General Music Chat

Franny, I'm one those slow writers. I'll write something and come back later and refine it, I'm never really happy with it I guess. I am suspicious of people who tell me they've written thousands of songs. Something good should take a good amount of time to produce.

I thought maybe you just went to the Tom Sholz School of Songwriting.

Something good should take a good amount of time to produce.

Oh, I don't know about that. Sometimes you quickly know it's right. Other times, you need to think it through and correct weaknesses.

What I think you may be getting at is that some folks strum the instrument the same old way, and come up with something that sounds exactly like something else, and are happy with that.

Often for such folks cross-instrumental composition comes up with something fresh -- composing on a less familiar instrument. That could take some time, getting everything ironed out.

I am suspicious of people who tell me they've written thousands of songs. Something good should take a good amount of time to produce.

I have to disagree. Hank Williams, according to a story I read long ago, got his start by being challenged to write a hit song in ten minutes by a producer or studio manager or whatever. He accepted and ten minutes later the producer was listening to "Your Cheatin' Heart". Paul McCartney is reputed to be able to do the same, he and John Lennon wrote thousands of songs, the world only heard a tiny fraction of them. Then again there's the aforementioned twenty year Brahms symphony and Tom Schultz...

Sometimes a good song can be written pretty quick, sometimes it takes longer. Different people employ different methods as well, and some are still never satisfied with their writings after playing them for years.

Back to the original topic, musical integrity. To me, musical integrity is being the very best musician you can be. Most of the best musicians I've known were never satisfied with their ability, always trying to improve. Most of the worst thought they were great...I know I'll never be satisfied with my ability, I've been at it 45 years and still ALWAYS think "I could have played that song better". Never fails...

Paleopete said
" . . . Most of the best musicians I've known were never satisfied with their ability, always trying to improve. Most of the worst thought they were great . . . "
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. . . words of a wise man.
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People: are you listening?

There is an old Celtic saying - "May you never be satisfied."

I think it's wonderful....can you see why?

Yeah, satisfied people stagnate.
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More people could stand to learn the benefits of self - doubt . . . .
If you are positive you're 'great,' you'll not aquire as much skill as the one who's not so sure of himself, even if he's of equal skill.
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The one who's not so sure of himself (great or not), will practice more often, learn new chords, new rhythms, new chord-combinations, new - , well - new whatever . . . . and that person, of equal skill, will try to play stuff that just can't be played . . . yet . . . .
He'll try more, and so he'll succeed more.
And he'll eventually play the music no one's ever heard before, because there was no one able to play it, or maybe because no one was creative enough to play it.
And - creativity can becime a habit.
The more you learn: the more 'thought - tools' you have.
Possibly, the greater your repetoire of music is, the more you CAN create.
If you only know 5 letters of the alphabet, there's only so many words you can spell.
Double that to 10 letters, and you don't just double your output - it's exponential.
Put in 10% more, and get back 25% more . . .
The satisfied person stops trying, and rests on his laurels.
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If you want to get better, Do NOT surround yourself w/ people who constantly tell you how wonderful you are.
Why? Because . . . you might start believing them.
I don't like accepting compliments.
I was playing out the other night, and I was told that I'm accomplished, that I'm a virtuoso. Yeah, sure - compared to whom?
They said, 'no, you're really good. Not many people can do what you do."
I said "Sure they can. Almost anyone can do it; I'm not special. All they need to do is practice. There's nothing really hard about it. There's a lot of it, sure, but none of it is really hard, if you practice."
Almost anyone can do it, with practice.
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Oh, oops - sorry, I said the 'P' word.

. . words of a wise man.
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People: are you listening?

Wow...never expected my comments to get such a reaction, but thanks. I was always told as a kid learning guitar, from age 5, to never forget there's always a better guitar player right around the corner, and to always remember you're never as good as you think you are.

I've always wanted to be the worst player in the band, then I know it will be a damn good band. Two reasons.

1. I'm definitely no slouch, if I wish to be realistic about it, so there'll be some really good musicians there.

2. To keep up with them would be a challenge and I'd have to work at it. I would improve and so would the band.

My favorite thing is to play an hour or two with someone who is a better player than myself. I did it all the way through high school playing sax and there's nothing better than being a good player and still having to work for it.

Interesting thoughts here...

...may you never be satisfied...

Never heard that one but I like it.