Save it

Hello, world!

Some of my US readers may have seen the news about the street racing accident in Accokeek. A crowd had gathered in the middle of the night to watch an illegal street race. Unfortunately, the crowd had gathered in the middle of the road. An unrelated car plowed into their midst, killing eight.

Flowers, teddy bears, and spray painted forensics work mark the spot.

It also happens to be on my way to band practice. It's a tragedy, and one that could have been prevented. Most often news stories aren't close to home, but this one is an exception. I've heard the cars racing before off in the distance.

I know that musicians oftentimes are motorheads, too. Jeff Beck said once that if he couldn't be a guitarist, he would be a mechanic. Billy Gibbions of ZZ Top fame has an extensive collection of cars, and the list goes on. Hey, even I love 'em! I've got a '96 Z-28 that's my pride 'n joy.

Folks can be competitive, and when it comes to guitarists, that factor certainly doubles!

So, not to sound like your grandmother, but I'd like to add another voice to the growing chorus. If you like to drive fast, save it for the track. That's what all the real racers say. I don't care if you've just put a race muffler on your Civic, or have spent the last week supercharging your '69 camaro. Don't race it on the street, bro. Take it to the track. Period. You can learn about racing, meet new folks, and you won't get busted by the cops. And most importantly, you'll live to brag to your friends about how you spanked the car next to you.

The second "save it."

The internet is a wonderful invention. Thanks to it, us musicians have access to cutting edge information, which is often free!

However, there's always a few odd folks lurking in the shadows, spurred on by the boldness of facelessness.

I am routinely astounded at some of the comments left on free articles, youtube videos, etc.
A fellow writer on Ultimate-Guitar.com just got slammed by a bunch of folks for writing an intelligent, advanced theory article on voice leading and analyzing chord progressions.

Now, hey, I read stuff sometimes that I don't agree with, or enjoy. I don't like "Hints from Heloise." Or at least I won't admit it. But, you know, like it or not, cedar hearts do discourage moths from eating your clothes. (And if you've never had a moth eat through one of your shirts, you have not experienced the profound rage at a faceless vandal who's smaller than your fingernail.) So if ya don't like it, move on, and read something else! The 'net is chock full of cool stuff. No need to waste your time, and energy, by getting all worked up and venomous.

Here's an idea for all of us. Next time we feel like grumbling about an article, either to ourselves, or friends, or in the comment box...Let's practice an arpeggio instead!

Not only will it make us better, but it's a great way to refocus our spite into evil viking sounds.
For me, I'll be sure to get a lot better, because I'm always grumbling!

Turn that crankiness into discipline, and that discipline into skill.

See you at the racetrack!