Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 This Monday, I had a "jump out of the box" moment. Normally, I am a by the lesson book kind of player. I don't vary too much from the lesson book when I practice. My teacher has been encouraging me to put my own personal stamp on the songs are in lesson book. But I got so focused on trying to play everything perfectly that I lost sight of making a song "mine". So on Monday night, I said "Screw the lesson book, I am getting bored and I am going to noodle around." And noodle around I did -- I strummed and spanked my plank harder than I ever did, and got great joy from it. I strummed chords to hear what ones went together well. I plucked out notes and chords and sang "Leaving on a Jet Plane" at the top of my lungs. I tried fingerpicking, something that I have never really tried to do before. I even tried to think up a way that I could turn "Leaving on a Jet Plane" into blues song. Tuesday night, I went wild and bought my first capo and fooled around with that a bit. I can't (and won't) give up on the lesson book. But I really had the urge to stretch myself and see what I'm truly capable of doing. If any of you are in a "box" or a rut, I encourage you to jump out of that rut. You will never know what you are going to find. I may never be the same, and that's a good thing. Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bejeeber Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 OMG you're going freeking WILD!!!!!! Good work. Just a pinch between the geek and chum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 OMG you're going freeking WILD!!!!!! Good work. Well, I'm just a wild and crazy girl, that's all! Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Another good tip, is to get totally out of your box.. Then have a play You'll think you sound great... Just don't record it :-) If you aint having fun, it's not worth it. So yeah good on ya for letting loose! I have been working quite a bit on jazz/blues/funk comping, so I have been out of the box most of my practice time recently. lol Although I always like to try and take something a little outside of the original melody or progression, playing against the progression rather than along to it. It's all good fun! Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I used to recommend that my students get a chord book from their favourite band and learn a few "hum and strum" songs. The theory is very important, but without the fun, it gets old really quickly. Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I used to recommend that my students get a chord book from their favourite band and learn a few "hum and strum" songs. The theory is very important, but without the fun, it gets old really quickly. Yep. For me right now, I'm in a "I just want to learn a ton of songs" mode.. theory and technique be damned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisSiteSucks Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I'm working towards lead guitar and my instructor is constantly telling me "get out of your comfort zone!". He can't stand it when I bring in transcribed solos; he keeps working with me on scales and is pretty much "forcing" me to come up with my own stuff, IMO, this is a very good thing. I want to sound like me, not EC, SRV etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Tuesday night, I went wild and bought my first capo and fooled around with that a bit. Take a walk on the wild side Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo...... Right...don't just do lessons and learn songs note per note. Lessons are good to get your chops and theory down....but you also need to learn how to arrange, adapt and transform songs. Use your imagination instead of just your ears and fingers. That is the key to finding and developing YOUR style instead of copying everyone else's.... miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I want to sound like me, not EC, SRV etc. Well don't worry. It's not as easy to sound like EC and SRV as one may think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 Another good tip, is to get totally out of your box.. Then have a play You'll think you sound great... Just don't record it :-) If you aint having fun, it's not worth it. So yeah good on ya for letting loose! I have been working quite a bit on jazz/blues/funk comping, so I have been out of the box most of my practice time recently. lol Although I always like to try and take something a little outside of the original melody or progression, playing against the progression rather than along to it. It's all good fun! The really neat thing about this is that I may end up enjoying playing genres like blues that I normally don't listen to. So it may make me branch out and sample music and open a whole new world to me. Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 Tuesday night, I went wild and bought my first capo and fooled around with that a bit. That is the key to finding and developing YOUR style instead of copying everyone else's.... When I read the above quote, I kept thinking about my fav group, the Lovin Spoonful. They were such a mix that you never knew just what they were going to do next. I kind of want to be like that, be able to play a little bit of country, rock, blues, etc. but make it my own. Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 I'm working towards lead guitar and my instructor is constantly telling me "get out of your comfort zone!". He can't stand it when I bring in transcribed solos; he keeps working with me on scales and is pretty much "forcing" me to come up with my own stuff, IMO, this is a very good thing. I want to sound like me, not EC, SRV etc. I had a vocal teacher many years ago that would force me to interpret things differently from the record so that I could "own" the song. I heard a gal do a version of the children's song "You are My Sunshine". Her version sounded so different that I almost didn't realize that it was that song! Michelle Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 I used to recommend that my students get a chord book from their favourite band and learn a few "hum and strum" songs. The theory is very important, but without the fun, it gets old really quickly. I have a John Denver songbook, which is an Easy Guitar book, and a John Sebastian songbook. I was really intimated by both, but decided to take the plunge and pick out notes and then do the chords. One thing I noticed about the Easy Guitar book is that it has left out some of the really nice, intricate intros that John Denver had in his songs. My teacher said that sometimes companies do that because some of the intros might be classified as something other than Easy Guitar. Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bejeeber Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 ....I heard a gal do a version of the children's song "You are My Sunshine"..... That's the favorite song of a 92 year old guy I know - apparently it was written by a governor of a US state (forget which one) and was a huge hit amongst adults in the 30's or something. Just a pinch between the geek and chum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bald Ego Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 There's a box!?? I've always improvised. Maybe some kinda box would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisSiteSucks Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Hardtail, hopefully you know what I was trying to get across. No one will be EC or SRV, I was just trying to point out the importance of developing ONE'S OWN style. However, I must admit, your rendition of Crossroads is very well done LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdrs Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Well, truth be told, some people should never venture out of the box. For others, it comes naturally. If going out of the box means trying things you have not done before, this is good. But, there is not a thing wrong with learning to copy exceptional players. You probably ought to learn the language, before you start making up new words. Don "There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by." http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296 http://www.myspace.com/imdrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Outta the box? Consider me Crayola Crayon number 66, scribbling around the old classic 64-Color box with the crayon-sharpener in the back... Get down with your bad self, G'zannie! Step on that box! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 When I started playing, it was pretty much along with a bunch of other guys in junior high, so there wasn't really a box to jump out of. It was all pretty "ad hoc". Somebody would work out a song, or learn a new chord or an exercise and then we'd all learn it off each other. We'd have jams on the way to and from school while waiting for the train and so on. I gather that that is the way most music was made since day #1, people picking up a bit of this and that along the way. I don't know if having a box is actually a good idea in the first place. It sort of feels like an unnatural concept. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I was just trying to point out the importance of developing ONE'S OWN style. Is it really that important? I'm not trying to be a pain in the rear about this but I'm just wondering how important that is. I just do what I do and some style comes out naturally. I don't fight it or force it. My main motivations right now is just to have cool licks, good technique and good basic musicianship. If it sounds like someone else right now, I'm not too concerned about it at this point. Here's a good article about "originality": http://www.tomhess.net/articles.php?article=6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampdog Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Tuesday night, I went wild and bought my first capo and fooled around with that a bit. Michelle Something as simple as this is amazing... play the same song up a couple frets and 'viola' you are "walking through a different neighborhood" Playing in a different tuning can work wonders too... Open G, Open E, Drop D... It's like getting a new FX pedal... all of a sudden the songs you've been playing have a whole new and interesting feel to them. If it ain't fun...why do it...? http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=778394&content=music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Get together with another musician-friend (on any instrument and improvise together- in total darkness. It's a little awkward at first, not being able to look at the fretboard or the other player's fingerings (where relevant), but once you begin to get used to that and go more and more out on a limb, it's actually very liberating and fruitful ground for some musical box-jumping-out-of... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Get together with another musician-friend (on any instrument and improvise together- in total darkness. It's a little awkward at first, not being able to look at the fretboard or the other player's fingerings (where relevant), but once you begin to get used to that and go more and more out on a limb, it's actually very liberating and fruitful ground for some musical box-jumping-out-of... Many years ago, we used to set up a strobe light and play with just that going. But that's another story... Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Get together with another musician-friend (on any instrument and improvise together- in total darkness. It's a little awkward at first, not being able to look at the fretboard or the other player's fingerings (where relevant), but once you begin to get used to that and go more and more out on a limb, it's actually very liberating and fruitful ground for some musical box-jumping-out-of... Many years ago, we used to set up a strobe light and play with just that going. But that's another story... Hahhahh! Ever hear the B-52s song, "Strobe Light"? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I know I'm always saying this, but a good little exercise is to play along while watching TV commercials. You get constantly changing styles and keys, and you only have a few seconds to wing it and come up with something. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I heard a gal do a version of the children's song "You are My Sunshine". Her version sounded so different that I almost didn't realize that it was that song! I'm going to plug myself here and link Behind Blue Eyes again. I've always liked songs turned inside out instead of a straight cover - Bill Frisell is a genius at this, and there are several other contemporary jazz artists who don't do fuzak and really interpret the songs. Brad Mehldau on piano is another. Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzannie Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 I know I'm always saying this, but a good little exercise is to play along while watching TV commercials. You get constantly changing styles and keys, and you only have a few seconds to wing it and come up with something. And you might end up making better music than what's in the commercials! Michelle My new baby is a 2002 Collectors by Ovation I think this is a cool song title -- "Can't Remember to Forget" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdrs Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 O.K.....here's "out of the box"; You've likely heard the story......ELP sent charts of their proposed take on "Fanfare For The Common Man" to Aaron Copland when asking permission to use his songs. The story goes that he sent them back, saying that you're not doing anything new here. Apparently they had just put his original score down on their chart. Copeland encouraged them to "play out of the box". Apparently he approved the versions of his material that they eventually played; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiB8B4XsBRk&feature=related Compare to; Don "There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by." http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296 http://www.myspace.com/imdrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 I've always liked songs turned inside out instead of a straight cover I was never much into that myself. That would be like me turning up the Fender and cranking Autumn Leaves metal style on the LP. To each their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdrs Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Steve Howe gettin out of the box; Don "There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by." http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296 http://www.myspace.com/imdrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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