Tsucchi's "Taiko Strange Story" Part 17 | Is the sound playing inside your head or not?

Dear readers of the JPC newsletter, the time has come for the familiar taiko stories.
The weather this summer was kind of strange.
After the rainy season ended, the rainy season-like rain continued, causing a series of floods in various places. We would like to express our sympathies and condolences to the people in the affected areas and those who lost their lives.
After 3.11, no, after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake,JapanI feel that Japan has become a country prone to natural disasters.
Personally, I feel that this is a serious warning from Mother Earth.
I want to do something about it.
Unless each individual's consciousness becomes a strong will and changes the way we live our lives, human history may not be as long as it is...

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Well, this summer, I worked at each summer festival without exception, and it rained almost every day at Fuji Rock. It was extremely hot at Summer Sonic.
My physical condition is so bad lol
In that kind of environment, you get to meet people you only meet once in a while, and it's like checking your survival every year, so it's fun and exciting.

“Wow, it’s been a while.”

“You look fine!”

“I see it all the time on Facebook, so it doesn’t feel like it’s been a while.”

We talk about things like that and have fun working together.

So, there are still many young people in the field who are inexperienced.
I'm probably old enough to be called a veteran, but I don't really think of myself as a veteran because many of the sites I'm involved with are still elderly and treated like young people.
No, not at all lol

Meanwhile, some young people asked me questions about drums. Both are still in their twenties. These are people who I want to continue to gain experience and grow from now on.
I have to give a serious answer to this question, so I'm going to listen carefully, but...just a little? ? ? There was something that made me think.
I think the myth, or rather urban legend, that ``good sound = good equipment'' is leading the way.
For example, the common steel snare.
Well, let's say the depth is 6 and a half. I put something like Ambassador Coated on it, and Snappy is also a regular genuine product.
The snare side is also clear.
So, here

"I'm thinking of wearing a brass hoop, but Tsucchi-san, what do you think? Should I use a regular steel hoop? Or a die-cast one?"

Even if you ask me...hey lol

"Yeah, I think they're all good combinations, and I think they'll all sound good if you get into them, but...what kind of music and what kind of players?"

When I asked again,

"No, I don't know anything about music...but I'm the player."

"Huh? It's an instrument you play by yourself, right? Are you in a band or something?"

"No, I'm not doing it. I'm producing music by myself in a rented studio."

"Ah, I see. So why not try out different combinations that you like? I think that kind of research is important. Even with the right shot, the sound of the same instrument can change completely."

"Ah...I was wondering if I could ask Tsucchi-san about which one is best..."

``Well, of course it's important for an instrument to have a good sound on its own, and it's extremely important to try out various things in order to pursue that, but I think it's better to first have a clear idea of what kind of music you like and what kind of sound you want to produce.''

"Ah! I see! That's right! Once you find the sound of the music you like, things will be quick!"

At this point, I thought to myself, ``Ah, you understood. Good, thank you!'' and just as I was about to light a cigarette, unexpected words came to me.

“Then, Tsucchi-san, please tell me what music I like!”

It's a true story that sounds like a lie.
It's kind of like the "True Scary Stories" series since last time, but it's true.
My eyes widened and I took a cigarette to calm down.
Take a deep breath in and let it out for a long time... I feel like Shigeru Amachi.
Young people probably wouldn't know who I was talking about if I said that, but that's not new to me.
Here, I have one word

"No, I don't know what kind of music you like. I don't know much about you, and I don't know your tastes. Do you have any favorite drummers or bands?"

"Oh, then I'm here! I like that band and this drummer."

The names of bands and drummers I know and work with pop up.

"Oh, I know them well. They're a good band."

"Yes! I love it! That's why I thought if I asked Tsucchi-san, who makes the drum sound, he might be able to tell me everything..."

It's a tragedy.

It is a tragedy that these days, when we are flooded with information from the media, such pure young people are being stripped of their ``independence to find the music they like, fall in love with that music, and dive deeply into the magic of music.''
At this point, I felt overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility for what I had said, and at the same time, I was shocked to see how the world has become so clumsy when it comes to actually communicating with the third party in front of us, even though we are influenced by other people's opinions.

Speaking of us, we would read the credits of the records we acquired as children until we were bored, memorizing every detail of the recording studio and engineer, the musicians and producers who participated, even the manager and jacket designer.
I listened to a variety of music there and was surprised to find that completely different types of music were recorded in the same studio, and the same goes for musicians, producers, engineers, and arrangers.
Completely different music is born and delivered from all over the world in a variety of environments. This fact remains true even today, and it's commonplace for today to be an idol, next week to be a punk, and next month to be a do-enka in the same studio. A fact that remains unchanged.
I wonder what this strange feeling is.
There is an old man who is a Beatles fanatic, and fortunately he is rich. Yes, you, astute readers, have already realized this.
That person had all of the Beatles' instruments in vintage condition. Even the costumes are carefully made.
Up until this point, the story would have ended with, ``It's a rich man's debauchery, and I'm really envious of him,'' but one day, the old man got angry and barged into a musical instrument store.
The reason is

"Even though they spent a lot of money on instruments from the same era, they still don't produce the same sound as the Beatles! What's going on?"

Tragedy also occurred here.
I can't even look at it anymore.

What on earth do we mean by “sound”?

For example, the band The Beatles. Nowadays, it seems that there are many young people who don't know about the Beatles, but that can't be helped. Not only was it not born, it has no shadow or shape, and its parents may not have even listened to it lol.
Let's get back to the topic.
There are many ways to describe it, such as sound, sound, timbre, tone, etc., but it is something that is resonating inside a person's head and cannot be known by a third party.
However, there are people close to us who have similar sounds in their heads. These could be classmates with similar musical tastes, seniors or juniors, or even brothers and cousins.
Three or four of these friends gather together and create sounds with their favorite instruments in hand. The band is ready.
Even members like that have different upbringings, so there are many times when other members may not be able to understand someone's ideas. The opposite is also true. Eno is like, "That's great! That riff! That's cool!" This is a moment of great joy for the band. The problem is, when a member comes up with a sound or idea that they don't understand or don't know, how does the person who came up with it communicate it? Those twists and turns later add depth to the songs, and are the key to the band's overall growth.
The Beatles uncle, who I wrote about earlier, was probably relieved just by having all the instruments, or maybe the sound wasn't playing in his head.

"Okay, we've got all the instruments. We'll be fine with this. Huh? Paul won't make any sound."

That's right, you're not Paul lol
I see enthusiasts working hard to acquire instruments and playing perfectly replicas of the bands they're interested in. Of course, they can't compete with the real thing, but it's so much fun. I don't dislike seeing things like that.
I would rather support them. But what I think is even more beautiful is when the essence of yourself is included in it. Your own sound is playing properly in your head.
It's a complete copy, but it's exactly like that person.
It's not ego. When it comes to ego, you end up like the old Beatles man.
It's difficult. This is the story. If you make a slight mistake, it could be taken as a complete denial of amateurism lol
I'm an amateur musician myself, so I don't really think about that, and I also think that amateurs have the most fun when it comes to music. Isn't it interesting to be an amateur with stupid techniques?
What I'm trying to say about sea lions is that we live in a world that's kind of big-headed.
I felt lonely when I was talking to the young man at the beginning.
A drum, or rather a musical instrument, is a complex structure made up of various parts. Just changing one small part like the tailpiece of an electric guitar can surprisingly increase the sustain, so it's understandable why people pay so much attention to parts and specs.
If I had to say it, I would say that the main difference between professionals and amateurs is whether the sound is playing in their heads or not, and whether they understand the sound and performance they are looking for.
That's why we are called upon to help musicians transfer the sounds in their heads to their instruments so they can concentrate on playing.
During this process, we actually listen to the songs together and discuss them as if we were members of a band, and the direction of the sound becomes clear.

People have pros and cons. If I get a request in advance saying, ``I'm recording a heavy metal piece...'', even if my schedule is free, I'll probably hand over the job to someone else who's more qualified. That's part of the job.
I want my clients to create good work for me, and I want them to sell a lot and be able to do a lot of things. It's not about being pretty, but because I feel this way from the bottom of my heart, I hope that the job will go to the right person and that they will create a better sound. Of course, the opposite is also true. It's a combination of things.
I don't think there were drum techs for the Beatles, the Stones, the Carpenters, Motown, Stax, or High Studio back in the '50s or '60s. There were people carrying instruments and setting them up in the studio.
He's called a roadie. We are the same.
I think it wasn't until the Beatles that it was recognized as a proper profession. Before that, I think it had a strong meaning as a position that was used as a junior position by people aiming to become professionals. The teacher-pupil system known as boya still exists today, but I wonder if it's a little different from what it was back then.
Otis Redding was a roadie for the Pinetoppers until just before his debut. He was working as an assistant for the Pinetoppers who had come to record at Stax, and he approached Donald Duck Dunn, the bassist for Booker T. and the MGs, and forced him into the studio and said, ``Just listen to my song!'' and forced both Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper to listen to it.His singing voice instantly hooked both Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper, and they decided on the spot to record the song the next day. This is a historic moment when Otis Redding's singing voice and the sound that rang within him instantly "infected" his "comrades" who had the same musical values, and they were able to "understand" each other.

Please, when you have an instrument in front of you and are trying to make a sound, please close your eyes for a moment and listen to the sound that is resounding inside you. If no matter what you do, the sound only sounds like the sound of a steel shell and brass hoop, you should definitely run to a music store.

If you don't know exactly...
But the sound is still playing!
In any case, just tinker with the only instrument you have at hand.
Instruments are honest. The sound that comes out will change as you play with it. There are many adjustment points one by one, and even if it's all bullshit or crap, there are times when a miraculous balance is created in a certain moment. Thoroughly analyze the sound you created at that time and make it your own. There is a legendary drummer who stayed up for three days and nights tuning a 12-inch tom. It is not easy to create the sound you want or the sound you want to play. The more you know, the more complex and mysterious the answers become.
And when you can get your own sound out of that one snare, you've climbed a huge staircase.
I'm writing this as if it's an error, but I feel the same way.
Every day, every day, I daydream about the music I hear coming from the streets, and how I can create the sound of that song that just popped into my head.
Let's make good music together lol

The ending feels like the final episode, but the series continues...right? Nishio-san lol
So, let's stop here for now.
Hello everyone.