Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mordor.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!amd!dual!mordor!space@mit-mc From: space@mit-mc Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Guitar in Space Message-ID: <492@mordor.UUCP> Date: Sat, 16-Feb-85 23:31:50 EST Article-I.D.: mordor.492 Posted: Sat Feb 16 23:31:50 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 18-Feb-85 09:42:50 EST Sender: daemon@mordor.UUCP Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL Lines: 68 From: Dale.Amon@CMU-RI-FAS As a guitarist of some few years experience, I'd be more than happy to volunteer for the experiment. However, let me point out a few problems that will have to be solved. Fingering will require an extremely flexible suit with very thin and strong material at the finger tips. Us guitarists can stick pins into our finger tips because of the thick callus that we build up over many years of sliding our fingers at HIGH speed over wires that are thinner than that on a cheese slicer. This could be quite hard on space gloves, as they don't grow thicker with use. Thinness is necessary because the string of an electric guitar are set quite close together. Beginners have trouble depressing a single string with a single finger, even WITHOUT gloves. The requirement for flexibility goes far beyond what is done now. Proper technique requires moving the left arm to the proper position, and placing fingertips squarely down upon 6 individual strings, commonly with a bar across two or more strings where a single finger is flexed OPPOSITE the normal flexure direction. The arm motion is used because the arm is stronger and can cause more rapid movement on the neck of the guitar. Similarly with the right arm for strumming, although when picking individual notes a great deal of the motion may come from the wrist, with the little finger resting on the pickguard (if you are a rock flat picker). If you are a finger picker, then you have the same basic problems as with the left hand, unless you use metal or plastic finger picks over the gauntleted fingers. The upshot is that you have to be able to move arms, elbows, wrists and every finger joint VERY rapidly. It may not be entirely necessary, but I find the feedback of the FEEL of the string is important for proper vibrato, slides, bends, attack/release, harmonics, etc. This would tend to call for a very thin material. Harmonics in particular, because you have to touch the string just right, just long enought and without much depression to get the harmonic ring. Although I hadn't thought of it for years, I get the harmonic right every time because I remember what the string FEELS like when I've touched it just right. And of course the music must be fed back into your helmet so you can get the emotional feel of what you are doing. I suspect an electric piano might be easier at the moment, at least until we have a really TOUGH skin tight suit. There may be some adaptation difficulties for the guitarist in zero G. Motions are not easily changed because you do not play notes from the higher brain functions. You feel a 'musical direction' and let reflex take you the rest of the way. If you have ever listened closely to John McGloughlin, you will understand the impossibility of this being concious on a note by note basis. The lack of gravity might have effects that make the reflex work not quite as intended. I can certainly imagine one problem being the ability to move the guitar around and yet not have the impacts and motions cause it to go spinning off, or in general act like a greased pig. It could well take a few months of practice to add the necessary reflex-programs to your lower brainstem to get performance quality music out of your fingertips. As I said before, I'd be most happy to study the phenomena. This part could be done even before a proper space suit was ready, with an ordinary guitar. I suppose we could ask the Russians about this, as they were the first to play guitar in space. (I wonder if congress will buy a music gap?) A former well merged and slightly crazed rocker, Dale Amon