Help required (in the form of knowledge and / or inventiveness)

My 18 year old nephew was recently in a motorbike crash, and as a result is paralysed from about the middle of his chest down…

(I should say at this point…this is NOT a joke.)

No sympathy required, it could have been a lot worse. We’re all (him included) slowly coming to terms with his situation and are investigating disabled facilities etc.

All in all it’s not too bad, he can keep his job, and there are shitloads of things to make his quality of life as normal as possible when he gets out of hospital. Thank milky fuck for the wonders of doctors and technology I say.

Anyhoo, getting to the point, one problem at the moment is the fact that he was is a keen drummer and the thought of never being able to play again is getting him down a bit – what with not feeling his legs ‘n’all.

I have been given the job of solving this problem. Yay me!

Has anybody heard of / know of a way that it is possible to play a full live drumkit without using your legs? I mean, if that bloke from Def Leppard can do it with one arm, how hard can it be?
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:33, 18 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Electric Drum Kit
I think you can programme the pads to play other parts.

Erm... So you could get an extra pad and have it rigged as bass.

Can't really thing of anything else, sorry.
( Cawl, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:36, Reply)

Cheers Kaol...

I was thinking something similar...perhaps with Simmonds kit (are they still called that?) Pads located in different areas so he could twat them with different parts of his body (like elbows and forehead - he says he's not fussed how much of a spack he looks).
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:39, Reply)

I was think of a pulley system.
If he wore a headband with a wire at the back to operate the bass drum.
Most drummers are nodding their heads to the music anyway, so it wouldn't look too weird
I don't know what sort of force is needed to operate one, so the downside would be that it might put undue strain on his neck.
(oneinthepink is at your cervix m'lady, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:41, Reply)

Electric kit

was my only thought, too.

He could hook it up to a midi sequencer (cubase, etc...) and program the kick on there, leaving him free to focus on the snares, toms and cymbals.

Even if it was just the kick and hi-hat (to allow him to program the pedal to open and close it), with the rest as an acoustic kit.
( Moey, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:41, Reply)

Well...
I think I could probably design a simple circuit with a switch and a solenoid that would let him hit the bass drum- he'd just have to figure out what he would use to trigger the switch. Another could run the cymbals.

Let's see... maybe a pressure switch that he could hold between his teeth? I can press with one side of my jaw or the other- if he can do the same he can run the two switches.

If this sounds feasible, let me know and I'll design the circuit and tell you where to get the parts to make it.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:42, Reply)

There're some really good suggestions here!
The Midi-sequencer one is interesting, and likely the cheapest to try out.

Good luck to your nephew, be interesting to hear what works with this.
( Cawl, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:51, Reply)

I'd say something controlled by a nod of the head or a clench of the jaw would work
you get hydraulic high hats, so would be easy enough to make up something similar for the kick as well
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:52, Reply)

Solenoids and switches are cheap.
The hardest part about that would be assembling them. As I'm on the wrong side of the water I can't do it for you, but could give suggestions on how to do it.

If I design something for you, I'll let you know where to find the parts online to order them, and give you a schematic diagram to show how to hook them together.

And if it works, we should patent it!
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:56, Reply)

Wow you guys!

This is all great stuff - I will see him this weekend and let him know.

I owe you all many beers...
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:58, Reply)

If it was something
Controlled by head-nodding, would a mercury tilt-switch work? Tiny, light-weight component.
( Cawl, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 12:59, Reply)

Mercury switch
would be too unstable- motions from his arms would trigger it. I think clenching the jaw is the best option. He could do three things, as we could also rig a switch for his tongue.

Fun little challenge you've given me, Pooflake!
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 13:01, Reply)

Wow!
I mean, I can't offer any help, but there are some great ideas right here!

I hope you guys can work something out for it. I know a good patent attorney should you need one!
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 13:41, Reply)

How about
a couple of sheaths that you slip over the bottom of the drumsticks that have buttons on that are hooked up to the sequencer? That way they could be removed and added to most drumsticks?
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 13:41, Reply)

I'm sure.....
that something can be done but unfortunately I'm having a mental blank at the moment. I'm pretty sure I've heard of a chap with a similar predicament that found a solution. I'll ask a few people who I suspect know if this and get back to you.

Perhaps try calling a music shop? I'm sure they'd be able to offer some advise
( SpikeyPickle wishes he was mabazaritchie, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 13:43, Reply)

@himjim
I'd had the same thought but concluded that it'd be hard to bash at drums without pressing them by mistake. Mind you I'm no moon drummer.

Hope you manage to sort something out pooflake.
( Captain V, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 13:50, Reply)

Captain V
that "no moon" comment almost caused me to spray an entire pint of water over my computer
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 14:02, Reply)

I just got out of a meeting
and all through the meeting this was running through the back of my mind.

I think that a jaw-clench device would have to look something like the headgear that someone with braces wears- that is, a horseshoe-shaped thing worn outside the mouth with the switches mounted on it, protruding into the mouth. (It would just be in front of his mouth, though- not going around his face.) I would have two pressure switches, one on each side, that go between the molars and a different push switch in the front between his front teeth that he could press with his tongue. This would give him three things he could control- and if his tongue is that strong and agile, he should have no problems at all getting girls!
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 5 Sep 2008, 14:17, Reply)

Cymbals on Gimbals!
Ok, this perhaps isn't the most serious suggestion, but I had a vision.

A vision of a hat (yes - a big hat), with 2 or more cymbals on a gimbal mount, and some sort of stick/striker in the middle. He could nod or otherwise move his head, and as the cymbals would stay level, the stick would give them a bash.

Admitedly he's going to need neck muscles like an F1 driver to be able to do it for more than 5 minutes, but given the tongue comments earlier, I suspect there's going to be some serious upper-upper body training going on...
( Fireflier La la la la, not listening on, Fri 5 Sep 2008, 16:43, Reply)