General Music Chat

I've been playing mainly covers lately but have a real desire to collaborate on more originals. Gigs are getting fewer and farther between so I'm switching musical gears at present. Does anybody else feel like doing more originals? Tired of playing covers? Is it time after many years of doing the cover deal for you to write some tunes and get into a studio? I've been seriously talking to an old friend of mine in New Jersey (Jersey Bill Miller) to take a long vacation here in Kansas City and get into the studio. I'm not getting any younger, it's time to make a CD...

I wrote the skeleton for a blues tune that the band worked on for several months. We were never happy with the results. For me, I like the blues and the blues rock fusion is a natural progression IMO. But playing a good consistent blues beat can be challenging in comparison to the driving rock rhythms. At least for me. I really have to be able to feel it consistently in order to transfer the energy to my pick.
In the end the song "went away".
As Floyd so aptly put it.
Everyone has the right to write one sucky song.
Hopefully we're smart enough to dump it too.

Blues is the easiest genre to write but the hardest to master IMO. I mean it's pretty basic, three chord progressions mostly, how hard could it be to write and play a good blues song? What makes the blues difficult is nuance. You can't scientifically create a good blues song. It's all about feel and emotion. If you've never played the blues or attempted it rarely don't be too discouraged your blues song didn't work. It takes YEARS to become good at the blues. It has to age like fine wine. It's one of the genres whose participants get better with age. One of the things that most musicians don't understand about the blues is it takes STICKING TOGETHER AS A BAND A LONG TIME TO GET GOOD AT IT. You can't program blues. It doesn't happen spontaneously. Most people don't understand this, and that's frustrating to me.

I dunno about that. bob. I've sat in with blues guys both on guitar & bass, as well as as a singer. It ain't all that hard, unless you're playing leads & such, maybe. A supporting player couldn't find a genre that's much easier to do, imho. As long as you know your basic scales, you can fit in seamlessly, & add something to the group, unless you're one of them poor folk with all thier taste in thier mouth.

I think bluegrass is much harder, as a rule. It's a much stricter genre, & it's difficult, without some lightning fast licks, to make anything that sounds very impressive to the listener in that jingly-jangly stuff. The lack of a drummer makes it even harder, & you sure won't get much sustain from that there mandolin or banjo or flat-top.

Far as the writing new stuff, I'm all for it. By all means, get it out there & play it for the ppl. Write an anthem for a generation if you can. Blues is great to write in, but harder to write in & keep it interesting to someone like me, I guess. I like my changes a lot.

I have a cpl written that are just too damned long & ponderous. That's a problem I get when I write blues - I take them too damned far & think too much. You can lose an audience like that.

I wanna hear what you're doing these days.

I need to get to the studio & get my stuff down in some fashion. I have a few good songs.

Nuance ... yes, I think you nailed it there Bob.
In order for me to play well I have to be in the groove. It gets easier and easier with the driving rock rhythms. With the blues progressions I just seem to lose the feel. Even with the simplest 12 bar turnarounds.
Not being as well practiced a musician as most of you guys you probably have difficulty understanding from whence I come.
But yeah, there will be more blues in my future, of that I feel certain.

"just 1 sucky song"? lol

I can pump out crap 3 tunes in 1 hour..


A good tune, however, takes forever..always being modified.

I write a lot of blues. Maybe more then any other genre. The problem is that my vocals are so crappy that I am never satisfied enough to post any of them. But Blues seems to be so varied that you can write for quite some time before plagiarizing yourself.

There is Stevie Ray stuff, Bonnie Raitt stuff, BB King, Clapton stuff, Mance Lipscomb, Muddy Waters and numerous legendary blues cats from back in the plantation days. Too many styles to put into any box. But still blues. Rock A billy came out of Blues and Country music to a degree. And that was the beginning of Rock and Roll on the radio.

I write a lot of blues. Maybe more then any other genre. The problem is that my vocals are so crappy that I am never satisfied enough to post any of them. But Blues seems to be so varied that you can write for quite some time before plagiarizing yourself.

There is Stevie Ray stuff, Bonnie Raitt stuff, BB King, Clapton stuff, Mance Lipscomb, Muddy Waters and numerous legendary blues cats from back in the plantation days. Too many styles to put into any box. But still blues. Rock A billy came out of Blues and Country music to a degree. And that was the beginning of Rock and Roll on the radio.

Maybe we can do an on-line collaboration Slacker. I can try singing your tunes and maybe play bass on them. Other people on Bandmix have collaborated. For that matter you can play guitar on some of my tracks. Maybe we can come up with a pretty good CD collaborated. I know some really fine musicians here that would be happy to lay down some keyboard tracks, harmonica, saxophone, etc. I've been seriously talking to a guitarist in New Jersey about visiting me here and doing some recording. People here just don't seem willing to do it...Message me on my Bnadmix profile page if you like...

I write a lot of blues. Maybe more then any other genre. The problem is that my vocals are so crappy that I am never satisfied enough to post any of them. But Blues seems to be so varied that you can write for quite some time before plagiarizing yourself.

There is Stevie Ray stuff, Bonnie Raitt stuff, BB King, Clapton stuff, Mance Lipscomb, Muddy Waters and numerous legendary blues cats from back in the plantation days. Too many styles to put into any box. But still blues. Rock A billy came out of Blues and Country music to a degree. And that was the beginning of Rock and Roll on the radio.

Maybe we can do an on-line collaboration Slacker. I can try singing your tunes and maybe play bass on them. Other people on Bandmix have collaborated. For that matter you can play guitar on some of my tracks. Maybe we can come up with a pretty good CD collaborated. I know some really fine musicians here that would be happy to lay down some keyboard tracks, harmonica, saxophone, etc. I've been seriously talking to a guitarist in New Jersey about visiting me here and doing some recording. People here just don't seem willing to do it...Message me on my Bnadmix profile page if you like...

I'd pay to hear that collaboration..

How much?

How much?

Whatever the going rate for a good blues CD is. I figure put about 14 tunes on it, maybe include some covers. When I say a good blues CD I mean a GOOD blues CD. Nothing would be released for sale until it was worthy . Put a few tunes on a bunch of different websites. Create a Myspace page with those same tunes on it. Slowly but surely get the word out, get some PR, have it played on some local listener supported radio stations, sell a few at gigs, etc. If people really like it then price it accordingly.

i don't really know how to add my two cents in technology wise but id love to join in on this if possible

I've been playing mainly covers lately but have a real desire to collaborate on more originals. Gigs are getting fewer and farther between so I'm switching musical gears at present. Does anybody else feel like doing more originals? Tired of playing covers? Is it time after many years of doing the cover deal for you to write some tunes and get into a studio? I've been seriously talking to an old friend of mine in New Jersey (Jersey Bill Miller) to take a long vacation here in Kansas City and get into the studio. I'm not getting any younger, it's time to make a CD...

I'm a writer/drummer/producer, who has been doing this a long time and I echo your sentiments. Blues is one of my strong influences (among others) and I've actually set up a blog devoted to the development of such songs for possible cd for the market. I have a close miced acoustic drumkit and i am getting better at writing, arranging originals.


drop me an e-mail at fjamstudios AT gmail dot com and we can discuss this. This invite is extended to all interested. I have all the tools we need to exchange ideas online and potentially develop ideas for such a cd.

I play drums and harmonica, as well as a few other instruments. Look me up!

"just 1 sucky song"? lol

I can pump out crap 3 tunes in 1 hour..


A good tune, however, takes forever..always being modified.

Well I've heard it said that a lot of the noted writers throw away a lot of songs/ideas before they stumble on the hits. So to be realistic you can't expect 'em all to be hits. I have tons of partials waiting to be developed as well as a bunch of finished demoes, in the blues realm and otherwise. It's debateable how good they are...


Attitude is everything so if you have a good one then the level will go up the more you do it.

I've got both a drummer and a few harmonica players that are willing to go into the studio with me here in K.C. It's the guitar players that don't seem seriously interested and/or capable of pulling this off. Fred you need to post some of your music on your profile page. It would help your cause...