Interesting article

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Interesting article

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Paleto

Posts: 243
Joined: Jul. 29 2003
From: San Diego, CA

Interesting article

Replace Jazz guitarist's names with your flamenco equivalent in the essay below.

I have always wanted to start a discussion about how to develop your own style. I have also been looking for a book which proposes to help you develop your own style. That would be a hard book to write...

Let me know your thoughts about this essay:

http://www.tomlippincott.com/conframe.html

Anthony

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 15 2003 23:39:55

Thomas Whiteley

Posts: 786
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Paleto)

Anthony;

A good article and it makes you think. As for myself, I learned flamenco guitar before it was popular to emulate someone else. I just played what I felt. We all have physical characteristics that are unique to ourselves and must understand and exploit them while developing the best technique we can.

Listen to others play flamenco. That is good. Attempt to learn the technique inside out and then learn to play to express your emotions. Do not attempt to sound like anyone else.

When you learn an introduction, falseta, llamada, ending etc., give it your signature. Keep it true to the music but make it your own. Take the music in a different path but follow the rules. Do not play what others play note for note.

Most of all enjoy what you are doing. Play in front of others whenever possible. I have always been very introverted and yet I have played in front of large audiences as well as small, and in front of and with some of the best flamencos. If you know what you are doing and enjoy it you will have fun and be a part of a wonderful means of expression.

I do not think anyone can write a step by step book for flamenco even though we have such titles!

Be like Sabicas and discover your own path. Learn as much as you can from different sources. Do not be like another person - be yourself.

_____________________________

Tom
http://home.comcast.net/~flamencoguitar/flamenco.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 4:22:22

Paleto

Posts: 243
Joined: Jul. 29 2003
From: San Diego, CA

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Thomas Whiteley)

Good advice Tom.

I do learn from transcriptions of other guys music, but that'll end and I will have to start making my own music. I do not solely emulate others. I spend time devoping various musical skills and work on technique to support my own creativity.

Studying the music of others is only one step in developing my own voice. If I had more time now, I'd be further down the road toward having my own pieces and style. As I learn from the transcriptions, I look for opportunities to embellish, leaving my own small imprints on my interpretations, I think this will evolve into me creating my own pieces entirely.

When I add an embellishment, it is always something that fits well given the harmonic progression and as well as the overall feel of a given compás.

It would be interesting to see a book written to help people develop their own style. I haven't ever seen one though. That doesn't mean there isn't one or that someone has included a chapter about it....

Anthony

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 12:50:18

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Paleto)

Interesting article, and I recognised my(stupid!)self in there a lot. Particularly the bit about learning lots of Van Halen note for note and all that. I'm glad those days are over! At least in this forum we don't have to worry about single coil pickups, racks full of fx and all sorts of other gear-related distractions. You should see the discussions in some other guitar forums, its just 99% gear and 1% about music.

By the way, Mick Goodrick is the author of a pretty respected book in guitar circles - 'The Advancing Guitarist'.

After playing guitar for about 24 years, I'm only just coming up with my own voice. I make up tunes in my head and then work them out on the guitar, thats a good way to be creative. Learning scales and modes and then improvising solos over backing has helped me a lot to.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 13:12:43

Paleto

Posts: 243
Joined: Jul. 29 2003
From: San Diego, CA

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Jon,

I recently bought "The Advancing Guitarist" and was surprised at the positive reviews in the Google jazz guitar group. For those who don't know of the book, it's not really just a jazz book, it's about getting to know your instrument better and offers some ways to learn new things about music and the guitar, kind of like giving you an opportunity to break out of practicing ruts and it seems to offer some help with creativity.

I have only started with the first section which is a really different approach. The second section suggests learning the intervals on 2 strings, all the way up the neck, then doing the same thing with another set of 2 strings, doing 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths, octaves, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths.

These kinds of activites broaden both your ear for music and your palette for creating novel sequences as well as knowledge of the guitar istelf, it opens up all kinds of other possibilities. It's a neat book, if only I could make more time now to work on it..

Anthony

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 20:20:35

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Paleto)

Hmm, can't say I enjoyed the article that much, I just see a journal entry in one very self-conscious, insecure man's book! Some of his insecurities resonated with me, some just seemed to be general whines. It's hard for me to fathom that one could study guitar seriously for 17 years and not feel you are getting a hold on the instrument. That really jumped out at me--what does he mean by serious? Does he practice half an hour a day or four? Does he have a teacher or has he been trying to go it alone?

It seems he thinks that a master guitarist should be able to play all styles. It simply doesn't work that way. There is the guitar, and then there is the style, two discrete things which must be learned. A good musician has the tools to learn both more quickly than the average person: analytical ability, knowledge of rhythm, harmony, how melody works, dynamics--in short, the framework or infrastructure of music. He must still devote time. There is knowing how to play and knowing what to play. Sometimes those topics are more linked than is commonly thought.

I have struggled mightly with suspicions I wasn't talented, or physically gifted... now I consider those thoughts mere insecurity and not realistic at all. It seems to me that with the proper work, anyone can master the guitar.

The author is so afraid of not having a style, another thing I don't get. It's like worrying about whether you are a good conversationalist or not. Just talk... pay attention to what works, what brings a smile to people's faces, see what works for other people, if you want to make a statement, then do so, if you just want to float there's nothing wrong with that. People with brilliant styles are brilliant people. If you have a zest for life, if you are a charitable loving person, if you are distinct, then so will be your style. But hand-wringing is probably not the best way to get one.

It seems to me that if he found something he loved, instead of just messing around with every popular instrumentalist, he would figure out a style. Why was he so scared of being compared to a particular guitarist? If that's him, that's him. Maybe he should learn flamenco, he mentioned just about every form of music.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 20:47:55

Paleto

Posts: 243
Joined: Jul. 29 2003
From: San Diego, CA

RE: Interesting article (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

What was worthwhile was being able to identify with some of the doubts, we all have 'em from time to time.

Even more importantly, was Mick Goodrick's answer.

[He said to look at things like I have a balance with a weight on one side, and my job is to make the scale balance out by adding sand to the other side one grain at a time. One way of looking at it would be to constantly be looking at how much sand I have left to put on the scale, thinking, "When will this ever be done, dammit." Another way of looking at it is to simply learn to enjoy the process of putting each grain of sand on the scale, to perhaps examine each grain of sand to find what is beautiful about each and every one. In other words, to do it for the sake of doing it, not for the sake of achieving the eventual goal. I think that is a pretty cool way of looking at things, and sometimes we all need a reminder that it's not where we're going that's important, but the "getting there."]

I guess just work at making your music better and better, piece by piece, compás by compás, practice session by practice session, enjoy and think about the aspects of music, and your voice will emerge in the process.

There probably isn't a concrete way of developing your own style or voice, it'll emerge if you're focused on the right things.

It's simple advice, it's kind of like Plato's famous "Know yourself" line. One appreciates it's significance only after much growth has taken place.

Anyone else agree?

Anthony

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2003 22:35:36