Mallet Mayhem by Harris McSheffery
This is an experimental track where I mix MIDI mallet instrument patches from GarageBand with my real prepared glockenspiel track, to get a weird mix of 12-tone experimentalism off-the-rhythmic-grid vibes and glockenspiel-improv meets Middle-Eastern inflections.
Prepared Glockenspiel is the act of preparing various objects on the glockenspiel bars to alter the sound of the instrument. In this case, I use an old guitar string bit, a little metal ring, a pen, and some blue-tak.
My use of blue-tak dampens certain notes while also lowering their pitch, enough to evoke the microtonal world of the Middle East. This creates a sense of a microtonal mind trying to hold its own in a 12-tone-dominated soundscape! I could have just used MIDI for the glockenspiel, but then I wouldn't have had the weird altered glockenspiel preparations to work with!
Improvisation plays a major role in my music, and "Mallet Mayhem" is no exception!
Tracklist
| 1. | Mallet Mayhem | 4:33 |
Lyrics
[ Instrumental Prepared Glockenspiel mixed with MIDI mallet instruments and MIDI Electric Piano (which blends pretty well). ]
Credits
Music composed by Harris McSheffery
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Eclectic Musician in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. Moving between jazz, rock, classical, experimental, microtonal, pop, and more. Sometimes samples originals for lo-fi hip-hop. Raised on European Classical style piano training from age 9 to the present day, his 4-year Bachelor of Music degree from Mount Allison University informs Harris' art. Often makes DIY album art from collage. Enjoy!