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cath
Starlite Member
Username: Catscanfly
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 04:29 pm: | 
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When you're writing a song, do you go straight to the piano or do you pick up your guitar? Or do you prefer a different instrument entirely?
personally I'm hopeless if I don't have an acoustic on my lap. I think it's cause it's just my most comfortable and instinctive chord-based instrument. usually i'll start by setting a few words to a melody with my voice and then accompanying them. from there i build up the instruemntals after that and come up a rhythmic kind of idea. any thoughts?
"...Then don't go. Stay here with me. We'll start a jazz band."
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Jim Armstrong
Starlite Member
Username: Njaeok
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 05:57 pm: |
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Usually some sort of tune is running around in my head before I even try to write a song. When I realize there is no getting rid of it I break out my harmonicas and try to find the best key, Then I develope the tune until I am satisfied with it and can play it on my harmonica. Sometimes I go to lyrics and sometimes I don't but that is the easy part.
Jimbo
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cath
Starlite Member
Username: Catscanfly
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 06:32 pm: |
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I would LOVE to be able to play harmonica- my grandpa left his fetch quality one to me when he died and i have it in a box in my room, but i've never learned to play. Bob Dylan was one of my heroes though so i tihnk i'll take that up sometime- if i have no room for a piano at uni a harmonica might be the thing :P
"...Then don't go. Stay here with me. We'll start a jazz band."
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Jim Armstrong
Starlite Member
Username: Njaeok
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 07:26 pm: |
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There is something magical about a blues harmonica cupped in the hands of a skilled player like Dylan, something that gives the music soul and life either in solo or jams. It is excelled only by a sax played by a genius like Acker Bilk and only then because the sax is stronger.
I have many fond memories of wonderous all night jams that drew crowds of music lovers; and I was Jimbo the harmonica man. Oh the glory of it in my late teens when the adoration of the audiance was so important.
Sooner or later someone would hand me a sheet of music and ask me to play it.
I couldn't.
Those squiggles on the paper were meaningless to me. I could only make music. I couldn't read music.
So I would sneak away in shame and not go back there anymore.
Youth is full of folly from self indulgant thinking.
Jimbo
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cath
Starlite Member
Username: Catscanfly
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 06:50 am: |
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I don't think that is self-indulgent. Some of the greatest musicians and indeed movements in the world of music have been centered in the art form as a living, breathing word-of-mouth manner. I'm fairly sure that the majority of the Jazz greats like louis armstrong started out without the ability to read manuscript; after all, that's simply a question of whether you've had classical training or not. it doesn't affect the music that you have the ability to make.
my uncle is the manager of a local coffee house in town and occasionally i've played there on slacker week-nights with some friends just doing jeff buckley and jack johnson covers. I will never be signed by a record company but i think that out of all the vast quantities and styles and eras of music that i love, my favourite is the simplicity of live rhythm and accoustic. (ask me tomorrow and that'll have changed though, hehe)
I would have zero chance of being able to play guitar from sheet music at any rate- usually i learn from tabs, which i know is not impressive. at all. :P I have the practical ability of being able to read sheet when i play the violin and to an extent piano, but no way would i pass a music theory exam.
"...Then don't go. Stay here with me. We'll start a jazz band."
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Jim Armstrong
Starlite Member
Username: Njaeok
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 08:39 am: |
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The self indulgence was not with the love of music it was with my determination to believe that there was something shameful about not being able to read music.
When I grew up there were quite a few adults who were illiterate and most were more then a little defensive about the situation. In my teen self absorbtion I assumed the same social attitude was so about reading music and behaved with the same defensive shame. I was mistaken. No one cared a flip but me but I was too self absorbed to realize.
Jimbo
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Michael .P
Starlite Member
Username: Mik3y
| | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 08:33 pm: |
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It happens..i can read music and tabs but it was awhile before i could really read quick enough to play along too. I normally start a tune in my head then bump it out onto an acoustic and go from there..or i have the tune on guitar and i float some vocals over the top or chop stop n rock n roll a bit with the vocals running smack through it all. I fancy the harmonica i'd love to play I'm also a Bob Dylan fan hehe
Michael william James
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Elizabeth H
Starlite Member
Username: Socialbutterfly
| | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 10:30 am: |
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Some times I go to the piano, or pick up the guitar, but my instrument would have to be the viola. |
Pam Schwetz
Starlite Member
Username: Pamschwetz
| | Posted on Sunday, April 02, 2006 - 04:45 pm: |
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when I write poetry/lyrics...I usually have a tune in my head and write with a rhythm but I don't use any instruments...I only play very basic piano and guitar and rarely do...I can't do both at once...I fell into a band once and just sang my lyrics, I didn't play any instruments...If any one has any interest in collaborating using my lyrics and writing the music part please check out my song lyrics and poetry here and let me know...Thanks,Pam
(Message edited by pamschwetz on April 02, 2006)
www.postpoems.com/members/pamschwetz
www.myspace.com/pamschwetz
www.geocities.com/pamschwetz/pamschwetz.html
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Katie Estes
Starlite Member
Username: Southernl3elle
| | Posted on Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 09:30 pm: |
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I just simply write then fit in the tune. Without having any skills in playing any instruments nor having a band of my own... I'm sort of solo in the lyrical department. |
