Build a Wall of Sound with a Looper
For every string player who has ever been ready to leave a dysfunctional group, but wondered what they’d need to make it on their own, there’s another who just wants to know where they’re supposed to turn when they can’t find anybody to jam with. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, there’s one answer for both questions: a digital phrase sampling unit, or special-effects pedal known as a looper.
By Gregory Walker
Build a wall of sound with a digital phrase sampler. Step-by-step video demo shows how to create a loop. Contents include:
- A guide to looping gear
- Descriptions of various loop pedal features
- Comparisons of prominent brands
The Art of Looping
 By Gregory Walker
Video with PDF
Published by String Letter Publishing
Price: $5.99
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This week from Strings Daily…
What to Expect from a Beginner Bass Bow
Wooden beginner bows are typically constructed of brazilwood—a catchall term for various woods used for bows. In the $150 to $200 range, retailers typically find a good manufacturer or have good beginner bows produced to their specs. For example, Upton Bass cut aesthetic details to produce a bow for $169 that they can stand behind. Lemur found a small, family-owned and operated workshop in China that they like to work with. Retailers often give these bows a “house brand” name, which will be available only at that respective shop.
Anne-Sophie Mutter Recalls First Violin Teacher
My first teacher was Erna Honigberger, who had been a pupil of Carl Flesch. She was half Jewish and had come to our little village from Berlin because of the war. As a concert artist, she called herself Erna Mottl, because she also played in coffee houses and probably did not want to be recognized, so she had taken the name from the conductor Felix Mottl. She was wonderful, especially with small children; I still remember her way of teaching vividly. She had a lot of patience and the ability never to let her students feel they were learning something.
Dealing with Violin Repairs on the Road
Accidents do happen—and often when you’re far away from home and your trusted repairperson. Who ya gonna call? Don’t waste your time with the Yellow Pages: phone home. Call your guy or gal and get a referral. It’s a small world—wherever you are, your repairperson will know someone to help you out in a pinch. If you can’t reach the person you trust for a referral, ask a local musician—a member of the orchestra, or someone who teaches at the music school. Or use the online searchable database at AllThingsStrings.com.
New Slang (by the Shins) and Yellow (by Coldplay): Pop Hits for String Quartet
“New Slang” by the Shins captures the vibe of ’60s folk music with a simple earnestness matched only by its infectiousness. In the original, a quiet, campfire-style acoustic guitar supports the haunting melody, so try performing this string arrangement with a super-relaxed feel. Lightly brushed strokes on the string, perhaps even sul tasto, will help create an ethereal atmosphere, especially when the violins play false harmonics starting at m. 26. No matter which instrument is playing the melody, be sure to preserve the leisurely legato feel throughout.
Kronos Wins Polar Music, Avery Fisher Prizes
New and exploratory music champion the Kronos Quartet has received a double dose of praise: Lincoln Center’s 2011 Avery Fisher Prize and the Swedish Polar Music Prize. The prestigious awards carry with them $75,000 and $155,000, respectively. Kronos states on its website that no other musician or ensemble has ever won both prizes, let alone in a single year. The quartet—violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt, and cellist Jeffrey Zeigler—has released more than 45 recordings in 30 years. They’ve worked with such contemporary composers as Terry Riley, Henryk Mikolaj Górecki, and Philip Glass, to name a few. The quartet is currently touring Europe. kronosquartet.org
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