Answerbag: Southpaw Pete's answers

Answer to What is the key of Db? How many keys are there?

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:53:40 -0700

What is the key of Db? How many keys are there?

to go back to my point about there being 12 keys, Aminor has listed all the ways of refering to each key, but this leads to duplication. For example, the key A sharp and the key B flat, are one and the same. Same goes for C# and Db and so on. I will defer to prustage's valid point that each...

Answer to What causes a person to be selfish?

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 13:36:01 -0800

What causes a person to be selfish?

I'm not telling you. it's my secret and I'm keeping it!

Answer to I watch TV pool tournaments and the announcer sometimes says that the player shot a ball at "table speed." What does this term mean?

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 02:53:14 -0800

I watch TV pool tournaments and the announcer sometimes says that the player shot a ball at "table speed." What does this term mean?

This is also refered to as "dead weight" and refers to the speed at which the cue ball will only just reach its intended target. For example, when striking the cue ball towards the 8 ball, you could apply a large amount of force, to send the 8 ball towards a pocket, or you could play...

Answer to Is pink the new black?

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 07:37:34 -0800

Is pink the new black?

Possibly, but it will never last. Sign here: please use pink ink. That's another pink mark against you. After a nasty fight, the boy was left with a pink eye. The very poisonous pink mamba. I vote we stick with black.

Answer to When should you switch to higher gauge guitar strings?

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:39:49 -0800

When should you switch to higher gauge guitar strings?

Thicker gauge strings (generally 10 to 56 and up) also aid intonation and tuning stability. The obvious trade off to any perceived improvement in tuning and tone, is that the strings are harder to bend. If you use a lot of bends in your playing style, then you'll need to make a real effort...

Answer to Is it acceptable to wear fishnet tights to work in an office?

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 08:44:16 -0800

Is it acceptable to wear fishnet tights to work in an office?

It is in my office!

Answer to What is the etymology of the word "lost"?

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 03:25:39 -0800

What is the etymology of the word "lost"?

lost (adj.) "defeated" (c.1300), "wasted, spent in vain," c.1500; also "no longer to be found" (1526), from the pp. of lose (q.v.). from: http://www.etymonline.com

Answer to What is the origin of the term "cold calling"?

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 03:23:08 -0800

What is the origin of the term "cold calling"?

"Leads" in sales are often refered to as "hot" if you know you've got a sure sale, or "warm" if your chances are fairly high. "Cold calling" is the practice of contacting people who have expressed no previous interest in a product or service, and...

Answer to Did the Baha Men ever find out who let the dogs out?

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 06:16:10 -0800

Did the Baha Men ever find out who let the dogs out?

Yes. After an exhaustive investigation it was uncovered that Baha Men guitarist, Herschel Small, inadvertantly left the gate to the band's shared back yard open on his way to a rehearsal (apparently he was running late due to an undisclosed incident with a hair dryer). Several dogs made...

Answer to How many possible combinations of notes are there in a standard page of sheet music?

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 08:36:30 -0800

How many possible combinations of notes are there in a standard page of sheet music?

It's an almost infinate number. It's the same as asking "how many combinations of letters can there be on a page?". Even if you restrict it to what is commonly considered as "musical" combinations (ie not just random notes) the number is almost endless. Makes...

Answer to Who was the banjo playing boy out of "Deliverance," and where is he now?

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 07:05:57 -0800

Who was the banjo playing boy out of "Deliverance," and where is he now?

The boy's name was Billy Redden. He was born in 1956 and picked for the movie from a local highschool for his "backward" appearance. He was later re-discovered by Tim Burton, who cast him in a cameo as "Banjo Boy" in the film Big Fish.

Answer to What does a guitarist's "guitar tech" do and what skills do they need to know?

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 09:01:00 -0800

What does a guitarist's "guitar tech" do and what skills do they need to know?

The guitar tech is responsible for all aspects of guitar maintainance. On a "gig" night, depending on how many guitars the player uses, they'll be back stage, tuning and restringing guitars. After the show, they'll clean, restring and tune the guitars again. They'll...

Answer to How can I make my bar chords clearer and easier to hold on to?

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:25:02 -0700

How can I make my bar chords clearer and easier to hold on to?

Barre chords: the bain of every guitar student! There are two elements to the barre: the barre itself (usually executed with the index finger of the fretting hand) and the chord (typically executed with two or more of the remaining fingers. The weak spots are most often at the base of the index...

Answer to What types of acoustic guitars are out there?

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:13:17 -0700

What types of acoustic guitars are out there?

There are many styles of acoustic guitar, and every manufacturer will sub-divide a stlye into many "sub-catagories". However, the types can be essentially divided thus: Nylon strung acoustics. These are the classical, or flamenco style. They feature (obviously) nylon strings,...

Answer to Why do some acoustics have nylon strings and others have steel?

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:03:17 -0700

Why do some acoustics have nylon strings and others have steel?

The simple answer to this question is, "because they'll sound different". Historically, as the guitar developed from earlier instruments such as the lute, it inherited the strings in use at the time. These tended to be made from natural materials such as animal "gut"....

Answer to Immediately after birth, why is a baby wrapped in a towel and weighed before being given to the mother?

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 03:17:39 -0700

Immediately after birth, why is a baby wrapped in a towel and weighed before being given to the mother?

Assuming both pregnancy and delivery have been free from complications, the exact weight of a newborn baby is not a critical peice of information. However, it is one of the first peices of quantifiable data available and as such is recorded in the child's medical records, along with their...

Answer to How can I find out how much homes in a certain area have sold for recently?

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 05:31:41 -0700

How can I find out how much homes in a certain area have sold for recently?

If you're in the UK, try www.houseprices.co.uk. Type in a postcode and it will list houses sold post 2001.

Answer to Does Epiphone make good guitars and basses?

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:13:26 -0700

Does Epiphone make good guitars and basses?

Epiphone guitars are not made "by" Gibson. They are however made by Epiphone under licence from Gibson. This means that they use (in most cases) cheaper components and cheaper Korean labour to produce visually similar instruments at a lower cost to the buyer. They are though...

Answer to What is a "power chord", and how do I play one?

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:02:15 -0700

What is a "power chord", and how do I play one?

For clarification, the 3rd note of a chord is what determines whether it is a major or minor chord. Power chords, which as stated above omit the 3rd, are "ambiguous" in that they are neither major nor minor. This focuses attention on the root note of the "chord".

Answer to What is a livery driver?

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:11:56 -0700

What is a livery driver?

The term "livery" refers to the uniforms (and things such as coats of arms) of various trades and companies. "Delivery" literally meant to pass goods or items from the possession of the trade to a customer. A livery driver is someone who carries out such duties. It's...

Answer to Why does our mouth water when we see/smell/think of food, cooking or grilling ?

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 08:09:46 -0700

Why does our mouth water when we see/smell/think of food, cooking or grilling ?

The brain registers that food is coming, and instructs the saliva gland underneath your tongue to produce saliva, which helps break down the food as we chew it and makes it softer as it enters the gullet. As this is a subconscious reaction, it will occur even if you are not actually intending to...

Answer to Is it true the British love warm beer?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 09:15:07 -0700

Is it true the British love warm beer?

Don't forget that we Brits also enjoy a beer called "bitter". This is a generic term for a darker, heavier beer than the lagers prevalent in the USA, and is best enjoyed only slightly chilled. Our lagers, like anyone elses, are refrigerated and served from chillers whether it be...

Answer to What is the average air speed velocity of the passenger pigeon?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 08:17:23 -0700

What is the average air speed velocity of the passenger pigeon?

Laden or unladen?

Answer to I have two adult female cats. One always urinates in the litterbox, the other in piles of clothes. Besides being territorial, is there another reason she does this?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 08:11:56 -0700

I have two adult female cats. One always urinates in the litterbox, the other in piles of clothes. Besides being territorial, is there another reason she does this?

Perhaps she's trying to tell you something about your dress sense?

Answer to How could one distinguish from looking at a person's face in a photograph that it is a reverse image?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 08:10:33 -0700

How could one distinguish from looking at a person's face in a photograph that it is a reverse image?

You'll be looking at the back of their head?

Answer to How does canned tuna fit the can so perfectly?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 08:09:10 -0700

How does canned tuna fit the can so perfectly?

Unlike regular tuna, which swim along happily in the sea, the tuna you find in a can have been specially farmed. At birth, the little tuna progeny are loaded into long plastic tubes aprroximately 4 inches in diameter. Consequently they grow into perfectly round tuna, slightly longer than their...

Answer to Who invented chocolate?

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 08:03:57 -0700

Who invented chocolate?

Markus P Choco (1876-1934) was an accountant for a small firm in Weston-super-Mare. Legend has it that every night before bed, he like to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa. One night, unable to finish his drink, he popped it in the refrigerator to save it for the next morning. When he took it out, it...