JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum Play some music...

I was thinking, if you are fit and able, you should make sure to play a little music tonight. Pick up that dusty guitar or instrument of some type and just do it for yourself and the sake of having the ability and being on this earth still to make some music. It heals. Try it out.

Brian

Amen to that Brian

Amen to that Brian

Brian,
Great words of wisdom, I pick up mine every day just to escape the humdrums of life. It is a release that have have used for years. It lead me to start writing about what is on my mind.

Darwin

A bit of an extention toward this though.
before you pic up the guitar go to the lyrics forum and scoll until a Title tickles your fancy.
If i reading it, you feel the start of a melody going, print it out and stick it in front of you.
never know. it could be a good day for both yourself and the lyricist.
And for music in general.
Regards.
Graham

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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

A good thought for the day....

Thanks, Brian.

It's always good to remember not to take our gifts and abilities for granted. I truly believe that music heals, inspires and uplifts humanity!

Emily

I don't know what I'd do with myself if I DIDN'T! Even when I go on vacation and don't bring my guitar I STILL wind up sitting in with whatever band the wife and I go see while clubbing. It's an addiction {The GOOD kind!}

I have a simple one size fits all attitide with music.
Either someone has something that they know most people will like at a given forum or they don't.
I don't go to forums to where there are people that have played with big acts such as this and post songs to make a recording that is going to knock them out.
I come here to better what I am doing having limited skills and an unorthodox approach.

But I do admit that I take more time with a recording before I declare it publically here than at first.
I think of songs to where there has to be some kind of progress for the given forum.

But whether people like that big production I finally make or not will not matter.
I will go with what I am the most inspired by and what my instincts tell me of the performance.

I will keep posting, and I also have new recording toys in hopes of sounding better.
But if I am lax at posting songs here, it is because I want to do the best of what is expected of me at this forum.
Because that is what I am here for.

I don't know the dynamics of music and maybe not even the basics.
But all I can go on is my own perception.
I grew up in a time to where the conformist way was a no no all together.
But that does not mean I discount the traditional method of music either.
I combine, I never settle.

Matt

Contrary to manufacturers instructions, I recommend to newbies the first expenditure after the guitar, should be a stand. Leave the guitar in the stand and pick it up every time you walk by it. Worked for me. Now I've got a couple of Taylors, with which I follow instructions. Play a song right now...

So true Brian! I don't have a guitar so I just sing it as it comes, and it feels like your soul is breathing, so breathe in and breathe out!

I feel full of myself at times for my long winded explanations of what I do or don't do, talking bout' myself.
Not being out for anything other than just doing it, 3 years on the net can get aimless without at least some kind of perspective on what I want to do.
It becomes something to where I can't just say I am going to do something for giggles.
I was just a lonely guy at night after my labor job before this with an instrument.
That has'nt changed, except I do it more to play than record anything.
It's easy to play, but hard getting the drive to write.
Because there are so many different methods.
Like finding out the difference between hacking on chords and slopping something together instead of coherent, organized songwriting.

I don't practice too much, although I used to a lot more.
I just can't feel the inspiration playing for the sake of practicing.
I have been practicing with my keyboard more.
But I feel a need for a driven mood to pick up that guitar.
Though I am slowly getting a drive back to redo some of the heavy guitar originals I started out doing when I was deep into playing alternative and classic rock.

I'm usually driven by a certain mood or atmosphere.
I have my keyboard sitting in front of me since that is my main instrument, with my 2 guitars - electric and acoustic in the corner, that I have had sitting by me.

If I don't have the drive to reach for that guitar, than nothing will come out of me that I want to put to a recording.


And I also found out that I like a lot of the music the critics hate.
I have urges of doing political diatribes with music, yet want something more universal.

Being a wannabe songwriter that does'nt have much of the musicians attitude, I am driven only by mood and impulse.
I wonder how many seasoned musicians have a song idea that they really feel strongly about but think that it would'nt fly musically? Or what they would consider trash.
That seems to hold back many.
Even I have put only about half of the recordings I have made on sites.

Matt

First, do whatcha like.

Big arguments recently with my songwriting partner; "Make it more commercial."
"No, I'll write what I like, feel free to rewrite it and make it 'commercial'."

I guarantee by the time he's written a song for Janet, Alicia or Beyonce's LAST album, the've already evolved into a different style and are looking for ORIGINAL music.

Just venting.

Good Idea! I agree with Brian's suggestion to just do it. My guitars spent too many years packed away in their cases in my closet. Every time I'd take time to take them out, it was a production of tuning, adjusting, rebuilding callouses and re-figuring out old worn out cover songs. After my 56th birthday, I came to the realization that putting off till someday was not too bright. I doubt I will get another 56 years to work it out. So now I keep an acoustic, an electric, a bass guitar in stands in my music/computer/recording room at home.
Better late than never!

I grab a guitar at least once a day. A lot of my songs have come from just picking up a guitar and playing some different chord progression - something that seemed interesting at the time.

So, I agree, play today, play tomorrow, play until you can play no more!!

Steve V

I just went on vacation to Panama City Fla, and the wife and I took an afternoon to see a friend of hers in Pensacola, and we somehow wound up at the world famous Flora-Bama Bar on the Florida-Alabama border. So naturally I wound up sitting in with the band. I just can't help myself!

Brian,

I played for the sake of playing. i watched two secret lovers casually touch eachother. the chemistry oozed off of themm.

i notice things when i play

-steve

I know a good motivator for me in the last year and a half has been doing something that is more genre specific and standard for the more traditional forums. I have maybe 3 of them of the almost 30 mp3's I have spread through sites.
But I always may be a bit unorthodox in forums like that and feel I would be too derivative if I tried to be too consumate.
My only exception in trying to be more structured recently has been a couple of rough, sloppy taped recordings from years ago I went to the mp3 threads with.
I have been getting back to the more conventional rock structures, with even organ playing.
I recorded a song at soundclick commemerating old time rock and roll using those influences (sorry, that's the closest I can come to it).

I liked doing things just to gain more structure since I hung around bands and college dj's.

But if I do something out of thinking everyone else likes it, it's like I'm trying to be a poser instead of a composer.

I can only record something not thinking all together if someone else wants to hear it.
Music is something very intrapersonal to try and play.
I was in the rut for awhile of doing what I think people like.
It seemed to zip all the inspiration out of it.

I know whenever I do that big project, it will have to be for myself.
I invite others to get into it too, and I would prefer like it.
But these "Musicians" hangups with self esteem seem to affect the attitude to play.
I don't know if anyone else that picks up the instrument ongoing goes through that.
There's wanting more structure, and then there are things that are just better off left alone.

But my experience here has at least helped me to put my lyrics in a more rythmic sync.

Matt

Sorry Brian I cannot play a guitar so it would sound terrible. but I like the sentiment. Sometimes though a career musician likes some time to himself especially after a busy tour. The luxury of not having to play can be just as relaxing and rewarding.

Brian,

Agreed.

Sometimes I feel that I've lost the drive I had when I was a child - when I never thought about making money from music. Too young to have thought about this. Didn't care. Playing my instrument was totally about having fun. I was so innocent, without having all those distractions that come with adulthood.

Has anybody ever felt this way? Have our vision been clouded?

Anyway, my keyboards are guilty of accumulating lots of dust sometimes. So, as Brian said, tonight is the night.

Good thought, Brian. Today is my Dad's 82nd birthday, and I am very thankful I was able to celebrate it with him & spend my summer holidays with him too. I had a cancellation for tonight, so I called up my friend and we're going to the local Bluegrass jam. Yeah!

gonna take your advice and go see a couple of old friends tonight...
i'm sure they'll invite me up to do a few..

the keyboard player knows the verse to every standard ever written so i'll be learning plenty of good stuff...

wish you and the wife could come along..it's gonna be good

bob

Bob,

Wish you had come out to one of the JPF events in Chicago in May. Glad to hear you're feeling well and playing some music though!

Brian

yeah, brian..i'm sorry i missed those..

my diabetes has really played havoc with my eyesight so driving (especially at night) is a problem..i just couldn't line up a ride to the jpf dates..this thing tonight was in long grove, just about a mile from where i live...

it was alot of fun and they put me on a couple of dates in sept..the guys are old pros and it's alot of good music...

the keyboard player is a monster and everybody else is top notch...an incredible pick up band..you'd really enjoy it, I'm sure..

Best to you and Linda..

Bob

That's why I am doing the big Euro trip this year. Figure I will never be healthier than I am right now. = )

Brian

Hey Brian,
Don't know what I would do with out my guitar. Can't count the hours of peace and solitude it has given me. Just wish my skill level equaled the hours of playing.
The joke in my house is that i'm the only person they know who could watch a two hour movie play the guitar and have a discussion all at once.
I am always encouraging people to learn to play an instrument. Your never alone!

Steve