Hey again guys,
I'm still very early at the learning stage and id love nothing more than to rock out to my fav songs, some I can get to grips with but most I still struggle!
But I also play my own made up songs which for some reason I find allot easier, they might not be great but to me sound pretty good I always seem to have allot less resistance and more enthusiasm learning my own stuff! When I play my fav rock songs even though they are easy beginner songs I feel overwhelmed and that evil voice at the back of my head screams YOU CANT DO THIS and the frustration sets in!
My question is this do most of you guys from CBN just mainly learn and play your own stuff?
If so do you always try to create a full song or just a few riffs?
How often would you learn your own stuff? (we cant all be legends like Uncle John more songs than a change of underwear) lol
In your opinion would I be better of completely focusing on my own music and having fun with it besides getting overwhelmed by chart music?
Sorry for so many stupid questions again and thanks in advance!
Scruggy!!
Replies
I prefer to improvise and just go with it. Usually starting with a simple riff then exploring from there. It's not uncommon to noodle around and realize you're playing the notes to a cover song or parts of it anyway.
For me, it's more fun to create something original with these contraptions then to play something that's been done so many times before.
I tried to imitate other players at first but it didn't take long to understand that I'll never be them and really, why would I want to?
The only time it's uncomfortable for me is when the camera's on. I can play all day and know it sounds good but once the camera's on I tend to choke.
Ya cameras can cause stage fright alright!
What you were saying about your own stuff kinda resembling other peoples is interesting as I was tinkering around with the idea of copying other songs chords with completely different tempo and truming patterns! or even appagrio (thats totally spelt wrong)lol
thanks Slowhound!
For what it's worth,i',m a particularly poor player,when i play covers,i tend to get lost in the 'mechanics' of it,and it feels stilted,whereas when just going my own way it feels more fluid to me,and much more rewarding,then i feel better and more able to play a cover with a bit of touch.not a lot of help there i know,but just my take.
Ditto what Cause said. I'll add that it's a good thing to go beyond your comfort zone You can show that little voice that you CAN do it! That's just my view but I know folks who are quite content playing what they're comfortable with. It makes them happy and that's really the bottom line. One fellow I sometimes play music with is older than me (I'm 65) and he's never learned to play minor chords. I told him it's not too late to learn but he said he didn't really want to - he was OK with what he was doing.
Ya I'm on same page at the minute minor chords are still a little scary sometimes! but need to be learned for type of music I like!
It makes sense to challenge yourself on other music unless I start creating really difficult music myself which is a long way off!
thanks Jim
I've been playing 15 years or so, CBGs for about 3, and I've picked up loads of new tricks and techniques. Learning different tunings has been really fun. I'll often pick a song I'd like to learn, get the chords down and then figure out my own arrangement of it.
When I write my own stuff I generally come up with something nice while messing around and it grows organically from there.
Sorry for rambling, but I totally get you - a lot of my favourite music to listen to is crazy technical progressive rock/metal and it just makes my head hurt when I try to play it :-)
ha ha ya Eddie Van Halen has alot to answer for! lol
Think another major thing with me is consistancy im very sporadic instead of allocating certain times each day! life always trys to ruin my buzz and get in the way!
Thanks Richey!
There are no stupid questions. Only stupid and confusing answers. I'm an expert on those.
Best thing to do is prove the "you can't" thought wrong. Doubt is normal. Letting it control what you do is not. Playing your own music will help you develop the skills you need to play the songs you like. Stretch yourself. Challenge yourself. Don't stick with what's easy for you when making your music. Keep on learning the stuff you like as well. Learning to play the stuff you like will help you improve your music.
When playing a standard six string I tend to play other peoples stuff. On a three or four string I like to explore. Try new tunings and music styles. The possibilities are endless. Even on a three stringer. I like to make stuff up on a six string as well. It's just more fun on less strings. Challenges my stuck in a rut for years playing.
Here's a tip I learned from someone on this site. Video yourself playing your songs and riffs. That way you have a visual record of how you played it.
Thanks so much CAUSE that makes alot of sense, I have heard before about pushing yourself on difficult stuff its kinda like playing on a full size snooker table spent a day playing badly on that thinking you done crap but if you then play the much smaller size pool then you play like your in that movie Color Of Money! everything is effortless!
Also like the video idea, I read a great book by Richard Wisemen called Rip It Up the whole premise of the book is that there is truth to fake it till you make it as you mind sees you doing it and needs it to makes sense of what you are doing! so repeated viewing of yourself playing your mind eventually caves and goes I MUCH BE A MUSICIAN and you go from resistance to flow state!
kinda funny i learned this stuff before but they say you learn better teaching other people which is so true!
thanks again Cause!