Dead link

The same claims were being made 100 years ago...pretty snazzy though.

Website here:

http://www.rosendahl.com/Default.aspx?ID=506&ProductID=45040&VariantID=

If I had money to burn...

Cool Gerry! You sure can DIG!

Bowing

510, every time I look at that Rosendahl flyswatter I get a severe GAS attack!

I might have to take on another paper-round in order to save up for a pair...a daunting task for a man in his forties! [tap...tap...is this mic on??]

Gerry - Yeah I know somthing about G.A.S.. But be careful mentioning the "newspaper" thing, because these days many are going out of business, and it might not be long before some of the younger folks don't even know what they were. Mind BlowiLaughing H

Gerry - Here is an interesting article from March of 1922 in which W.M. Ludwig mentions the use of brushes. This guy was hip! I just noticed, did the writer get the middle initial wrong?

MARCH 4, 1922 THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW - source arcade-museum

Syncopated Melody Orchestra Is a True Development Along Musical Lines

[SIZE="1"]William M. Ludwig, president of Ludwig & Ludwig,

makers of the famous Ludwig drums, believes that jazz

has not been given a square deal. He thinks that the

better class of American popular music has been unduly

assailed in public print and maintains that there is a

niche in this life of ours for rightly executed popular

numbers. The following article is being sent out by Mr.

Ludwig in pamphlet form to all of his dealer and professional

trade throughout the country and is by Eric

Del.smarter, the well-known Chicago critic][/SIZE]

Nearly every magazine nowadays contains an

article by some would-be critic about the damage

that jazz music has done or is doing.

Jazz music, as the critics see it, is gone for

good. It was simply a stepping stone from the

ragtime orchestra to the now popular and more

artistic syncopated melody orchestra and has

done much for the music profession. Criticism of

the jazz band merely hastened this transformation

which was bound to come eventually.

The once-popular ragtime orchestra, the predecessor

of the jazz, was simply an exaggerated

form of syncopation. The popular demand for

melody and more conservative playing soon asserted

itself and resulted in the creation of the

syncopated melody orchestra, with the introduction

of new orchestral instruments, such as the

banjo and saxophone. These instruments are

now developed to a high standard.

With the development of this new orchestra

the field of operations was greatly broadened. It

is no longer confined to the dance hall or cafe.

It is used also as a concert orchestra, featured

by the leading theatres and phonograph record

producers with admirable results, and justly so,

because this new form of syncopated melody is

rendered in a most admirable and artistic manner

by the best talent in the musical profession.

While these players are sometimes disparagingly

termed "fakers," they really are improvisers, and

most clever ones. They have exceptionally good

musical ears and, with a knowledge back of training,

soon make names for themselves and create

a demand for their services. Ex-members of

grand opera and symphony orchestras find this

new field most profitable and interesting.

Step into some cafe or garden where one of

these really clever orchestras is playing. You

will hear no discord, din or disagreeable sounds.

Just a combination of clever performers playing

both popular and classical compositions. But

listen—the arrangement is different. Forms and

effects are introduced which suggest the atmosphere

of some far-away country. Again, you will

hear some Russian classic performed faultlessly.

but woven through the harmonic construction

will be forms and figures which are purely

American. Rhythm is changed with wonderful

and peculiarly pleasing effect, perfect and harmonious,

and played in masterly musical style.

This new melody orchestra has merely introduced

different arrangements to these members, and

this not only requires each individual to be a

first-class performer upon his instrument, but

one or more of its members must have some

knowledge of harmony and music construction.

They must know that countless numbers of

melodies and figures can be built around one

succession of chords. The greater the number

of individuals in the orchestra having this knowledge

the more variety of individual ideas and

inspiration will it have and the greater its success.

These clever performers, through their

knowledge of harmony and ear training, have

broadened their musical talent to the extent that

they can work out several different arrangements

to one melody.

The new syncopated melody orchestra is a true

development in many ways. No two orchestras

are exactly alike. This, and the individual ability

to improvise and create new ideas, give individuality

to the orchestras. As the name implies,

syncopated melody is pleasingly melodious

and rhythmical. This rhythm, which is so essential

to the syncopated melody, depends upon the

harmony instruments, and especially the drums.

The drummer's part is very important and full

of opportunities for novel effects in the new

form that fits in with the melody combinations

that are used in his work. His instruments must

have tone. The snare drum, muffled, should be

tuned if possible. The bass drum must not have a

mere tut or bump, as was the case in the ordinary

jazz orchestra, but should have tone. Bass

drums and cymbals played together, or singly,

alternate in rapid succession. Wire brush

effects on snare drum and cymbals are important

and also occur in rapid succession and with individual

rhythm. This affords unusual opportunities

for the drummer to introduce novel effects

of his own creation.

Tympani are commonly used, especially for

Oriental compositions, to bring out the color

and true effect of the classical numbers that are

being transformed and rearranged for this new

orchestra. Operatic selections are used, and in

this transformation into suitable music for the

syncopated melody it is necessary to connect the

melody in a way that necessitates more frequent

changes of pitch than in the original composition.

For this reason the machine tympani or

pedal-tuning tympani now so popular in the

grand opera and symphony orchestras are very

desirable and necessary for this work. They

are already in use in these new melody orchestras,

and in many cases the tympanist, through

a knowledge of harmony, arranges his own part

where none exists.

Our modern arrangers arc making their arrangements

to meet the requirements of this new

orchestra and all agree that these arrangements

require a broader, more resourceful knowledge

of music. How then can this new orchestra,

which requires more musical knowledge and better

musicianship, be called a passing fad?

There always will be a class who believe that

all music inspiration passed on with the old masters.

However, this new treatment of popular

and classical numbers is so humanly pleasing

that it appeals to the masses of music lovers

who judge music only by the happiness and contentment

it creates. The opportunities for originality

in these new syncopated melody orchestras

are unlimited and this tendency to develop more

thorough musicianship will, no doubt, assure

their permanency.

Cool1

WOW!!!!Yes SirCool1Clapping Happy2BowingBowing

vintagemore2000 - Seeing this, I felt the same way you did "WOW"!

Interesting, it's almost identical to his article that I linked to earlier (clearly one was a rewrite of the other):

Link

The 1922 date ties in with the one MastroSnare gave in post 2. I found a mention in a 1970s student thesis on early drumming implying that Ludwig were advertising prototypes earlier than this, but nothing to substantiate the claim (couldn't access the references).

I've just finished writing an article about the origin of brushes which I hope to post in the next couple of weeks. I just need to get an image scanned by my brother (he's on holiday for a week) and also get a friend to look it over (she has extensive proofreading and editing experience).

The writer of the article I posted did mention in the fine print that Ludwig was sending this article out in “pamphlet form” so you are probably right about that. Ludwig mentioned some interesting things in that article. He seemed very tuned in to me.

I’m glad you’ve rounded the final turn on your brushes article. I look forward to reading it. I appreciate what you are doing!!!

Cool1

Probably only minority interest, but I felt it had to be done. I got curious about the origins of brushes one day, but, strangely, few seem to have bothered to do the research in any depth. The info is there, though.

Anyway, thanks for your interest and input over the last few months. You forced me to follow up on leads that I would otherwise have ignored and, in the process, I found out a lot of info. I hope the article won't disappoint.