General Music Chat

Well heres a funny thing that boggles me. In my ventures of playing live and working wih musicians, I have found that Many people underestimate Country music. I have had many guitar players, dang good ones audition for me, who Have played rock and such during their careers, yet, when they try to play my music, its like uh oh. They cant wrap their brain around a clean guitar, no distortion here, and have had them get so frustrated (me too) Its like thanks but.... I just think musically, Country is underestimated and becomes a challenge for even the greatest players. Its a world in its own. crazy thing.

I have had many guitar players, dang good ones audition for me, who Have played rock and such during their careers, yet, when they try to play my music, its like uh oh.

There are many types of guitarists out there. The real good ones that dedicate all their time mastering their instrument will have the ability to play any genres. Also, these MUSICIANS do not underestimate any type of music because thats the first rule of musicianship you learn in performance school.

Have you tried going through ASCAP/BMI (or any musician union) to find professional guitarists to play your music?

They are out there.... just gotta keep looking.

Imho, far too many musicians get overly caught up in a single genre, & simply cannot think outside that box. It's a damned shame, too. I've been having many of the same issues when I audition or even try to work with guitarists in particular.

I had a bluegrass guy who could not use a tuner. It was beyond his scope to understand that ppl don't wanna hear you plink plink tweak plink, either on stage or off. He also couldn't play any form of rockish stuff, & his timing was all over the place. He was used to a more free-form format than either rock or country, & his banjo-style playing had no place in our music.

I had a newer younger guy recently who simply cannot grasp the finer points of string bending in tune, or melodic runs so necessary to country, blues, or older rock.

As a band that plays both rock & country, we need versatile musicians, & I've found that they are becoming more & more rare these days.

One of the finest guitarists I ever had the priveledge of playing with sat in with a bluegrass band I was in, & it was HORRIBLE. He had no clue how to stay in a major key, though the jam band stuff we did had some very counrty-ish sounding stuff in its repertiore, & he did those very well. But when he played bluegrass, he kept adding in his off the wall chordings & odd scales that sounded like he was in another world playing a completely different song from that which was presented for him to play, & he couldn't stick with the program.

As a teacher, I force my students to step away from thier preferred genre to learn the nuances necessary in many fields of music. They always buck me on this, but I think it makes them become more better-rounded musos, & gives them an incredible amount of tools to work with in any given genre.

Anyway... I didnt make my point.

My point is Country Music is awesome. I am amazed at the guitar work in even the simplest of Country songs.

I have actually, not ASCAP but I will admit, I got spoiled working with the Musicians in Nashville, but I also take into account, anyone will do best at their preference. Unless a musician really likes country It may tend to bore them. I know there is so much talent out there , Here locally, its just finding them. I dont play an instrument, but man, I have such admiration for those who do, it really awes me. I find myself at any performance watching moreso the players than the singer, haha, and I am one. go figure

As a teacher, I force my students to step away from thier preferred genre to learn the nuances necessary in many fields of music. They always buck me on this, but I think it makes them become more better-rounded musos, & gives them an incredible amount of tools to work with in any given genre.

^^^ You are a good teacher

As a teacher, I force my students to step away from thier preferred genre to learn the nuances necessary in many fields of music. They always buck me on this, but I think it makes them become more better-rounded musos, & gives them an incredible amount of tools to work with in any given genre.

^^^ You are a good teacher

I agree!

Oh yeah - then there was the drummer that I played with one time. I wrote this sweet old-timey country waltz, & he could only play BOOM! PLAP - PLAPP-etty BOOM! PLAP-PLAPP-etty all the way through it. I actually got the giggles in the middle of it & couldn't get through the song!

If ya don't feel it, you won't play it well.

...thanks for the compliment!

There are a lot of different kinds of "rock" guitar players. Most of the rock players I know who are any good can play clean and acoustic as well as the distortion stuff.

And I agree with Phil here - if you are playing an instrument, you need to learn to master it. Techniques are not exclusive to genres. Metal, Rock, country... they all need to know how to do a bend, for instance... It's just part of playing the instrument.

Michelle,

I like "He's Coming Around"

Good song. Good arrangement too.

The harmonies are awesome!

You harmonize with yourself well.

Did you write the songs also?

You have a good voice... btw

Second song started... nice intro. Sounds good too.

Enjoyed your stuff!

Michelle,

I like "He's Coming Around"

Good song. Good arrangement too.

The harmonies are awesome!

You harmonize with yourself well.

Did you write the songs also?

You have a good voice... btw

Second song started... nice intro. Sounds good too.

Enjoyed your stuff!

Thank you so much. Actually I didnt write this one, a wonderful friend of mine in Nashville wrote this song, and most on my album. He also Produced it.

I think a lot of really good musicians gravitated to country music simply because other venues were all but killed off by the radio stations. Country players use a lot of rather tricky melodic bends and open string licks not found in other music. That is what attracted me to it.

Don't confuse lack of skill with not understanding the venue. A lot of rockers are just as skilled as the average country picker. It may only boil down to a lack of understanding of the composition rather than the lack of skill. Most country pickers working clubs would fail miserably if thrown into a rock band. There are cats that are good for one venue only, and a few that would fit in anywhere. You need to hear them doing their own thing.

Most of the pickers that I hang with are rockers. We have a mutual respect for each other. As far as rock vs country.... when you call that one up you are dissing many of the the really skilled players. Those being classical guitarists, jazz guitarists, blues guitarists and the pop guys who have more than their fair share of guitar monsters.

Today many of the guitar players in even the most popular bands suck. They are bands manufactured by suits and a big publicity machine. They are at best only moderately "skilled" musicians that have gravitated form garage rock bands into pseudo country.

The "New Country" isn't country at all. And a good many of those pickers are hacks who couldn't pick their way out of a paper bag. Most of their efforts go into making guitar faces and guitar poses while they bang away at a couple of overly dramatized notes.

The studio cats are another story. They can play most anything and do it well. And I am opinionated. I was there when rock and roll began. The merging of country music and blues. It was called Rock A Billy. Todays "Country music" is just an imitation of that for the most part.

I genuinely tried i really did, but i just can't, it hurts...

I think a lot of really good musicians gravitated to country music simply because other venues were all but killed off by the radio stations. Country players use a lot of rather tricky melodic bends and open string licks not found in other music. That is what attracted me to it.

Don't confuse lack of skill with not understanding the venue. A lot of rockers are just as skilled as the average country picker. It may only boil down to a lack of understanding of the composition rather than the lack of skill. Most country pickers working clubs would fail miserably if thrown into a rock band. There are cats that are good for one venue only, and a few that would fit in anywhere. You need to hear them doing their own thing.

Most of the pickers that I hang with are rockers. We have a mutual respect for each other. As far as rock vs country.... when you call that one up you are dissing many of the the really skilled players. Those being classical guitarists, jazz guitarists, blues guitarists and the pop guys who have more than their fair share of guitar monsters.

Today many of the guitar players in even the most popular bands suck. They are bands manufactured by suits and a big publicity machine. They are at best only moderately "skilled" musicians that have gravitated form garage rock bands into pseudo country.

The "New Country" isn't country at all. And a good many of those pickers are hacks who couldn't pick their way out of a paper bag. Most of their efforts go into making guitar faces and guitar poses while they bang away at a couple of overly dramatized notes.

The studio cats are another story. They can play most anything and do it well. And I am opinionated. I was there when rock and roll began. The merging of country music and blues. It was called Rock A Billy. Todays "Country music" is just an imitation of that for the most part.

I agree with you on that, and I think thats why I like Jamie Johnson so much! I miss what Country music was, and even find myself worried that I fall into the "New Country" sound.

Michelle,

"I miss what Country music was, and even find myself worried that I fall into the "New Country" sound."



No problem. Don't sell out your dreams. Maybe you could be partially responsible for bringing it back some day. Someone will.

People will be looking for the real thing down the line. It always comes back again.

I hate to see the really great performers, like George Jones for instance, playing in small Indian cassino's. Have you ever heard that cat sing? What a vocal range. And he seldom uses it.