More inspiration!

Music is a creative art. And creativity is often motiviated by inspriation.

Now, this means it's important to get inspired!

This musical quest that I'm partaking in is teaching me a lot about life. Discipline was one of the first lessons presented to me (and one I'm still working on.) In order to gain proficiency at anything, one must focus, and concentrate.

The second lesson builds on the first:

The fuel, incentive, and reason for discipline is sometimes: Inspiration!

When we find our discipline lacking, and our creativity drained, getting inspired is important.

Try flipping on some music that turned you into a musician. The original tunes that rocked.
For me, it was simpler stuff than what's in my CD collection now...But it rocks, and it brings back that feeling of awe.

Going to see a concert is a great way to get pumped up. I'm gonna be at the Van Halen show (fingers crossed that they'll have a show) on the 1st. I plan on being inspired. Small jazz shows are just as nifty as the mega arena tours. One of the most inspirational concerts I've seen cost five bucks to get in to, and seated 40 people at the most. It felt like a private lesson with a world class jazz band. Far out.

And for more ideas, look outside of your field. I got up early today to look at the planets through a telescope. Have y'all SEEN Saturn through a scope before? It's incredible. You can see the rings. It's literally out of this world. I was also doing some looking last night, and I saw a gigantic city of stars who's light took 33,600 years to get to earth. And my eye caught some of those photons. Wow.

(BY THE WAY, on the subject of astronomy....It is so way cool to check out things that are millions of light years away - from your backyard! Sure, it looks like a smudge you can barely see, but by Jimi, it's a galaxy, and that's inspiring.)

I'm off to go practice. I'm inspired.

Practice time

Practicing can be the source of stress, anguish, fear, and great chops.

Well, we don't want the first three. We're playing for fun, and even if you're in my shoes, playing for cash as well, the point is - guitar is supposed to be fun.

If I find a way around practicing, I'll be the first to tell you. But for me, it's the best way to build chops, improve as a musician, and it also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I actually sit down and hammer something out.

For more ideas on the philosophy of practicing, see my entry On Practicing

( http://joshurban.blogspot.com/2007/08/on-practicing.html )

But here's a groovy idea: For me, the trick is to figure out what time of day I practice the best.
If I can get it out of the way the first thing in the morning, I can usually achieve my musical goals, maintain a bit of focus, and I feel great about it the rest of the day.

Some folks have great success when they get home from school or work. Others are night owls, working out arpeggios, inversions, and the latest plans to take over the world in the wee hours. (I think Stalin was like this, but I'm not 100% sure......) (Ha ha, night owls! You really are trying to take over the world!)

Try to figure out what your ideal time is, and stick with it.

(As morning is my best time, I get stressed if I put off practicing till the evening, because I know that I'll invent some excuse, and never get to it.)

Hit your stride with consistency, and watch your chops improve.

Now get off the computer, and go practice.

Recharging

Everyone thinks I'm the Energizer bunny - I'm always bouncing around,
and being hyper (and usually wearing weird shoes...)

But even I need to recharge my batteries.

I think it's important for musicians to keep this in mind. We are always hammering away at something, be it sweep picking, learning that song, or trying to figure out how the heck to tune the guitar.

But sometimes we need to completely step back, breathe in, breathe out, listen, and then pick up the guitar and play.

I just got back from a day trip in the mountains. Boy, it was good to be out in the fall, and get recharged. One of the things that always intrigues me as a person, and a musician, is how quiet it can be out in the woods.

Living in the Washington, DC area, it's never quiet. There's always a radio, engine, siren, or in the case of this particular city, the ghosts of integrity in the graveyard of the politicians' ethics. (Actually, I'm in the suburbs, but hey, those spirits holler preeety darn loud!)

In Shenandoah mountains - there's nothing! Quiet. Just the wind, and the ravens croaking morosely to the rocks. And my mind, incessently offering it's commentary on life. (If you think my blogs are bad, try being me!)

And here's the musical/philosophical thought for the day, brought to you by the quiet of the mountains, and the noise of my brain:

It's in two parts:

1. If one can truly quiet oneself, then they can play from an uncluttered square one. No static interfering with the signal. Just...music.

2. Find out how you recharge your batteries, and make sure you keep 'em charged. Especially when you hit a wall with your guitar progress. Stepping back can make all the difference.

And by the way, as musicians, perhaps it's important to learn just as much about silence as it is about the noise. I observe that most people are scared to put a long rest in the middle of a solo - we've gotta fill up the space.

Maybe it's because we don't understand the space?

Rocketman

Thank Jimi it's Friday!

I've got some good musical insights for ya today, but as usual, here's something first........

Did you know that the space age started fifty years ago yesterday? Yes sir, Sputnik was launched, and so was the space race, where we frantically built rockets, blew stuff up, and proved that American radio always had it shortcomings (they edited out half of the astronaut's speech! What, did he cuss?)...We also worked to gather important scientific information; mainly, proving that the moon certainly is a rock, and that it's really cold out there.

Man, don't get me started on that radio bit...

But seriously, folks, I was out looking at the sky last night, and I tried to imagine my Dad and his little buddies looking up at the 1957 sky, at this thing called "Sputnik."

Talk about a quantum leap. Sure, there were planes, but this was something in orbit!
Towards the stars! In space.

We've spent eons gazing upward toward the twinkling lights of the night, but these spunky Russians said "hey, we're gonna have a piece of that!"

And they did.

Sure, it looked like a flying Daddy-Long-Legs, but it was there, and for me, fifty years later, standing in my backyard pondering this, it teaches a powerful lesson.

Best summed up in one of my Mom's favorite quotes:

Don't wish upon a star - reach for one!

We are largely a society of followers. Eating lunch last Friday, I saw a guy walk across the parking lot, and his clothes made him look ridiculous. (You know it's bad if I'm saying it!) But it was in style! Can you say "baaaah?"

We tap licks out 'cause Eddie did, scrunch up our face cause Stevie made it cool, and even play our guitars backwards 'cause Jimi did.

But when are we gonna reach for our goals, hopes, and dreams, and quit following?

Sheep of the world! Unite! (OK, maybe my pink hair is turning me into a communist...)

But seriously, folks. What are you waiting for? Your guitar teacher to show you the lick to rule the world? Or possibly the latest gizmo to make you sound like God?

I suggest you start your plans for world domination right now.

Otherwise, (and I am joking).... the Russians might beat you!

Happy Birthday, Stevie!

Today is Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday.

He would have been 54.

My goodness, what a fabulous guitar player! Stevie's my favorite.
I don't know how he did it, but he would get this...roar..from his playing and singing. Such a little guy, but man, he would howl, and so would his guitar!

I'm very thankful that he's left behind so many recordings, so we all can enjoy the legacy he's given us.

So it's his birthday today, and I'd like to tip my hat to this wise bluesman.

I'm going to remember this today:

Have you heard that once you make a sound, it never stops? Now, I'm not sure if it's true or not, but if it is, it really makes ya think.

It can also be taken in a different way - everything you say to someone, every interaction, every cd you make, if you happen to be in the business....

Is never forgotten completely.

How many times can we remember stuff that people have said to us when we were kids, both nice and nasty. I still remember the bullies, the good guys, the harsh and kind words...

So we have two ways for sound and action to endure - through science, and emotion.

This makes me want to take care of what I say, and what I play...and make sure I want it lasting forever! No such thing as an insignificant note, word, or action any more.

Stevie's recordings give me a great example to follow.

Today, for his birthday, and hopefully from now on, I plan on keeping that in mind.

Happy Birthday, SRV!

Turning technique on it's head

Music rule # 347: Never wear wrestling shoes to a general admission concert.

Other than giving Washington-area podiatrists a huge influx of patients,
the Steve Vai and Zack Wiesinger show at the Birchmere last night was killin'!

They had us all standing on tippy toe, and by George, it was so awesome, we couldn't sit down!

(I think Steve Vai is getting bribed to do this by the foot doctors in the area...He even took a picture of his foot-very interesting with the conspiracy theory- with is new iPhone while onstage. And just WHERE did he come up with the dough for an expensive gizmo like THAT??)


But seriously, folks...I learned a great deal by watching these cats jam.

In the confines of my teaching studio, the world of music can mistakenly appear cut, dried, and small sometimes. And you've probably heard me explain how there's a finite amount of techniques.

BALONEY!

Steve and Zack showed me differently last night.

Jimminy Christmas, I didn't know there were so many different ways to make a guitar sing, growl, howl, and sound like band practice at Area 51.

I saw once that Steve said that he sat in his practice room one day, set the guitar on the floor, and spent hours seeing how many different sounds he could get out of it.

Last night, he proved that he really DID do that! Sometimes hitting the guitar to make the notes ring, or shaking it behind his back, or ripping some good old fashioned shred, it sounded like...an alien.

Opening off the show was "Guitar" Zack Wiesinger. Introduced as "The 20 year old guitar virtuoso, at 6' 2", who has fallen off more stages than we can count...Guitar Zack!" And here comes this guy who shares both the name AND haircut of my younger brother. I call it "The mile high hair." In fact, Guitar Zack even had a song that went: My Hair is perfect, it has seven sides. Cool beans.

Zack entertained the packed house with his guitarmanship, stage presence, sense of humor, and dynamics.

Yeah yeah, I've gone on about dynamics, but Zack really showed me how to use 'em. Thanks, Zack, for such a great demonstration! Ripping it up till it looked like his hands would bleed, he then would drop it off to a whisper, then groove off to something cool. Also making skilled use of the tone and volume controls on his strat, he presented the audience with a tremendous range of tones, sounds, and cool noises. (And just with a guitar and an amp! Simple usually, and especially so on a stage that Steve Vai would be playing in in a half hour!)

Steve came on, and succeeded in converting the entire venue to his brand of rock 'n roll religion. Looking like a psychedelic voodoo priest complete with a light up guitar, Steve was Steve, and boy, was he Steve. Talk about effortless playing, and some darn cool sounds. And who ever said the Whammy bar was just for decoration? Everyone half expected a little green man to hatch out of his guitar during some of this sonic excursions.

Both of the axemen showcased that Sunday evening thumbed their noses at the traditional boundaries and limits of "normal" technique. They truly spoke with their guitars.

Technique sure looked funny stood on it's head in the corner, it's face all red and upside-down like.

Way to go, guys!

I'm gonna have to try this....

By the way, check out Zack's site at http://zackwiesinger.com/
And Steve's at http://www.vai.com/

In search of the Fourth Dimension

The fourth dimension. Oooh! Neat!

Einstein showed us that there are, in fact, four dimensions. The conventional three spatial ones, and time as the fourth. (They're still looking for the fourth spatial dimension, by the way.)

If I open a brand new teaching studio, I can give you directions by saying "It's on the corner of 7th and V, and it's on the tenth floor."

That's three dimensions. Left, right, up. Where's the fourth? "I'll meet you at my studio, which is on the corner of 7th and V, at 3:00 pm." Bingo. Time.

And the beautiful thing about being a musician is that we can uncover hidden dimensions in our playing. Sure, maybe not the sought after fourth spatial dimension, and we probably won't be finding gravity waves. However, just like the researchers who dare to tackle such mind boggling puzzles in theoretical physics, we too can uncover new worlds of mystery, meaning, and wonder.



Such a dimension that warrants examination is the same as Einstein's fourth dimension.

Time.


I often observe aspiring rockers looking for new sounds, riffs, and melodic ideas when they hit the wall of writer's block.

The first place folks usually go is on the note dimension. However, while there are literally thousands of melodies, chords, and combinations, in the end, there's only twelve tones in the system of western music.

The next stop is tone. Adding crazy effects, or maybe going the route of old school tube amp, the seeker adds another dimension to their music. We might call this the second dimension.
Now we're the simpsons! D'oh!

While these classifications are strictly the figments of my convoluted imagination, let's call Style the third dimension of music. Country guys play different than Jazz cats, and that's good, because variety is the spice of life.

At the end of the day, tired, dusty from trudging around a vintage electronics shop for those NOS tubes for your tone, ears ringing for the thundering sounds of The Celtic Boys play Metallica (for your stylistic influences), and your brain thoroughly saturated with scales, modes, and the concept of diminished arpeggios, we might sit dejectedly on top of our amp, and ask...

"OK, so what else can I do to make my lines sound different?"

Remember the fourth dimension. Time!

Instead of starting that solo on the "1", as in 1 2 3 4, try starting on the "And" of 1. Notice how this shakes things up a bit? Next, experiment with starting on the sixteenth note right after any of the downbeats. See if you can hit the "E of 3." Wow. Groovy.

If you really want a challenge, try this over a beat with a sixteenth-note swing feel.

This works for riffs, too! If you sound like a robot from a practice book, try playing chords five times, or three times, but not four times. Change the placement a bit.

Beginning phrases on different beats adds a sense of syncopation to your music, and will also help you tremendously with your aptitude of rhythm. While it's not physically harder to do this, I find it mentally difficult. We're so used to playing a certain way, and on certain beats. The funny part is, we didn't even know it.

But we do now.

Welcome to the fourth dimension!