By Deb “Spoons” Perry for Tom Tom Magazine
Deb “Spoons” Perry puts the Kit in Kitchen. She is, quite simply, a spoons playing rock star. Back in 2008, her high energy performance as a finalist on Australia’s Got Talent brought the audience to their feet. Here she gives us the scoop on how to rock out on the spoons.
1. Start by holding the bottom spoon. Put it between your pointer finger and your middle finger, on the middle joint. Wrap your middle, ring and little fingers around the back of the spoon and press the edge of it against your palm. All you are trying to do here is to get a good grip on the back of the spoon.
2. Next hold the top spoon between your thumb and your first finger across the middle bone of your pointer finger. The pointer finger wraps around the back of the spoon and holds tightly against the bottom of your thumb. The thumb should press down on top of the spoon giving you a firm grip.
3. The bottoms of the spoon’s bowls should be back to back and about 2 cm apart. When you hit down on your leg they will click together.
4. Put the opposite hand, palm down about 15cm above your leg.
5. Start by hitting your spoons on your leg…..and up on your hand, getting a click going in each direction.
6. Try putting a slight accent on number 2 and 4 beats by hitting a little harder on those beats.
7. To make a roll, spread the fingers of the opposite hand wide apart and make them rigid. Let the spoons bounce down each rigid finger in a rapid motion letting the last beat hit your leg. Use the roll as an occasional flush, always going back to the basic rhythm. What ever you do, don’t let go when you start to play!
