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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Tim Chapman started a thread that asked "where" you play. It was very interesting to read the varied responces. I have only been here a couple months so I was able to learn something about the people I am conversing with.
My question is...if you picked up your guitar right now, what are a couple of the most likely tunes that you would play first?
Mine would be:
Here Comes the Sun
Amazing Journey (Tommy/The Who)
Desperado
Behind Blue Eyes
Moonshadow
Brad
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September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | A lot of it would depend on the mood I was in.
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground - W. Nelson
Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out
Desparado
Wonderful Tonight
Heaven - B. Adams
Noel |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I've been working on:
Everbody's Talking (Echoes) - Harry Nilsson
Good Shephard - Jorma Kaukonen
Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James
Far, Far, Away - Wilco
LoveGrove St. - Wagner
:D |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | What I play depends on which guitar I pick up. If I grab one of the National tri cones it's a bluze, when you're down and out or the thrill is gone or something like that. A National single cone will get a blooze in E or something Robert Johnsonesque. Then again I might grab the one set for slide and then everyone will leave the room including the dog.
If I grab a Collings it might be a blues or something country like, usually some tune I'm working on, either mine or one I'm trying to learn. If it's one of the wider neck like the OO42 it will be some sort of finger style piece.
I tend to think of a chord or two before I pick up the instrument and then play them and see where it goes. I attended a class with Ed Gerhard this summer and he calls this power noodleing. Some interesting things happen. It does keep me from playing the same old same old all the time.
So to answer the question, what I play depends on what guitar I pick up. It's great to have choices. |
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November 2003
Posts: 53
Location: Canada | Pink Floyd - Mother
Rush - Closer to the Heart
Eric Clapton - Hey Hey |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I guess it depends on my mood and the guitar. I just was replacing the strings on my EA Viper 12 and 6 so this is a timely post. There are a couple of riffs I like to noodle with but tunes I usually end up into are.. These are in no particular order.
If it's an acoustic sound...
- Why should it be
- Simple But True (Acoustic version)
- Running to You
If it's an electric...
- Say What you Will (Fastway)
- Simple But True
- Inside a Dream
- ETI (or some other BOC tune)
- Miss America (Styx) |
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November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: hatzic lake, bc, canada. | tchaickovsky's 1812 overture,(just the guitar part) |
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August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | 6-string:
Baby, Now That I've Found You (AKUS)
It Doesn't Matter (AKUS)
Sweet By and By
Just A Closer Walk....
Into The Woods My Master Went
What Child Is This?
12-string:
The Boxer (Simon)
Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Shall We Gather At The River
tim |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Mostly on the 12-string...
Lightfoot: Edmund Fitzgerald, Ghosts of Cape Horn, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Early Morning Rain, That's What You Get For Lovin' Me, Home From The Forest, Ribbon of Darkness, A Minor Ballad, Pussy Willows, I'm not saying that I love you, Affair on Eighth Avenue, Bitter Green; Croce: Time in a Bottle, Photgraphs & Memories, Alabama Rain; Dylan: Don't Think Twice; Kingston Trio: Chilly Winds, M.T.A.; Diamond: Solitary Man |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | 6 or 12, I tend to play the same stuff.
Gentle On My Mind and Wichita Lineman are the two best songs I've ever heard. But I've been known to bounce into Jimmy Buffet, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, or any number of other directions. What ever I'm working on at the moment.
If I pick up a nylon string, then look out, I'm going to play bad Jerry Reed tunes (actually, the should read "Jerry Reed tunes, badly").
I've got several electrics, but have never gotten comfortable with them. I keep trying. |
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November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Anything of early Neil Young....cuz I'm simple, and lazy. Variations on House of the Rising Sun, also. Went horizontal off my front steps this AM, won't be playing the next few days. Still bounce pretty good for an old fart, though! |
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September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | Just think how terrible it would have been if you had been carring a precious guitar!
Seriously, hope you get over it soon.
Noel |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Lately, I've been trying out some Christmas songs, learning how to play note by note on my 12-string, trying to keep all the notes on the octave string pairs. Sounds great if you can pull it off....I can't always.
I usually play Beatles' songs, "Let It Be", "Norwegian Wood", "Two Of Us"......been working on "House At Pooh Corner", "House Of The Rising Sun", "Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".
Sometimes I just JAM....I have some chord progressions and a rhythm I like that I run through. Or I work on doing rhythms using I-IV-V chord progressions in different keys.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Thanks, Noel. Need to remember to put out the ice melter a bit earlier....and turn on the porch light! No chance of harming my guitars; my wife won't let me play them outside my designated cacophony chamber, anyway!! |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | Sue says I play the same stuff all the time, I don't seem to agree.
No real tunes come to mind although lately I have been working on screamin jay hawkins "I put a spell on you" fav steely dan tunes are josie and kid charlemagne, sometimes I try to jam along to dave brubeck's take five or coltrane "favorite things" .
I play way too much blues and blues rock so I when I rehearse I try to break out of the mold and practice other stuff. |
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February 2003
Posts: 2177
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | 6 or 12 string:
Any Glen Campbell stuff
Worlds Apart-Vince Gill
Husbands & Wives-Roger Miller
Lately been doing alot of basic John R. Cash songs:
I still miss someone
Rock Island Line
Folson Prison Blues
Nylon string:
Classical Gas (of course)
General fingerstyle noodling (Lately alot of Christmas stuff)
Electric:
Ventures:
Walk Don't Run
Pipeline
Redwing
Some rockabilly stuff like Rebel Rouser but mostly I turn the amp up real loud and see what kind of strange distorted sounds & feedback noise I can make until my wife gets feed up and kills the power at the breaker box!! :D
* * * *
Mike :cool: |
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August 2003
Posts: 18
Location: blkyn usa | The first thing that comes out is something BB Kingish (Though not as good as him!) whether it's electric or acoustic. Right now, in order teach my student, I'm teaching myself a great ovation guitar tune, A Horse with no name, by America. Can we post tabs here? I'd like to share it, when it's done. It'll just be the rhythym and the words, no lead parts, but good for a beginner. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | That is some good stuff from all of you, I would love to jam on most of it.
If I am playing guitar I usually do vocal stuff like:
Til I can Gain Control Again (Love the guitar Bridge)
Come Sundown (Great guitar run in there)
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Little Joe the Wrangler
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Cool Water
Old Five and Dimers
Pancho and Lefty
The Talk of the Town
It Don't Hurt Any More
Born to Lose
Walking the Floor Over You
I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodby
Tennessee Stud (vocal)
I Wonder How the Old Folks are At Home
Love Letters in the Sand
The Great Pretender
The Magic Touch
John Henry
Mandolin:
Arkansas Traveller
Soldier's Joy
Cripple Creek
Red Wing
Blackberry Blossom (When I can remember it)
Half of Rawhide (Can't remember the other half)
Any Louvin Brother's song that I can think of at the time
Tennessee Stud (instrumental)
12th of January
Battle of New Orleans
John Henry
Lorena
Foggy Mountain (just to keep my mandolin break ready)
Long Black Veil (what happened to i before e except after c?)
When Irish Eyes are Smiling
How are Things in Glockamorra (my Mother was Irish)
various and sundry fiddle tunes
I am rambling here almost as bad as I do when I pick up an instrument, but remember, I have a song book with 1000 songs, most of which I have at least heard, and many I know. |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | I seem to bounce all over the place with my music.
I play a some Beatles stuff as instrumentals- Michelle, Norwegian Wood & so on. Sing a few (badly)- Maxwell's Silver Hammer comes to mind. I like the weird chord progressions the Beatles used in a lot of their work. I find it challenging but fun.
I also play & sing, (again badly) a lot of old C&W- Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Horton sort of stuff.
I like to play a lot of the "old standards" stuff too, like Wildwood Flower, Under the Double Eagle, Red Wing, Buckaroo, Country Gentleman, Black Mountain Rag, Sugarfoot Rag, Bury me beneath the willow. I do most of this stuff with a flat pick & my fingers.
I also play some Jimmy Buffet songs regularly- Pencil Thin Moustache, Grapefruit Juicyfruit & a few others occasionally. He uses some interesting chord progressions, (imo) not as weird as the Beatles, but fun.
I'm getting thru a somewhat abbreviated version of the "Lone Ranger Song" more often than not lately :) Classical Gas sounds really good on my 1612 when I can get through my "somewhat abbreviated" version of that too. I've watched GC do those two songs on that video tape I bought a while back about a dozen times, I'm getting a little more out of it each time. Yakkity Axe is fun. I pretty much only play that sort of stuff on my Epi Riviera (335). I don't have a comparable Ovation, yet.
On my 12 string (1858 Elite) I usually start with Scarborough Fair & Greensleeves, (& lately Silent Night & White Christmas) & end up wandering into things like Ghost Riders in the Sky, plugged in with the reverb cranked up, if my wife isn't home :)
Since I was to lazy to post in the "where do you play" thread, I'll add that I play mostly back here in the computer room alone, although I do go play with the bluegrass gang in Bend every other Thursday. Actually I just got home a while ago. With them I play things all the way from Jambalaya to Salty Dog to Your Cheatin Heart to a whole bunch of stuff I have no idea what it is but I can play the chords. You never know what you'll be playing except when it's your turn to choose. That really makes it kinda fun. I've finally played with them enough that I have some idea what might be coming. However, I try to keep 'em off balance. Last time I went over I had 'em playing "The Cat Got Dead" (Heywood Banks). Tonight I got 'em with "I Lobster But Never Flounder" (Pinkard & Bowden).
Had a great time tonight, btw. We had a good audience & the folks that were there have been playing together enough now that we're actually starting to sound reasonably good every now & then. If nothing else we're hell for loud for an all-acoustic "conglomeration" (couldn't call it a "group"). Tonight we had 3-4 fiddles, 2 mandolins, 2 dobro's, 4 banjo's, 7-8 guitars, a bass fiddle, a guy playing a flat drum thing on his lap with brushes, two harmonicas, a jews harp & a clarinet (yes, a clarinet! don't ask me!)
Had a great time!
/\/\/ |
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February 2003
Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | I play lots of things, varying from rock to funk to ballads to country to etc. lately I'm trying to play jazz.
Some of my fav's (electric and acoustic):
Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani
Always with me, Always with you - Joe Satriani
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Taillights Fade - Dinosaur Jr.
The Way - Fastball
Michelle - Anouk
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
Jeannie don't you take your love to town - Jon Bon Jovi
Blaze of Glory - Jon Bon Jovi
Hold the Line - Toto
Hate everything about you - Steve Lukather
Dust in the Wind - Kansas
Straight to your Heart - Bad English
Time Stood Still - Bad English
Play that Funky Music - ???
Etc. Now that i write this down, i guess i'm still a rockplayer :)
Martin |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Just one question
Does anybody do Roy Orbison, I didn't see any of his songs? (Just saw "Black and White" again.) |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Since I sing more than I play, I usually sing some of the following and then try to follow with my fingers.
[list]
Old Tennessee - Dan Fogelberg
Danny's Song - Loggins and Messina
A Love Song - Loggins and Messina
Blackbird - Kenny Rankin style
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
Where Will The Children Play - Cat Stevens
Louise - Bonnie Raitt
Willing - Lowell George
Lady - John Denver
Easy - Rick Nelson
[/list]
These are some of the ones that I actually remember the lyrics. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Bailey, I worked on "Pretty Woman" for a while a few months back, but it has fallen out of my limited songlist for the time being.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Golly !! Great Thread-Lets Keep this one going! Now Lets See..Where do I start?I've always been just a simple kind of player-Self-Taught-So I've got some original Acoustic Based tunes I Do Here's Some Of The Others..
1)You Can't Do That-Beatles
2)Roller Derby Queen-Jim Croce
3)These Dreams- Jim Croce
4)Lovers Cross-Jim Croce
5)Time In A Bottle-Jim Croce
6) My Sweet Lady-John Denver
7) This Old Guitar-John Denver
8) Old Tennessee- Dan Fogelberg
9) Bluebird--Paul McCartney
10) Carolina In The Pines- Michael Martin Murphy
11) Love The One You're With- Stephen Stills
12) The Bounty Hunter- Mike Cross
And anything else that i can figure out...
Depends on What Mood I'm In. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Bailey:
Love that you play Cool Clear Water and Tumblin' Tumbleweeds. I grew up hearing my uncle and my mom sing those in harmony. And when we get together, I still play those. |
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June 2002
Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | I totally echo Paul Moody's sentiments regarding "Gentle on my Mind" and "Wichita Lineman." IMHO, they're two of the best records ever made! Because I, too, discoverd the guitar by way of Glen Campbell, I tend to play a lot of his stuff when I'm just noodling, and Wichita is one of those songs I find myself playing nearly every time I pick up a guitar.
Since I'm what you might call "semi-retired" from the music biz, I play mainly in church these days, so I'm working on a lot of Christmas music at the moment. But besides GC songs, I also like to take hymns and old pop and country songs and arrange them into, sort of, Chet Atkins style instrumentals. I'm also trying to develop my jazz chops by playing along with various jam tracks.
Jeff |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I see most folks (not all) seem to be playing cover tunes from a zillion years ago. Not a bad thing, but I thought with as many people that do not play professionally, we'd see more originals. I have always thought, from the time I picked up a guitar, that the main reason to play other peoples music was to learn it to get paid. Now there are of course exceptions to that such as when you like a song so much, or something about the song, or a part of the song that you really want to play cause it's cool. I have nothing against covers. I like to listen to people play their versions of other peoples songs. One of my favorite acts to see is "Reagonomics" in Ohio. Paul (who has been known to lurk here) adds his own touches to some great 80's rock and the antics and talent of the whole band makes it a fun show. I'll sometimes throw in a CD and play along just to play with other musicians so to speak too. But as the acoustic guitar is basically the perfect instrument to write new songs on (IMHO), and the artists that have been mentioned in this thread became known in many cases because they were new and different, I would think the inspiration to write original material would have been overwhelming. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Right now it's (obviously) mostly "warming up" the Christmas Tunes, but other than that:
CBalladeer six-string:
"Wond'ring Aloud" - Jethro Tull
"Into The Mystic" - Van Morrison
"My Lady of the Island" - CS&N
"Nobody Knows You . . " - Clapton
"I Will" - Beatles (ala an arrangement by James Taylor's son, Ben)
"Margarita" - Crosby/Nash
"Melissa" - Allman Brothers
"Skating Away" - Jethro Tull
"From The Beginning" - EL&P
"Sunday Morning Sunshine" - Harry Chapin
"That's What Living Is To Me" - Jimmy Buffett
Legend twelve-string:
"Tangerine" - Led Zeppelin
"Handle with Care" - Traveling Willburys
"Sanibel" - CSN&Y
"Alberta" - Clapton
"Your Own Special Way" - Genesis
"Riverside" - America
"Ramble On" - Led Zeppelin
"Northern Lights" - Renaissance
"You've Got To Hide. . ." - Beatles
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd
"Rain King" - Counting Crows
"Losing My Religion" - REM
"Maggie May" - Rod Stewart
"Give A Little Bit" - Supertramp
"More Fool Me" - Genesis
SlotHead Adamas (Double-Drop D tuning):
"Going To California" - Led Zeppelin
"Black Water" - Doobie Brothers
"Oo La La" - Faces
"Nexus" - Dan Fogelberg
"That's The Way" - Led Zeppelin
"Lazy Susan" - Fogelberg/Weissberg
"Dimming of the Day" - Richard Thompson (ala David Gilmour)
"Every Picture Tells A Story" - Rod Stewart
"Phoenix" - Dan Fogelberg
"Souvenirs" - John Prine
"Auld Lang Syne"
Applause ukelele:
"How Do You Tune This Fuckin' Thing?" - Original Composition
Limited Edition Alpep "Ricewood" dobro (open G tuning):
"Cat in a Cuisinart Concerto" - Original Composition |
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September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | Miles,
Maybe more folks didn't write about their original songs, because no one would have any idea what the song was or what it was about. For instance "Rosie's Song", this is a song I wrote about a lady that sang in our band and died from cancer.
Another one I am working on "I've Been So Miserable Since You've Been Gone, That Its Almost Like Having You Here."
Also, most of us probably don't have the talent to write many songs. I know I don't.
Noel |
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September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | Play that Funky Music - ???
Martin, my friend, that is Wild Cherry with, as the song suggests, a white boy singing and playing guitar.
Some of my faves to play on my acoustic:
Holiday--Scorpions
Always Somewhere--Scorpions
If--Bread
I'll Still Be Lovin' You--Restless Heart
Gettin' Better--Tesla
Little Suzi--Tesla
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You--Led Zeppelin
Jade's Song/Winter's Call--Badlands (Jake E. Lee)
Angel Song--Great White
Anytime--McAuley Schenker Group
Now And Forever--Richard Marx
Annie's Song--John Denver
Just to name a few...
Todd |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Could be lots of things Noel. I was just surprised based on the topic and where people said they played, and also seeing the list of "who" they played and the average appearent ages of folks here. Certainly not a critisizm by any means, just a point to ponder. The reason I mention age, is that the songs listed came from an era where being different, trying new things, etc etc was a big part of the music scene then. Now the late 70's and 80's music, the era I group up with, was all about copying the mold, at least for Rock'N Roll. So it would actually make more sence that I be one of the folks who plays covers... and I did. I had lots of originals written, but never played them for anyone but myself until about 1990 when I found some other musicians to help me finish them. I don't hang with a lot of musicians on a "social" basis, so I really just thought anyone who played at home, mostly for themsleves, was writing music. It's funny the perceptions we can generate in our heads... or at least in my head. Learn something new everyday... |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Miles
You make an interesting point that certainly makes one (at least me) think. I have played backup to some excellent original songs through various bands I have played in, but have never created much on my own. Basically playing has been a hobby for me, my income has been made from other endeavors, so I haven't tried to build a musical persona based on my music. Until I retired, playing was done on time borrowed from my life as a father, husband, and provider so playing what exists has been my way of doing things. Other musicians I've known have crashed on the cruel storms of ego that is not supported by talent, others are talented but have crashed on the cruel sea anchor of the need to support their families. Jamming at home at night is an escape from reality and I generally avoid making work out of it.
Somebody mentioned John Denver
Another favorite and one that speaks to this laziness:
Hey it's Good to be Back Home Again
Bailey |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Well Bailey I guess you returned the favor. You inferred playing backup and such was a little less time consuming, and more enjoyable, which on the surface I can relate too, but but I never really felt that way. Learning covers has always been a chore for me probably because my lack of musical knowledge, and of course with Rock you not only have to learn the notes/chords, but what effects were used too. I never have to spend any time "learning" my own songs or writing them. Finishing them is another story.. but I think the defining moment was when folks like Steve Vai came on the scene, and I learned there are actually 2 notes BETWEEN C and C#, C# and D,D and D# etc... My guitars don't have those notes. Well they do, but it requires careful picking and using the Tremelo system (whammy bar) to get to them. That's just too much work.
But back to your commentary on about having little time to devote... I was the exact opposite. I didn't have enough time to devote to learning other peoples music, which is why I left the last band I was in. They were playing mostly originals , but as I wasn't the writer, they were "covers" to me, and I had to learn them. That wasn't fun and I didn't have the time.
I have found these two threads to be very interesting or at least it's making me think about how and why people make music, which is yet another "angle" to it all. |
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January 2003
Posts: 38
Location: Denver, Colorado | Wow! This has been really interesting reading! The great variety in music is wonderful. There are some songs mentioned that I haven't played in years or never got around to learning. I intend to start strummin'right away. When I am out playing for folks, it's a mix of cover songs and my own creations. A mix of new country, older country, pop, folk, etc. like Broken Heartsville, Amarillo By Morning, Whiskey For My Men, Amanda, Don't Close Your Eyes, Some Beatles, Neil Diamond stuff, and some Eagles. My original songs are on two cd's I have out on CD Baby but no Biggie hits. At least the folks where I play like 'em. When I'm at home I pick up my 1617 and I either start writing or just sit back, relax and play my old Jim Croce favorites like Recently, Box #10, or Roller Derby Queen. I just loved his style. But I always end with something from Glen Campbell, usually Try A Little Kindness. It makes me feel good. |
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September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | Indeed this and where do you play has been interesting.
It does show how our personal perceptions have such a strong influence on our thoughts. I never realized that so many people actually wrote songs and a lot of songs! As I said, I have only written a few. And they came mainly because of a chord progression that I liked and I built a poem around the music.
But wouldn't it be boring if we were all just alike?
Our common denominator is a love of music and Ovaitons, from there our diverse likes and experiences make for an great mix with something for everyone.
Noel |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | The other day I was jamming with one of my guitar buddies and I sarcasticly asked him
"do you know any songs that were written in this century?". Then I realized that even what I consider to be my most modern cover songs are from the 1990's (REM, Bare Naked Ladies, Matchbox 20). But that being said, I confess I also am at heart an old codger and my favorite songs are from the 60's and 70's. To wit:
All things Beatles, but especially; Im My Life, Here comes the Sun, A day in the Life.
Lots of Neil Young; Heart of Gold (with Harmonica), Long may You Run; Needle and the Damage Done.
Led Zepplin - the Rain Song, Ten Years gone
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven, Lonesome Stranger, Running on Faith
Eagles - Take it Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling
Pink Floyd - Time, Brain Damage
The problem is that as your brain ages it starts to get hard remembering all the different songs that I have hacked away at over the years. Sometimes it's fun to be noodleing around and "discover" some old song you forgot abot 20 years ago. But Im glad to see many others from this board share my taste in vintage songs. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Miles
Basically what I was trying to say and as usual didn't say, was that I spent months and years learning the bluegrass and country songs for each band I played in by spending much time in practice sessions, perfecting arrangements, working out the sequence of breaks etc. so we could play for hours and have many strong sets. Bluegrass and traditional country has much adherence to certain "standards" that once you know them you can play with any band and do well. When you are gigging as something other than a traditional band, then you can introduce your original songs. Generally I was hired as a mandolin player and expected to provide some instrumental spark within the band's reperetoire.
If you know you're "genre" well, you can learn a new song pretty quickly but if you don't "own" the band, you will not get to introduce too many originals. Everybody I have played with has had more songs they would like to do than time to practice and perfect them and they just get glazed eyes if the mandolin player tries to change the song mix.
I like to play existing songs for my own pleasure because they are great songs that I like and that's what got me started anyway, and I can play guitar and sing. I don't want to compete with Hank Williams, Chris Christofferson, Roger Miller, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, etc. in writing songs, I just want to play their songs.
Bailey |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "I don't want to compete with Hank Williams, Chris Christofferson, Roger Miller, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, etc. in writing songs, I just want to play their songs."
Hey, like I said... I have nothing against cover tunes, or people playing other peoples music. Not at all. I love to hear music. Also what I listen to and what I like to play are two totally different topics. My point, which I probably fuzzed over was I was just surprised being basically a non-acoustic player, I had this vision of acoustic players, especially ones who don't gig, as being songwriters a little more than we are seeing here.
Also interesting to think about, as I read your post, as I don't play country or bluegrass, changing arrangements of cover tunes when I was playing wasn't an option for the most part (everything has exceptions). In the mid 80's when I was in the Philippines and in Hawaii, I would sit in for friends in local "house" bands. I'd get a song list, and I was expected to know the "radio" version when I showed up for the gig. Now of course as I was never that great of an imitator, I would concentrate on the sound, and put my own twist on things, but the breaks and arrangement was in stone unless we pulled something like extending a lead, chorus or break cause the crowd was into it. Come to think of it, even in original bands, most of the time (not all, but most) someone would have some recording of the song. Rehearsals were just to fine tune the tunes, and work on the act.
There are some interesting dymanics to bands and playing that frankly I never thought about before this thread. I can totally see the idea of being able to learn a "style" and be able to transport it between bands playing that style music. Sounds a heck-of-a-lot more fun than having to learn a differnt style for every song when playing pop covers, which is why I stopped playing them. I play my songs really well, but as a "weekend" musician trying to be 40 totally different artists in one night got to be a but much for me as I wasn't that good at it anyway. Nothing more depressing than giving your all to be mediocre at best.
Fun stuff to ponder. |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Reading this topic up to this point has made me realize that maybe it's time to do what I wanted to play guitar to do in the first place....WRITE SONGS....I'm old enough now I might actually have SOMETHING to write about(as opposed to the 16-year-old I was when I first started to learn).... :) Finding the time is the problem....
I read one or two of you say that you aren't good enough to write songs....I don't buy that for a second. The talent I see on this board is pretty awesome. |
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Location: NJ | I've written a few songs in my day. I don't think the rest of the world gives a s**t though. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | OAO and Alpep these two posts make what I'm about to say poinient... i think...
I tell anyone I meet that noodles with writing and even those that I record when they need it...
Write songs for YOURSELF. If other people like them, that's just a perk. If they actually want to pay to hear them, even better... but you as the writer have little control over that. Just write and play for your OWN enjoyment. The greats didn't write songs to see how many hits they can write, for the most part, and even if they did, the ones that actually turned into hits were the ones they wrote for themselves. How many interviews have you heard "well that one wasn't even going to make the album, we needed another song so I had this one."
A song doesn't have to have words, it can just be a cool lick. Maybe a bunch of cool licks. As our friend Matt Smith says, "music is supposed to be fun, that's why we PLAY insturments." |
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Location: blkyn usa | Just a little twist on this topic, I think most of us will take someone elses tunes, and put it into our own style. Example, I was playing yesterday, that old chestnut, Going Down this Road Feeling Bad, but doing it ala the Ramones. One Two Three Four! |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I will ALWAYS write for myself first....if you don't like what you write, why should anyone else???? I have "45 rpm ears", but I doubt that extends to my writing pen....and I'm not a bit concerned that it does!
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Let me take one more instrumental stab at this thing. If you think JAZZ, instrument breaks are not copies of popular tunes or copies of the licks on those tunes. Bluegrass mandolin (and banjo) playing is expected to be a little different each time when the break comes up, and it isn't hard to do if you consider any bunch of instrumental bars can be played with an infinite bunch of single, double, or triple, and if you are totally overcome by the song, even a quadruple stops, i.e. chord tunes in frantic speed.
What is considered simplistic about bluegrass/country is what makes it easy to produce some great instrumental music with a little imagination.
Bailey |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "What is considered simplistic about bluegrass/country is what makes it easy to produce"
I'm withya, although I would use the word "flexible" instead of simple. Especially the breaks in that style of music or the "imrpov" work, can be as simple or complex as the musician can make. Most of POP music tends to not be that flexible except for the leads, and even most of them are fairly well scripted with enough hooks to make improv limited. Of course, this depends on the band and venue too. I have played places where I could do what I wanted, but many of the more "tourist" area's required you to play and sound "like the song on the radio" or they would just get some other band that would. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | That's the point in a nutshell "like the song on the radio" vs. improvising every break. I never played in a "covers" band so I haven't had that experience. I have picked up a few licks along the way that go with certain songs so I am not completely innocent of a little of that sort of thing.
I find myself today talking a lot better gig than I been playing.
Bailey |
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| I would work on some country blues or sing something by Cash. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | secondroy
That is a damn good suggestion, and I'm going to do just that as soon as I hang up.
Bailey :D :D |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | One of the things Matt Smith told us at the Chop Shop was to record your music. Write and record your own music. Leave it for your grandkids. I've just begun that road, after years of thinking that no one would give a rat's ass about any song I wrote. Found the road to be kind and giving. Also, have branched out to playing the bass part to friend's compositions. Best thing about that is that I'm making up the bass part. Every now and then my fingers play what's in my head, and we click right then and there and the song now has a bass part. Well, it's times like those that make pluggin' through those guitar lessons, singing hymns in church, finding this board and spending too much time on it, buying the Viper Bass off e-bay after seeing it here, make it all worthwhile.
Posts about "cover" songs reminded me of this web site tab I Googled searched once upon a time:Summer Rain
Lost of good old stuff..... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | A sign behind the counter read "They won't remember what you said, they might remember what you did but they'll never forget how you made them feel".
Music is a medium, a form of transfering thought and feeling. Perhaps "covers" are the cookie-cutter memories of a time and place that you felt something extraordinary. An original artist demonstrates the abilility to put a "moment" in a repeatable form. It will be subjected to the performer's sway, but it is still their "moment"
Don't be afraid of trying to be that Artist. Don't be afraid to project those "moments" to others. Give to others a part of yourself. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | That is pretty close to the reason for playing oldies.
Somebody said:
"We had it all
Just like Bogie and Bacall"
That "Key Largo" feeling is what it's all about. |
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WHAT do you play?