Thursday, December 30, 2010
Playing with a Drum Machine
Intro

Instead of featuring a kalimba as we usually do in the Thursday tips, for the next few weeks we'll be exploring an accompaniment instrument for the kalimba: the drum machine.

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When I was growing up, all the serious music students had to practice with a metronome - a little device that would keep a steady beat at the required tempo. I thought that was silly, for two reasons: 1) I had pretty good rhythm and didn't seem to need one, and 2) really great music often slows up and speeds down, and an ensemble that can pull that off is really something.

THAT SAID, I just bought a used Boss DR-770 drum machine, and I'm having a blast with it! You can get these used on ebay for under $100 - but I kept getting outbid, and when I saw it sitting at the Guitar Center, I said "What the heck!" and paid $100 for it. Hey, it's cheaper than a Hugh Tracey Kalimba.

Unlike a metronome, the drum machine can actually totally change the feel of the rhythm, in addition to the sound of the drum kit and, or course, the tempo. So, it can actually add to the music in addition to giving you something steady to jam with.

We'll learn more about using the drum machine with kalimba playing in the upcoming Thursday tips.

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