What Am I Trying to Do Here?

Why in the world do I take the time to write this blog? I certainly don't need to hear myself talk, or more correctly, read my own writing. But I've been involved in music most of my life, and in that time I've been fortunate enough to not only be a musician, but to also write about music, interview musicians, sell musical instruments, manufacture musical instruments, teach & lecture about music, compose & produce music, and a lot of other connected activities. 


Now I'm not saying I'm any better at anything than anyone else, but I do have a wide view perspective on drums & music, and I try to keep my finger on the pulse of things. So, this little corner of blogdom is just me trying to pass on relevant information, wisdom, and hopefully, inspiration, for you readers out there.


And please remember, unless you take a minute to comment, I'm just talking to myself…


~ MB


BTW, please have a look at my revamped website: www.gongtopia.com

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 25, 2012 at 8:37 AM

    Dear Michael, PLEASE DO NOT STOP writing on your blog! Here you have a portuguese reader that enjoys your posts a lot!

    Greetings from Portugal!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael BettineJuly 25, 2012 at 5:34 PM

    Hey, thanks for the comment. I'm glad you enjoy things all the way from Portugal. I plan to keep writing. This blog has been going for a year and a half now, and the one before it went for about 3 years, so I've been pretty consistent with this writing thing.

    ~ MB

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tam Tam vs Gong

Image
I can't tell you how many times this argument of "A tam tam is not a Gong" comes up. It came my way no less than 3 different times this week. Actually, 'tam tam' (also tam-tam) was 1st used in symphonic music back in the 1800s to differentiate a flat faced Gong from a Gong with a raised center 'boss.' (There is no definitive answer as to where the term tam tam originated - some say it's Chinese, some say it's Hindi, still others say it's something else…) To add to the confusion, 'tam-tam' is a term often used for either an   African  djembe or talking drum. When a score calls for a 'tam tam' (like Messiaen’s 'Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum' or various works of Richard Wagner), then a flat faced Gong, like a Chinese Chau, is used. Flat Faced Chinese Chau Gong/Tam Tam When a score calls for a 'Gong' (like Puccini’s 'Madame Butterfly', or 'Turandot'), then a bossed Gon
Read more

What to Look for When Buying a Gong

Image
Today's blog is a revised & updated blog I posted 3 years ago on my old website. I'm always having people ask me about buying a Gong. Well, here's some tips: •••••••• So you’ve decided to get a Gong. The first thing to ask is, what will I use a Gong for? What type of music do you play? Do you want to use it in a rock band, a jazz band, solo? Are you looking for a meditation device? These are important questions and will help determine what type and size of Gong to get.  One important thing to look at is how big a Gong do you want? Gongs are heavy. Gongs are not easy to transport. If this Gong will stay in your house/studio, then that makes it easy to have a larger size. But if you plan to travel in a band with it,  you need to look at the impact a different size Gong will have on transporting it.  A lot of drummers want a Gong because they look cool and sound cool. They also want that type of sound in their percussive arsenal.  A good place to star
Read more

Music Notation for Gongs

Image
Recently, I was asked a question about how Gongs are notated in a musical score. Here are various examples of different ways they have been notated, from traditional classical, to modern musical forms. The first thing is to differentiate the 2 main types of Gongs: the flat faced, usually termed Tam Tam in a classical score, and the Bossed Gong, with a raised center boss (AKA cup, nipple). A good example of a traditional symphonic Tam Tam part would be from Gustav Holst’s, The Planets . This example is from Mars, the Bringer of War : We can see the Gong/Tam Tam notated traditionally on a single staff line.  The next example is from Puccini’s opera, Turandot . This is the Tam Tam part, notated on the bottom line. Example #3 is also from Turandot. The score also calls for Tuned Bossed Gongs. Unfortunately I was unable to find a score example of them. John Cage used various Gongs in his percussion music. This is an example of how he notated the
Read more