General Music Chat

So I was playing out at yet another open mic night. (wince/groan)

And I played the tune I uploaded part of here, ("My Friend" from New Rays of The Rising Sun, my version) so this guy starts talking to me after I finish. He goes on for a while and then said something that hit my utterly by surprise. He stated the he thought the tune was actually very much a "FOLK" tune.

I didn't know what to say as "FOLK" in my dictionary is yet another 4 letter word that starts with F and ends with K.

I just was curious to see if anyone else thought it came under the "FOLK" genre. I don't see it. Even if the original was a folk tune, I still don't think my version is "FOLK".

Let me know what you think. I will put up a poll for those that just want to click the little button and not reply.

I thank you for your opinions in advance.

Technically all music that was not commissioned by royalty and written by a trained composer was once known as folk. Today folk is loosely defined as acoustic-based with simple melodies and harmonies. The original version of "My Friend" was of course blues, which your version has lost. I would suggest it would be more aptly labeled bluesy-rock.

Thank you very much. I'd rather burn my guitar than play folk music. I had a bad dream they taped my hands to an acoustic and whipped me till I played all my material.

And at the end they circled me like like villagers with pitch folks and torches looking for Frankenstein.

I am sweating slightly as I even think about it. lol

Nah, no folk here. Not in my lifetime.

Funny! But just because it's acoustic doesn't mean it's folk, or lame. Check out the tunes on my profile; they're acoustic but definitely not folk.

So I was playing out at yet another open mic night. (wince/groan)

And I played the tune I uploaded part of here, ("My Friend" from New Rays of The Rising Sun, my version) so this guy starts talking to me after I finish. He goes on for a while and then said something that hit my utterly by surprise. He stated the he thought the tune was actually very much a "FOLK" tune.

I didn't know what to say as "FOLK" in my dictionary is yet another 4 letter word that starts with F and ends with K.

I just was curious to see if anyone else thought it came under the "FOLK" genre. I don't see it. Even if the original was a folk tune, I still don't think my version is "FOLK".

Let me know what you think. I will put up a poll for those that just want to click the little button and not reply.

I thank you for your opinions in advance.

"Folk" quite literally means "the people" and in music it refers to the peoples music...as jimmy said, simple stripped down and catchy enough to be played and sung by someone sitting with a guitar on their front porch. And I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss folk, there is some great Folk out there - from acoustic to acousto-electronic. Check out a band called "The Warsaw Village Band" in Poland. They do some ancient Polish folk tunes in their own way and it is just stunning.

It's just that the term FOLK brings up an image of someone with an acoustic guitar at the local fair, yee-haw.

Very scary indeed.

And Jimmy, I have nothing against the acoustic crowd, I just can't play an acoustic with the prowess that I can play an electric. Thus, I shun them.

It's just that the term FOLK brings up an image of someone with an acoustic guitar at the local fair, yee-haw.

With all due respect, Capn, that image is borne out of a ridiculous old stereotype. You would truly do yourself a favor if you checked out a bit of new folk...its just amazing how diverse it can be.

I am sure it is diverse and worthwhile, but when you can't make your fingers do their thing, as that isn't the type of music (reads noise) I hear in my battered skull, it loses its' appeal.

I remember a long long time ago when Jimi Hendrix put out "The Wind Cries Mary" A critic called it a folksy tune. Obsurd right? Let me smoke another doobie and get back to ya.

TOUCHE', that gave me a cold chill.


EXCEPT, that guy could play an acoustic and I couldn't play an acoustic to save my own life.

That's riiight, ACID ROCK!

I say it like I love it, cause I do. If you do not love what you perform, change it so you do love it or it will eat you alive.



Wait till you catch my version of HURDY GURDY MAN..
That will make you taste phantom strychnine and hear colors once again. LMAO

Coming soon to a upload near you...

i dont think you should be so afraid of being labeled or put into a musical box capn scott,it happens to us all..and remember take a positive from it he could have said it was sh*t.....

Yeah, but truth is "I LIKED IT" and I am 100x more critical than 99% of the world. (only part I didn't like was the mastering and the fact I didn't get to inject the other 4 verses)(prefaced in another thread)

So if he said it was sh*t, I would said, "Ok" and walked on down the hall.

That tune makes me smile like I am the biggest crazy alive! (maybe I am)

Hey, maybe you guys/gals could help me a little. I need to develop some new material and was looking for fresh ideas. Right now I am doing a few tunes, but could use a few suggestions? (gulp) lol Anyone care to start the ideas through the wastewater floodgates?

Tell me what you like and tell me what you don't like.. I want it all.


Right now this is the stuff being honed and polished:

My Friend 222 - Hendrix
Perpetual Groove(r) - from my original
Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan (almost ready for upload)*
1983 a merman I turn to be - Hendrix
Moon turn the tides, gently, gently away - Hendrix
Bridge of Sighs - Trower
Psychotic Reaction - The Count Five
Hush - Deep Purple
Shaking all over - The Guess Who
On the Road Again - Canned Heat

I have a good version of "When the Levee Breaks", but I am not sure it fits in.

Another possible add is a version we do of COC's Albatross, it's kind of heavy though. I am unconvinced it fits into a night's outing. Same with Saliva's - "Ladies and Gentlemen"

At end, we were toying with doing a version of "Gimme Shelter". We rehearsed it and it sounds a little odd minus the backup female trio.

I have a spacey version of SUSIE Q/Born on the Bayou/Tombstone Shadow/Green River, again unsure it is ok to mix this in.

Jape - Floating, is a possibility.

I figure I have a good album of originals to spew out, but the time is not right for that yet.

I already got the sermon on "Wind Cries Mary"/"All along the watch tower"/"Foxy lady"/"Purple Haze". I have heard those 4 so many times, I hate them.

Especially if you put them in your repertoire. Put them right in with all the covers you perform. Don't tell anyone they are one of your originals. See how the audience reacts to it. You may be pleasantly surprised by their good reaction. If they have no reaction or a negative one then you know you need to do one of two things with the song: dump it or IMPROVE it. Your opinion of how good or bad a song is DOESN'T MATTER. I can't tell you how many times we've done a tune thinking the audience would hate it and they went crazy for it. Years ago we used to do two songs back to back that I thought were STUPID and the crowd went nuts every time. Don't be SO CRITICAL about any of your tunes. If you're gigging then you have live guinea pigs (the audience) who will most certainly tell you if the song sucks or not. I call being hyper-critical "paralysis by analysis". Don't be paralyzed by being so damn critical about your material. Experiment with it live in front of people. Put in one "experimental" song each and every set, especially if those experiments are your own tunes. Get out of the COVER BAND MENTALITY. You're a CREATIVE MUSICIAN. USE YOUR GOD GIVEN CREATIVITY. I'LL BET YOU'RE A DAMN GOOD SONG WRITER. It's time for the world to hear YOU. We need more of YOU. Not you copying somebody elses material. YOU"RE the one people are coming to listen to. Juke boxes, karaoke, and DJ's are for copying somebody elses music. Later...your creative friendly neighborhood bluesman fisherman bob.