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Post by fred7 on Feb 14, 2023 10:02:25 GMT
For a long time now i've been noodling away at home, by myself and, for the most part, enjoying it. But there are times when I ask myself this question. What is the point of learning yet another song which I then play to myself and nobody else hears it ? This sounds like the tree falling in a wood when there is nobody around to witness it. The most important thing about doing anything is getting enjoyment from it. If playing just for yourself gives that then who cares what you play or how good or bad it is? If you don't get the opportunity to play to an audience for whatever reason then do as Phil Taylor suggests and make the video or recordings for YouTube/Soundcloud etc and play them in the Duck. Hard to believe Phil struggles to play in front of people but we'd all miss out if he let that put him off.
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Feb 14, 2023 15:25:59 GMT
If there has to be a point to music - you're missing it
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Post by earthbalm on Feb 14, 2023 15:41:33 GMT
I play guitar simply because I cannot not play.
It's been an escape valve for me for some 40+ years.
I've gone through phases of playing in front of audiences and playing at home. Currently, I'm lucky to be working in the local library service where I can use the guitar to accompany toddlers' rhyme time - brilliant!
One of the things I love about this forum is the breadth of styles covered and the range of experience and expertise of members.
Thanks everybody for your company, whatever the reason for your being here.
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Post by sweyne1 on Feb 14, 2023 16:46:03 GMT
Great responses everyone. Firstly I think I should emphasise that i'm definitely not thinking about giving up playing. When I said i'm not being miserable I meant it. I'm more than happy with what i'm doing but just making the point that I could be doing more. Hopefully that will happen if/when I stumble across someone with similar thoughts as me regarding playing as i'm not good enough or confident enough to play solo. To prove the point about not giving up, elsewhere on the forum I mentioned that i'd managed to acquire a Fylde Ken Nicol about 18 months ago. I'd listened to Ken playing 'I.H.' many times on youtube (which I love) so recently I bought the tab for it off Ken's website. I also bought his Clawhammer DVD. And, as regards learning songs, my latest attempt is 'Bright Blue Rose' by Jimmy MacCarthy. You're probably aware of him Keith but just in case you're not I think given it's religious aspect it's a song you may like for your church activities. Just a thought. A few responses. No, i'm not cracking up newdave but it's lovely that you asked. For me the song that nobody wanted hear Keith was 'Man Of The World'. We spent ages getting it right (in the 70's) and played it just once. The audience looked at us as if we were aliens. I have thought Matt about soundcloud and recording stuff etc but so far all i've achieved is a single youtube entry (no channel as such) called 'An Irish Lullaby' which is one of my own efforts. I should have tuned down a semitone , I sound strangulated. Enough for now. I'll post again shortly. John
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 14, 2023 17:23:17 GMT
sweyne1 - Hi John - yup, a great thread with some great responses. I love Ken Nicol's playing - I learned IH from his video some years ago despite it being in DADGAD because I too loved it - I'd have to relearn it now though - long since forgotten! Would love to hear you playing it on your KN Fylde! Bright Blue Rose is indeed a cracking song (and a lot easier to do than I.H. !). I like the writer singing it whether with Michelle Lally (b.vs.) and Frankie Gavin (fiddle) or with Christy Moore and the excellent Declan Sinnott who is also of course on Mary Black's excellent version. I've never sung it, but you're right, maybe I should - I like songs that have something extra in them for those with ears to hear - thanks for the nudge. Keith
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Post by borborygmus on Feb 14, 2023 17:47:57 GMT
Because I just googled Bright Blue Rose
Such a super version!
Peter
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Post by sweyne1 on Feb 14, 2023 18:37:00 GMT
Because I just googled Bright Blue Rose Such a super version! Peter Lovely isn't it. And on the Christy Moore version (on the CD at least) when the pipes kick in toward the end (Uilleann pipes I presume) the mournfulness of the sound almost brings me to tears. John
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Post by delb0y on Feb 14, 2023 19:28:48 GMT
Interesting thread. I've been having - and am having - this very dilemma. I've always played live, and always enjoyed it, but the enforced break from Covid gave me some thinking time. I realised I'd stopped getting the same pleasure from playing with the band as I'd used to. But exactly why, was not so easy to define. The actual bit on stage was genuinely fun, but I'd come to hate having to spend all day Saturday from early afternoon until the early hours moving kit, driving, setting up, etc etc just for those two sets. Even pub gigs still required an early start and a late finish. Then I was playing the same old songs I'd played for thirty years, so musically it wasn't inspiring. Also, I concluded that I wasn't spending time on the music I really wanted to spend time with. I might have played the same stuff for thirty years but, not being naturally very good, I had to practice it a lot to learn and memorise and stay on top of my parts. It always felt like the rest of the guys just had the ability to turn up and do it, whereas I needed to put hours in every week just to hang on to their shirttails. All of which meant the stuff I really wanted to do - finger-picking, original acoustic songs, gypsy-jazz, etc wasn't getting a look in.
Over the last few years I've done a fair few solo acoustic open-mics and support slots and figured that maybe this was the way to go - but I still wasn't sure. Maybe sitting in the garden and finger-picking would be enough (and it may very well be. I certainly get a lot of enjoyment from learning to play, say ragtime guitar, and I don't think I need an audience to maintain that enjoyment). With all this in mind, I have a couple of solo gigs booked and I shall see how they go.
I've also just started a gypsy jazz duet. It's very early days, but there's something about making music with someone else that fills a need, too - that little bit of magic that comes from two minds, two acoustic guitars. So we shall see if that flies.
In the end, I don't think it matters whether it's music I've played on the guitar, songs I've written, photos I've taken, stories I've written - even if these things go no further than my office door I always imagine that one day they will. I guess that's the answer for me - this stuff does need to be shared for me to feel that it's worthwhile. Yet that said, I think the other suggestions on this thread - YouTube channels, an acoustic club, an album, jamming with like-minded souls, whatever, may well fulfill the sharing need without having to go out there and gig.
Because I'm still not convinced that I haven't simply run out of enthusiasm for gigs, for hunting down gigs, selling myself, and then having to bat away requests for Ed Sheeran tunes all night long.
Derek
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Post by vikingblues on Feb 14, 2023 20:04:51 GMT
It is an interesting thread. My take on this is that for me the point of playing attempting to play guitar is that I enjoy it, and that I just enjoy the sound an acoustic guitar makes. Even when I play it! I spent 47 years training in, and then going down a career route where the creativity required was the square root of bugger all. No exaggeration. I found that in my mid 40s I was regularly dreaming of playing music. I'd played guitar in my teens and twenties, but had lapsed. I started playing and those dreams stopped. Sadly reality has never lived up to those dreams, but never mind. I have some recording about the place that are worth far more to me as a personal achievement than anything I ever did in paid employment. As I have no enthusiasm for playing music / songs of a generally popular nature there's no point in seeking out an audience. Especially as an audience would give me banana fingers and mush for brains ...... well, more so than usual. Mark
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Feb 14, 2023 21:17:43 GMT
I suppose what we're talking about is 'do you need an outlet' for your playing; or are you fine just playing to yourself and the dog. To me its both. I'm fine in my own company generally and playing with no-one around, whether it's learning new stuff, redoing old, or just noodling around on different guitars are all very satisfying. But I have always wished for a bit of an 'outlet' as well; not to become famous (no chance!), but just to give a bit of purpose as well. In my early days I played with a mate around folk clubs and the occasional gig for charity and that was good. But when I took it up again in my 60s I tried the folk club route as a soloist and was just too damned nervous to enjoy it. So I generally gave up on that as an outlet. Too much stress. My outlet came when my nearby village started a u3a about 11 years ago. I put my name forward to 'teach/lead' other oldies to be able to pay guitar. Most were beginners or had done a wee bit 40-50 years ago which enabled me to show them slowly what to do. Jump forward 11 years and there are 17 in the group, a small waiting list,we have around 70-80 'performance songs, have played around 50-60 gigs to audiences of between 25 and 400. We've 'entertained' over 2,000 people now. The pleasure the group get out of having learned how to make music is probably (discounting family) the best thing I've done. If anyone is interested I've put a link below onto the website which I developed; you can't get into the members area which has all our songs, resources etc but shows a lot of pics from our gigs. That's my Outlet and mixed with my playing on my own is a perfect balance. Both challenging, both enjoyable, both rewarding. If anyone wants to try something similar I'd be glad to share our journey. www.u3acousticravenshead.org.uk/
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Post by eldergreene on Feb 15, 2023 22:02:18 GMT
stopped gigging with lockdown, since which I meet pals for twice-weekly jams, which gives me all the fun of collective playing with none of the hassle of gigs, heartily recommend!
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 24,577
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Feb 15, 2023 23:44:15 GMT
stopped gigging with lockdown, since which I meet pals for twice-weekly jams, which gives me all the fun of collective playing with none of the hassle of gigs, heartily recommend! Then you'd absolutely love the Forum get-together (HB14)
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Post by robmc on Feb 16, 2023 15:27:18 GMT
sweyne1, I personally believe there is a point to music whether it is being shared or not as long as it is being made... I was struck by a story I read last year which this thread reminded me of, link to story below, I think Ron was a pure artist really (if that doesn't sound too poncy!). Ron's Place
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Post by sweyne1 on Feb 16, 2023 17:39:00 GMT
sweyne1 , I personally believe there is a point to music whether it is being shared or not as long as it is being made... I was struck by a story I read last year which this thread reminded me of, link to story below, I think Ron was a pure artist really (if that doesn't sound too poncy!). Ron's Place What a great story. He just did things his own way without harming anyone. Brilliant. 'Art for art's sake' as the song goes.
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Post by sweyne1 on Feb 16, 2023 17:40:53 GMT
By the way, I was thinking we should rename this thread 'The Therapy Thread'. People seem to be getting a lot of stuff off their chests. John
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