#the principles apply regardless tho

[tc-doherty]

Sword Fighting for Writers (New and Improved!)

This is not about modern fencing, this is about historical battlefield sword fighting. My credentials are that I studied Bolognese fencing (a northern Italian style from the 1500s) for several years and was preparing to take my black belt ~equivalent~ exam the year that I was injured and had to quit. Naturally, I started taking those lessons to learn more about sword fighting because I write about battlefield fighting a lot. This is information that I learned that should be helpful for other authors who haven't taken classes like that. (It's very long)

The very first point is one that I have spoken about multiple times and mentioned above. Historical fighting is not fencing as we know it today. Modern fencing is a sport. Historical fencing existed as a way to kill your opponents. These moves have the potential to kill someone, they are dangerous literally by design. This is a foreign attitude to us today but it's very obvious once you have completed a set of moves with a sword and think "oh yes, that would kill someone absolutely".

The point is, if your characters are sparring please, please make sure that they are in protective gear. These moves are still dangerous with blunt steel, they are still dangerous with wooden swords. I got bruises like you wouldn't believe moving at one quarter speed without gear on. Even with gear I've heard about all kinds of gnarly accidents including the time my classmate went to a competition got an entire blunt sword shoved through his hand. A sparring match should never be full speed without gear, and even with gear it probably still shouldn't be.

Sparring matches tend to go to a certain number of points rather than one continuous duel. They're quick - the longest match I ever saw was maybe 3-4 minutes and the quickest was over in 45 seconds. Once a point was scored they would reset to the beginning and go again.

Now that that's out of the way, let's go!

The anatomy of a blade!

Typically a European sword is sharpened at the top and blunt at the bottom. In Bolognese these are referred to as the "weak" and the "strong". You want to make sure that whatever attack or defense you're doing, you're at the right distance to use the correct part of the sword. If you try to block an attack with the weak, your sword will get smacked out of the way. If you try to land an attack with the strong you won't have the momentum to land it meaningfully (plus it'll take you dangerously close to your opponent).

Swords are not particularly heavy. I have two one-handed swords and one two-handed sword and they are all between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. But you can definitely tell a difference based on how well a sword is balanced. My steel sword is almost a pound heavier than my synthetic sword, but the steel is much easier to use because it's better balanced. Of course it weighs on you over time but if weapons are too heavy to carry and use effectively for several hours, then they're more danger than they're worth.

Sword fighting isn't just sword fighting!

We love swords because swords are cool and the rule of cool is important, but historically a single-handed sword wasn't the weapon of choice for the battlefield. They would be your backup weapon in battle and the weapon you carried while traveling. The point is that these are schools of fighting. Any character who studied under a master would not just know one-handed sword. They would know two-handed sword, polearms, dagger fighting, cane fighting, grappling…they would know all kinds of different things because the school is built off the same principles and they apply to any weapon you happen to pick up. Excluding archery. I have no experience with that so I can't speak on it. I will be referring specifically to sword fighting, however this post applies to everything that would be contained within a single school.

Example illustrations from Bolognese treatises with different weapons:

All sword fighting is not created equal!

Bolognese sword fighting has a lots of quirks that are not present in other styles, such as the idea that our sword is in front of us 99% of the time. Yes, really! Surprisingly that's not actually universal. Bolognese fencing can start with either leg leading whereas a lot of styles have you use only your dominant leg and arm. It's also unique in the fact that every single stance is a usable defensive guard, and every attack you make is a logical conclusion of moving from one guard to another.

The overall motto of Bolognese sword fighting is that it's better to lose than to win without elegance:

Bolognese was not only functional, it had to be beautiful as well. The national style can be used to inform the personality of your character's sword fighting and it's always a good way to create tension/danger if you have characters who have studied different styles come up against each other. There was a joke among the Bolognese students about going up against German fencers because they had a nasty habit of running onto our swords and breaking their ribs, because they simply didn't expect the sword to be in front. Muscle memory is your friend, but it can also get you pretty good if you rely on it entirely.

Another unique feature of Bolognese fencing is that they don't encourage you to move first. It's very much about trying to trick your opponents into making a mistake. It's heavily based on feinting and baiting and all kinds of tricks because sword fighting is primarily reliant on muscle memory. Some styles would consider this cowardly, but Bolognese takes the opinion that it's foolish to move first and give your opponent so many options:

I just want to give people the perspective of how different styles can be and how you can really put a lot of thought into what kind of country or area your characters come from and what their sword fighting might be like as a result.

Okay, so how does sword fighting actually work?

It's all about control. You try to control the distance between you and your opponent and you try to control what moves your opponent can make. This is basically too obvious for people to really think about if you haven't done it.

Every weapon has a range that it works best in and in order to fight effectively you need to make sure that you are making the best possible use of that range. If you get too far away you won't be able to attack, but you can bait your opponent because you have just that little bit of extra distance to move if they fall for it. If you get too close you get within grappling range, and that's a whole other kettle of fish. I never ended up making a post about grappling and I personally hated doing it, but it is something that I'm willing to talk about if people are interested.

As for controlling the movements, that's what the guards are for. If you stand in a specific posture, you can drastically limit how many moves your opponent is able to make, which makes it much easier for you to retaliate. It's not one to one of course! Any guard that you stand in might have 2 or 3 options that your opponent can use, and each of those options might have 3 or 4 responses that you can make. But it's much better than the nine (at least) options that your opponent can make to begin with if you aren't standing in a way that makes some of them impossible:

Cuts in Bolognese:

Specific sword movements!

Cut, a slashing attack which is generally delivered to the head and limbs. You can do a cut to the torso but given how thick clothing was at the time (not even counting on armor or shields) you generally wouldn't be able to do enough damage to make it worth it. On a related note, dagger work in the past was not a cutting style the way that knife fighting is today, they were mostly used for stabbing because the clothing was just too thick to do anything else.

Thrust, a stabbing attack which is generally delivered to the torso.

Bait/invitation, to stand in such a way that encourages your opponent to attack you in a specific manner. Pulling this off successfully is harder than it sounds, if it's too subtle they might not notice and if it's too obvious they'll probably realize it's a trap. You have to make your invitation seem like an accident, a weakness they can exploit, in order to lure them into doing what you want them to do.

Feint, pretend to do one action in order to take advantage of your opponent's response. When you feint an attack you won't commit fully. You might start from half a step further back than what would usually be useful or not attack as deeply or both. You need the attack to be shallow so that you can regain control quickly and do the attack that you actually intend to do. This can often be in response to a bait, if you recognize it. You trick the opponent into thinking that they're tricking you, and take advantage of that!

Stringere, (this one might be specific to Bolognese idk but it's fun) could also be called something like a press or a constraint. Basically you slide your sword slowly down the length of your opponent's sword and apply pressure to it, this can force a hesitating opponent to move. And if they don't move, you can just stab them super quickly. It's fun to do, and scary to be on the other side of.

Beat, hitting an opponent's sword with such force that it completely throws it out of the way leaving an opening for you to exploit. For this you would want to hit the weak of your opponent's sword, and it will generally push the sword off to their dominant side or down. Pushing an opponent's sword right in front of their chest obviously isn't going to make things easier for you. If you beat upwards, it's fairly easy to gain the momentum to turn that around into a descending attack.

And that's basically everything that you would do with a sword. A duel between two people would be give-and-take, as some moves bring you closer together and some moves take you farther away and cause your opponent to chase you. Some things like a bait or a stringere (or a beat, occasionally) would be used at the beginning of a duel, when you have room to do them safely. But they could also be done in the middle if your characters end up breaking off somehow and backing up. It's also not uncommon for a duel to end up in grappling if the moves just bring them too close and that becomes a more viable strategy.

Swords compared to movies!

I was not particularly surprised to learn that yes, you absolutely do feel a strong hit and it can make your hand or arm go numb, that made sense. However, I was surprised to learn how much of sword fighting really is just sword on sword because I had often heard people talking about how that is flashy for the movies but not actually accurate. But it is accurate! Sometimes you would have a shield, dagger, or cloak in your other hand (anything in your other hand is generally used for blocking, not really dual wielding as such) but a lot of time it is just two people with swords whaling on each other and your sword is both your weapon and your shield.

Naming sword moves!

I don't really know that you need to do this but if you are writing a fantasy story and you want to make the sword style seem more established you can.

In the case of Bolognese most of the names are extremely literal (head guard, face guard, the attack 'fendente' just means 'to the teeth') but a few of the guard names are more poetic.

Like the guard of the unicorn, where your sword is pointed down from above like a unicorn rampant. There's the iron door guard which is "harder to get through than an iron door", and its cousin the iron door wild boar guard which is similar but allows you to attack from the side like a boar with its tusks. Literal or poetic, you can do whatever you want so go nuts!

[mushtoons]

As someone who has engaged in syscourse, you are absolutely right to want to avoid it. It is horrible and toxic and, ultimately, unnecessary. I no longer have a syscourse stance, as I just apply my moral principles of being a kind and respectful person to everyone regardless of toxic internet discourse.

Feel free to ignore by the way, as you said you are uncomfortable getting into syscourse topics. The ask you just got bothered me a bit, so I decided to send a more positive one in.

THIS!! THIS EXACTLY!!

no because ur so right tho! just be nice to people it literally isnt hard 😭

and we really appreciate the positivity 🥺 /genuine

[owlmylove]

Just had the very distressing thought that if I ever want to have a girlfriend I'm gonna have to TALK to a girl?!?!??!?!?!?

I'd have to talk to a girl that I LIKE and HAVE A CRUSH ON?!?!? Impossible! Please help a distressed lesbian if you have any advice

okay so: in my personal experience 90% of all lesbian flirting is eyeing up fellow women to discreetly try to determine if they, too, are wlw. then you compliment each others button downs and never speak to each other again

BUT if you would like to painstakingly attempt to challenge the starfish fallacy then read on for my comprehensive guide on flirting w/ women! (credentials: i have accidentally flirted with So Many Women oh my god)

first up: start with the art of compliments! if you're too shy to tell a girl they're gorg out of nowhere, then focus on their clothing, their haircuts, their cool shoes, the patches on their denim jackets, etc. opening a convo with a compliment is one of the easiest shortcuts, as it neatly prevents you from having to come up w/ a witty rejoinder right off the bat (save those for later)

physical proximity makes it easy to do this to someone standing or sitting next to you. if, however, they're on the other side of the room/otherwise engaged, it gets trickier. if ur confident enough to walk up to a girl in a coffeeshop + compliment her, GO FOR IT. but if you're too anxious to just coldcall her, approach with a question.

you can warp the compliment to fit the question, i.e. "Hey! Sorry to interrupt [your reading], but your book looks super interesting/I've seen it around & am debating whether to buy it. Would you recommend it?" or, re: outfits/haircuts "Hey! Your ____ is super cute, can I ask where you got it [done]?" if they're a classmate/coworker, you can make it even less direct: "Hey! Do you know when we're scheduled to do ____?" (<- this one comes w/ the perk of, pending her response, immediately asking for her # to swap shifts or trade notes, which can quickly allow for inviting her to a study group/after work drinks with coworkers. speedrun!!)

once Conversation is Initiated, maintain eye contact, listen attentively to their replies, and keep smiling/smizing. if they're reticent, follow up with more questions unless you're getting fuck off vibes ("I'm trying to get more into reading lately, would you have any other reccs?" or, "I haven't found a hairstylist yet since I moved here from _____, are there any other local spots you'd recommend?")

BUT if they're returning eye contact, smiling, and keeping open body language towards you, make it a full-on convo! offer some personal details in return, don't be afraid to make (non-risky!!!!) jokes, and (if you can control when & where you're moving, i.e. not during a job or class) have a built-in exit.

even if convos are going good, it's polite (+ leaves them wanting more via scarcity principle, etc. etc.) to end a brief first-time convo after a few minutes, ideally before the energy winds down & you're left feeling awkward. "it's been so lovely meeting you! [insert name here], right? I've got to get going, but thanks for the ___!" if you wanna play the long game/are in a coffeeshop/aren't confident enough yet (no shame!) ask if she comes here regularly and say you hope to see her around sometime soon.

if you've managed to get a good enough energy going: ask if she has an insta/social media you could get for _____ purpose, i.e. letting her know if you like the book/music/media she recc'd or asking for more local spots. IF, however, you don't wanna put yourself at the whim of her generosity: give yourself a cheat code during the initial conversation.

namely; reference something you'd recommend, think she'd find funny, or can't believe she hasn't seen yet, etc. etc. then, at the end of the convo, you can naturally offer "Oh! Lemme send you that X I mentioned--do you have an insta/social?" et voila. asking for social is always less awk/direct than asking for phone numbers, AND it lets the flirtee decide whether she wants to offer that level of trust just yet

if you're not coldcall flirting a girl in public, but rather have an object of your affections at work or school: this formula works p. much the same, but on a slower scale (if you don't use my speedrun ofc) start building a rapport via compliments/questions, progress to chatting briefly whenever you see each other, and third step: say "I saw something yesterday that totally reminded me of you/I just have to send to you!! Here-do I have your insta yet?"

once you have someone's insta: continue chatting when you see them irl/replying to their stories over social, and see if you can pay close enough attention to what she likes to do. judging by the number of accidental lesbian dates i've been on, it's probably

art museum

botanical gardens, or

burlesque shows

however, hikes, used bookstores, underground shows, and grocery shopping together for a subsequent picnic also feature prominently. invite her to do whatever activity you think you'd both enjoy most (over social or irl, whichever you're comfortable with [tho irl gives you a better judge of facial expressions/body language]) and boom. if she says yes, shoot back "it's a date!" after setting the day/time, bc if she's anywhere near as clueless as i am (i'm so sorry wlw) they may honestly think you're still just friends.

if, over the course of your irl convos or DMs, you have the chance to casually mention your sexuality (patches, pride is coming up, mention "my teenage crush/my ex-girlfriend") and ask for hers, go for it. if you can be direct: ask directly. it will save you time, trouble, and mild heartbreak. but if you suffer from the conflict avoidance that plagues lo so many of us: just lean into the subtext.

offer your celebrity crushes and ask what hers are. mention an ex (BRIEFLY, in connection to another topic entirely [she recc'd this cool band to me!] and always in a positive context). wear birkenstocks or docs and say Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the best film of all time, say you listen to girl in red or w/e those charming youths do. just lay the foundation in barely-subtext and keep an eye on her responses, while accepting the risk of wooing what may or may not be a fellow wlw

once you are, in point of fact, ON the date: standard rules and rates apply. relax! be urself!! enjoy spending time with a cool person, regardless of what may or may not come of it!!!! if she seems into it lean into physical proximity, do the whole Tarzan hand-comparison wlw are addicted to, offer to feed her bites of food or swap sips of each other's drinks, and casually set intentions for future plans ("I've never heard of X cafe--we'll have to do that next time!" or, the infamous buy-her-smth-secretly and then offer "You can get mine next time c:")

again, the most important thing is to be sincere. it's good not to place too many expectations on the other person, but don't force yourself to be overly "chill" if you are not, in point of fact, a chill person. dating is always a process of getting to know one another, and it's important to be polite but pls don't feel like you have to follow a script or be someone you're not. just be you babe: you're already plenty lovable. godspeed + good luck!!<33

[autobotmedic]

{ okay now that I am awake, notes based on tf calm story:

cybertronians haven’t always called themselves ‘transformers’ they’ve come to be called that by other species due to their transformation abilities, and it’s certainly better than being called robots which is commonly associated with non-sentient robotics

cyber.tron had parks, theatres for arts, and other areas Very Similar to earth in context even tho they looked different were more advanced etc, so I can only assume this confirms artists, sculptors, and such for art galleries outside of painting and customization were a thing, also pls consider holograms being used for cool theater effects

op talking about tfs and animals camouflaging is really interesting like, it’s nice to imagine tfs taking on Different vehicular shapes for Other places in the universe just like they do here in their travels, for example on one planet maybe they looked more like tr.on vehicles, how wild is that to think about

also op says ‘we found’ many lifeforms animals birds insects etc camouflage, plural reference not ‘he found,’ so I am just going to claim this supports ratch has also done certain animal research and later answered a young nephew’s questions about earth which is partially how medix ended up being an organic animal lover

because bots are forged with a certain size and weight and mass, their mass Does stay the same, sb can’t transform too big or too little when scanning an alt mode, so apparently the mass displacement principle isn’t considered a thing, they can just be pretty compact

this does beg the question: would tfs in disguise actually be Heavier than the original earth version of whatever their disguise alt is? 

op talking about a semi being parked in a subdivision being odd instead of acceptable like a smaller vehicle makes me cry because Honestly, but the same also applies to an emergency vehicle, ratch unfortunately cannot just park anywhere either without it being odd/concerning

“Ratchet is our medical officer, also our emergency search and rescue specialist. He’s equipped with medical sensors, and also cutting and wielding tools. In his robot mode, he stands just over 20 feet tall.” the fact that op specifies ratch’s height when he doesn’t for any other bot he talks about after this is like, do you consider this important information because you know it well? is he an excellent Hugging Size? Hm? (I’m not changing my hc height I just wanted to note this regardless hfsjkhd)

“Ratchet races to those in need of medical treatment, and uses his tools to make emergency repairs. He has saved many lives, including mine.” no actual note for this part I just cry, also op doesn’t call him gruff at all, iron.hide gets that description HFKJSHD

when they rest and charge their energy cells, it is for several hours, but there didn’t seem to be any indication that they need to recharge daily (at least, by earth standards of a day)

the autobots have been to a drive in movie confirmed, even if they didn’t see all of it, it has happened at least once and i love that

[faerielleart]

i definitely get the dislike because some aspects of the story are questionable like our morals are of course totally different to what it was to live in the 15th century. but i still like it so much regardless 😭 i always assume romeo definitely is closer to juliets age i believe that she is 13-16? i take it with a grain of salt because in the og she is around 16 while shakespeare makes her of barely 13-14? and romeo is also said to be very young. i think it’s a way to contrast two children to the rest of the characters who are grown ass adults. but romeo is def in her age range (which is 15-18)? paris is an adult (like mid to late 20s) and her family just. threatens to disown her unless she marries him so i definitely get why she did what she did. idk. and young people are dumb asf 😭 i am still fucking dumb even as a young adult but that’s just expected of me ig. even when people become of age i look at them and they’re just children? if i look at an eighteen year old to someone in their 20s it’s so different it ends up making me sad. also the death of mercutio pushing romeo to kill tybalt, i can’t condemn romeo for it bc it was done in his grief 😔 and tybalt should be around their age too if not a little older and you can’t hate him because they were all raised in a shitty environment. i can only hate all of the adults around them for existing ☠️lmfao but. sorry i brought it up 😭 i didn’t know you hated it! i was just very upset because i found people who would just minimize what they were all going through and saying things like they weren’t really in love or that they were so stupid to fall in love in three days and comparing it to stories written today and using presentism to look at the past (which i am also guilty of too often tbh). but also it’s just literature? we may all be bitter enough to believe love at first sight is fake but this is fictional and we’re just the third party looking at it how unlucky they are. but gosh i hate fiction too for not giving them a happy ending too. yes i’m also thinking of levi and hange ✋😭 what’s wrong with me!!! also remembering the 104th are barely adults hnng. except maybe eren who knows the future and everything. he’s like middle aged in my eyes ☠️ he acts old too. but he’s so stupid i can’t sympathize w him

actually my issues with the story totally stem from personal shit that happened with a person who some years ago happened to be obsessed with it and now my traumatized ass can’t separate the two things anymore 💀💀💀 i appreciate it a lot from the literary point of view tho #justenglishliteraturestudentthings🌈

ive always been drawn more to mercutio’s dramatic ass bc dude’s a different kind of dramatic bitch compared to romeo but i gotta be honest,,,, my personal beef with romeo most likely comes from my dislike for straight people AYYYY 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

but yeah if there’s one thing i’m not too big on is when people try to apply today’s principles to the past. like there’s no room for critical thinking and an actual discussion when that happens and it’s just either people lacking the common sense to make this very simple thought process aka “modern society is the result of millions of years of evolution and what is normal today wasn’t normal yesterday and viceversa” or just people wanting to sound smart and “morally superior” or whatever for upholding today’s standards to yesterday’s even if without yesterday’s “normal” having happened we literally wouldn’t have today’s “normal” but hey there’s no room for critical thinking here! only empty, baseless criticism is permitted on the internet and if you dare say you can’t compare the past and the present people will come for you bestie

we all do it, hell i do it too, but we should all be objective and rational when it comes to these matters skfjdjjsjd of course today our concept of what constitutes a good love story to read has VASTLY changed, but our present conception is the direct consequence of the existence of the past one? and acknowledging that doesn’t mean “justifying” a “bad” story? the two things can co-exist, we can look at romeo and juliet through our modern lens and claim that yes objectively these two are “dumb teenagers” by our modern standards of common sense, and we can also look at them and claim that they are a product of their time in which stories and characters like theirs were really ideally romantic AND we can look at them and recognize that many things happening in the story are kinda fucked up AND we can look at them and recognize that while being fucked up they are, again, a product of their time and, by yesterday’s common sense, “normal”. whoop there we go, would you look at all these things that can co-exist at the same time! but again people are really allergic to nuance LOL

like i am PRETTY sure if someone in my english course dared to unironically and seriously call romeo and juliet “dumb teenagers” in relation to our modern perception my teacher would (rightfully) whoop their ass for not keeping the context, the history and all that into account 😭😭

don’t tempt me with a romeo and juliet au levihan don’t tempt me don’t temp- oh no oh noo my hand is slipping i am opening the painting app oh nooo

i am laughing my ass off at the middle aged eren imagery bc yeah peak boomer who protests against masks and doesn’t believe covid exists 💀💀

[transtarks]

July 25?

july 25th is The Day of Quixotic Exploits! you’re a leo (cancer-leo cusp specifically) whose strengths are that ur imaginative, idealistic, and honorable. ur weaknesses are that ur judgemental, struggling, and unrealistic.

GENERAL: you have a romantic yearning to see far-off lands and accomplish imaginative deeds. unfortunately, ur dreams are difficult to realize. but regardless, u act on ur desires and u either achieve surprising success or a more predictable mixed result. even when u “fail” you may feel the experience of having tried to be validating in and of iteself. you agree that “it is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game” that is most important. you’re primarily interested in motives for actions, and rather than focusing on how successful a person is, are likely to judge how pure their intentions are. you apply these standards to yourself as well.

danger is attracted to u and when ur threatened w it, u rarely back down. it’s typical for u to boldly confront issues and u prefer to take criticism head on rather than deflect it. if u know in ur heart that ur right, u can stand up to almost any kind of abuse. u have a code of honor that u hold dear but u generally refrain from demanding that others adhere to the same principles. u would rather suffer than break ur word. this admirable trait can cause u lots of grief in an unforgiving world and put u at a disadvantage. u have to learn to forgive urself as much as u forgive others.

ur subject to mood swings but due to ur inner strength u generally keep a grip on urself. self control can be an obsession to u tho. 

HEALTH: get regular sleep and eat regularly too. mind-expanding drugs should be avoided. 

ADVICE: concentrate more on the present moment. try to be here rather than there. pay attention to what others around you are saying and doing. be more accepting of yourself. continue to reach for the stars but with your feet firmly planted on the ground. 

(was this accurate or inaccurate? lmk in a reply!)

[butchfriend]

1, 13, 25, 42, 69

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

i don’t even like coffee but mugs are by far superior. i love a good ceramic

13. lanyard or key ring?

*fun home voice* riNG OF KEYS carabiners 100% tho

25. first song you remember hearing?

first song ever? probably some hymn at church tbqh... my parents only ever listened to christian rock. idk remember a specific song, probably for the better!

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

jacket pockets! carhartt especially

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

the 80/20 rule or pareto principle (”roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes”). i first heard it in a ‘80% of the profits come from 20% of the customers’ context but it applies regardless of capitalist ideology!

[racingtoaredlight]

spencer096′s Precision Bass Project:  Strings

Tuesday I got an update on my bass’ body and neck, and the project suddenly feels like the finish line is in sight.  The hard part of the finishing process is over...eight ultra-thin coats of nitrocellulose colored paint for the base before two more coats of nitrocellulose colored gloss get applied on top.  Pictures at the end of the post.

I have a draft saved talking about strings and how to set up a guitar or bass, but it’s a fucking behemoth, much better served being broken up into parts.

Today I’m going to talk about strings.  Strings are coming first because the choice of strings dictates how the instrument is setup, even moreso than a musician’s preference.  And by talking about the physical construct of the strings, we’ll have a better understanding of how to compensate for that to make the best functioning instrument you can in tomorrow’s post.

***

“WHAT SOUND AM I GOING FOR?”

In the hierarchy of things that impact a guitar or bass’ tone, I put strings second behind pickups.  Take a Strat with roundwounds and put a set of flatwounds on there, and it’ll sound like a completely different instrument.  Even the most discerning ear would have trouble telling an alder-bodied Strat from one made out of ash.

Forgetting the difference between rounds and flats, and just comparing apples to apples of the same brand, there’s massive differences in sound.  Here’s a chart that string manufacturer GHS uses to give customers an idea of how all their different models of bass strings will very generally sound.

Lets just use this scale as an example...if you have a bass with two active humbucking pickups, an onboard preamp, going into a boost pedal then into a hi-fi amplifier setup to play music featuring a lot of slapping and popping (think Victor Wooten), then you’ll likely want a brighter roundwound string like the Super Steel.  If you play in an Iron Maiden cover band, you’ll likely use Brite Flats to get close to Steve Harris’ Rotosound flats.

This is just one company.  When you factor in the dozen or so string manufacturers, you’ll see how confusing all of this can be for someone just getting into playing.  Not all rounds are super bright and zingy, not all flats are dull and thuddy.

When I played guitar, the only strings I used were D’Addario.  I used 15′s on my jazz box and 11′s on my Strat, and changed them every single week, no excuses.  So when I started playing bass, naturally I went with D’Addario’s again.

Well guess what?  I fucking hate D’Addario bass strings.

This post’s sections are all going to talk about different aspects of strings and how they relate to a musician’s preference.  Every aspect of a string should be judged against that question “what sound am I going for?”

***

CORE, WRAP, MATERIAL

This is my least favorite thing about the string industry, because it’s just so fucking varied across each brand that the whole string selection process is like wading through a swamp.  Lets start with the material...

Guitar and bass strings are most often made out of a nickel alloy, stainless steel, or a combination of both.  Generally speaking, nickel is warmer and less bright than steel.  A nickel core with a stainless steel wrap will sound mellower than all stainless.

The strings are made by wrapping a metal ribbon around a core.  There are two common types of cores...hex and round.  Don’t let the red X fool you, this is not suggesting that round cores are superior because there’s no “dead air space.”  That’s nonsense.

Practically speaking, hex core strings are easier to manufacture more consistently.  They are more tensile than round cored strings, giving a somewhat taught, stiff feeling when playing them.  If you dig in with your right hand, that extra tension will be welcomed.  Round cores typically have less of that tension, but they’re also more likely to have defects during the manufacturing process.

Rounds on the left, flats on the right.  The difference during the manufacturing process is how the metal ribbon wrap is aligned with the core.  Rounds are wrapped on the edge, flats on their side.  Halfwounds (or groundwound, pressurewound, etc) are rounds that are then ground down almost like flats.

The flatter the surface of the wrap, the mellower your tone is going to be.  This is where “what sound am I going for?” comes into play.

I’ve frequently mentioned how that there are harmonic overtones produced whenever a note is played.  The note you’re fretting is called the “fundamental.”  Flats have a strong fundamental and very little overtones because the way they’re wrapped has less resonance than a roundwound.

Without getting even further into the weeds, lets just put it like this...

FLATS - very strong fundamental, little harmonics

ROUNDS - strong fundamental, many harmonics

If you don’t want those harmonics...like if they take over when you play a lot of fast stuff with a decent amount of gain and volume...you might want to switch to flats.  Same if you play with a pick and get a lot of noise.

Don’t think flats are some fuddy duddy old-man string because James Jamerson was all about them.  Flats are prominent in every single musical style that has a bass guitar...one of the best modern country session bassists Michael Rhodes uses flats and groundwounds, Steve Harris uses flats, Sid Vicious used flats, so does the guy from MxPx and frankly and I’m just tired of Googling so trust me on this.

***

TENSION AND THICKNESS

Tension is largely a result of the core used, but also how thick the gauge of string you’re using.  Each of these dozens of types of strings these dozens of manufacturers make are also offered in different gauges.  The “lighter” the gauge, the narrower the string.

Generally speaking, lighter gauged strings are easier to play, but there’s a point where you sacrifice tone and those high notes just have nothing behind them.  The other extreme is this...

This is the “Jamerson set” named for the famed Motown bassist.  Those numbers are the measurement of the string’s thickness in inches, and compare that to the set at the very top of the post.  The most common thing you hear when people review the Jamerson set is “it’s like playing a set of telephone wires.”

Again though, high tension is not a bad thing if that’s what you prefer based on your right hand technique (or if you play with a pick).  Some bassists want absolutely no “give” with their right hand, and love the high tension.

But tension isn’t measured by material, thickness of the string or what core, it’s measured by...get ready, /deep breath...applying the weight measured in pounds per square inch (W), scale length (L), frequency of that string (F) and the number 386.4 (for reasons I cannot figure out...but every single tension formula I’ve found uses it) to this forumla...

T (Tension) = (UW x (2 x L x F)²) / 386.4

Lets use an E string with .002 lbs. per square inch for example...we know the length with be 34″, the frequency of a bass’ open E string is 41.2 Hz and that 386.4 is somehow involved...

T = (.002 x (2 x 34 x 41.2)²) / 386.4 T = (.002 x 7,847,281.6) / 386.4 T = 15,694.5632 / 386.4 T = 40.617

I have no idea why I’m talking about this so I’m just going to stop.  Tension has a huge impact on the neck, so it’s definitely something to watch out for.  Like, if you add up the tension of all of the strings, you know how much force per square inch is being exerted on the instrument, and how much of an adjustment you’ll have to make.

Like if you have a set of light strings on and put a Jamerson set on straight away, your neck is going to be bowed.  More on this tomorrow.

***

DURABILITY

I’m going to motor through this just to finish this up...

Flats last forever, which is only slightly hyperbolic.  Listen to the video below to get a good idea how different strings sound, and notice the seventeen year old LaBella strings, and how they might be the best sounding example in the whole video.

Rounds can last forever too, as long as you’re cool with them losing that zing they have when they’re fresh.  If you need that upper end thought?  Like if you’re playing in the style of Chris Squire or Victor Wooten or Verdine White, you’ll need fresh strings.  Squire famously used a brand new set of strings every different concert Yes played, and when you hear his ultra-trebly Rickenbacker cutting through, it makes sense.

***

THOMASTIK-INFELD JAZZ FLATS

There’s one singular string that you will hear talked about over and over again in bass circles.  It’s a flatwound string but it’s light with incredibly low tension.  Thomastik-Infeld is a string company that’s hundreds of years old, and completely dominates the double-bass string market.  Their guitar and bass strings are made on the same principles and are totally unlike anything else on the market.

I have never played their bass strings before (their flatwound guitar strings are fucking awesome), and even at an Amazon discounted $60, are a gamble (normally $75+).  Just because they’re unique doesn’t mean they’re the best fit, and they might not sound as good to my ears in person.

The main attraction of the TI flat is the pronounced mid-range in the EQ.  It cuts through like absolute butter, and the lightness of the strings allow for more magnetic pull from the pickups, making them higher output.  The other attractive aspect is that they’re the only company to wrap the core of the string in a silk wrapper...mimicking their orchestral strings.  From what I’ve heard, they have a beautiful feel under the fingers.

Flats take time to break in, and if I don’t like the TI’s after four or five months, I already know that classic LaBella’s are right up my alley (not the Jamerson set).  So regardless of what ends up there, the extra cost is really meaningless given whichever set will be on there for easily 5+ years.

But the main reason I gambled on the TI’s though is because they sound really, really, really fucking good on a P-Bass.

***

The end, even tho I’m kinda salty I didn’t talk about all the cool different color silks on flatwounds.

*P-BASS PROJECT UPDATE...

[lookwhatilost]

insufferable things abt gay youth culture #3763573: blaming the fact that u didn’t date in high school for your lack of emotional intelligence

a LOT of people, regardless of orientation, dnt date in high school, but when straight men complain abt this, for example, we recognize that it’s not an excuse for their personal failings. the layer of misogyny isn’t in the picture here, but the same larger principle applies. even tho dating is its own ballgame, u dnt Have to be in relationships to develop healthy communication skills, respect, empathetic skills, whatever... circumstances can suck but your lack of development is always gnna be your responsibility first and foremost

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New Post has been published on Webpostingpro

New Post has been published on https://webpostingpro.com/world-health-day-indias-top-nutritionists-share-diet-tips/

World Health Day: India's Top Nutritionists Share Diet Tips

There may be so much speculation around fitness and food that it frequently has a tendency to cloud our minds and makes us forget about the basics. The whole thing from the brand new-age distinctiveness diets to high-quality meals and exceptional vitamins may be correct for you, however, that’s now not a reason to surrender on our ancestral expertise. Keeping this in thoughts, and on the occasion of world fitness Day, we spoke to 3 top nutritionists inside u . S . to chalk out a few vital weight-reduction plan suggestions about meals and vitamins which you ought to comply with every day for a healthful lifestyle.

World fitness Day is celebrated each yr on April seventh.

It’s miles a day dedicated to worldwide fitness attention which changed into launched by using the world fitness Organization. every year, they throw the spotlight on a health situation of extremely good importance. This year, they may be focusing on intellectual health, their theme being ‘Melancholy: Permit’s Talk’. Melancholy is turning into increasingly more not unusual but It’s miles poorly understood. It is also critical you recognize that the type of meals you deliver your frame every day can significantly impact your mind and how your mind capabilities.

Giving your body the proper nutrients has shown a promising possibility of enhancing mental fitness.

However recollect, There’s no shortcut to appropriate fitness. In his ebook,’a hundred Million Years of meals’, Stephen Lee introduces the concept of short-term and long-term fitness. He explains, ‘a weight loss plan that makes a person taller, a weight-lifter stronger, and a woman more fertile is wholesome to some extent, but commonly no longer a diet that could make someone stay longer.’ The point he is attempting to make right here is that your day by day weight loss plan standards which you’ve been following since a child determine your lengthy-time period health (what we need to be trying to achieve) and now not the episodic bouts of healthful eating.

Therefore, the little efforts you make on an everyday basis can honestly assist you ultimately. here are eight staple routines you must be following each unmarried day to enjoy the high-quality of fitness.

The World’s Most Beautiful Sacred Destinations

In present day modern world, no matter how a great deal we progress and regardless of how a whole lot development we attain, by some means we nevertheless cannot overcome the greatness of our forefathers. This principle also applies to buildings. irrespective of how many high upward push skyscrapers we see, we simplest get an excellent peace of mind while we visit our traditional legends. These stunning nonsecular locations are the ones on the way to make your heart sing and provide you with peace of mind even in case you’re not a believer. Journey here using British Airlines and your journey could be superb (both spiritually and in any other case).

1. The Marble Mountains (Vietnam):

This area is a cluster of mountains made of marble and limestone which can be placed near the Vietnamese town of Da Nang. Those five mountains are actually said to be a representation of the 5 factors – Kim (metallic), Moc (Wood), Hoa (Hearth), Tho (Earth) and Thuy (Water). All the mountains have entrances and tunnels and are effortlessly climbable. Along the manner to the top, vacationers get to see several Buddhist sanctuaries which can be used for playing even today. You also get to see the famous stone sculptures as well as stone cutters who’re acknowledged to create wonderful work.

2. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Turkey):

Those locations are truly one of the most famous traveler locations in Turkey and worldwide representatives of the Turkish lifestyle. The Hagia Sophia turned into the most important cathedral in the world for extra than a thousand years. It turned into later transformed right into a mosque and now works as a museum. The ceiling is filled with Christian graphics whereas the walls are blanketed in Arabic scriptures (an illustration of Islam). Proper on the alternative facet of this building, we discover the Blue Mosque which was made as a concept and extension of the architecture of the Hagia Sophia. The principle subject matter of this mosque is the color blue which may be seen inside the tiles, the glass work and in some cases the carpets. This constructing can accommodate 10,000 human beings at a single time for prayer.

3. Teotihuacan, Mexico:

This metropolis placed in the valley of Mexico which has the ‘Street of the Dead’ in its middle is surrounded via many extraordinary and extraordinary locations as properly. So traveling here is definitely going to can help you view. The pyramids surrounding this location are stated to be representations for the Sun, the moon. At some point in its top time, this vicinity changed into used as the center for human and animal sacrifice and has many such legends related to itself.

Are Supplements Essential To Good Health

Initially, supplements are not intended to update a healthful food regimen; they simply play a support function. My principal recommendation for higher fitness continues to be to consist of as tons wholesome, organic meals inside the weight-reduction plan as possible. Ideally, you furthermore might need to spend some time outdoors regular. However, for a lot of us, this can now not be completely viable.

• Most people have the dependency of eating very similar meals a day in, day out. For example, we simplest devour boneless, skinless bird breast rather than varying components of the chook, which includes the organs, the tendons, the skin, and the bones, which offer extraordinary nutrients like vitamin A, iron, calcium, collagen, etc.

• We do not devour sufficient kind of protein meals as every carries a few different vitamins

For instance, red meat, egg yolks, and dark-meat poultry are rich in zinc and heme iron, while grass-fed beef has an excessive concentration of the immune-boosting conjugated linoleic acid.

• We do no longer eat sufficient greens and culmination, no longer to say those with one of the kind shades which have vastly differing nutrients.

• Our food plan includes access nutrient-poor and calorie-dense processed ingredients, GMOs, pesticides, and chemical compounds.

• We eat too many speedy foods or restaurant meals which can be regularly very excessive within the seasoned-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid due to the form of refined vegetable oil they use in cooking.

• We dedicate Most of the day sitting in front of a laptop and infrequently spend time outdoors.

Given those occasions, it’s far improbable that our weight loss program on my own can provide us with all of the essential nutrients for proper health. On the pinnacle of that, a majority of the populace have some degree of the leaky intestine, low belly acid and enzyme manufacturing, or different gut issues like Candida yeast overgrowth and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), all of which save you right digestion and nutrient absorption.

Hence, in latest international, the general public will need to take dietary supplements of a few type. But due to the fact we’re all specific individuals and biochemically one of a kind, the solution to which supplements one need to take isn’t always so black and white. That being stated, there are five crucial supplements that are taken into consideration as staples and anyone can use for better fitness.

1. Multivitamins

An excessive nice multivitamin can assist fill the nutritional gap and make sure which you have become all the vital nutrients and minerals. However, do no longer accept inferior exceptional multivitamins. Select one that is manufactured by using a quite official enterprise that has a long music report of imparting great products. This may make sure that utmost care has been taken in all levels of manufacturing, from growing the components organically, to manufacturing, testing for efficiency, and high-quality manipulate.

Complete food dietary supplements vs. artificial or isolated dietary supplements

Entire meals dietary supplements are meals-based totally dietary supplements made from concentrated Complete foods. They’re enormously complicated structures that integrate an expansion of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, hint factors, and activators to work synergistically in order that your body can effortlessly soak up the vitamins.

How Much the Field of Education Is Rising in India After Independence

India is a developing country with zeal to excel in every field. This u. S . had seen so many sorrows and pain on the time of British rule. However within the have an effect on of Britishers Indians learned a lot of recent inventions, era, and strategies. After independence, it possesses a growing situation in every area and training is one of the fields whose improvement is at par. U. S. A . had were given updated handiest by using this tool of education. Now we are able to visualize the instructional improvement of India after independence inside the following way.

Percentage of Literacy

The rate of literacy was accelerated exceedingly at the time of independence. It changed into 19.3 % in 1951 and 65.4 % in 2001. The authorities had begun free and obligatory number one schooling with a provision of mid-day meal. Universities and schools in India had accelerated to an extraordinary number. Growth of Technical training

After independence, there have been established an order of many engineering schools, medical schools, polytechnics and industrial schooling institutes and so on which imparted technical education and training with a good buy of approach. As an example Indian Institute of generation, Indian Institute of Control and many other colleges of clinical and agricultural schooling.

Education for Women

In historical times Girls have been imagined to be imprisoned of their houses. They have been intended to do family works. However, after independence Women had were given their identities. They had started their participation within the subject of education on top precedence. The literacy charge of Girls had multiplied a lot after independence.

Vocational Instructional

The government had commenced so many programs to provide vocational education within the field of a diary, agriculture, typing, pisciculture, electronics, carpentry and mechanical and so forth.

[webpostingpro-blog]

New Post has been published on Webpostingpro

New Post has been published on https://webpostingpro.com/world-health-day-indias-top-nutritionists-share-diet-tips/

World Health Day: India's Top Nutritionists Share Diet Tips

There may be so much speculation around fitness and food that it frequently has a tendency to cloud our minds and makes us forget about the basics. The whole thing from the brand new-age distinctiveness diets to high-quality meals and exceptional vitamins may be correct for you, however, that’s now not a reason to surrender on our ancestral expertise. Keeping this in thoughts, and on the occasion of world fitness Day, we spoke to 3 top nutritionists inside u . S . to chalk out a few vital weight-reduction plan suggestions about meals and vitamins which you ought to comply with every day for a healthful lifestyle.

World fitness Day is celebrated each yr on April seventh.

It’s miles a day dedicated to worldwide fitness attention which changed into launched by using the world fitness Organization. every year, they throw the spotlight on a health situation of extremely good importance. This year, they may be focusing on intellectual health, their theme being ‘Melancholy: Permit’s Talk’. Melancholy is turning into increasingly more not unusual but It’s miles poorly understood. It is also critical you recognize that the type of meals you deliver your frame every day can significantly impact your mind and how your mind capabilities.

Giving your body the proper nutrients has shown a promising possibility of enhancing mental fitness.

However recollect, There’s no shortcut to appropriate fitness. In his ebook,’a hundred Million Years of meals’, Stephen Lee introduces the concept of short-term and long-term fitness. He explains, ‘a weight loss plan that makes a person taller, a weight-lifter stronger, and a woman more fertile is wholesome to some extent, but commonly no longer a diet that could make someone stay longer.’ The point he is attempting to make right here is that your day by day weight loss plan standards which you’ve been following since a child determine your lengthy-time period health (what we need to be trying to achieve) and now not the episodic bouts of healthful eating.

Therefore, the little efforts you make on an everyday basis can honestly assist you ultimately. here are eight staple routines you must be following each unmarried day to enjoy the high-quality of fitness.

The World’s Most Beautiful Sacred Destinations

In present day modern world, no matter how a great deal we progress and regardless of how a whole lot development we attain, by some means we nevertheless cannot overcome the greatness of our forefathers. This principle also applies to buildings. irrespective of how many high upward push skyscrapers we see, we simplest get an excellent peace of mind while we visit our traditional legends. These stunning nonsecular locations are the ones on the way to make your heart sing and provide you with peace of mind even in case you’re not a believer. Journey here using British Airlines and your journey could be superb (both spiritually and in any other case).

1. The Marble Mountains (Vietnam):

This area is a cluster of mountains made of marble and limestone which can be placed near the Vietnamese town of Da Nang. Those five mountains are actually said to be a representation of the 5 factors – Kim (metallic), Moc (Wood), Hoa (Hearth), Tho (Earth) and Thuy (Water). All the mountains have entrances and tunnels and are effortlessly climbable. Along the manner to the top, vacationers get to see several Buddhist sanctuaries which can be used for playing even today. You also get to see the famous stone sculptures as well as stone cutters who’re acknowledged to create wonderful work.

2. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Turkey):

Those locations are truly one of the most famous traveler locations in Turkey and worldwide representatives of the Turkish lifestyle. The Hagia Sophia turned into the most important cathedral in the world for extra than a thousand years. It turned into later transformed right into a mosque and now works as a museum. The ceiling is filled with Christian graphics whereas the walls are blanketed in Arabic scriptures (an illustration of Islam). Proper on the alternative facet of this building, we discover the Blue Mosque which was made as a concept and extension of the architecture of the Hagia Sophia. The principle subject matter of this mosque is the color blue which may be seen inside the tiles, the glass work and in some cases the carpets. This constructing can accommodate 10,000 human beings at a single time for prayer.

3. Teotihuacan, Mexico:

This metropolis placed in the valley of Mexico which has the ‘Street of the Dead’ in its middle is surrounded via many extraordinary and extraordinary locations as properly. So traveling here is definitely going to can help you view. The pyramids surrounding this location are stated to be representations for the Sun, the moon. At some point in its top time, this vicinity changed into used as the center for human and animal sacrifice and has many such legends related to itself.

Are Supplements Essential To Good Health

Initially, supplements are not intended to update a healthful food regimen; they simply play a support function. My principal recommendation for higher fitness continues to be to consist of as tons wholesome, organic meals inside the weight-reduction plan as possible. Ideally, you furthermore might need to spend some time outdoors regular. However, for a lot of us, this can now not be completely viable.

• Most people have the dependency of eating very similar meals a day in, day out. For example, we simplest devour boneless, skinless bird breast rather than varying components of the chook, which includes the organs, the tendons, the skin, and the bones, which offer extraordinary nutrients like vitamin A, iron, calcium, collagen, etc.

• We do not devour sufficient kind of protein meals as every carries a few different vitamins

For instance, red meat, egg yolks, and dark-meat poultry are rich in zinc and heme iron, while grass-fed beef has an excessive concentration of the immune-boosting conjugated linoleic acid.

• We do no longer eat sufficient greens and culmination, no longer to say those with one of the kind shades which have vastly differing nutrients.

• Our food plan includes access nutrient-poor and calorie-dense processed ingredients, GMOs, pesticides, and chemical compounds.

• We eat too many speedy foods or restaurant meals which can be regularly very excessive within the seasoned-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid due to the form of refined vegetable oil they use in cooking.

• We dedicate Most of the day sitting in front of a laptop and infrequently spend time outdoors.

Given those occasions, it’s far improbable that our weight loss program on my own can provide us with all of the essential nutrients for proper health. On the pinnacle of that, a majority of the populace have some degree of the leaky intestine, low belly acid and enzyme manufacturing, or different gut issues like Candida yeast overgrowth and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), all of which save you right digestion and nutrient absorption.

Hence, in latest international, the general public will need to take dietary supplements of a few type. But due to the fact we’re all specific individuals and biochemically one of a kind, the solution to which supplements one need to take isn’t always so black and white. That being stated, there are five crucial supplements that are taken into consideration as staples and anyone can use for better fitness.

1. Multivitamins

An excessive nice multivitamin can assist fill the nutritional gap and make sure which you have become all the vital nutrients and minerals. However, do no longer accept inferior exceptional multivitamins. Select one that is manufactured by using a quite official enterprise that has a long music report of imparting great products. This may make sure that utmost care has been taken in all levels of manufacturing, from growing the components organically, to manufacturing, testing for efficiency, and high-quality manipulate.

Complete food dietary supplements vs. artificial or isolated dietary supplements

Entire meals dietary supplements are meals-based totally dietary supplements made from concentrated Complete foods. They’re enormously complicated structures that integrate an expansion of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, hint factors, and activators to work synergistically in order that your body can effortlessly soak up the vitamins.

How Much the Field of Education Is Rising in India After Independence

India is a developing country with zeal to excel in every field. This u. S . had seen so many sorrows and pain on the time of British rule. However within the have an effect on of Britishers Indians learned a lot of recent inventions, era, and strategies. After independence, it possesses a growing situation in every area and training is one of the fields whose improvement is at par. U. S. A . had were given updated handiest by using this tool of education. Now we are able to visualize the instructional improvement of India after independence inside the following way.

Percentage of Literacy

The rate of literacy was accelerated exceedingly at the time of independence. It changed into 19.3 % in 1951 and 65.4 % in 2001. The authorities had begun free and obligatory number one schooling with a provision of mid-day meal. Universities and schools in India had accelerated to an extraordinary number. Growth of Technical training

After independence, there have been established an order of many engineering schools, medical schools, polytechnics and industrial schooling institutes and so on which imparted technical education and training with a good buy of approach. As an example Indian Institute of generation, Indian Institute of Control and many other colleges of clinical and agricultural schooling.

Education for Women

In historical times Girls have been imagined to be imprisoned of their houses. They have been intended to do family works. However, after independence Women had were given their identities. They had started their participation within the subject of education on top precedence. The literacy charge of Girls had multiplied a lot after independence.

Vocational Instructional

The government had commenced so many programs to provide vocational education within the field of a diary, agriculture, typing, pisciculture, electronics, carpentry and mechanical and so forth.