you’ll have the unreliable screwoffs who will show up drunk or not at all or sub out the night before. – But you’ll almost certainly have some peaks – and will generate a lifetime of memories.
I received this request – Please contact him if you can help out!
I’m working on a sound project right now, and I would love to feature early recordings of the saw. I’m focused mostly on the 20s, 30s, and 40s. I know Jimmy Rodgers used the saw in a song called Home Call and I’d love to find more tunes of that ilk. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and Happy Sawing!
Brian Linds
If you can think of any, please add them by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.
How many times have you found yourself in the position of needing a Musical Saw to wrap up your recording session? Loads of times, right?
Well, fear not! – Here is a useful service provided by SawLady. Send her the incomplete mp3 and she will dub in the saw part. Voila! – Your recording is complete! – Visit SawLady for particulars.
Mind officially blown by For Score App for Ipad 2!! Sheet music pdf viewer, colored pencil annotation, highlighter and much, much more. $4.99 well spent! There is a Bluetooth pedal as well for hands free page turning.
Here is a very interesting article on various attempts to amplify a saw: http://hooksandladders.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/diy-music-more-musical-sawbservations-two-shows-two-saw-sounds-one-night/
I agree with her re. contact pickups – it totally ends up deadening the music. Playing into a mic on a stand is nerve wracking – You always have to be aware not to smack the mic as you bend the saw. A much more satisfying experience is to attach the mic to your cheat. See this example of a Musical Saw Microphone holder. Or a low budget option is to just use tape and tape the mic to your handle.
One more choice is to use a shotgun mic on the floor aimed towards the business part of your saw.
Finally, remember to dial the treble down all the way to eliminate any bow noise.
