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Buh bye 2016

12/23/2016

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My guess is that most of us won’t be sad to see 2016 be over and done, looking at the Big Picture in our world today. The trick for me anyway is to focus on the smaller things. When I consider my own musical growth and the progress of my students (the majority who have been with me for a long time) I really can’t complain. I’ve learned quite a few new songs in the last few months and really tried to relax and not be too judgmental about my playing. Focusing on melody, or rather, playing melodically has been my quest. Abandon aspirations of flash and concentrate on substance even if that substance is quite simple from a technique perspective. In other words, play what I can play as well as I can play it. I’ve tried to convey this to my students and most of them get it. Could this have something to do with the fact that I don’t have any aspiring rock stars in the bunch? Probably!
 
Of course there continue to be moments of frustration but that’s what playing music is and should be about, along with the moments of triumph. Little things confound me from time to time. Sometimes I will have to start all over when I revisit a song that I knew quite well years ago. I wish I could get over my quest for the “perfect” guitar, which I most likely will never find. Nuts and bolts issues like my ongoing battle with my new SD/USB recorder and amplification problems – OK, I admit I’m probably too picky! – make me nuts. And the inexorable march of time that has left me with an annoying case of Renaud’s Syndrome, rendering my fingers useless if I don’t pay very close attention to keeping them warm. A recent pulled back muscle heaving my Fender Vibrolux into the back seat of my truck on the way to a gig. Knowing that I should spend at least as much time exercising my singing voice as I do my fingers so one of these days I can get back to playing with a band when more singing will be required. So it goes.
 
There were plenty of high points for me in 2016 though. My continuing residence at the wonderful local café the Daily Brew every Sunday morning is great. February will mark my 6th anniversary there and tt has inspired me to learn new songs and best of all, I’ve met and come to know many of the “locals” who frequent the place. Some turn out to be fascinating, like the older lady who comes in once in a while and repeats her stories of playing country music professionally many years ago. She showed me a couple wonderful photos of herself in full cowgirl regalia holding her 1956 Gibson L5, which she still cherishes even though she gave up playing long ago. I keep asking her to bring it in some time as I’d love to see and play it. Although I’m not involved with the local bar music scene, quite a few of the players who are have become friends and it’s fun to gossip with them about the scene.
 
Although I said above that my guitar quest will probably never end, right now I have two great guitars that will probably stick about for a while, a 1992 Martin HD-28 C.T.B. (Custom Tortoise Binding) that is one of only 97 made by Martin as part of their long-gone “guitar of the month” series. It sounds and plays great, very classy looking with gorgeous appointments. For gigging I’ve been using an Eastman AC422CE, which I had Fran Ledoux of Bay Fretted Instruments outfit with a K&K pick-up and I replaced the tuners with Gotoh 510’s, also added some Colosi bone pins. It is a joy to play, with the slightly rolled edge on the fingerboard that makes it super comfortable. The sound is remarkable – it surpasses any of the Taylor 16-series guitars I’ve owned or played, many of which cost three or four times as much. I’ve had a few students in the last couple years who own Eastmans and I am now of the opinion that they are the absolute best guitars coming out of China at this time due to their flawless fit and finish – and sound. Plus, I’m less concerned with bringing out on gigs than I would be with my expensive Martin. If finances allow I may just pick up the mahogany version of this model in the Spring. See what I mean? Never enough guitars….
 
I had the opportunity to hear some great live music in 2016, the highlight being Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at the Cape Cod Melody Tent. We had seats only two rows from the stage and as much as I love Lyle, watching from a few feet away the legendary drummer Russ Kunkel drive the band was worth the price of admission alone. It was a GREAT show, probably the best of the 10 or so times I’ve seen Lyle. He is a class act all the way and truly loves and appreciates his band mates and playing. See him if you can! I also heard some great music last spring in Key West (and some awful music too, but hey, that’s Key West!). I’m looking forward to two trips down there including one in the near future. I will report back.
 
But for me 2016 also held moments of deep sorrow and the greatest joy. My mother in law passed away at the age of 90, not an unexpected event but I will miss her forever. She was a remarkable member of the Greatest Generation and a prime example of why it has that name. But my joy was the birth of my first granddaughter to my daughter and her husband. Little Clara is truly the light of our lives and as prefect a baby as one could hope for. I look forward to playing her some songs in the next few days. I did bring her a ukulele when she came home from the hospital but I don’t think she’s quite ready to play with me yet (!).
 
So, as I always say at the end of these posts: peace & good music. 2017 WILL be a good year because ultimately intelligence, compassion and grace WILL prevail. I absolutely believe that.
 
Happy New Year!
Gene


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Left hand, right hand....

12/15/2016

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I get the Facebook feed from Martin Guitars and recently they posted this:
 
“Your left hand is what you know. Your right hand is who you are.”
 
Wow, I can’t think of a better way to express the reality of making music on the guitar. (This assumes you’re right-handed of course!) When guitarists reach the intermediate level of playing and on into advanced technique they need to consider the next step beyond pure replication of a piece of music. In classical music there is an entire dictionary of Italian terms to convey what the composer wants beyond the playing of the notes. But in popular music it is rare to find such notation in printed music. Why is this? Perhaps because the writer of the music doesn’t really expect much interpretation, assuming someone learning their music is mostly concerned with getting the right notes and/or chords. Who knows?
 
I often stress with my students the importance of “making the music your own.” What I mean by that is not being afraid to divert from spending all their time just trying to play a tune “right” whatever the heck that really means. Of course – we all want to play a song as the artist intended it on a purely nuts-and-bolts level. But by adding subtle elements or even more radical departures it’s possible to come up with something that is not only satisfying but in many cases, more interesting to the listener.
 
Let’s start with the simplest one of all: dynamics. If you’re unfamiliar with that term it means playing parts of a song softer or louder, or with more or less emphasis. I’ve seen hundreds of people playing in bars and lounges as solo acts, duos and larger groups and I can say with certainty that very few if any vary their dynamics at all. OK, I understand this may be on purpose; if you’re playing in a rowdy bar and banging out rock, country or Irish drinking songs you’d best be loud and energetic or you won’t have the gig very long. Loud and rowdy = more drinks sold = more money in the cash register. I get that.
 
Conversely, if you’re playing a nice restaurant where your function is to help set the mood and never, ever intrude on conversation you’d better keep that amp turned down low. I’ve had instances in these kinds of places where patrons would ask to change tables as soon as they saw me show up with even the smallest amplifier, before I even turned it on. Again, I get it.
 
But in both the above scenarios some subtle variation in dynamics at certain points in certain songs will make the music more interesting and compelling if those subtle variations are surrounded by what the crowd expects.
 
Next element in making a song your own is variation of tempo. This can be quite radical if you’re bold enough but also quite effective. Jazz guitarists do this all the time. One of my favorite players, the Brazilian master Romero Lubambo often takes jazz standards and plays them in bossa nova or samba style and it is way cool. The great Stevie Wonder routinely takes the vamp in the middle of his “Superstition” and begins slowly it down more and more, then gradually increases the tempo back to the original speed and the crowd goes crazy, every time.
 
Now, these are radical examples. A more subtle way is to let the music “breathe” just a bit. When you get to significant phrase in the lyrics perhaps slow down just a tiny bit for effect, or even pause for a few beats before returning to the original tempo. This has to be done judiciously and not too often. The idea is to not be entirely predictable but at the same time compelling. Little (intended) variations of tempo make for a more interesting listening experience. Of course, if you are playing in a band be sure to rehearse these little variations and close listening to other members while playing is essential. Nothing with make a drummer’s head explode quicker than a player who is unpredictable and can’t keep the beat!
 
Then there is the structure of the tune itself. Things like playing a piece in a different key than is used in a familiar piece music can really open the door for some interesting variations. Even non-musicians’ brains “remember” keys of familiar songs, even if they have no idea what a key is. Shake ‘em up a bit. There is a risk that some listeners won’t like it but making music is and should be about taking risks! You might even take it a bit further and change the chord structure a bit. Try inserting a Am7 where the original music call for a straight Am. Add some scale-wise motion in the bass end between chords. Add an occasional hammer-on or pull-off here and there. Or even try substituting relative chords in a few places (G Major instead of Em, or vice versa; Am instead of C major). You may or may not like the sound and too much substitution risks changing the tune too radically to be recognizable but it may lead to some other ideas, too.
 
These are just some of the things I mean when I say, make the music your own. And who knows? Making someone else’s music your own may inspire you to write something. Which means making music that is entirely your own.
 
Peace & good music,
Gene

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More music recommendations, a great book, and a lesson learned

12/5/2016

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Some miscellaneous stuff today.
 
Continuing my thread of a couple posts ago I wanted to recommend some other artists I’ve been listening to and music I’ve been using with my students. First and foremost….
 
Sarah Jarosz. I’ve used her (live) cover of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song” for a year or so with some of my students. Recently I began using a couple tunes off her recent album “Build Me Up From Bones” including “Take Me Back’ and “Mile on the Moon.” The former is not hard to play – kind of a medium tempo minor key thing that is tons of fun to do improvisational lead guitar with. The latter is a great finger-picked song using Travis-style picking, just challenging enough to be good with students but not too over the top in difficulty. Sarah is the real deal, folks. Her singing is way beyond her years and her playing and writing are first rate. My prediction is that she will be a major force in acoustic music for decades to come. I hope to see her perform live one of these days.
 
Shawn Colvin. I’ve loved her music for better than 20 years and her guitar playing is unique. Her album of all covers that came out a couple years ago is well worth a listen. Her single guitar-and-vocals arrangement of the Paul Simon masterpiece “American Tune” (which I quoted in my last blog entry) is fantastic. And that song has never been more poignant or relevant. The chords are relatively easy but the rhythm takes a bit of getting used to as it switches from 4/4 to 2/4 repeatedly. But it works.
 
And speaking of Paul Simon….
 
I recently finished read the new (unauthorized) biography of Paul, “Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon” by Peter Ames Carlin. It is an exhaustive and fascinating view of Paul’s life and work and while some of the facts may be open to discussion my sense is that it is a mostly accurate portrayal of this incredible musician and individual. From his early days right through his current projects it portrays a true musical genius with a troubled soul. I remember reading an interview with his good friend Lorne Michaels (producer of Saturday Night Live) a while back when Lorne stated that writing is never easy and often excruciating for Paul. This doesn’t surprise me at all as he is an absolute perfectionist and has no patience with musicians, critics or others who question his motivation or commitment to his craft. And through it all are his complex relationships, with women, musicians and especially with his friend/enemy/collaborator Art Garfunkel. Read this book if you want insight into one of the most complex and magical relationships in modern music.
 
On a different note entirely, I was again rudely reminded of the importance of treating guitars well if you live in a place with varying temperature and humidity. I preach this to my students all the time of course, but sometimes things just….happen. I recently acquired a beautiful Martin HD-28 CTB (“custom tortoise bound”, one of 97 made in 1992 as a Martin Guitar of the Month from their custom shop). It is a spectacular looking and sounding guitar with a combination of herringbone and tortoise binding (which I much prefer to the while binding used on most Martins), the classic mother of pearl “torch” inlay on the head stock, the Martin logo inlaid in pearl at the 12th fret, diamond fret markers, gold embossed tuning machine knobs, and highest grade solid rosewood sides and back with a AAAA spruce top. With the exception of a couple tiny dents on the top, it was in perfect condition. To make a long and sad story short, I went out to my (well humidified) studio a week or so ago to find that the thermostat had stopped working and the temperature had dropped to the high 40s. The light was coming through the window in just a certain way and I noticed it immediately: two long spider web like “checks” in the top finish. AAAARRGGHH!!! Now, these are cosmetic issues only – the wood was not cracked, thank goodness – but I was depressed for days and couldn’t help seeing them immediately every time I picked up that beautiful Martin.
 
One of my students who I love to give grief to (all in good fun) said this when I related my sad tale and showed her the guitar.
 
Look, she said in so many words, maybe this is a sign that you need to stop buying and selling so many guitars in search for the perfect one that you will probably never find. Kind of like a loved one who has a bit of a physical malady but you love anyway, maybe you should break your rule about not getting emotionally involved with your guitar.
 
Hmmm. I thought about this for a few days. She was right. I’m looking at that wonderful Martin right now, and I think it will probably be with me for a long, long time. No matter what.
 
And oh yeah. I got my thermostat fixed.
 
Peace & good music,
Gene


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