Rhythm Bones have been played since prehistoric times and are amoungst the oldest musical instruments in the history of the world, yet in the hands of a master, rhythm bones can effectively articulate the rhythms of Twenty-First Century popular music.
Dr. Mel Mercier, Ireland
Editor's Note
This book was created for the possibility it would be printed for the 25th Anniversary of the Rhythm Bones Society in 2024. In the meantime, it exists as an electronic book with many of its pages converted to standard web pages. During the next couple of years the content will expand and editing will improve the quality of the text since much of it was copied from its source with little or no editing. At some point, the web pages with be converted back to book pages, and it may get printed.
Dedication
To the memory of members and Bones Fest attendees known to have passed away during the years of the Rhythm Bones Society.
Joe Birl
Elwin Shorty Boulet
John Cahill
Everett Cowett
Dan Cowett
Vivian Cox
John Davis
Paul Duhon
Dan Dwyer
Dr. Fred Edmunds
Norris Frazier
Mel Harvey
Ron Harvey
Ann Hoffman
Carl Hedrick
Will Kear
Yirdy Machar
Matteo Vitucci
Jerry Mescher
Russ Myers
John Perona
William Rexroad
Ida Mae Schmich
Mary Seel
Jim Steakley
Table of Contents
Preface
This is an unusual book. It was edited so it could be printed, however, it is most useful as an electronic book due to the large number of links to other stories. It is, in essence, an index to the Rhythm Bones Player newsletter of the Rhythm Bones Society.
There is no organization to the stories and articles in the newsletter, and this book presents the most important content in an orderly manner with links to original stories in the newsletter. These stories and articles are summarized briefly in this book, and the reader can click a link if more detail is desired.
The Introduction Chapter describes rhythm bones and gives a brief history. The Rhythm Bones Society Chapter describes how the society was formed and presents short biographical profiles of current and former Board Members. The Bones Fest Chapter describes the annual festival with a brief summary of every Fest. The Individuals Chapter presents brief summaries of most of the know rhythm bones players.
The Rhythm Bones Player was authorized at the first meeting of the Board of Directors following ratification of its By-laws at the organization meeting of the society at Bones Fest III. Steve Wixson was selected as Editor and the inclusion of color which was expensive at the time was approved. There was only one issue in the first year since the organizational meeting was held in late September, and there have been four quarterly issues ever since then. Initially there were four pages and soon the number of pages grew to eight except for two large special issues that each summarized a decade of Bones Fests. Color is used on Pages 1 and 8, with color on pages 4 and 5 for newsletters with Bones Fest Highlights.
The newsletters are online in Adobe PDF format at rhythmbones.org/documents/RBP.pdf. There is a tremendous amount of material in these newsletters, and they can be searched directly using the Adobe Find (cntl+F). Alternatively, they can be search using the Rhythm Bones Player Combined Table of Contents at rhythmbones.org/RBPTOCs.pdf (Reference in book). Each newsletter has stories or articles preceded with a title in Bold text, and almost all of these are included in this book.
In addition to stories, there are columns in each issue, and many of these are not included in this book, but can easily be found using the RBPTOCs TOC (reference.) These include Executive Director Editorial with comments on the state of the Society or rhythm bones, Editor Editorial which mostly introduces the main stories, Letters to the Editor which are small stories sent in by readers - most are not in this book, and Bones Calendar which lists upcoming NTCMA and All-Ireland competitions. (See chapter titled Contests), Recorded Bones Music which list the most important recorded rhythm bones music (see chapter titled Recordings), Website of the quarter which was useful in early newsletters but was discontinued as the number of rhythm bones website grew from about 100 to over 13,000 in 2021, and Tips and Techniques which presented short instruction articles. There are also Ads for the next Bones Fests which are not in this book.
Over the years, a copy of the every newsletter was sent to the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, and in 2017 we received a letter stating “The American Folklife Center is proud to be a repository for the Rhythm Bones Player. We recently re-cataloged the newsletter with full subject classification and it is now fully cataloged.” This is a much appreciated honor.
Introduction
What are Rhythm Bones
Rhythm bones are sets of slabs or sticks, held two (or more) in each hand, and made to strike each other to make snapping and rolling sounds. Rhythm bones are one of several types of clappers, but there are also clappers which are held one in each hand and struck on the other, and clappers which have two parts tied to a handle that strike each other, and these are not rhythm bones. Rhythm bones should not be confused with spoons, which are also clappers, or with dominoes, which are flat blocks of bone, or plastic inscribed with 1 to 12 white dots. Names such as clappers, sticks, spoons, clackers, and knicky-knackers have been subscribed to rhythm bones. Rhythm bones can produce a ‘Triplet’ pattern which no other clapper does. The name is derived from their original composition and nomenclature, namely bones. Originally rib bones of animals were used since their size and shape fit the hand. For different sounds, tones and conveniences other materials, particularly wood are used. See chapter on Making rhythm bones (reference).
Brief History
Rhythm Bones are likely prehistoric with the first physical artifacts found in China and Egypt. They had a thousand year history in Egypt and migrated to Greece and Rome before migrating across Europe to England. In the play “A Mid Summers Night Dream,” Shakespeare has Bottom to say, “I have a rather good ear in music. Let us have the Tongs and Bones.” Europeans brought them to the United States and they had their heyday in the minstrel era with minstrel troupes taking them all over the English speaking world. They declined in popularity though many people learned to play them from their father or grandfather who had learned from minstrel players and who thought they were the only player left. A few players kept the tradition alive including, Brother Bones, Ted Goon, and Percy Danforth in the US and Paedar Mercier and Ronnie McShane and others in Ireland. Today, the Rhythm Bones Society with its website, newsletter and annual Bones Festivals (Bones Fests) continues to keep rhythm bones alive.
This chapter presents RBP historical articles from the newsletters. The Bibliography Chapter has a list of the important rhythm bones books and articles and the bibliography in some of these references is quite extensive.
Jonathan Danforth’s “Bones in Space and Time” Workshop
Makers and Sellers
There is a list of Sellers on our website. Click HERE to transfer there.
How do you get rhythm bones? Well you make them or you buy them. Many rhythm bones player have made them from cutting a paint stirrer in half to boiling ribs from last night’s dinner. This chapter summarizes ways to make rhythm bones, people who make them to sell, and people who sell rhythm bones made by others. This chapter does not present a complete list of Makers and Sellers, but presents what is included in the Rhythm Bones Player Newsletter.
Bone Makers 14#4
ebony bones 22#1
How To Make A Rhythm Bone
As summarized in the Introduction Chapter, rhythm bones are made from many materials with real animal bone and wood being by far the most popular.
Rhythm Bones Makers: RBP,397 This story introduces some of the rhythm bones makers. They include Joe Birl’s patented plastic bones, Nick Driver real bones, Ted Goon maple bones, Ray Schairer’s Danforth wood bones (now made by Sandor Slomovits), Steve Brown’s shin bones, Rick Fogel’s laminated wood Whamdiddle Bones, Gillette Brothers rib bones, and Dave Boyles’ Black Bart Cow Rib Bones. More Makers are shown below.
Real Animal Rhythm Bones
Real Animal Bones, Make or Buy: RBP,250 The Make or Buy story is a short overview of animal rhythm bones. It mentions a Scott Miller booklet titled Make Your Own Musical Rib Bones which is an easy to follow guide that shows how to make your own musical rib rhythm bones step by step.
Making Bones: RBP,51 This Tips & Techniques article is about cowboy Bud Bartrum and how he made his animal rhythm bones.
Buffalo Ribs: RBP,32 Bill Rexroad was given buffalo bones found on the Kansas prairie and offered to give them away.
Real Animal Bones Making: RBP,279 Adam Klein likes vulture cleaned bones found in a field and talks about selecting and preparing rib bones for playing.
Whale Bones: RBP,508 Nick Driver explains why whale bones were used to make rhythm bones. Has a photograph to illustrate.
Bone Maker and More: RBP,433 Aaron Plunkett writes about his Irish heritage and how it got him into rhythm bones. He makes rhythm bones out of goat ribs, Ironwood, and polycarbonate composite plastic.
animal bones 10#1
Wood Rhythm Bones Makers
Sad state of ebony 16#1
Nick Driver: RBP,571 The late Nick driver writes about his rhythm bones business.
Danforth Rhythm Bones: RBP,73 Ray Schairer on how he made
Shooting Star Bones: RBP,402 Playfully, Mardeen Gordon writes about how she learned about rhythm bones, how she made some and modified the design, and how she named them.
Dem Bones: RBP,407 Randy Seppala’s friend, the late Jim Lowmann, started making rhythm bones with a computerized router, and Randy sold them. They could make them in quantity.
Wood Bone Maker: RBP,401 Jim Lande hand makes rhythm bones from a variety of woods. The profits from sales go to the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. He taught a rhythm bones making workshop at BFVIII.
Noteworth Instruments: RBP,407 John Huron started as a Civil Was Re-enactor and got interested in banjos and rhythm bones which he went on to make. He describes his process and a little more.
Bodhrans and Bones: RBP,409 Malachy Kearns has made Ebony rhythm bones for 35 years plus.
Bone Making: RBP,423 Walter Messick makes rhythm bones from many types of wood. He describes his process.
Italian Bone Maker: RBP,404 Ido Corti from Italy describes his experience making and improving Tuscan Castanets, or in English rhythm bones. For more on Tuscan Castanets go to: RBP,237
Chlefeli: RBP,399 The Klepperle/Chlefeli, in English rhythm bones, were in use in Europe for centuries and died out in the early 1900s expect for a few places in Germany and Switzerland. This story gives a brief update on their use today.
Swiss Chlefeli Maker: RBP,409 Robi Kessler from Switzerland introduces his video that shows in detail how he makes Chlefeli. Go to: https://www.chlefele-schwyz.ch/ and click the Chlefele Tab.
Ebony Bone: RBP,647 In Search of the Elusive Ebony Bone by Steve Brown who tells most everything about this rare and premiere wood.
Ebony: RBP,440 Ebony and other exotic woods are the premiere of rhythm bone woods, but the supply has dwindled. The Sad State of Ebony is a video that shows how to make it sustainable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY
Specialty Rhythm Bones
Dutch Penny Bones: RBP,155 Inexpensive rhythm bones are needed to teach children, and Dutch Koop made some using a tongue depressor with a penny glued on one end.
Rhythm Bones From a 3D Printer: RBP,423 Steve Wixson copied the dimensions of a Danforth rhythm bone, entered them into an Application titled SketchUp, emailed the results to the local library that had a small 3D printer, and picked up a pair the following day.
Mike’s wireless bones 12#1
Rhythm Bones Sellers
Bone Dry Musical Instrument Company: RBP,501 Scott Miller’s
Lark in the Morning: RBP,493 A store with unique instruments from around the world. Discovered rhythm bones in London. Hosted Music camps attended by Percy Danforth and later produced Percy’s instruction video, the first such rhythm bones instruction.
Dem Dry Bones: RBP,406 Rob Boer and
Elderly Instruments: RBP,499 Starting out selling vintage instruments in Ann Arbor, Michigan, they met Percy Danforth and started selling his rhythm bones and later other maker’s rhythm bones.
House of Musical Tradition: RBP,499 Starting out as a store that sold symphonic instruments, they expanded to include to include rhythm bones and more. Members Debroah Brower and Rowan Corbett both worked there.
Andy’s Front Hall: RBP,499 Another store that was influenced by Percy Danforth. They published his first instruction booklet and recently gave it to RBS to put on their website.