If you had asked me a few years ago if I’d be excited about buying a glockenspiel, I don’t think I would have had any kind of strong opinion. But I’ve been on the lookout for instruments like this now for a few months. A number of recent songs we’ve pitched have included a glockenspiel sound, but obviously from a sample, not a live instrument. And, to be honest, those samples are really good, but after buying the real thing, I learned one thing that the samples can’t do. More on that below.
We write a lot of music that includes percussion and percussive sounds. So I’m on the lookout for things like xylophones and vibraphones and sleigh bells and cajons and on and on. Glockenspiel was definitely on the list. Last week, I got an email from the Manchester Music Mill with a list of new inventory attached, including a used section. And in that used section was the glockenspiel! It was probably a third of the price of a new instrument but included two pairs of mallets (soft and hard) and a stand. With an additional discount for labor day, I was able to walk out of the store with the glockenspiel and a few other things I needed for under $100. Sweeet, although…
It was not easy for me to get to the store. We live out in the wilds of western Massachusetts, so driving to Manchester is like several hours of country roads going through a corner of Vermont and then up across southern New Hampshire. It’s a gorgeous drive with a big payoff, because this store is a true gem. It’s one of the last stores in New England with a thriving business, great inventory, and lots of interesting and high-end pieces. I have no relationship with them other than being a happy customer, so bear that in mind when I tell you that if you like instrument shopping, they have an amazing mailing list and you should join it.
This ironic thing about getting an instrument like this is that neither of us here at Catamount Music are actually proficient at playing it. We are both going to have to practice. I mean, if we just need a tone here or there or a short melody, we can bang that out, no problem. But anything more than that will quickly illustrate our lack of finesse. That’s one part of this work that I really enjoy. If we need a certain sound, we have to make it happen. A lot of times that means practicing the making of the sound before we record, because recording something reveals mediocrity rather instantly.
Oh, and in case you are wondering what I learned that this glockenspiel can do better than a sample? It’s sustain. The sustain is ridiculous. If you hit the C in that photo with a hard mallet, the thing will ring for days. Way longer than you typically need it to. As a device, I can’t wait to try that: strike one of those lower tones and let it ring for like an entire chorus. More practically, I will probably have to create some decay-enhancing devices. Perhaps felt strips that can sit lightly on the bars so that they will decay in a more reasonable time frame. That is one place where the samples have the advantage. You can set their velocity and characteristics digitally to suit your needs. Real instruments are not so well behaved for recording, but that’s a story for another time.