Old Dog, New Tricks.

This old dog is still trying to learn roll over, fetch and shake! That said, The past 2 years has been the best time of my life musically!! Part of it was me resolving to learn to play all the stuff I was recording (though I have yet to learn even half of what I have recorded/released)!!! That led to me, for the first time at any significant level, playing others songs!!!! I've been able to play Blowin' In The Wind for years along with Tangled Up In Blue, but that was about it ;~(( Can't blame it on anything but my laziness and life's choices ;~((

Right now, my focus is on polishing my act (one man band busking type, but with some of my own twists)! Need a couple of grand to put some of the final elements together, but once in place I believe it will be unique and interesting (if people can tolerate my mediocre guitar playing and singing) ;~)) Then I won't be sitting on the cajon which I love, but will instead be mobile and agile!! Need to get my costuming figured out as well ;~))

I am working daily on my guitar and vocal skills as well, but it is all part of a larger picture I am trying to paint (my masterpiece if you will)! Thanks for starting the thread Les, good topic and fun to read about others experiences and lessons learned!!
 
Moondog Wily said:
This old dog is still trying to learn roll over, fetch and shake! That said, The past 2 years has been the best time of my life musically!! Part of it was me resolving to learn to play all the stuff I was recording (though I have yet to learn even half of what I have recorded/released)!!! That led to me, for the first time at any significant level, playing others songs!!!! I've been able to play Blowin' In The Wind for years along with Tangled Up In Blue, but that was about it ;~(( Can't blame it on anything but my laziness and life's choices ;~((

Right now, my focus is on polishing my act (one man band busking type, but with some of my own twists)! Need a couple of grand to put some of the final elements together, but once in place I believe it will be unique and interesting (if people can tolerate my mediocre guitar playing and singing) ;~)) Then I won't be sitting on the cajon which I love, but will instead be mobile and agile!! Need to get my costuming figured out as well ;~))

I am working daily on my guitar and vocal skills as well, but it is all part of a larger picture I am trying to paint (my masterpiece if you will)! Thanks for starting the thread Les, good topic and fun to read about others experiences and lessons learned!!
Click to expand...
Keep at it my friend, you are headed places!
 
I promise some of our newer stuff will be up in a month or so. Three at the outside.


As most of it wasn't written with me involved originally, it's currently sounding very "Floyd-ian". That's music I love, but I can't find my own space in it yet. I'd prefer to bend it into something more like "Camel" or Caravan, but I haven't had much success so far.

It'll probably end up occupying some weird space, like a dollar-store version of the Enid (do look them up if you don't know them); but then I'll be haunted by the vengeful ghost of Bob Godfrey for the rest of my life.
 
Wyzard said:
I promise some of our newer stuff will be up in a month or so. Three at the outside.


As most of it wasn't written with me involved originally, it's currently sounding very "Floyd-ian". That's music I love, but I can't find my own space in it yet. I'd prefer to bend it into something more like "Camel" or Caravan, but I haven't had much success so far.

It'll probably end up occupying some weird space, like a dollar-store version of the Enid (do look them up if you don't know them); but then I'll be haunted by the vengeful ghost of Bob Godfrey for the rest of my life.
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Can't wait to hear it! Please share when it's ready.
 
LSchefman said:
I guess some might call our accidents 'discoveries'. ;)

I like thinking of them as accidental in certain ways. Really, isn't that what some discoveries amount to?

Post some stuff. I'd love to hear it.
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In one of our bands we had a Jazz keys player who toured a lot before he joined us. At a practice I was kicking myself over an egg I’d just laid, and he called me over. He started slapping the keyboard with splayed fingers. He asked me if it sounded bad. I honestly said no. Then he looked me in the eye and said, “Remember this. A mistake can be your best friend”.
Oh yeah.
 
theDeepender said:
In one of our bands we had a Jazz keys player who toured a lot before he joined us. At a practice I was kicking myself over an egg I’d just laid, and he called me over. He started slapping the keyboard with splayed fingers. He asked me if it sounded bad. I honestly said no. Then he looked me in the eye and said, “Remember this. A mistake can be your best friend”.
Oh yeah.
Click to expand...
I always tell myself it's not about playing a 'wrong' note. It's about where you go with the NEXT note.

On the other hand, one beautiful thing about being a composer is that I have forever to decide where to go with it. Maybe I like the happy accident, that wrong note; there's no rush to find the next one.

I can try every note on the neck or keyboard, and change the other instrument's lines to make the happy accident even happier, and take my own sweet time experimenting.

It's a great luxury that you don't get in live performance.
 
LSchefman said:
I love Satie.

I wish I was him. Of course, then I'd be dead.

"That might be a good thing for the rest of us."

"I know. But maybe not so good for me."
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I did a presentation on Satie in a music history class. Dude was out there. They all were back then because they all got syphilis and went nuts.

Anyways it's reported he kept two grand pianos one upside down on top of the other one used for storing papers and never went out in public without an umbrella and a hammer. The umbrella for sun protection and the hammer for personal protection.
 
LSchefman said:
I always tell myself it's not about playing a 'wrong' note. It's about where you go with the NEXT note.

On the other hand, one beautiful thing about being a composer is that I have forever to decide where to go with it. Maybe I like the happy accident, that wrong note; there's no rush to find the next one.

I can try every note on the neck or keyboard, and change the other instrument's lines to make the happy accident even happier, and take my own sweet time experimenting.

It's a great luxury that you don't get in live performance.
Click to expand...
Wonderful.
Confession time. Often, after making a quick recovery and cover up of a mistake, I will repeat the same mistake with a “Yeah, I meant to do that” look on my face when that part of the song comes around again. B-)
 
jak3af3r said:
Dude was out there. They all were back then because they all got syphilis and went nuts.
Click to expand...
Maybe a person has to be a little...um...eccentric, shall we say...to be a composer in the first place?

The saddest thing about Satie was that he was a very serious drinker, and died of cirrhosis. But he was a recognized and successful composer (though he never hung onto money) which is pretty hard to accomplish in and of itself, worked with artists like Picasso on projects, and was also a published writer. I don't remember if it was newspapers or magazines.

I recall reading that he was part of a circle of composers who were considered avant-garde at the time, Including Ravel and Debussy.

So regardless of his peccadilloes, of which I'm sure there were many, he was an accomplished person. It was really a shame about his drinking, and he died in his fifties.

I never read that he had syphilis, but I'll take your word for it!

He and his work are remembered 100 years after his death. That's pretty good, though obviously he's too dead to care. I will be remembered by no one at all after my death, but that fact will be equally irrelevant to me as well. ;)
 
LSchefman said:
Maybe a person has to be a little...um...eccentric, shall we say...to be a composer in the first place?

The saddest thing about Satie was that he was a very serious drinker, and died of cirrhosis. But he was a recognized and successful composer (though he never hung onto money) which is pretty hard to accomplish in and of itself, worked with artists like Picasso on projects, and was also a published writer. I don't remember if it was newspapers or magazines.

I recall reading that he was part of a circle of composers who were considered avant-garde at the time, Including Ravel and Debussy.

So regardless of his peccadilloes, of which I'm sure there were many, he was an accomplished person. It was really a shame about his drinking, and he died in his fifties.

I never read that he had syphilis, but I'll take your word for it!

He and his work are remembered 100 years after his death. That's pretty good, though obviously he's too dead to care. I will be remembered by no one at all after my death, but that fact will be equally irrelevant to me as well. ;)
Click to expand...

He may not have had syphilis but many more famous composers did.

Somewhere I believe I have some of his work adapted for guitar.

Some of the really really talented composers/arrangers I knew are, as you say, eccentric.
 
I am always trying to grow. I enjoy a lot of different music and try to always be fresh in my listening. I try to never get into a rut and do this by changing styles of nuances of my playing. I may lose the pick and force myself to only use fingers and guitar controls. I may plug into a different amp and not touch any settings and force myself to find a way to make it sound good and musical in some way. I may change tunings or add or take away effects. Anything that may trigger an idea is a good thing for me. I try to always track ideas. I usually use my phone for that just to capture it. Tempo changes, time signatures, etc. Trying to play less and say more. Be more efficient in my notes and my technique. Forcing myself to allow more space at times. All these things are simple things however they are things I am mindful about. Melodies, subtle background playing that isn't too noticeable but really has an impact....little things. I love working on that stuff and trying to have something of value to say at all times. Playing is crucial and playing with other or along with records and such is great. I want to have fun when I play and even doing silly stuff like only playing odd or even numbered frets to come up with different things can take you places that can spark an idea. I do all kinds of silly stuff and I think it works. I admit, I am not a schooled musician. To those who are maybe what I say is cringe worthy? I was always one to color a bit outside the lines and rules weren't always my thing. I know we need them at times though. Rant over. :)
 
theDeepender said:
Wonderful.
Confession time. Often, after making a quick recovery and cover up of a mistake, I will repeat the same mistake with a “Yeah, I meant to do that” look on my face when that part of the song comes around again. B-)
Click to expand...

Absolutely! Play it three times over and it’s part of the song/solo!
 
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