Comments on: Do Robotic Guitars Dream in Open Tunings? http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings Belaboring the Obvious Since 2001 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:47:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: mark http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-77 mark Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:01:34 +0000 http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-77 Josh: How about Cylon guitars? You can smash 'em up on stage. And when you come home, there will be a newly regenerated one waiting for you. Charlie: I want me some of those! Seriously, I wish they had a demo on the Moog site. I'd love to hear how one of those things sound. Gray: I always thought I couldn't hear the pitch going down because I was accustomed to turning up. Now I know better. Josh: How about Cylon guitars? You can smash ‘em up on stage. And when you come home, there will be a newly regenerated one waiting for you.

Charlie: I want me some of those! Seriously, I wish they had a demo on the Moog site. I’d love to hear how one of those things sound.

Gray: I always thought I couldn’t hear the pitch going down because I was accustomed to turning up. Now I know better.

]]> By: charlie http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-74 charlie Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:44:01 +0000 http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-74 In orchestra we were always told to tune from below as well. Back the peg off and then keep a sustained note going while tuning up to the frequency. In orchestra we were always told to tune from below as well. Back the peg off and then keep a sustained note going while tuning up to the frequency.

]]> By: gray http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-72 gray Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:06:58 +0000 http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-72 Interesting. In the string instrument classes I took as an undergrad, the reason they gave for tuning string instruments from below wasn't because the strings would go out of tune if you tuned from above, but because it's much easier to hear tuning as it rises. But the slack business makes sense too. The percussion class I took offered a lesson that comes much closer: besides it being easier to hear from below (side note: when tuning an instrument to a piano, it's easier to hear the correct frequency if the pianist plays it as the root of a minor triad), thumping the drum head while tuning down puts the head in danger of rupturing. Thumping while tuning up, apparently, is much safer. It stands to reason that what's true for tension on a drum head would also be true for tension on a string, so maybe yet another reason to tune from below on a string instrument is to lessen the chance that you'll break a string. I wish I knew more about this sort of thing. Thanks for the lesson, Mark! Interesting. In the string instrument classes I took as an undergrad, the reason they gave for tuning string instruments from below wasn’t because the strings would go out of tune if you tuned from above, but because it’s much easier to hear tuning as it rises. But the slack business makes sense too.

The percussion class I took offered a lesson that comes much closer: besides it being easier to hear from below (side note: when tuning an instrument to a piano, it’s easier to hear the correct frequency if the pianist plays it as the root of a minor triad), thumping the drum head while tuning down puts the head in danger of rupturing. Thumping while tuning up, apparently, is much safer. It stands to reason that what’s true for tension on a drum head would also be true for tension on a string, so maybe yet another reason to tune from below on a string instrument is to lessen the chance that you’ll break a string.

I wish I knew more about this sort of thing. Thanks for the lesson, Mark!

]]> By: charlie http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-71 charlie Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:06:10 +0000 http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-71 http://www.moogmusic.com/moogguitar/ I'm in for the Moog guitar. It offers "infinite sustain!" http://www.moogmusic.com/moogguitar/

I’m in for the Moog guitar. It offers “infinite sustain!”

]]> By: josh http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-70 josh Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:26:10 +0000 http://www.stickybuffalo.com/2008/do-robotic-guitars-dream-in-open-tunings#comment-70 yeah -- and can a robot guitar change its own strings? it will probably need to, with all that robo-tuning. plus, what happens when they inevitably turn on their masters? <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/huazqHdbgts&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/huazqHdbgts&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> yeah — and can a robot guitar change its own strings? it will probably need to, with all that robo-tuning.

plus, what happens when they inevitably turn on their masters?

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