General Music Chat

One reason that I am not frequenting this forum as much as I did is the fact there there is a CULT system in here which abides by scoffing at most things people post.

If you are serious about music then that is fine, if you are rich because of music then that is great, if you are here because you have nothing else better to do than scoff at people when the are asking a question then this is no longer a peer support forum.

Perhaps LARGE posters would be better next time you post Denny? It obviously works for other people here.

I think Denny was honestly trying to offer some advice on medication that can help with focus. I know firsthand that many disorders that affect attention are very real even though they are often misdiagnosed, or over-diagnosed. Maybe I read it wrong?

ouch.

Chippy - it is all good. Danny is replaying to Eddy - not to me. Read Eddy's post.

By the way Danny - Eddy is not thanking me for posting stuff on my profile but for the MP3s of another artist I let he download in private as well as for the track I gave him to play blues leads over. Confusion. Eddy will post the track here when he is done. So watch his profile for a collaboration track.

As far as this forum goes - I hang here every time I take a brake from playing scales or fighting with the track I am working on for a month now because there is nice crowd here and I learn something from each of you.

God be with you.

fretwork - Yes I realize that I can't and will not grasp all of the blues flavors. I am trying to get just one down . I can play bass and drums in a blues style all day long, it is those leads that I have problem with.

I did listen to your profile. I listen to EVERYONE's profile more then ones. Every one is so different - that is what so awesome about this site.

Hey soory Alex, I wasnt trying to get people off subject. I thaught my ? was on topic. You are strugling with lerning a particular style and you where asking about lerning tools like, DVDs on blues. I realy do strugle with that type of lerning . But anywho soory for the cofusion

My oldest son passed away in 2001 from a anyursym that exploded at the brain stem. He was a lead singer in a local band and in the middle of a song on a hot august afternoon never to recover after 9 days of hell we finally had to take him off of life support.

I am very sorry to hear that. However any way neither I nore Eddy have anything against you whatsoever. All is as cool as it could possibly be.

Ok Sorry folks. Your right I should have read deeper. Many apologies and sincerest condolences.

Chippy

Ok Sorry folks. Your right I should have read deeper. Many apologies and sincerest condolences.

Chippy

No worries Chippy, we're all guilty of reactionary posting.

I wonder if you might want to start a new thread about what you did address though, I'm curious why you feel that way, but I suppose we shouldn't hijack this thread over it.

Hey denny, sorry for your loss. I uderstood what you where saying to me and I apreciate it. Its all good man. And now lets get back to the subject. If im not mistaken Alex wants help with lerning blues leads. So lets give him some help. Alex Im not good at that type of lerning so I cant offer anny advice , but I will say that in my opinion playing blues leads is an expresion of emotion. you must feeel the notes in your soul. In my opinion blues never pases threw the brain, it goes strait from the heart to the hands. I dont know if this will make anny since to you, but I sugest you not try to lern it as a instuctional kinda thing, you already know the notes and cords. I would sugest alot of listning to other blues players like BB KING MUDDY WATTERS moore older style and go from there. Play along but dont try to play what they play, play what you feel. PEACE

Thank you Denny. I will check the place out.

Perhaps I just do not have the feel for it - that is my problem. Therefore I am still looking. I wanted (and still do) to learn it because I think it will enrich my lead work which remains my weakest point. Many of you say the same thing. "You have to feel it" and I just do not feel it.

I work on leads in a lamest way (I think). After I make a riff I record it and play it over and over looking at different scales. Than I play around with the scales which makes all sort of ugly sounding crap until (mostly by accident) something jumps out at me. I keep things that jumps out and throw away things that do not. In the end I have a lick. I lack the professional school and can't just sit-down and figure: well this is key of Dm and it is the saddest key there is. So if I play this Six Tone Symmetrical scale in this way I will have this heart-busting melody.

It is a lot of trial and error for me except once in a while (jam track) I just sort of play it without thinking. It just comes out on it's own.

I guess I was wondering if there is a DVD that would open my eyes on some of the composition technicians in a given style of music. Shall I call it "Blues for dummies".

Zakk Wylde Black Label Society for instance. Does not sound like blues, but when you look at the individual leads broken down for dumb asses like me it is very much bluesy.

My leads are mostly Dorian or Ionian or Melodic minor/major scales they are all square - easy to remember. But they also sound square. Pentatonics and especially diminished are really hard to remember for some reason. May be I should just shut up and practice the damn thing harder...

Listen to some of the old famous blues players, and learn some of their licks that you like. Assimilate them into your arsenal. Or take them and modify them a little bit to 'your way' of doing the blues lick.

After you come up with a progression, turn on a mic and sing/hum/warble over the spot where you want the solo to go.
If you stumble onto something that you like by the improvisational singing approach, try to copy it on the guitar.
Sprinkle in some blues licks and/or string bends.
If you try it this way you wont have to worry about what scale to use. Just match what you thought sounded good by singing it. Might have to modify a few notes here and there, but its less brainwork.

For a cheesball example of this type of thing, the first bar of eric Claptons 'sunshine of your love' solo is just the melody to the song 'Blue Moon'.

Theres a bunch of traditonal type songs where the melody is mostly pentatonic.

Anyways... to me, soloing is just the combination of singing, or holding a conversation, and injecting some licks or scale runs here and there. Whether it's blues or not.
Sometimes it's more licks and runs, sometimes more melody.

LOL @ GTzip.

I used to do the same thing, but at first it's difficult. Your brain has to train your hands to perform the licks.

Even better is to copy the licks you like, but listen to how they are played by you right off the bat.

I have made more music from stuff I couldn't play, than any music I ever did copy from a cover.

Usually the botched stuff will remind you of something else, you may go off an a tangent and play it. Surprise, it doesn't sound like what you thought of either, but chances are you just came up with a major piece of your newest tune.

Thank you everyone.
A bunch of good suggestions. I will try to incorporate all I can from them.

Kramerguy Yes I do listen to Steve Ray Vaughan quite a bit. Very rich sound. For me it is a looooooooong way to go to do that though.