? / 2 kindsa troof

[d halfnote]

do y wanna learn new stuff

(& maybe turn others on)

or just reiterate

?

-----------------

Ain't

Wrong / Right

---------------------------

Just

what U think

abt music

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I do it all, but mostly, I compose & play my own stuff.

 

...mostly in the privacy of my house, to an audience of dogs.

[desertbluesman]

I am an improvisor for my solo's, so my stuff is reborn every time I play a particular song.

[Danzilla]

I like learning & playing "new" stuff; both original compositions, and "new to me" songs.

 

I like sharing songs that will either be "new to them", that I think should be heard and appreciated. About 80% of the cover songs that I suggest to my band are not "popular" or well known; but catchy enough that the band says we should do them. And the audience seems to enjoy them and catch on, so mission accomplished.

[Larryz]

I like learning new stuff by playing the old stuff. I enjoy the chord changes in tunes from the 30's and 40's. I still play some 50's 60's 70's stuff in jazzy country and rock and roll just for fun. I like to arrange the older tunes that are new to me (but are old hat to the old jazz pros) and then memorize the lyrics. I record the chords to the tunes with and without the lyrics on my looper and then improvise and develop my own little licks from playing along with the chord changes and learning new passing chords and riffs. I get into playing with backing tracks and even play along with the same tunes performed by well known artists. It's a self-discovery learning process and I enjoy playing more at home than playing out to entertain others. Right now I'm working on ear training with major and minor scale intervals. I will also record and work on my vocals and review them at home as well. My last commitment will be a wedding the 1st week of November. After that, I am not scheduling any more gigs. Maybe an open mic now and then and I'll still be playing with my friends at our house jams just to keep my fingers on the strings, participate and have fun! Improvisation is the name of that tune...

[Winston Psmith]

Six of one . . .

 

The Music I record and perform as The Winston Psmith Project is all composed and arranged. I may vary the arrangements somewhat playing live, but what you hear is pretty much what's on the album, insofar as I can recreate the sound by myself.

 

Novparolo is all improv, all the time, our recordings and our live shows. The only piece we've ever done that wasn't pure improv is Floating Fortress. We've been playing and performing together for just over three years, and we get together for practice & recording once or twice a month, along with having live shows pretty much every month from February through November. Here's a short clip from our show back in May. [video:youtube]

 

About once a month, there's a Family Hippie Jam, or maybe a Hippie Family Jam? Bunch of old friends getting together to play a bunch of old tunes. We've lost a few buddies in the last few years, and had a couple of near-misses, too (strokes, cancer), so its good to get together and see one another while we all can. I bring out my old Alvarez Acoustic, one of the toughest Guitars I've ever known!

 

Otherwise, I have an old copy of The Real Book, bought out of the trunk of a Trumpet player's car, back when it was still a bootleg item. I have McLaughlin's transcriptions of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's works, a bunch of books on Scales and Chords, various songbooks, bunch of books on Synths & Synthesis, care & feeding of your Tube Amp, that sort of thing. I don't listen to new Pop Music, such as it is, because I don't really learn anything from it, and most of it doesn't reach me on any other level.

 

[Larryz]

+1,000 on playing with the old buds Brother Winston! I'll be playing with my old high school band buddies tomorrow afternoon and I'm really looking forward to it. The drummer and I go back to 4th grade. His step daughter is getting married in November and wants us old guys to come and play a set...so, we are going to be practicing up once a week. After the wedding we will still get together now and then. I have a couple of other crews I play with on occasion. I have lost three bass players over the years. I suggest keeping in touch and playing with the old friends as much as possible. They are family...

 

Ps. Cool Interlude!

[surfergirl]

I want to rebuild a majority of our set list. I want to move away from the more popular songs to lesser known songs, think that 11th or 12th song on an album. Then I will have Michael make them mine.

We don't have any original material. I think writing is an art and none of us has it. I suppose you could learn, but I think you have it or you don't. That is just my option and I'm some would disagree.

[desertbluesman]

I want to rebuild a majority of our set list. I want to move away from the more popular songs to lesser known songs, think that 11th or 12th song on an album. Then I will have Michael make them mine.

We don't have any original material. I think writing is an art and none of us has it. I suppose you could learn, but I think you have it or you don't. That is just my option and I'm some would disagree.

 

Writing songs is pretty simple stuff (for me) surfergirl. Songwriters call their inspiration "The Muse", as if it comes from somewhere else, and they say they are actually a conduit for something above us, and that something supplies us with hints. Just sit down and try it. Come up with a set of lyrics or a chord progression, and play the chords and try to write a story into a song. Or write the story first and try some chords with the lyrics. Easy. Just open yourself up for the flow of ideas. Believe in yourself and have at it......