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28.09.2007, 12:14

lars_alexander

pure nonsense, but anyway -

post here whatever comes to your mind when you're bored, lacking creativity or need a musical hug,
or if you know of a cure against boredom, can boost creativity or give away free musical hugs

I could use one of those creativity boosters right now...

bring 'em on!
- lars_alexander

REPLIES

01.10.2007, 17:29

davidcarr

A friend just gave me an old Italian JEN fuzz pedal. He is a great player and thought I might like an old thing that he had no use for. In the solitude of my studio one night I fitted a battery, plugged it in and turned it up. My Lord this was FILTHY. It sounded like the tone made by my original guitar hero Andy Scott from the Sweet. I felt a hug from the past; some familiar sound from the depths of my memory was lifted into the moment. All of a sudden I was the 14 year old again, playing lines from 'Turn it down', 'Solid gold brass' and 'Action'.
Memories from the time I began my musical journey are precious to me.
I wonder who else has a daggy childhood guitar hero?

- davidcarr

03.12.2007, 13:27

jussi

Do you guys ever get the feeling there's just too much interesting music, different styles and musical concepts and techniques out there that you don't know where to focus? How do you usually cope with this?

- jussi

06.12.2007, 13:49

lars_alexander

Yeah, I kinda know that.
I'm not so much a musician that I'd have to cope with it, I guess. I'm happy when I can play my guitar and sing and not being bothered by the need to use a specific style on demand. I'm not a professional... (who would have known - haha!)

I thought for many years, that I wanted to play jazz music and some heavy rock and then some blues, but I found that I didn't want to play any covers (nor couldn't... what a loser! ;) So, I tried to come up with something that I felt was my own music and my own song. And working on that, I guess several years from now that road will lead me to where I want to go and be.
Concept-wise I might add that I reached musical enlightenment (or delusion ?) by studying Basic Harmony& Basic Mediantic (Grundlagenharmonik)by Werner Pöhlert. Which is a didactically great approach (and one of the few that works for auto-didacts as well) to understanding music and improvisation. And it draws heavily on decades of blues and jazz playing, explains what blue-notes and blue-chords really are and that the blues-scale, if you need to name it, means all 12 notes, and is in essence a chameleon-scale...
And yes, you can master music(al theory) without being able to read sheet music.
Furthermore... the whole bunch of scales and their guitar-playing masters and apprentices can be neglected. That is, if you're not studying at university or someplace... or are in the same room with other guitarists ;o) There is a great book by Pöhlert on Scales, the history of scales, and the analysis of scales by applying basic harmony. Good read and funny, too.

So, get a copy (in English), but I think they're out of print and could be expensive. A new edition (German) is planned for 2008 - rumours say that.

And yes, there is so much beautiful and interesting music out there... wonderful! And hopefully more of it will be played on Flaxwood guitars! ;o)

Take care you all!

P.S.: @david - no daggy childhood guitar hero, but there was a guy called Elvis Presley. And a band from Austria - Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung (EAV) which is kind of Zappa. Hell, yeah! Frank Zappa! Any more musicians like him? (Probably, but not on the radio or MTV...)

Regarding fx-pedals: I switched off reverb on my amp. No fx now. I feel happy without them. I guess something's wrong with me...
Maybe it's because I'm not a guitar-player... I should pick up my alto sax again. :o)

- lars_alexander

01.01.2008, 02:33

lars_alexander

Happy New Year everyone!

- lars_alexander

05.01.2008, 02:00

jussi

Here's a topic for discussion:

I've been doing some reading lately, and stumbled on some drummers (of all people ;)) who've really got me thinking about the mechanics of playing guitar. Billy Ward has a great book out called "Inside Out - Exploring the Mental Aspects of Drumming" that's given a lot of food for thought on musicianship and playing. Along with instructional DVD's by him and people like Steve Jordan, I've really started to think about the parallels between the physics of drumming and guitar-playing (for instance the bounce of a drum versus the bounce of a pick after it strikes a string). Ward also makes some damn insightful points on being a musician and mechanisms he uses to survive in the field.

Another book that I recommend is "Effortless Mastery - Liberating the Master Musician Within" by pianist Kenny Werner, along with Eugen Herrigel's "Zen and the Art of Archery".

Any thoughts? Where do you guys get left-of-center inspiration?

Happy New Year!

-J

- jussi

29.03.2008, 17:39

lars_alexander

Just got a reminder of what I'd like to do...

www.youtube.com

Good ol' John Lee Hooker!

Gotta do some recording and try out...

- lars_alexander

21.05.2008, 01:34

lars_alexander

Play guitar like a martial artist. Practice playing like a martial artist.

My left-of-center inspiration for some years now.

Apart from that I'm bored and need a band.

- lars_alexander

21.05.2008, 12:45

jussi

Martial arts -- I second that strongly. With concentration, breathing, the finesse of the physical movements... I've been working from a similar mindset for some time now.

Lately, though, my focus has really made a run for it and scattered. I need it back. Quick.

What kinds of methods do you use when you practice?

AL-san, vi must praktis.

-Jussiyagi

- jussi

22.05.2008, 00:12

lars_alexander

Of course, I use very special highly secret martial arts methods to gain blinding speed and perfect articulation :o)
They are secret.

Channel your chi, brother. And I'm going to write down some of my thoughts concerning martial arts and playing guitar and send you an e-mail. Some patience required...

How's your unfretted work going with your fretless Liekki?

vi must praktis, indeed! I'm working on doing vocals while playing guitar (more than the basic strumming) and need to get my mojo working ;o)

- lars_alexander

23.08.2008, 00:57

lars_alexander

So, what do we do now?

Keep the forum alive, post articles, open new threads, head into talk and discussion!

- lars_alexander

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