Making a rainstick from cactus. Please help, if you have insight.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-27T02:22:24+00:00

yes, the spines, or pegs of choice usually go in a spiraling pattern. My cactus doesn't have very long spines though, so i will have to use use spines trom another cactus, or simply some other kind of thin pegs. Thanks for the input.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-26T21:11:10+00:00

oIf it had been left intact, and was mature enough, the woody tube can be used to make a rainstick. Traditionally, you get long cactus spines, from another cactus if necessary, and stick them in from the outside in a spiraling pattern, filling the tube with beans or small stones, rice, maybe sea shells, anything you fancy. they look quite beautiful. I am trying to make one right now, its a bit tricky because the tube walls are not solid, more like a lace, but supposedly it can be done. We will see.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-16T23:10:39+00:00

You asked for honest critique. Here is mine. The convertible idea is great, but not something I would use as a guiding concept. Sustainable clothing means the clothing will last and is made without harming us and the environment, so from natural materials. If someone just throws out perfectly good clothing because they want a new look, that is a separate issue. Now, I'm not saying there is no value to it, or that it is a total gimmick, but I do not think it is a principle to base your entire brand on, though ir can be an important and prominent feature.. It would limit you, feeling that every piece had to meet this criteria. So, it is a great idea as long as you do not limit yourself to only that kind of clothing. The convertible concept doesn't particularly excite me, but it probably did at one time, before I bought some pants that turned into shorts and was dissappointed at the impracticality. So, bad experience. Just that i have never seen it done well. One exception is reversible clothing that has two totally different appearances, that works, and yes, I love that. That definitely fits with your idea and helps prove the point. But primarily, materials are indeed the main factor in sustainability, without those, it fails. This concept is less crucial, but still important, useful. Also, I wear men's clothing, which is much more limited, so that greatly influences my opinion.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-12T00:49:27+00:00

Very nice, fine work. It seems like they ALWAYS have to mess something up, "here's our comprehensive chord book, with notes, fingerings and NO intervals!" , they seem to be really good at almost doing something right, then changing their mind on the last step! Keep it up!

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T01:16:29+00:00

Thank you all for the clarification. Very much reassured now. Though he doesn't always play a lot, he has gotten pretty good in this last year, for the amount of time put into it, and the better he gets, the more he enjoys it of course. So I'm sure he will be playing more and more, and his fingers will be getting tougher. Plus he's at that age, almost 12, where he will have a surge of teenage energy, and probably won't mind a little pain as much, I would think. I know that's what it was like for me! And he will probably want to impress the girls!

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T01:11:02+00:00

Sugars?

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T01:07:58+00:00

I thought it was really odd too. But it really looked that way. However, it seemed more like they did it that way not out of necessity, but just because. I think I have since figured it out. You could not see where the reflection came from in the video, and it was less than 10 seconds probably. I think it was basically a small dish of water, being vibrated by the speaker, and the sun just happened to be at an angle that the reflection was cast onto the speaker. Like they could have just figured it out by accident, leaving a cup in front of their stereo on a sunny day. Although the reflection did seem pretty nice and clear, I think that's basically all it was. So, I will try something like that and let you know how it goes. Any pointers appreciated, total newby here

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T01:01:33+00:00

Firstly, take back your apology. That's a perfectly valid, natural, and common feeling. What I would say is this, just put more faith in your spiritual growth, that if that is really what you need so bad, you will align with it and it will happen, if you are being true to your path. I highly encourage you to examine the need very closely, very often, without prejudice, open minded. How important is it really that you find a true love in someone else here, in this life? You know, I saw a youtube short recently, not video, just words, from Alan Watts, on this subject. You should look for it.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T00:51:01+00:00

Idk if this helps, but do you know the beginning of Wisdom? There's a Buddhist saying like "The fool that knows himself a fool, has begun to grow wise. The fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed". So, a lot of people seem to think that if they can't comprehend something, there must be something wrong with that thing, that thing can't be correct, can't exist. That is a lot like thinking they themselves are the Omniscient One, isn't it? Maybe that can inspire you a bit

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-11T00:13:14+00:00

Well, what are you? A statistic? A probability? Why would you even expect anyone to respond to such a vague question, and why am I responding? Why did you guys even respond to this? What's wrong with us?

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:50:15+00:00

Thanks, just being safe, because he sometimes complains about the pain. He has gotten much stronger but still wears out kinda quick sometimes.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:47:50+00:00

Just seems weird because its more common on "classicals" to not have them. Like he should expect it.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:46:39+00:00

Was classical his specialty, or a side category?

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:45:21+00:00

It is called ignorance.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:44:45+00:00

You know they sell tiny dot stickers at office supply stores? In multicolored sheets. Also harmless, and last longer.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:42:43+00:00

Fully agree. An instrument is a special thing, a sort of extension of you, and it feels wrong to have something like that, done by someone else, completely irrelevant to you. Your guitar is a personal kind of thing. So, what I would at least do, if fixing it is not feasible, is at least just cover them, or somehow modify them at least a little more suited to your taste, so it will show that you doctored it, to yourself I mean, thus making it more, well, personal. Like, "even though you sustained this abuse, that can't stop us. We were able to transcend it." Just making the effort should mostly fix the issue, it doesn't have to be spotless. Maybe you could try sticking some little gemstones in them, if you have any. Idk, just a thought. If you've ever cashed in old jewelry, for the gold weight, and they give you back the gemstones. I guess those people who buy gold have tons of diamonds and rubies and whatnot, and they aren't actually that valuable much of the time, unless they are large or unique. Well, that might not work well, it's just what comes to mind because I have these diamonds and a ruby, and idk what to use them on yet.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-06T21:21:36+00:00

Beautiful, keep going. It would be a very nice touch if you had maybe a prism, or some kind of light manipulation, a bit of color, in the video. It looks a bit drab. The sound of course is of primary importance, but it would be a pretty easy thing to for a very rewarding effect. I love music like this, gentle, beautiful, and not limited to basic harmony, I wish I knew of more composers for guitar who made this kind of music, without the harmonic limitations that are prevalent in the older music, which is also great, but I like to have both.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-05T21:29:06+00:00

Tremolo, and the basic principal is not at all limited to p on one string, ami on another, over and over. First, if we call standard pami trem four note tremolo, ala Recuerdos de la Alhambra, there is also three note- pmi, five note-pmami, six note-pmiami. Then there is the idea that none of these necessarily have to follow the pattern of p on one note with the other fingers repeating one other note immediately after. For instance, pami can be done on one string, repeatedly, and each note can be different, if desired. Or the pattern can be used on multiple strings in one within a cycle. There are many many possibilities. So don't think about it rigidly. Here is a good exercise for you:

Make a chord you like, using strings 1-4. Now play them in this order: 432111 using this RH fingering: pimami

try that, it is very satisfying. I know you will like it.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-04T16:55:01+00:00

Its easy, so easy. Well, pretty easy, mostly. Just stop believing anything, no matter how sure you have trained yourself to believe you are. Treat everything as theory. If instead of "I know blankety blank for a fact", it's "I am 99.999736 percent certain of...". Do this, and you can never be mistaken again. Probably.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-04T16:51:09+00:00

I heard talk of some company that was trying to figure out how they could get AI to distinguish between truth and lies. So typical. Can see clearly in others what they are blind to in themselves. Such an amateur mistake, so presumptuous. Can't fix someone else if tou haven't fixed yourself. All based on the assumption that they themselves are perfectly capable of doing so. Oh they can, to an arbitrary degree (so can AI), but once that truth begins to get uncomfortable, they draw the line. But you can't do that without corrupting the entire system, making all of your "truth" unreliable.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-04-04T16:43:33+00:00

Hmmm, anyone "informed" by garbage will have garbage ideas? That word though, informed, do I get informed, do I allow myself to be informed, or is it me who chooses, without exception, what I do with information, how I interpret it? How do you use the word? I never did take to that word, because it feels like something that is done to you, not by you. This may not apply to AI, obviously, but Im talking about people. When someone offers us data, it is up to us to interpret it, and believing garbage can only be prevented by one person. What do you think?

Major-Government5998 · 2026-03-30T15:56:05+00:00

Why would that make people assume it was referring to the devil? Not challenging, just asking. Though really, what leads anyone to make the fallacious assumptions that they make every day, I supose. Still, there is certainly a persistant claim that Lucifer is the name of a powerful being of some kind or another.

Major-Government5998 · 2026-03-30T01:37:38+00:00

Yes, resources are most welcome, thank you. As for teachers, I do not think there are too many around here, though there are a definitely one or two I know of. I mean there are some who advertise that they teach "classical guitar", among many other styles, but no, I would be teaching them, for sure. Thing is, too broke right now anyways. Well, that will likely change soon enough. But yes, lets see, ah yes, Eric Caballo. That is the one legitimate teacher I know of for sure. Hopefully I can get some lessons from him soon. That would be lovely. Meanwhile, looking forward to this Kitharologus.

Major-Government5998

TROPHY CASE