A Picture Is Worth A Thous...

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 8 Nov 2006 5:30 am

But, wait a bit, before accepting as factual that "A picture is worth a thousand words." I believe that the worth of audio far exceeds that of pictures in musical terminology. No doubt the concept was appropriately applied to the fine art of paintings. For example, turn off the audio on a TV set, and it loses more than 50% of its appeal. Turn off your amp, and reconsider the essence of the trite expression.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 8 Nov 2006 5:36 am

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 8 Nov 2006 7:02 am

I don't agree about losing the 50% of appeal. When you turn off the audio it accentuates the visuals. You tune in to much more visually than you do when your hearing the audio. You will notice things that you would not with the sound on. Maybe 30% loss.

In regards to the visual arts, I consider art as just "frozen" improv that you can see and you can look at it and maybe get your thousand words in about it.

Music is different in that you can see the musicians playing, but you cannot see the result of what they are playing. If each tone of music also expressed itself as a ray of colored light imagine what you would see visually as you listened.

An artist is painting the visual for you to see and such that he can only express a snippet of his thought. That being said, a movie could be thought of in the same realm as music in that the artist can visually connect his thought from the start to the finish as does a composition of music.

I'll go with the 30%.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 8 Nov 2006 7:39 am

Probably humans are the only species that derive visual imagery from auditory stimulation... But then, Timothy Leary's dead... (No, No he's outside...)

Coming soon: A complete psychological interpretation of Hank Williams' classic "Cold Cold Heart". (Hint: She was borderline nuts )[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 08 November 2006 at 07:40 AM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 Nov 2006 8:30 am

Turn off your amp, and reconsider the essence of the trite expression.

Conserve Electricity!

(Play Bluegrass Music)

Matthew Prouty · Post by **Matthew Prouty** » 8 Nov 2006 8:34 am

You know I totally lose interest in my favorite TV shows, such as the Simpsons, when I cannot get the SAP (Second Audio Program) working on the TV. Its just not the same in Porkandcheese so its like have no audio at all.

Just remember that you are comparing apples to oranges.

M.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 8 Nov 2006 8:41 am

Bill I'm not sure I see what you're sayin.

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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 8 Nov 2006 8:54 am

Bill Hatcher,

" A picture is worth a thousand words" is much too broad in logical terms. No specific picture is implied, which leaves an enormous amount of imagery, in trying to decipher the intent of the phrase. It's hard to imagine the general populace settling for silent movies in this day and age. Auditive response is quite necessary, and is the ultimate means of communicating. Try to imagine early man carving out pictures, and exuding gibberish guttural outcries, while attempting to convey a message. Perspective is very important in the deliverance of expertise. "Picture" a recording studio that has had no experience whatever in steel guitar recordings. The expense of the delays, forbids the artist to "draw a picture" that would result in a much better recording. The auditory reaction of the performer accelerates, as the expenses commence to mount.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Nov 2006 10:25 am

Yes, audio is very important. Audio is probably worth 1000 words, maybe more. Nothing hits home like a picture though.

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My Site - Instruction [This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 08 November 2006 at 10:27 AM.]

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 8 Nov 2006 10:30 am

Remove a mime's white gloves and he loses 64% of his appeal.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 8 Nov 2006 10:39 am

Mr. Hankey. The "general populace" is a group that actually frightens me. They seem to prefer most of what I don't care for.

Marc Mercer · Post by **Marc Mercer** » 8 Nov 2006 11:15 am

If a mime plays air steel guitar in the forest and no one's around, does it produce timbre?

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 8 Nov 2006 11:25 am

Marc,

No, because if you cut less than an acre you don't need a permit and there are no 1099's for logs.[This message was edited by Chris Lucker on 08 November 2006 at 11:26 AM.]

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 8 Nov 2006 11:26 am

Only if he's been "woodshedding" his "chops".

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 8 Nov 2006 1:57 pm

A picture is worth a thousand words. WORDS, not SOUNDS ....

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 8 Nov 2006 2:45 pm

Some players get hung up interpreting tablature, if there is no audio to associate with the notations. Even though the tab is written correctly, having the audio makes all the difference in getting the proper musical expressions. This reinforces the belief that diagrams, pictures, illustrations, and notations, represent another's concepts, only, of how a musical piece should be played. I once read that the classical symphonies are not always interpreted as once written. This lends credence to the importance of audio, as a means of
translating correctly, a written musical arrangement. Pictures are not worth a thousand words, when audio is the most desirable means of capturing original musical expressions. [This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 08 November 2006 at 02:53 PM.]

Wade Branch · Post by **Wade Branch** » 8 Nov 2006 2:56 pm

Are we running out of things to talk about here on the forum ? We could always start another thread on "tuning" or "Robert Randolph"

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 8 Nov 2006 6:49 pm

I puttered around with my 500-K-OHM TYPE J volume pot today. What a mess under the covering cap! At first I thought the distracting noises in my amp were cord related. Not so, the tiny carbon chips building up over time may very well have been the problem. There was a black residue that made a mess of my fingertips, until scrubbing removed the stubborn stains. It was not a "pretty picture." I poured liquid detergent into the narrow aperture, and then rinsed with hot water. After completely drying the tiny rail, the pot was returned back into the pedal. It sounds good so far, but tomorrow will tell the story, when I'll be giving it a test run. My point is that acoustics and audio are quite necessary when determinations are made to resolve nuisances, that hinder by obstructing musical enjoyment.

Marc Mercer · Post by **Marc Mercer** » 8 Nov 2006 8:37 pm

Mr. Hankey, I'm not sure what long-lasting effects detergent and water will have on your pot, but since you mention "nuisances, that hinder...musical enjoyment," I might consider a good quality replacement carbon composition potentiometer (Bourns and Allen-Bradley come to mind) rather than disassembling, cleaning, reassembling and reinstalling a noisy one. Caig Laboratories make some excellent treatments for electrical/electronic applications (pots, switches, contacts) which both extend the unit's life while keeping it operating quietly, thereby allowing you more time to play music instead of fiddling with gadetry.
I keep a can of Deoxit D5 handy on my bench, and I use it sparingly as needed on my electric guitars and amps. A tiny spray is good for years in most cases. Pricy, though.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 8 Nov 2006 9:19 pm

My pot got wet once too. shoulda waited till I got indoors...

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 8 Nov 2006 9:54 pm

Nowwwwwwww Jim.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 8 Nov 2006 10:30 pm

Mark M.,

Thanks for the information. I'll take note of your preferences. Detergents are widely used, and I'm relying on the experimental aspects of applying the cleaner to the volume pot. I didn't mention or state that I've used the old pedal since 1979. It was given to me at no cost by a bandleader who didn't care for Gibson's Boomerang featured effects. I simply removed the effects and installed a volume pot that is more suitable for my country boy needs. Those older AB 500-K-TYPE J pots may produce smoother responses than the newer products. I was playing the CD of Ray Price's Biggest Hits, when I noticed that the "steel break" of "The Other Woman" is barely discernible. My CD has the sterio feature, and it produces excellent deliveries of recorded material. I had purchased Buddy Emmons'teaching record containing "the Other Woman In My Life", back in 1982. Buddy's release of "Ray Price Hits", complete with tab, is the shortest route to much of his steel guitar technique. I consider the recording to be one of the most essential avenues to country music. There are no pictures "Worth A Thousand Words" in the release, but rather, an explicit audio directive of Buddy's exemplary voice, and note for note tablature. It's interesting to listen for the "ride" that other steel guitarists have worked out, while backing a singer of "The Other Woman." I won't go there, but I will say that it shortens the determination of who's country, and who isn't.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 09 November 2006 at 03:33 AM.]

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 9 Nov 2006 5:26 am

I play by ear, so I think I understand what you're saying.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 9 Nov 2006 8:21 am

On the other hand
Turn off the 'sound',
and you appreciate this picture
MUCH more...
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[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 09 November 2006 at 08:22 AM.]

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 9 Nov 2006 8:35 am

So is this another way to "sound off" about "thin tone"?

I prefer just a little more bottom end myself.