wipe down equipment after use

for table-top guitar, video, pedals, & objects

by Dan Tramte
written for Nico Couck
 video projector

degradative-
interference audio-interface
_A.mp4

)) )
CPU

mixer

) ))
) ))
mobile device
degradative-interference_B.mp4 plastic jar lid w/
on loop ridges along edge

)) ) dryer sheet

)))
speaker speaker
left channel right channel

electric guitar

amp.
pick

slide

(pedals under table) volume pitch-shift pedal

pedal (DigiTech Whammy recommended)

setup
stool

projector screen (or any white surface)

 = dampen string; it may also indicate that something should stop making sound
Performance Notes (e.g., removing the mobile device away from the guitar pickups)

Preparations

—scordatura (stacked augmented triad) = with the ridges of a plastic lid of a glass jar, slowly crank/turn such that
the ridges repeatedly strike the string, creating a tremolo effect.
the purpose of the compressed and evenly-spaced tuning is to
emphasize the canceling-out effect that occurs when one slowly
strums down the strings (vi-v-iv-iii-ii-i) while simultaneously
executing an descending glissando with the slide. The result is a = using same plastic lid as above, strike all strings; in some cases the
series of glissandi emanating from a single pitch. performer is requested to drop and let bounce.

—load the video fle, degradative-interference_B onto mobile device and use an app
that allows infnite looping to playback the media.
= fip pickup switch up = fip pickup switch down = pluck with
—use light overdrive/clip distortion towards neck (rhythm) towards bridge (treble) thumbnail

—set pickup switch to BRIDGE (treble)

—set pitch shifter to 'octave up' so that when pedal is fully depressed, the
pitch transposes up an octave
Notations
= right hand should reach/crossover left hand
= dryer sheet friction attack; lightly rub strings with dryer sheet
Playing style / tablature interpretation:
The playing style of this work resembles that of a lap-steel guitar. By default, the
right hand is responsible for a majority of the articulations (with a guitar pick)
and the left hand manipulates the pitch with a slide. While these roles occasionally
swap, and while the performer uses different objects at times, the following
tablature notation is likely the best ft (with the least amount of exceptions to the
rules) for performing this piece when accounting for the desired type of musical
material.

Articulations made by the right hand are represented by downward stem-directions.

= scrape strings v & vi w/ guitar pick simultaneously The thick line accompanying these articulations represents the slide movements over
time. Since the slide and articulations are rarely decoupled, a vertical dashed line
is used to mark time for changes in slide direction.
= dampen lightly with hand (not necessarily always opposite hand)
EXCEPTION TO THE ABOVE RULE:
= standard pluck w/ guitar pick; the vertical position of the note head
When articulations or friction attacks are called for in the left hand and there is
designates the point of the string that should be plucked; the roman
no material in the right hand acting as a suitable time-marker for these
numeral below the note designates which string is to be plucked.
articulations/friction attacks, the left hand will be represented by a long upward
stem-direction that spans towards the top line of the table-top guitar tablature
= fairly rapid 3-note strum; the numeral below the note designates the staff.
starting-point string (i.e., the frst of the three strings to be plucked);
this roman numeral is also accompanied with a 'bowing' symbol (e.g., up Tempo & Meter
bow / down bow) which designates the direction of a strum.
Often, a tempo is represented by two or more BPM of the same rate, separated by a
semicolon. These are meant to provide the performer with additional information,
= same concept above, = extremely rapid strum that only
ensuring navigation through the abruptly changing meters/tempi.
but using all six strings ever takes place when the strings
are dampened
X/X = sans meter. There are numerous instances in which the sounds in the
electronics are too static, quiet, or dense to follow along in real time. In these
= unplug TS terminal = touch string with = plug TS terminal situations, the meter is marked with X/X to indicate ‘sans meter’; however, the
from guitar TS terminal into guitar performer should proceed reading rhythms as indicated. At the end of each of these
sections, when needed, there is a short loop-based VAMP to allow the performer to
wait until the next cue.