HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hsu@sp24.csrd.uiuc.edu (William Tsun-Yuk Hsu)
Subject: Re: Improvisation where has it gon
Organization: UIUC Center for Supercomputing Research and Development
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 19:12:40 GMT

M23231@mwvm.mitre.org writes:

>It may be common for plectrum players to truly improvise when actually 
>performing, but I doubt it. I know that *real* flamenco players rarely if 
>ever surprise themselves by coming up with new stuff on the spur of the 
>moment in performance

Read the chapter on flamenco in Derek Bailey's classic text Musical
Improvisation, recently back in print.

>Why is this such a prized talent (if it really exists at all)? 

Of course it exists. Just ask James Blood Ulmer, Sonny Sharrock, Jim Hall,
Herb Ellis, Billy Bauer, Derek Bailey, Henry Kaiser... (and I'm just 
listing guitarists here)

>For every truly
>brilliant lick one invents--spontaneous or otherwise--there are **many** that
>do not deserve to be repeated. 

So? The point of improvisation is not that it's *perfect*. It's the 
excitement of observing the process of invention, the development of
ideas, the real-time interactions with other performers and the
environment, and the *danger* of taking risks and negotiating unmapped
territory.

>I suspect that a lot of the hype about "playing
>one's own music" comes from recording company executives who know that 
>recording already copyrighted stuff is not as profitable as recording new 
>stuff that is copyrightable.  This is a hell of a poor criterion to use for 
>judging the value  of a piece of music, however.

This is a hell of a distortion of the role of improvisation in the
history of music. Besides, no one is arguing that a piece of improvised
music is necessarily superior to a piece of composed music. What are 
you talking about?

Improvisation has almost always been an integral part of music. It had
nothing to do with copyright. Most of the great Western composers up
to the late 19th century at least were also excellent instrumentalists
*and* improvisers. And need I mention jazz?

Bill


Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: ryanr@beethoven.CS.ColoState.EDU (richard ryan)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Q: What are power chords?
Date: 31 Jul 92 02:45:34 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Colorado State University

Hi,

I don't really have a lot to add to that nice explanation, but I'm going
to see if I can draw the common shapes of power chords here.

  	       	       | | | X X X     	   X | | | X X
		       ----------- 	   -----------
		       @ | | | | |	   | @ | | | |
		       -----------	   -----------
		       | | | | | | 	   | | | | | |
		       -----------	   -----------
		       | @ @ | | |	   | | @ @ | |
		       -----------	   -----------
		       | | | | | | 	   | | | | | |

Any corrections and comments would be welcome.
As a traditionalist, I refer to the some of the originals, i.e.,
"Summertime Blues," by Eddie Cochran,
"She's Something Else," by the same, and various other tunes by Eddie,
"You're So Square (I Don't Care)," by the King (with Scotty Moore on guitar).

I guess for examples that would teach more practical techniques for
this day and age, you might want to catch early 70's Who tunes.

My favorite Rock and Roll rhythm guitarist is my favorite Rock and
Roll lead guitarist, CHUCK BERRY !!!!  And probably not a bad place
not only to learn the fundamentals but the best place to start off
learning a little about tasteful playing.  Turn on to the original
Rock and Roll poet/troubador.  OK, so he didn't play power chords.
He never needed 'em, though.  Maybe you won't either, especially
after picking up on Chuck's music.

Chuck Berry
Elvis
Little Richard
Jerry Lee Lewis

Like Kellog's Corn Flakes, the original and best.

Richard.

p.s.  Sorry if I offended anyone, but everyone has their strong
favorites, though.
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: peter@mitre.org (Peter J. Spellman)
Subject: Re: THE MOST DISPENSABLE GUIT
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA.
	<1992Jul24.151553.23986@ringer.cs.utsa.edu>,<1992Jul24.163442.19817@athena.mit.edu>
	<1992Jul24.184248.24427@news.cs.brandeis.edu>
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 22:53:22 GMT

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: rblander@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Robyn Landers)
Subject: Re: Strengthening Fingernails for Fingerpicking
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 15:05:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul17.190730.4801@dale.ksc.nasa.gov> sdavis@laforge.ksc.nasa.gov (Steve Davis) writes:
>
>  OK, fingerpickers... I guess the subject says it all.  I keep my right hand  
>fingernails a little long for fingerpicking.  The problem is that they are not 
>flat on the end, but curve around toward the edges of the finger.  (They're  
>also pretty flimsy!)  This produces a rather clumsy sound since there is really
>no sharp edge that strikes the string.
>
>  I've heard some women talk about taking vitamin-E to strengthen their nails  
>so they don't break, and was wondering if anyone had applied this (or anything 
>else) for the purpose of better picking.  Any ideas?
>


	I've used clear nail polish with good results.
I don't cover the whole nail, just the white part, leaving the pink
part bare.  Your nails will look glossy for a while but it scuffs
up and then isn't very noticeable.

	I was taught to file the nail so that it is curved
all the way around the extended part.  If you let it grow without
any filing, it has straight sides and a curved top, and where the
top meets the sides there's a "corner".  Filing this corner down
to make it a smooth curve from the sides to the top really helps
reduce nail damage because you eliminate the spot where the
nail is likely to catch and get torn.

	I tried using super glue to repair a nail that was 
starting to crack.  The label on the bottle even said
it was good for this purpose.  It did not work.


-----
Robyn
rblanders@math.uwaterloo.ca
	"I'm just doing my rock'n'roll duty." -- Dubois

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: spray@convex.com (Rob Spray)
Subject: Re: Strat pricing
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:52:07 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <Bs3rxy.79y@quake.sylmar.ca.us> jeff@quake.sylmar.ca.us writes:

>Also, a friend told me that Guitar Center recently offered *American*
>Strats for less than $300 - I can't confirm this, must've missed
>that radio ad...  makes me wonder, though.

Mexico is in North America.  Maybe that was "american Strats"
                                             ^

btw, the Guitar Center in Dallas often has Strats for $299.

--Rob  spray@convex.com
From: pvallado@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Paolo Valladolid )
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Pat Metheny
Date: 27 Jul 92 00:19:48 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

Any discussion groups/fans out there?

Paolo Valladolid

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: detchay@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (TONY CHAY)
Subject: Re: Improvisation where- Well said tom.
Keywords: lead guitar
Organization: Halls of Residence, Monash University 
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 11:09:19 GMT

In article <Brp83t.Gvz@cup.hp.com> balon@cup.hp.com (Tom Balon) writes:
>From: balon@cup.hp.com (Tom Balon)
>Subject: Re: Improvisation where has it gon
>Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 17:47:52 GMT
>Keywords: lead guitar

>In article <detchay.2.711552049@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au> detchay@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (TONY CHAY) writes:
>>   
>        I like to hear a gutarist that takes a solo and can put something
>        unique into it. (Although in a cover band, people do expect to hear 
a>        live version of the *original* note for note.) I like to play
>        blues and jazz, tons of room for improvisation. (music for
>        musicians) Thats what "playing" is all about not just duplication. 

>                                                        - tom
     			Dear Tom,  
				   Your a man after my own heart.  You 
mentioned the blues.  A great percentage of Blues songs are simply 12 
bar blues.  Alot of Dick holding guitarists laugh at this progression 
claiming it is boring.  However, the great blues men used their guitar 
in this simple progressions to add flavour and colour to the song.  
They used the guitar as a contributing instrument not just a filler 
until the singing starts again.  Jazz is something I have not yet made 
a serious attempt to get into yet, mainly because I like the many, 
many bends used in blues which seem less suited to jazz.  A fault of 
my own style perhaps.  I don't know what my style is but its a 
hendrix, clapton, berry, bluesy, rock type thing.  
			Yours ,, Tone.

	
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: shag@aero.org (Robert M. Unverzagt)
Subject: Re: Syd Barrett
Organization: Organization?  You must be kidding.
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 22:42:57 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.151906.19423@cl.cam.ac.uk> dahe@cl.cam.ac.uk (David Elworthy) writes:
> In article <25774@life.ai.mit.edu>, bri@black-coffee.ai.mit.edu (Brian
> Totty) writes:
> |> 
> |> 	So, where is Syd Barrett now?  Any interviews recently?  All I have
> |> 	heard is urban legend...
> 
> Someone asked exactly this in the "Notes and Queries" column of the
> Guardian a few months back (it's a weekly column where readers send in
> interesting and freuqently inane questions and other readers send in
> answers with similar characteristics). I forget the details, but I think
> the reply said he is alive, well, sane and staying out of the music
> business. It said he doesn't want publicity, so there's probably no or
> few recent interviews.

I heard recently that Syd's mom died.  Was he still living
with her?

Shag

-- 
       Rob Unverzagt        |  ...for shall we see engineers trying to turn
  shag@aerospace.aero.org   |  themselves into men of aesthetic sensibility?
unverzagt@courier2.aero.org |  That would be the real danger...
   18348@rhodes.aero.org    |                          --  Le Corbusier
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: v035550@stortek.com (Steve Monroe)
Subject: Re: SLASH- Great or WHAT??!!?
Originator: v035550@stcvax
Organization: Storage Technology Corp.  Louisville, CO
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:26:28 GMT

>First this Peter guy wrote:
>
>|> I was just wandering how many Slash [GNR lead guitarist] admirers are out
>|> there....  I personally think that he must be one of the greatest hard rock
>|> guitarists alive...  And if you hear him in concert, you'll probably think
>|> the same...
>|>                                    Peter.
>
>
>Then this Bill guy wrote:
>
>>        Peter, you have obviously ignored the netiquette rules. Your post
>>does not belong in alt.guitar, but in rec.humor. While I commend you on the
>>humor of your post, please post jokes to the appropriate news group in the
>>future.
>
>Finally this anonymous wombat-dude wrote:
>
>Thanks for posting this Peter, I can't remember the last time I had a good
>laugh!!!!!!!!
>
>
>I hope Peter will join me in saying that both of you can bite me!
>These posts definitely sound like the sarcasm of some Guns'n'Roses-
>hating dudes who can't get past Axl Rose's ego/whatever long enough to
>appreciate Slash's true musical talent.
>
>Oh well, it's your losses, not ours.
 
This is sophomoric.  Please, if you can't communicate with a
modicum of articulation, don't write anything.  I know, 'bite
me' , right?... dude?
 
By the way, I am posting this from an account that is not mine.
don't send any flames to this address: the owner has no involvement
with my postings.
 
 
Ian
-- 
"Music comes from composers - not musicians"
 -Frank Zappa : "The Real Frank Zappa Book", p.174.
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: spray@convex.com (Rob Spray)
Subject: Re: 63 Les Paul's value
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 03:47:13 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <.10.0@nd.edu> @nd.edu (Jim Michaels) writes:

>     I have a tobacco sunburst 1963 Les Paul standard in very good 
>condition.  Everything is original except the tuning pegs, which I 
>replaced with Grover's a while back.  Anybody have any idea what my 
>guitar might be worth?  What are music stores asking for similar 
>guitars?  Thanks a lot.

Well, for starters, Gibson didn't make a Les Paul Standard in 1963.
Secondly the 1963 SG Standard came in cherry red or a rare white
finish.  If it really is tobacco sunburst it's a reissue or been
refinished.  As such, I such I'd guess around $500 US.

--Rob  spray@convex.com

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: US30139@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU
Subject: Re: Blues Net group
Organization: LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 16:27:58 CST

In article <1992Jul28.064130.18053@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU>
chuck@spectrum.cs.unsw.oz.au (Mark Andrew Hawling) writes:
>In article <1992Jul27.181245.4212@ultb.isc.rit.edu> whc2993@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>>	Does anyone know if there is a news group on blues music. If not is it
>>possible to start one?
 
>alt.bluenote is a jazz newsgroup but people still discuss blues in there quite a lot.
 
Here, here... or hear, hear...  What a great idea because there is not enough
blues info passed through bluenote, mostly jazz, theory, etc.
 
So I second the motion for a strictly blues newsgroup.
 
Mike James
Ruston, LA
US30139@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU
 
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: spray@convex.com (Rob Spray)
Subject: Re: 63 Les Paul's value
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 03:55:21 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <1992Jul24.001858.20162@wam.umd.edu> loffit@wam.umd.edu (Dixie Cup) writes:

>GIBSON LES PAUL CUSTOM, 1963, WHITE, PAF'S, VGC    $1995.00

>VGC is very good condition and PAF's are the original Patent Applied For
>humbuckers.  I don't know if this is a reasonable price but it's what
>their asking for it. 

They think they can get two grand for it because it's an SG Custom, 
of which they made only 264 that year as opposed to 1445 Standards,
1017 Specials in red and 374 Specials in white.
Also those three PAF's are worth something.

>...  Also, is there a way to date your Les Paul from
>the serial number?  I'd like to know how old mine is. 

From the late seventies on, it's a piece of cake.  The serial
number is an eight digit number.  Digits 1 and 5 are the last two
digits of the year, digits 2,3 and 4 are the Julian day.  Digits
6,7 and 8 identify the plant - 0-499 were made in Kalamazoo and
500 up were made in Nashville.  (Now, you can really impress
some kid in a pawn shop!  "Oh yeah, let's see, this made on the 6
of January, 1982 in Nashville.  Tenth one they made that day!"
80062509)

Before that, it's a black art.  I once had three "experts" in Charley's
Guitar Shop in Dallas arguing over my late sixties gold-top reissue!.

Post the info and we'll try.  Please post an accurate description,
sometimes even the number of screws holding the pickguard can matter!

--Rob   spray@convex.com


Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: u895174@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Tim Morris)
Subject: Re: SLASH- Great or WHAT??!!?
Organization: University of Tasmania, Australia.
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 01:23:40 GMT

In defense of Slash - I think he's a fantastic guitarist.  Maybe not
a technical genius, but brilliant melodies.

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: whc2993@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Multitrack
Reply-To: whc2993@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 18:20:19 GMT

I didn't think you could "ping-pong" onto a track that had something on it.
I have used an Otari reel to reel 4 track and I couldn't set a track to
playback and record at the same time.  I had to leave one track open to bounce
the other three tracks to.
									

Newsgroups: alt.guitar,alt.guitar.tab
From: templon@paramount.nikhefk.nikhef.nl (Jeffrey Templon)
Subject: Re: Gibson, Fender, or what?
Organization: NIKHEFK
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 22:29:35 GMT


Thought I'd post too, others might be interested.

In alt.guitar you write:


>This store seemed to specialize in Yamaha, Alvarez and Ibanez (with a
>few others). The Yamahas looked very nice, and I know Yamaha makes fine
>keyboards.

I highly recommend that for this, and for the other questions,
you pick up a recent _Guitar Player_ magazine (the one with
Bill Frisell on the cover, I think): there were fourteen makes
of modern guitars, the Alvarez and Fender Stratocaster included
(along with the Carvin, which I'd get if I were in your shoes),
rated.  They didn't pull any punches (I think the word "yuk"
was used to describe one of the guitars!!!)

>I was in a music store recently. It did NOT sell Gibson and Fender
>guitars. I was told that both have gone downhill in the past 10 years
>(which is the LAST time I was in a music store seriously considering
>buying). I was also told that both companies do a lousy job of
>supporting their products if you have trouble.

Can't speak for Gibson.  Fender still makes guitars, lots of them.
As for the quality, I have a 1990 American Standard Strat that
I really love.  From everything I have seen and from what
professional guitar people have told me:

1) it is still possible to buy an excellent Fender Stratocaster
2) you have to be careful, since the quality is not uniform;
   you may find some lemons and some real gems.  You have to
   play the one you'll buy
3) the best bet is to look for a good USED strat (I did, my 1990
   was used) - this way you see how it will hold up

As far as the sound you want - Fender makes something called the
Robben Ford model which gets lots of different sounds; I
think it has humbuckers with coil-tap switches.  It also has
"tone chambers" (I think this means hollowed-out sections in
the body) to give it a better acoustic tone, which translates
into better electric tone (this is one reason why Strats sound
so cool - all that air and metal in the trem area).

>    Have new models supplanted the Les Paul (for example, I was told
>that the Yamaha could sound like either a Les Paul or a Strat at the
>flick of a switch; this seems possible, given that guitar electronics
>have probably advanced a lot).

Don't count on it.  It might sound close, but electronical emulation
of things doesn't usually get you all the way there (just
check out how much you have to pay to get a GOOD acoustic
piano sound out of an electric piano!  Yamaha had one for about
$2400 that sounded pretty good although you weren't really
fooled, and also the sound was digitized direct from a REAL
acoustic piano so that is cheating.)  So it depends on if you
want something "pretty close" to a Les Paul or "bang on".
Note that in the _Guitar Player_ review they made extensive
comments on each guitar's tonal qualities.  A few (among them
the Stratocaster and Carvin) got rave reviews in that department.

					JT

Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: till@acid-rain.lucid.com (Don Tillman)
Subject: What's happening with Fender amps?!
Followup-To: alt.guitar
Reply-To: till@lucid.com
Organization: Lucid, Inc.
	<1992Jul22.210759.23099@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
Distribution: usa
Date: 23 Jul 92 01:10:16

The conversation has drifted from the subject line, but no matter.

   From: kew@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (steve.w.askew)
   Organization: AT&T
   Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 21:07:59 GMT

   I Think Fender has gotten to the point were they think to much of
   themselves. Most of their products are overpriced. Why should a
   guitar that Fender has been building since 1953 cost 1300.00.

Price is determined by the alternatives available on the market, not by the
cost of production.

   Its seems to me the only cost reduction method fender has ever used
   is to build them in another country. 

No, the foreign-built instruments are for other product lines aimed at the
low-end market.  They are not intended to cost-reduce the original models.

   Leo Fender was able to stay in business because he could build and
   sell quality guitars cheaper than Gibson. 

Depends on how you define quality.  Fender guitars never had the
craftsmanship of most Gibson or Rickenbacker models, but an intrinsic part
of Leo's engineering skill is that he could manufacture a great instrument
without the need for as much craftsmanship.  Clever guy.

				This weekend I looked at a Jap strat
   hanging right next to a american. These 2 guitars were equipted
   exactly the same. The Jap was every bit the guitar the amarican
   was.

If you would have looked more closely or played them you might have noticed
that the two models are nothing alike.  The necks, hardware, pickups, body
woods and resonances are all completely different.  To me the Amercian
models are more like the old Fenders and the Japanese models are more like
Ibanezes, Charvels, or Yamahas.  (Heck, for all I know they might even come
from the same factory!)

I don't mean to come off so argumentative (cuz Fenders are not my favorite
instruments, and what they've done to the market is pretty gross) but I do
think you're missing some vital points here.

  -- Don Tillman, till@lucid.com
From: mbreen@sdacs.ucsd.edu (Michael Breen)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Re: Musician's Friend and AMS
Date: 30 Jul 1992 23:54:34 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: sdacs.ucsd.edu

In article <12607@inews.intel.com> pturner@sedona.intel.Com (Pete Turner) writes:
>
>In article <1992Jul30.125804.3510@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>, kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (kevin mcfadden) writes:
>|> 
>|> 	I have just completed an informal survey of the pricing of 
>|> American Music Service and Musician's Friend. And the overall winner
>|> is .......
>|> 
>|> 	AMS!!!!!
>|> 
>
>	[stuff about the price difference deleted]
>
>Okay...I'll buy into it...now where do I get a AMS catalog? 
>
>	Pete
>-- 
(sigs deleted)
Somebody posted this a while back.  I've done a bit of research:

Musician's Friend        1-800-776-5173 -> cool catalog, decent prices
                         (this is the only catalog I have so far)
Sam Ash                  1-800-472-6274
                         (they said 'no catalog', but put me on a mailing list,
                          and offered to beat the price I found in Mus.
                          Friend on a strat case)
Thoroughbred             1-800-800-4654
                         (catalog on the way)
Bill's Music House       1-800-828-0023
                         (catalog on the way)
Los' Music               1-800-786-7302
                         (catalog on the way)
Sound Southwest          1-800-342-4327
                         (no catalog, gave him my address in case they get one)
American Musical Supply  1-800-458-4076
                         (catalog on the way)
Stewart McDonald's       1-800-848-2273
                         (open 9-5 Eastern; haven't gotten through yet)
Music Emporium           1-800-648-8460
                         (10-6 Eastern, dammit!)

Boy, is my wife gonna be bummed!

Michael Breen
singing and philosophizing
(and about to make the VISA folks reeeeal stoked)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
From: mprisco@lynx.cat.syr.edu ()
Subject: Re: Guitars and women
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 15:31:27 EDT

In article <4eNPjQ600WBN83_x8T@andrew.cmu.edu> Alison Rebecca Colman <ac10+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>[list of women vs. guitars deleted]
>
>Hey! Hey! Whaddabout a list for us females who play guitar? Are there
>any reasons out there why guitars are better than men? Nooooooo :-).
>Gosh, I'm going to have to think of some, then....
>
>Big Al

I missed the original list but can come up with a few:

Guitars don't drink all of your vodka

Guitars stay quiet UNTIL your stroke them

When you put your guitar away, you know it will still be there
later.

Alison...am I on the right track?

Margot



--
=====================================================================
=          H A V E   A   D A Y             :|                       =
=====================================================================