I've reached the astounding conclusion that I'm a guitar player. Finally. After 47 years!
I've been playing keyboards continuously since 1954, when I took piano lessons for the first time. I was four years old. After a short while, playing keys simply became a familiar language to me. By the time I was eight, I was coming up with my own little child-compositions, and playing by ear. So I've always thought of myself as a keyboard player, and I've been playing keys for nearly 60 years.
My brother taught me a few chords on guitar when I was 17, and I learned the rest myself. But I was never as at home on the guitar as keys for two obvious reasons: first, playing time. Second, when you reach around 13-14, your brain begins to learn differently. It's easier for kids who start young to become virtuosic on an instrument, and harder for those who start later. Adult beginners on instruments learn this truth about brain development pretty quickly!
OK, so I'm a keyboard player. No surprise.
But two things happened recently that have altered my way of thinking of myself. Someone called me and asked for a license for an old tune I wrote about 15 years ago, and played on the Artist II. So I listened to it again. There was a solo toward the end. It was melodic, fit the song well, and while not full of speed and flash, was very well played. The timing was good, the structure built nicely, all in all, I'd have paid someone a goodly amount to do a session that well. And I thought, "Hmmm!"
Then last week I had to do a demo for a car company project. When I do unfinished demos, I often play the parts myself, and then if the direction is approved by the ad agency, I have someone who's a better player redo the take. Maybe they play what I did, only better, maybe they come up with something new.
There were two solos in the piece that needed to carry the melody. Much to my surprise, they turned out really well, were decently played, and had the all-important build, structure, and melodic content. The clients said they loved the work. I'm keeping those tracks!
So it dawned on me that, gosh darn it, I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and people like my guitar playing! So I must be a guitar player!
This isn't to say that most of you can't run circles around me with your speed licks and chops -- of course you can! I make no claim to speed.
But I can write a heckuva part, play that part well enough to get away with it, and my thinking is that if it sounds good, it IS good!
I'll admit a bias here - and of course, this is just personal preference, not a pronouncement of what's good vs what isn't - but my bias is that a good guitar player ought to be able put together an interesting melody that works in the context of a song, as opposed to string together a bunch of tired licks. A good example of a player I think does this very well but isn't an all-speed-chops-all-the-time guy might be someone like David Gilmour. Not that I'm as good as he is, obviously.
Anyway, after all these years, I'm thinking of myself as a guitar player capable of writing and performing some interesting parts. I'm actually both excited and relieved! Now I don't feel like I'm wasting my time being a guitar fan!
I know. You're all just so thrilled for me, right? :top:
I've been playing keyboards continuously since 1954, when I took piano lessons for the first time. I was four years old. After a short while, playing keys simply became a familiar language to me. By the time I was eight, I was coming up with my own little child-compositions, and playing by ear. So I've always thought of myself as a keyboard player, and I've been playing keys for nearly 60 years.
My brother taught me a few chords on guitar when I was 17, and I learned the rest myself. But I was never as at home on the guitar as keys for two obvious reasons: first, playing time. Second, when you reach around 13-14, your brain begins to learn differently. It's easier for kids who start young to become virtuosic on an instrument, and harder for those who start later. Adult beginners on instruments learn this truth about brain development pretty quickly!
OK, so I'm a keyboard player. No surprise.
But two things happened recently that have altered my way of thinking of myself. Someone called me and asked for a license for an old tune I wrote about 15 years ago, and played on the Artist II. So I listened to it again. There was a solo toward the end. It was melodic, fit the song well, and while not full of speed and flash, was very well played. The timing was good, the structure built nicely, all in all, I'd have paid someone a goodly amount to do a session that well. And I thought, "Hmmm!"
Then last week I had to do a demo for a car company project. When I do unfinished demos, I often play the parts myself, and then if the direction is approved by the ad agency, I have someone who's a better player redo the take. Maybe they play what I did, only better, maybe they come up with something new.
There were two solos in the piece that needed to carry the melody. Much to my surprise, they turned out really well, were decently played, and had the all-important build, structure, and melodic content. The clients said they loved the work. I'm keeping those tracks!
So it dawned on me that, gosh darn it, I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and people like my guitar playing! So I must be a guitar player!
This isn't to say that most of you can't run circles around me with your speed licks and chops -- of course you can! I make no claim to speed.
But I can write a heckuva part, play that part well enough to get away with it, and my thinking is that if it sounds good, it IS good!
I'll admit a bias here - and of course, this is just personal preference, not a pronouncement of what's good vs what isn't - but my bias is that a good guitar player ought to be able put together an interesting melody that works in the context of a song, as opposed to string together a bunch of tired licks. A good example of a player I think does this very well but isn't an all-speed-chops-all-the-time guy might be someone like David Gilmour. Not that I'm as good as he is, obviously.
Anyway, after all these years, I'm thinking of myself as a guitar player capable of writing and performing some interesting parts. I'm actually both excited and relieved! Now I don't feel like I'm wasting my time being a guitar fan!
I know. You're all just so thrilled for me, right? :top:
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