I've been playing guitar now for about 4 years now and I'm always learning and trying out new things.
I would say that I'm at that comfortable stage in playing where someone can give me a piece of music with chords on and I can play it straight away. This is not the case with tab however.
As a musician, I think it's important to be able to play any piece of music given, no matter what form it is presented in. I was never taught how to play guitar so all my experience has come from either watching other people on Youtube or just by picking the guitar up and learning how to do something.
Learning to play a song using tab is something that was new to me about a year ago. I had always found it a daunting thing that I needed to learn but kept avoiding. It is only recently that I started to learn how to read tab and how to sight read it, so that I could play a piece of music without having to look from the music, down to my guitar and work out where my fingers go.
As well as having my goal of learning new pieces to play on guitar via finger picking, I also set myself the task of learning how to sight read tab music.
This piece of music here was what I learnt in about 15 minutes. Now you might be saying that 15 minutes is either far too long or far too short for a piece that is just over half a minute long. I am proud of what I produced in such a short amount of time because not only did I sight read the tab (which I will post in my bibliography), but I recorded this without actually looking at the music or at my guitar, something I would not have been able to do several months ago. I think that I finally have a better understanding of the guitar as I am starting to learn more than I would have done when I first started. I am able to change the position of my fingers from each fret on each string with slight ease (only a few occasional mistakes) which means that soon, I will be able to play more complicated melodies (maybe even challenge myself and learn a difficult guitar solo).
Practice does pay off!
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Monday, 20 October 2014
Music & Emotion
Edgard Varèse famously called his music 'organized sound' (Varese, 1966) which I think perfectly sums up the idea of what music is. It shows how something as simple as tapping on the desk in a simple way can be classified as music. Through this, I think its important how we can take the idea of sound and relate to it emotion and memory.
For many of us, we have that one special song that takes us to a place in our past. Whether it be of someone special to you, of a place or simply because it brings a smile to your face because you were listening to that particular song while someone told you a joke. Although experts say that the most powerful sense to trigger an emotion is the olfactory, I would disagree. I think the things we hear impact us on a bigger scale, more so than what we realise. If you shuffled the songs on your iPod, for example, and chose the first 5 songs, I'm sure you can work out how each song is special to you.
For mine, the first song is 'Sex On Fire' by Kings Of Leon. For me, this brings back the memory of being at a gig while waiting for the performer coming on. In the background, this song was playing. I can remember the sheer intensity of everyone shouting out the chorus and it made me feel both special and insignificant (special to be part of a generation where we bond with music, while feeling insignificant at how many people were inspired by music).
The last song of the 5 is 'Ready For The Weekend' by Calvin Harris. This, aside from being one of my favourite songs by him, brings back the memory of being in assembly with my friends and singing this acapella because were bored. The part in the song where he goes "We get a thrill from clapping our hands", we proceeded to clap 4 times in succession to the beat of the music (sad, I know).
Music is something that shapes us as a person because it makes us feel everything and nothing all at once. We feel a special connection to that particular song or lyric which triggers something that, in my opinion, nothing else can. Cheesy guilty pleasure songs (we all have them) never fail to put a smile on our face and make us not just sing them, but perform them. Why is this, is it because we think back to a time where we didn't have a care in the world at all?
Matty Healy, the lead singer of the 1975 said that 'You can't really control the way that you feel when you listen to music' which helps to support my argument that what you hear is the most powerful tool when it comes to emotion and memory.
So next time you listen to a song, actually listen to it. Work out what the meaning is behind the song and what the artist's message is that they're trying to get across and I'm certain that it will trigger something in your brain and you will associate that song with a particular memory from then on.
Happy day dreaming!
For many of us, we have that one special song that takes us to a place in our past. Whether it be of someone special to you, of a place or simply because it brings a smile to your face because you were listening to that particular song while someone told you a joke. Although experts say that the most powerful sense to trigger an emotion is the olfactory, I would disagree. I think the things we hear impact us on a bigger scale, more so than what we realise. If you shuffled the songs on your iPod, for example, and chose the first 5 songs, I'm sure you can work out how each song is special to you.
For mine, the first song is 'Sex On Fire' by Kings Of Leon. For me, this brings back the memory of being at a gig while waiting for the performer coming on. In the background, this song was playing. I can remember the sheer intensity of everyone shouting out the chorus and it made me feel both special and insignificant (special to be part of a generation where we bond with music, while feeling insignificant at how many people were inspired by music).
The last song of the 5 is 'Ready For The Weekend' by Calvin Harris. This, aside from being one of my favourite songs by him, brings back the memory of being in assembly with my friends and singing this acapella because were bored. The part in the song where he goes "We get a thrill from clapping our hands", we proceeded to clap 4 times in succession to the beat of the music (sad, I know).
Music is something that shapes us as a person because it makes us feel everything and nothing all at once. We feel a special connection to that particular song or lyric which triggers something that, in my opinion, nothing else can. Cheesy guilty pleasure songs (we all have them) never fail to put a smile on our face and make us not just sing them, but perform them. Why is this, is it because we think back to a time where we didn't have a care in the world at all?
Matty Healy, the lead singer of the 1975 said that 'You can't really control the way that you feel when you listen to music' which helps to support my argument that what you hear is the most powerful tool when it comes to emotion and memory.
So next time you listen to a song, actually listen to it. Work out what the meaning is behind the song and what the artist's message is that they're trying to get across and I'm certain that it will trigger something in your brain and you will associate that song with a particular memory from then on.
Happy day dreaming!
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Finger Picking Pt. II
10 days since I set myself the goal of learning the acoustic version of 'Sex' The 1975 and by practicing at least 30 minutes on the piece everyday, I have finally managed to cover the song (those days of playing it on my imaginary air guitar are over)!
The first step was to find a tab to use which I did very easily. Google is so handy as anything you want, you type it in and voila, your wish has been granted.
The actual song is made up of only 4 chords: C, F, G and Am7 (with the capo on fret 5/6, whatever floats your boat). It is basically the way in which each chord is played that recreates the sound in the video I posted before.
The trick is (without getting too much into detail), hitting the root note (for C it's the 5th string, G is 6th and F/Am7 is the 4th), then plucking the string below that. After that, it's a simple down strum then finally hitting the 1st/2nd string as you strum upwards. The C chord is the special chord as it's made up of 2nd string, 1st fret/ 4th string, second fret/ 5th string 3rd fret. If you listen closely enough, you should hear a slight hammer on and pull off which means putting a finger on a fret while the string is vibrating and then taking it off respectively. To create this sound, all that I did was do the whole picking/strumming pattern once, then place my little finger on the 4th string, 3rd fret and do the pattern again. Take if off and repeat said pattern and finally remove my middle finger from the 2nd fret on the same string and repeat the pattern again! (It sounds complicated and it is difficult to explain without showing it visually, but it's not that difficult at all).
So there you have it! I hope you have enjoyed my goal song which was quite fun to play and sing at the same time as I love the song so much! I think if I was to improve upon it, it would definitely be the use of dynamics. Picking louder than the strumming would create a nice balance between the two styles of playing as it would, (in my head anyway) create a sense of tranquility almost...
(Also, recording it not from my laptop and with actual recording equipment would do wonders for it but alas, I'm but a poor student)
Next challenge with finger picking? 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' by Green Day. An amazing song which is majorly based off of finger picking (the first few verses and the bridge in the middle) as well as power chords (another guitar music term which means the combination of two tones using the root and its fifth) which are ever present in the rock genre (and also another thing I need to get better at).
Practice, practice, practice!
The first step was to find a tab to use which I did very easily. Google is so handy as anything you want, you type it in and voila, your wish has been granted.
The actual song is made up of only 4 chords: C, F, G and Am7 (with the capo on fret 5/6, whatever floats your boat). It is basically the way in which each chord is played that recreates the sound in the video I posted before.
The trick is (without getting too much into detail), hitting the root note (for C it's the 5th string, G is 6th and F/Am7 is the 4th), then plucking the string below that. After that, it's a simple down strum then finally hitting the 1st/2nd string as you strum upwards. The C chord is the special chord as it's made up of 2nd string, 1st fret/ 4th string, second fret/ 5th string 3rd fret. If you listen closely enough, you should hear a slight hammer on and pull off which means putting a finger on a fret while the string is vibrating and then taking it off respectively. To create this sound, all that I did was do the whole picking/strumming pattern once, then place my little finger on the 4th string, 3rd fret and do the pattern again. Take if off and repeat said pattern and finally remove my middle finger from the 2nd fret on the same string and repeat the pattern again! (It sounds complicated and it is difficult to explain without showing it visually, but it's not that difficult at all).
So there you have it! I hope you have enjoyed my goal song which was quite fun to play and sing at the same time as I love the song so much! I think if I was to improve upon it, it would definitely be the use of dynamics. Picking louder than the strumming would create a nice balance between the two styles of playing as it would, (in my head anyway) create a sense of tranquility almost...
(Also, recording it not from my laptop and with actual recording equipment would do wonders for it but alas, I'm but a poor student)
Next challenge with finger picking? 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' by Green Day. An amazing song which is majorly based off of finger picking (the first few verses and the bridge in the middle) as well as power chords (another guitar music term which means the combination of two tones using the root and its fifth) which are ever present in the rock genre (and also another thing I need to get better at).
Practice, practice, practice!
Friday, 10 October 2014
A Magical Understanding
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here" (Rowling, 1998, p.128)
This quote that Dumbledore says in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is something that I feel is quite significant to modern times. Within those few words, it references how music is greater than being able to produce water out of thin air. It's something that connects everyone, no matter how different we are. This contrast the magic performed by the pupils in the books as muggles (non-wizarding folk) cannot use magic, thus creating a separation between two groups of people.
Music however, is something that is universal. It doesn't matter what language the lyrics may be in, or even if there are lyrics at all, the basic human instinct when hearing an upbeat piece of music for example, is to tap your foot. Something that anyone can do, regardless of their music ability.
This quote that Dumbledore says in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is something that I feel is quite significant to modern times. Within those few words, it references how music is greater than being able to produce water out of thin air. It's something that connects everyone, no matter how different we are. This contrast the magic performed by the pupils in the books as muggles (non-wizarding folk) cannot use magic, thus creating a separation between two groups of people.
Music however, is something that is universal. It doesn't matter what language the lyrics may be in, or even if there are lyrics at all, the basic human instinct when hearing an upbeat piece of music for example, is to tap your foot. Something that anyone can do, regardless of their music ability.
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Self-Critique
It is true for pretty much everyone that you're your own worst critic because of this human thing we have where we tend to doubt ourselves, making something as simple as accepting a compliment from someone else seem like such a big deal (unless you know you've done well in which case it's the cliche 'oh shucks, I'm blushing' routine).
For me, I absolutely despise hearing my own voice back because we all have this idea in our head of how we sound however when hearing it back, it sounds completely different. (Quick fun thing to do, if you want to see how you sound like to people really quickly, cup your hands with your palms facing inwards, cover your ears and talk, it's a weird experience).
Without sounding arrogant, I know I can sing, (form your own opinions ladies and gentlemen) however whenever I hear myself back, I do question my ability to be able to hold a tune. Sitting in class and having to hear the piece of music with my vocals on it was quite a surreal experience and although I half zoned out, I think I'm slowly getting used to my voice.
But enough about me and my weirdness, and more about the actual song and what went well and how to improve it
Personally, I focused on what could be improved rather than what went well, but I'll talk about both. I think that the actual message that we were trying to convey got across through the actual lyrics and also in the style of guitar that I recorded. I think that the use of finger picking helped to give the song that softer and more emotional feel to it, which contrasted the strumming of the chords in the bridge which were sharp and loud, showing the piece and the story coming to a climax, and actually breaking free of being trapped. The two main things for me that could have been improved were the actual recording and a harmony. Getting the transition between the verse and the chorus a lot smoother using effects, but that will come with time. Also, having a simple harmony in the chorus would have lifted the piece giving it that 'angelic' effect, something that is quite common in modern day songs that are of a slow tempo.
Just a few other comments about the piece from other people:
"Good rhythm and structure"
"Voice had a unique tone"
"Lyrics and melody reflect the themes and concepts explained"
"It would be nice to explore harmony more"
"Clearer lyrics and change in dynamics"
The main feedback as you can see from the few quotes that I picked, was that it was a well thought out piece and that to give it that extra something else, a harmony would've helped.
And so, there you have it, my first official and formal piece of self-critique without being too harsh on myself (something that as a human being, is quite a challenge). Feel free to form your own opinions on the song (which was in the post before) because I think in this day and age, it's important to express your opinion on something. If you feel that something can be improved, then tell the person. It's all constructive at the end of the day and benefits both the performer and the audience. (Just don't be a Simon Cowell)
For me, I absolutely despise hearing my own voice back because we all have this idea in our head of how we sound however when hearing it back, it sounds completely different. (Quick fun thing to do, if you want to see how you sound like to people really quickly, cup your hands with your palms facing inwards, cover your ears and talk, it's a weird experience).
Without sounding arrogant, I know I can sing, (form your own opinions ladies and gentlemen) however whenever I hear myself back, I do question my ability to be able to hold a tune. Sitting in class and having to hear the piece of music with my vocals on it was quite a surreal experience and although I half zoned out, I think I'm slowly getting used to my voice.
But enough about me and my weirdness, and more about the actual song and what went well and how to improve it
Personally, I focused on what could be improved rather than what went well, but I'll talk about both. I think that the actual message that we were trying to convey got across through the actual lyrics and also in the style of guitar that I recorded. I think that the use of finger picking helped to give the song that softer and more emotional feel to it, which contrasted the strumming of the chords in the bridge which were sharp and loud, showing the piece and the story coming to a climax, and actually breaking free of being trapped. The two main things for me that could have been improved were the actual recording and a harmony. Getting the transition between the verse and the chorus a lot smoother using effects, but that will come with time. Also, having a simple harmony in the chorus would have lifted the piece giving it that 'angelic' effect, something that is quite common in modern day songs that are of a slow tempo.
Just a few other comments about the piece from other people:
"Good rhythm and structure"
"Voice had a unique tone"
"Lyrics and melody reflect the themes and concepts explained"
"It would be nice to explore harmony more"
"Clearer lyrics and change in dynamics"
The main feedback as you can see from the few quotes that I picked, was that it was a well thought out piece and that to give it that extra something else, a harmony would've helped.
And so, there you have it, my first official and formal piece of self-critique without being too harsh on myself (something that as a human being, is quite a challenge). Feel free to form your own opinions on the song (which was in the post before) because I think in this day and age, it's important to express your opinion on something. If you feel that something can be improved, then tell the person. It's all constructive at the end of the day and benefits both the performer and the audience. (Just don't be a Simon Cowell)
My First Ever Song (Hopefully One Of Many To Come)
So for our third music class of the semester, we had to have a song all prepared and recorded to show to the class. A scary concept, however breaking it down into small bits made it actually quite simple and for me, quite enjoyable. Split into pairs, my partner and I (Natalie) were given several poetic phrases and were told to create a song using some, all or none of the given phrases. They were:
"I breathe in, the cool air, that the colour of the sky gives me"
"After so much mist, one by one, the stars unveil"
"I know I am a passing image"
"Caught in an immortal circle"
The general idea we got from these quotes was that it was quite a sad message about being trapped and longing for a sense of freedom.
We structured the song like a modern day pop song (Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus) as this would be the easiest and simplest way of writing for amateurs like ourselves. We also settled on the general dynamics of the song with a relatively quiet verse, louder chorus which builds to a strong and loud bridge to link with the end chorus, creating that climax of being free and breaking out of the monotony of being trapped.
Splitting up the writing between us made sense at it gave us both a bit of creative freedom before meeting and filling in the gaps (the bridge we did together).
When writing the two verses, I used the first quote as a starting reference and began to build it around that. After writing two lines of the first verse, putting 4 simple and rather random chords (literally played the first 4 that came into mind) helped me to write the rest of the first verse which in turn helped to shape the second verse through the general message I was trying to convey from the first.
There are songwriters that write songs either of two ways. One group tends to write lyrics, then add the music, while the other does the converse and puts lyrics to music. I found that when writing, I tend to side with the group that puts lyrics to music as I personally feel that it's easier to write lyrics when you know the tune of the song, and it helps to stop lines either being too long or too short (you could argue that it restricts your creativity because of the fact that you have a 'musical deadline' (lack of a better term), but again, just my opinion.
Enough of my rambling, and on with the actual finished work (apologies for the variation of volume of my singing, that's what tends to happen when you're ill)
Enjoy!
"I breathe in, the cool air, that the colour of the sky gives me"
"After so much mist, one by one, the stars unveil"
"I know I am a passing image"
"Caught in an immortal circle"
The general idea we got from these quotes was that it was quite a sad message about being trapped and longing for a sense of freedom.
We structured the song like a modern day pop song (Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus/Bridge/Chorus) as this would be the easiest and simplest way of writing for amateurs like ourselves. We also settled on the general dynamics of the song with a relatively quiet verse, louder chorus which builds to a strong and loud bridge to link with the end chorus, creating that climax of being free and breaking out of the monotony of being trapped.
Splitting up the writing between us made sense at it gave us both a bit of creative freedom before meeting and filling in the gaps (the bridge we did together).
When writing the two verses, I used the first quote as a starting reference and began to build it around that. After writing two lines of the first verse, putting 4 simple and rather random chords (literally played the first 4 that came into mind) helped me to write the rest of the first verse which in turn helped to shape the second verse through the general message I was trying to convey from the first.
There are songwriters that write songs either of two ways. One group tends to write lyrics, then add the music, while the other does the converse and puts lyrics to music. I found that when writing, I tend to side with the group that puts lyrics to music as I personally feel that it's easier to write lyrics when you know the tune of the song, and it helps to stop lines either being too long or too short (you could argue that it restricts your creativity because of the fact that you have a 'musical deadline' (lack of a better term), but again, just my opinion.
Enough of my rambling, and on with the actual finished work (apologies for the variation of volume of my singing, that's what tends to happen when you're ill)
Enjoy!
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Finger Picking
This man is Mark Knopfler and he is an amazing guitarist. In this Youtube video (Knopfler, 2009), he tells how he learnt to finger pick on his own, originally starting out with a plectrum then learning the art of finger picking for his friend's big sister. The way he talks about it is very simple and he puts on this calm demeanour which I think is important whenever somebody is trying to teach or demonstrate something musical such as this.
Being able to finger pick is a skill that as I guitarist, I wish to learn. I can do simple songs that have finger picking such as the well known 'Hey There Delilah' by The Plain White T's however to finger pick that song is quite simple. It only requires to the thumb for the root note (for example, a C chord - the opening note - which is the 5th string/A string) and the index and middle finger for 3rd and 2nd strings respectively (or the G & B string).
Although I know I won't be able to perform like Mark straight away, I have to start somewhere. I already have a basic understanding of how to finger pick (meaning 'Hey There Delilah') so the next step for me still as a beginner is to be able to finger pick while strumming chords. I think that would give me a better understanding of how to 'organise my fingers' on a guitar, which should in theory help me to become a better finger picker. What I'd like to learn is a song called 'Sex' by The 1975 which the lead singer Matt Healy performs acoustically here (Last.fm, 2013). The combination of finger picking and strumming the chords creates a beautiful sound that I'd like to recreate when I'm in my bedroom on my guitar. This should be a fairly straight forward piece to learn as half of it is still using chords. The challenging part will be the actual picking of each string in time (which I seem to get right when I play along on my imaginary guitar, just not when it comes to the real thing).
Practice makes perfect!
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
A Brief Intro Into My Musical World
Music is something that is present in all of our lives. Whether it's walking down the street with earphones in, in a supermarket or even while on hold on the phone (I think it's fair to say that we've all hummed along mindlessly to that annoying tune while waiting on the phone).
Music can shape a person and mould them into the human beings that they will become. From personal experience, I started out listening to 'chart' music because that was what I was brought up with. As I started to grow and started talking to new people while exploring the world, I discovered new music that has helped shape the being I am today.
Just a little more background information about me. My name's Reece and I'm 18 and studying performing arts at the University of Sunderland. I would like to say that I'm musically gifted, being able to play both guitar and piano and also sing (I have a feeling that Hayley, my music lecturer has unofficially dubbed me as 'The One Man Band'). I'm interested in different genres of music however I would say that I'm partial to a bit of what is called 'indie rock' (Bands like The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Lower Than Atlantis and so on). That's not to say that I don't appreciate other genres of music (such as rap or classical), I just prefer not to have that on my iPod.
To conclude this nonsensical jumble of words that has pretty much no structure (a lot like my mind, all over the place), this is my blog and I shall be blogging on the regular about things I've find interesting that is relevant to my course and also about my own exploration in music. One thing I'm trying to get better at on the guitar is finger picking. It's my aim by the end of this semester to learn a song that is predominately picked, I do have a few songs in mind, hmmm...
Music can shape a person and mould them into the human beings that they will become. From personal experience, I started out listening to 'chart' music because that was what I was brought up with. As I started to grow and started talking to new people while exploring the world, I discovered new music that has helped shape the being I am today.
Just a little more background information about me. My name's Reece and I'm 18 and studying performing arts at the University of Sunderland. I would like to say that I'm musically gifted, being able to play both guitar and piano and also sing (I have a feeling that Hayley, my music lecturer has unofficially dubbed me as 'The One Man Band'). I'm interested in different genres of music however I would say that I'm partial to a bit of what is called 'indie rock' (Bands like The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Lower Than Atlantis and so on). That's not to say that I don't appreciate other genres of music (such as rap or classical), I just prefer not to have that on my iPod.
To conclude this nonsensical jumble of words that has pretty much no structure (a lot like my mind, all over the place), this is my blog and I shall be blogging on the regular about things I've find interesting that is relevant to my course and also about my own exploration in music. One thing I'm trying to get better at on the guitar is finger picking. It's my aim by the end of this semester to learn a song that is predominately picked, I do have a few songs in mind, hmmm...
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