Re: Re: Attitudes to instruments/loopers (Derek Bailey)

[a k butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

At 15:30 10/08/2006, you wrote:
>Kris wrote
>>>Yeah, it got me going. :)  An instrument is a possibility? Or a 
>>>set? How is that possible? (no pun intended). I consider it an 
>>>object, nor more or no less.  I mean, let's get literal and clear 
>>>here: if I break my guitar up into bits, I find pieces of wood, 
>>>metal, glue, and eventually I can put it under a microscope and 
>>>find organic molecules, etc...but, low and behold, I can find no 
>>>possibilities! They appear to be eluding the lens of the 
>>>microscope.  Those clever possibilities, hiding inside the guitar 
>>>somewhere....damn them to hell.
>>
>>Well yes, if you break it into molecules you won't be able to play at 
>all :-)
>>...and there won't be a guitar there anymore. > So your 
>>"refutation" doesn't add up.
>
>Well, it wasn't really a refutation, but poking fun and literally 
>interpreting your statement that a guitar "is" a set of possibilities.

that wasn't my statement at all,
you changed it in 3 different ways ;-)

>I'm saying that is impossible and absurd, but I know what you mean 
>and agree with you. The possibilities come from our minds, and 
>guitar can inspire them and obviously be an critical part in 
>actualizing them because of it's diverse functionality.

Over the years I've spent a lot of time just exploring the guitar 
(and other instruments)
In a lot of my music, even including regular type classic guitar 
pieces, there's been things I found "on the guitar" which sounded 
quite a lot different to the expectation of my mind, these would 
invariably be incorporated into compositions.
..and when I met the Vortex and EDP........

To quote Derek Bailey again (rather than risk trying to explain my own 
version)
"The instrument is not just a tool but an ally. It is not only a 
means to an end, it is a source of material, and the technique for 
the improvisor is often an exploitation of the natural resources of 
the instrument."

>>capable of producing  not only those sounds you already know it can 
>>make, but also quite a few others. Can you find those other sounds?

try it :-)

andy