I guess what I really mean by sounding like me is that I'm no longer afraid to NOT sound like Mike or Monroe or whomever. That was a big stumbling block for me before, this idea that what I was doing had to sound like X recording or it sucked...it took me a time to gain enough confidence to say that although it didn't sound like Mike picking it, it sounded ok. I think it was Fred who posted something on the Cafe to the effect of "just play as best as you can and people will take notice...they don't realize the brass cajones it takes to do it in the first place." That piece of advice sort of stuck with me. Sorry for the paraphrasing.
That being said, I steal from Mike LIBERALLY..and pretty much from anyone I hear that plays the style I like. Monroe, David Davis, Tony Williamson...etc. What makes me sound like me is that I can't deliver it like any of these gentleman do--I'll certainly never be mistaken for any of them...but it'll pass. I learned to speak from listening to my Dad talk, but I don't consider myself a Wallace Cantrell speaking stylist. I do my own thing..or try to, anyway. It's not as if by playing a tune that someone else wrote, or in a style that someone has developed, causes them to download into my skull until I'm done...especially when it comes to improvisation. If someone asked any ten of us to improvise on a tune, it would all be different....but it would certainly have the brushing, rapid right hand and the minimalist fretting hand movements, the hard, bluesy punctuations on the end of the passages...you know what I mean. Anyway, I bit off enough. I'll chew. Also, peanut butter pie kicks ass. ________________________________ From: mistertaterbug <taterbugmu...@gmail.com> To: Taterbugmando <taterbugmando@googlegroups.com> Sent: Sun, November 8, 2009 12:01:29 PM Subject: Re: Norman's sage advice Just a few quick comments and I'll let well enough alone... 1)The common quest seems to be self-expression, to improvise, to contribute to the "conversation" at hand. Why? That seems to be the number one desire among players across the board regardless of region, genre or level of accomplishment. Why are there so many different ways of approaching improvisation? Why is there not one set way of teaching it? 2)What does one do when "...the shit I do everyday..." IS play music? Uncle Doc Watson is quoted as saying that the quickest way to lose your love for it is to do it for your living. 3)How do you know when you are playing like you? What are the earmarks of your style that let you know you are not playing like one of your heros? I will say this about that...I know I don't, nor will I ever sound like Bill Monroe, but I do use aspects of his style(among others) to play. But I absolutely cannot sit down and tell you what "my" style sounds like. 4)I've got a killer black bean soup recipe and peanut butter pie recipe if anybody wants it. Like everything else I do, I borrowed it from somebody else. <G> Back to lurk... Taterbug On Nov 6, 9:21 am, sgarrity <shaungarr...@hotmail.com> wrote: > I gave up trying to sound like anyone else a long time ago. I fully > agree that your limitations dictate your style and I've played long > enough now that people can recognize my playing in a jam before they > see who it is. It's kind of a combination of fiddle style playing > with a strong right hand. I wish I could do Monroe-style as good as > Spud does it, but until I get off my duff and start taking some webcam > lessons, I'm gonna sound just like me and I'm fine with that! > > As far as mastering a style, I think that's great advice if you're > gonna be a professional musician. If you're a hobby picker like me, I > doubt I'll ever master any style. But I have a helluva lot of fun > dabbling in several of them. Bluegrass, old-time, and Irish/Cape > Breton music all get some playing time at my house. Throw in > flatpicking guitar in an old-timey Norman Blake style and the octave > mandolin, and my hands are full. I do find taht playing multiple > instruments has made me a better musician and helps me learn faster. > And playing the octave mando.....it's like swinging a weighted bat for > my regular mando playing. Really makes you get that pinky finger > working. > > So much good music, so little time to learn it all!! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to taterbugmando@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
