Most Fans Don’t Know Grateful Dead’s That Mickey Hart Invented An Instrument
via CBS Sunday Morning / YouTube
If you’ve ever attended a Grateful Dead show—or heard recordings of their live performances—you may have noticed a mysterious, low-frequency rumble during the “Space” segment of their set. This haunting soundscape wasn’t just improvisational magic—it came from a unique instrument developed and championed by drummer Mickey Hart. While many fans assume it’s a synthesizer or some obscure effect, it actually stems from a custom creation known as the beam.
The story of the beam begins in the early 1970s when John Lazelle crafted an early prototype: a long, C-shaped metal slab strung with piano wires and guitar pickups. It was later refined by Craig Huxley, who brought it to mainstream attention through Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But it was Mickey Hart who adopted the instrument and transformed it into something entirely new, bringing it onto the stage and into the Dead’s sonic identity.
For Hart, the beam wasn’t just another instrument—it was a vessel for exploration. By pushing its limits, he introduced audiences to a world of deep vibrations and unpredictable textures, reshaping how the band approached sound itself. And over the decades, he only expanded its capabilities.
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The Dead’s Long Affair with Noise
The Grateful Dead have always walked a fine line between music and noise. In the 1960s, their concerts often featured long stretches of experimental sounds—guitar feedback, ambient swells, and psychedelic drones. This wasn’t filler; it was part of their commitment to exploration. Their sound wasn’t limited to melody—it encompassed experience.
By the early 1970s, however, the Dead began shifting toward more structured sets filled with songs that followed traditional arrangements. As a result, those long feedback sessions were toned down, but the urge to break the mold never really disappeared. The experimental edge lived on through “Drums” and “Space,” segments where sonic freedom could thrive.
Mickey Hart found fertile ground in these segments to reintroduce noise as a deliberate tool. “Space” became his playground—a moment in every concert where rules were suspended and anything could happen. And the beam? It became a key player in that interstellar journey.
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From Apocalypse Now to Sonic Reinvention
In 1979, director Francis Ford Coppola enlisted Mickey Hart and fellow drummer Bill Kreutzmann to help score Apocalypse Now. Coppola wanted something primal, something that echoed the chaos and intensity of Vietnam. The duo responded by gathering a host of unusual instruments—and among them was Hart’s newly acquired beam.
The film sessions marked a turning point. Hart realized the beam had more potential than just producing eerie growls. It could become a core part of the Dead’s evolving sound. Soon after, the beam began appearing on stage more frequently, layered into the “Drums” and “Space” portions of shows and expanding the band’s already boundary-pushing performances.
What started as a cinematic experiment grew into a lifelong obsession. Hart began imagining the beam as more than an instrument—it was a translator of emotion, a portal to places other instruments couldn’t reach. He committed to evolving it further.
Reinventing the Beam for the Digital Era
Mickey Hart didn’t stop at analog innovation. Once MIDI expert Bob Bralove joined the Grateful Dead circle, the beam’s sonic range exploded. Bralove helped Hart integrate digital sampling into the beam, allowing it to mimic or manipulate virtually any sound. This turned the beam from a one-note marvel into a limitless tool.
Hart also brought an improvisational touch to the instrument. Sometimes he’d softly stroke its strings; other times, he’d slam them with force. Twisting knobs, triggering samples, and layering effects, he turned the beam into an audio performance all its own. It was as much an instrument as it was an experience.
Even after the Dead disbanded, Hart continued his work with the beam. Documentaries like Long Strange Trip show him lovingly demonstrating its powers and tweaking it further. To this day, the beam remains a testament to Hart’s vision—and to the Grateful Dead’s never-ending journey into the unknown.
