# The old high school band.....



## Pappy (Jun 8, 2013)

About 1952 or 3 and my Purple Tornados band. I am in the front row, left, third one in. I think my leg was helping to hold up the drums. I played tenor and snare drums.

I played in a small dance band for a couple years after school but gave it up raising family. Still miss it and play along at home with my ITunes and big band selections. Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich to mention a few of the greats.


----------



## Ozarkgal (Jun 8, 2013)

Aww..great photo..I love the name of the band..Purple Tornados..


----------



## That Guy (Jun 8, 2013)

You were a drummer, Pappy?  Excellent!


----------



## R. Zimm (Jun 9, 2013)

Another drummer here! Played in HS, snare for marching and everything during concert season. Ended up geting a BA in Music Theory as a percussionist (and guitarist) but went into computers early on.

I play mostly guitar these days but still have a nice set - 1966 Slingerland "Jet" and 70's Zildians. I bought the set used in the 90's and fixed her up then picked up the cymbals on ebay here and there.


----------



## SifuPhil (Jun 9, 2013)

Excellent picture, from a time when a band could actually play music instead of doing gymnastics on the field. From what little of marching bands I see nowadays it seems they spend a disproportionate amount of time on choreography and probably use pre-recorded tracks for the music.


----------



## That Guy (Jun 9, 2013)




----------



## That Guy (Jun 9, 2013)

*The Play* refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the University of California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, November 20, 1982. Given the circumstances and rivalry, the wild game that preceded it, the very unusual way in which The Play unfolded, and its lingering aftermath on players and fans, it is recognized as one of the most memorable plays in college football history and among the most memorable in American sports. After Stanford had taken a 20–19 lead on a field goal with four seconds left in the game, the Golden Bears used five lateral passes on the ensuing kickoff return to score the winning touchdown and earn a disputed 25–20 victory. Members of the Stanford Band had come onto the field midway through the return, believing that the game was over, which added to the ensuing confusion and folklore. There remains disagreement over the legality of two of the laterals,[1][2] adding to the passion surrounding the traditional rivalry of the annual "Big Game."


----------



## SifuPhil (Jun 10, 2013)

I don't suppose that was Don McLean's inspiration for the "marching band refused to yield" in "_American Pie_", since that came out in 1971 ... too bad, it would have been a great background story.


----------



## Pappy (Jun 10, 2013)

R. Zimm said:


> Another drummer here! Played in HS, snare for marching and everything during concert season. Ended up geting a BA in Music Theory as a percussionist (and guitarist) but went into computers early on.
> 
> I play mostly guitar these days but still have a nice set - 1966 Slingerland "Jet" and 70's Zildians. I bought the set used in the 90's and fixed her up then picked up the cymbals on ebay here and there.



I no longer have my set. Had pearl finish Ludwig with Zildians. I use a pad now and I'm sure the wife appreciates that a lot more. I like to play ukulele, baritone and use to play organ but had to sell. Was too big for our place. Can't read a note of music so it is all by ear.  Love the old country music so most of it easy to play. 

When I was growing up, we would have family get togethers and grandma played piano, grandpa guitar or spoons, and my uncle would drum. The rest of us would sing or play anything we could get our hands on. It was right after the big war, so victory songs were real popular. Coming in on a wing and a prayer.....was my favorite.


----------



## R. Zimm (Jun 12, 2013)

Cool idea on the pad, makes it much more apartment friendly too. I also play the Ukulele, I have a Makala Concert but I also made a bass uke similar to the Kala Ubass. Works great but the floppy strings take a different technique to play.


----------



## That Guy (Jun 12, 2013)

Anyone familiar with Jake Shimabukuro?  His ukulele playing goes way beyond fantastic!


----------



## Pappy (Jun 12, 2013)

R. Zimm said:


> Cool idea on the pad, makes it much more apartment friendly too. I also play the Ukulele, I have a Makala Concert but I also made a bass uke similar to the Kala Ubass. Works great but the floppy strings take a different technique to play.



Is a concert uke the larger one? Back in the sixties I bought a Sears Silvertone uke and it was like a small guitar. I still have it but cannot tighten strings anymore. I really liked that uke and played the crap out of it. Looks kinda like Willie's guitar. I have a new baritone I just bought from Amazon but it is still smaller than I like.


----------



## Pappy (Jun 16, 2013)

Just found an old picture of the large uku I played. Is that the concert size or a mongrel style? My brother on the right and why we were sitting on Grandmas counter is anyone's guess.


----------



## Happyflowerlady (Jun 16, 2013)

I have always loved guitar, and western music, but have never learned to play one. I don't think I am coordinated enough to do the little finger chords. My mom had an old one that I used to try and play when I was a girl, but I never could understand the fingering part.Eventually, I discovered the Suzuki Omnichord, and it was so easy to play, and I just loved playing that and singing along. I don't have it anymore either, but someday, maybe I will get another one.


----------



## That Guy (Jun 16, 2013)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I have always loved guitar, and western music, but have never learned to play one. I don't think I am coordinated enough to do the little finger chords. My mom had an old one that I used to try and play when I was a girl, but I never could understand the fingering part.Eventually, I discovered the Suzuki Omnichord, and it was so easy to play, and I just loved playing that and singing along. I don't have it anymore either, but someday, maybe I will get another one.



I do hope you get yourself another Omnichord.  Making music is a wonderful expression.  As for the guitar, Django Reinhardt played with a badly injured left hand . . .


----------



## Happyflowerlady (Jun 17, 2013)

It is not my fingers that are the problem, it is my brain/hand coordination that is lacking. Since I am ambidextrous, you would think I could manage to operate both hands simultaneously and play an instrument, as well; but I just can't get the hang of it. Thankfully, the Omnichord is easier to strum.


----------



## Pappy (Jun 17, 2013)

I just went to EBay to see what an Omnichord is. Looks like fun. Do you strum with one hand and push chord buttons with other hand ?


----------



## That Guy (Jun 17, 2013)

Happyflowerlady said:


> It is not my fingers that are the problem, it is my brain/hand coordination that is lacking. Since I am ambidextrous, you would think I could manage to operate both hands simultaneously and play an instrument, as well; but I just can't get the hang of it. Thankfully, the Omnichord is easier to strum.



That coordination just comes with repetition.  Like playing piano with left and right hand doing different things.  Always best to start very, very slowly; almost painfully and boringly slowly.  Thing move along and the results can become quite fascinating and satisfying.  I had a music teacher in school who like to say, "It is not practice that makes perfect.  PERFECT practice makes perfect."  We call it "woodshedding"; working over and over again on the chops . . .

Anyway, if you care not for the dedication to learning guitar, I strongly encourage you to get another omnichord and start having fun.


----------



## Happyflowerlady (Jun 18, 2013)

Pappy, the Onmichord is kind of a cross between an Autoharp, and a keyboard. It has all the backgrounds and rythyms that you would find on a keyboard, and you push the chords and strum with the other hand, and can also tap the strumming part, and actually play notes if you want to. 
They have a newer version out now called the Q-chord, and it does even more, but even just the basic Omnichord is very versatile. You can plug it in to an amp, and really turn up the sound, or, you can play it with batteries, and sit around the campfire, and sing songs with it. 
I used to take mine to the church Home Meetings, and didn't use the background, just the chords and strum, and played the songs along with the guitar guy, and they sounded really great together.
Here is a little video of one being played, so you can get an idea of what it actually does, and sounds like. He is not using the rythyms , but there are quite a few of those, and it becomes almost the one-man-band thing when you put it all together. 

http://youtu.be/tUUt8tp9H-Q


----------



## Pappy (Jun 18, 2013)

Thank you Happyflowerlady. I enjoyed that and will look into one of these.  Pappy


----------



## R. Zimm (Jun 19, 2013)

I love Jake's music, he has really expanded the Ukulele to the world that's for sure.


----------

