Coffee House Players

Comment

Comment by ROB ENGLISH on November 10, 2009 at 7:07am

TRUE ART TRANSCENDS EGO

Comment by Edward Sparks on November 10, 2009 at 5:28am

You are right Steve...I have played with a few guitarists, and keyboardist, too that seem to think that each song is a showcase for how many notes they can squeeze into a lead line! I am not a lead player, but my attitude is based on wanting to support the song and the singer. In my group we breakdown what we are going to do by the song...the person singing lead has the spotlight, so they get a certain amount of control or say in how we do the song...and because we all sing lead, everyone knows they will get a chance to be in the control position at some point. Like picking the key we play in depends on them and what we do to support them is determined by the key in terms of chord positions and fingerings...that's why the capo is such a great tool and not the crutch that some people say it is...John Denver had a pretty good vocal range, but he loved to play in "D", so he often capoed so that he could create his fingerings in "D".
The other important thing is consistency...I am not saying that you can't be creative with a lead line and not regergitate exactly what you did in rehearsal...but you need to be consistent to support the rest of the music...
If you have a 8 bar lead section in a song, then that's where you be creative with your lead, but don't expect the other band members to be happy if you nod to them and extend your solo to 24 bars...Of course the pros can do this because in most cases the people playing behind them are professionals too and are being paid to be such. Ever notice a large band with three acoustic guitarist seemingly strumming the same thing behind the star at the mic who only plays his acoustic unplugged and even then half the song? Well, that's show business, that's flash...and that's cool...but most of us are not on that level and not on TV and have to get along with the others in the band. That's why bands break up and change members often...which can be healthy! If you get a group of guys to stay together on our level it's because they respect each others part in the band as a whole...when one person begins to believe they are the "star" or believes they are carrying the band, the band falls apart...it's happened to me several times...the pro bands like the Beatles stay together when they don't want to because they signed contracts and if they breach them they lose big time! I enjoy playing in my trio, and as a duo with one or the other of the trio members, but I also do solo work as well..this affords me the opportunity to enjoy all levels of performance, and if one of them starts to get to me, I know I have the other (or other two) to keep my interest. It's all in how you look at it, feel it, and what opportunities you make for yourself! Okay, clear me a space, I am coming down off my soapbox now! Thanks for the opportunity to have questions and statements that make me reflect on what I do right and what I do wrong in this "game!"
Edward
http://mysite.verizon.net/emsparks/index.htm


If you are a talented player it is going to come shining through in your performance no matter how "flashy" it is, as long as it serves the song and the lead singer...Edward

Comment by Steve Widmeyer on November 10, 2009 at 4:37am

I've met and played with more than a few lead guitarists, and with only one exception, the only thing they cared about was showcasing their speed and skill, without regard to how their leads integrated into and enhanced the song being played. Yuck. Of course, things are different when it's only the guitarist (no band) who must play the entire song by himself (lead and rhythm), but even then, I prefer the "less is more" approach.

Comment by Edward Sparks on November 10, 2009 at 3:46am

When ever I think about my favorite lead guitar parts I don't think of Eddie Van Halen (although he is incredible) but I like one note wonder Neil Young who constructed almost and entire lead line in a song with one note! There was so much feeling in that one note! Clapton is another one who we all know could coax a thousand notes at lightning speed but didn't have to to impress us all! It's the emotion we look for not the technical speed! Edward

Comment by William L. Whitacre on November 9, 2009 at 9:15pm

Extremely right on Will, super observations which point out the inherent ying and yang of the note and the interval, which creates balance.

Comment by Will Becker on November 9, 2009 at 5:03pm

Hey Rob and Bill,

What a wonderful discussion about those who try and play more notes per second than normal players do. I have to admit being impressed by pickers or fingerstyle players who play their music in blinding speeds, but sometimes that experience leaves a “muddy” sound and me failing to remember what I just heard. It makes me wonder if the guitarist is kind of selfish in playing so fast by not giving the listener an experience where the melody shines and the rhythm, cadence and other qualities come through.

Charlie Groth and I were discussing this very topic at a festival the other day. He said that the space between the notes is thought to be the most important time for appreciation in music. That reminded me that Pepe Romero, the famous classical guitarist, said exactly that very thing during a master class where he spent quite a lot of time on the subject of the note’s decay and how it is the time that gives the note its character, sustain, timbre, intensity, emotion and other qualities. In terms of how a human processes that information, in that time after the string is struck is where the brain has the time to digest the sound. There are rests in music which are integral to the performance. Squeezing them so seems to cancel out the reason for the rests.

We should not, however, discount the degree of skill required to play at such speeds. Those who play this speed have spent a lot of time practicing much slower. Any teacher worth his salt will tell you that playing slow as possible until the piece is played perfect is the gateway to playing faster, but to most of us, playing faster is not an end to itself, even though awards are given for such things. Most of these guitarists have produced much of the goal setting method books, workshop experiences, practice exercises, great concert performances, private lessons to those who can play at a high level and so on, so they should get our thanks as a result.

Frankly, I prefer to hear the melody in the air, feel the vibrations of sustain and experience the time to reflect on the note as it “decays”. The death of the note is, in fact, its life and our pleasure.

Will B.

Comment by ROB ENGLISH on November 9, 2009 at 1:00pm

I have found that it is harder to sound good playing slow however it is worth the effort to practice everything slowly now there are groups like DelMcCroury that will just blow you away as a demonstrative exercise in speed however they will also tear you up with a slow ballad so... Earl Scruggs has always said if you have a melody let it shine playing too fast tends to lose the melodic line for the sake of speed in my book passion comes first for the melody however you must really listen to the song to strike the balance between tempo and emotion and I love to listen and learn and I learn every time I listen to other players how about instead of saying I learn how about inspired by others would be more accurate for the longest while i would hear other performers and didnt enjoy it much because I was constantly analysing everything then something amazing happened after my wife took me to a concert just to enjoy not to perform not listen as a musician as something or someone that loved all kinds of music Wow it made me a better musician as I was so inspired by whatI heard that night it just touched my heart and soul to be part of the experiencing a magnificent performance so I guess we all hear with our ears yet we should also listen with our hearts and be true to our passion as we play at whatever level we are at it makes it enjoyable to play or listen and once again I am glad to be part of this group on a lighter note I was gifted recently with a small music trivia book The fastest version of sailors hornpipe was played in 8.5 seconds in 1998 on a trombone

Comment by William L. Whitacre on November 9, 2009 at 12:31pm

Some great advice I learned from Uwe Kruger. Most people who see someone with a guitar are not critical of technique or virtuosity, and just want to be entertained. Some of the most effective songs are simple. For example, hearing Rob and Lee play classic Irish at a tempo that allows the melody to shine is a lot more pleasing to my ear as a listener than hearing a national flatpick champion play at warp speed. Making the connection with the listener and sharing the music is what keeps the tradition going because so much of our acoustic music comes from family settings, people singing at work, on ships, at barn dances, and about their history and lives that we might have lost the details of without their music. I learn something everytime I hear someone else play, and when I play, I try to share the background and context of some of the songs which I have found is very much appreciated. Bottom line, don't be intimidated about anyone judging you, just share your natural ability and keep the music going.

Comment by Gil on November 9, 2009 at 12:20pm

Some great comments here guys!! They inspire me to keep on going with my musical pursuits. Hope others read your comments and feel the same!

Comment by Edward Sparks on November 5, 2009 at 5:23pm

This is true...may sound corny or clique but music is THE Universal language and we are the spokespeople of it! The only way to keep it alive in all of it's genres is to keep singing and playing what we believe in! Thanks for this group from me too! I don't know if the AG Magazine ever dreamed what they have offered up to us all here...Edward

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