I was asked this morning to write another article for a magazine that I used to write for. The timing was perfect as I'd received some news that put me in a contemplative mood. That, for me, usually equates to 'getting into writing mode'.
OK, I finished the article and emailed it. Still in writing mode...so time to empty the brain a bit. What better subject than GUITAR? I thought you'd agree (and if you don't, neener neener).
I'm supposed to record some bass lines for a friend's project later. I enjoy playing bass. Always have. Some might even say I'm good at it. That particular instrument is a nice change in how I approach a song. While I've played guitar for over 40 years, I've only been primarily a guitarist for just over 30. Those other years were spent thumping basses.
Regarding guitar, many have noted that I have my own style. I'm told that people can hear a recording and know if its me. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen. I can, however, explain why my sound/style/whatever is my own. Laziness.
I have just never been able to concentrate on studying someone else's guitar parts. Sure, I HAVE done it but prefer not to. Its laziness, really. I'll be sitting there trying to learn the part...but then I think "gee, what if I go here instead" and go a whole other direction, forgetting about the song I'm playing, and zone in on something else entirely. This level of thinking has definitely helped my improvisation skills. That was always handy in bands where I'd be told by the person fronting the band to "keep playing". This often happens because that person has forgotten the words to the next verse, needs more time to get a beer, or in one notable occasion, had to literally jump off the stage and run to the bathroom due to a bit of extreme gastrointestinal distress. It is rarely because what I'm playing is so entertaining or masterful. I know this. I'm the guy playing it. I'm the guy having to wing his way through another lengthy solo when I know damned well I should just be chopping along playing the chords.
This has led many to believe that I ENJOY doing these long solos. Again, no, I do not. I'd prefer to say (musically) what I have to say and then proceed with the song. I rarely find myself onstage with another soloist, so I get stuck doing it. "Keep playing!" They almost never bring me a beer for it. I guess the perceived glory should be enough. I'm not a jazz player. Grinding out improv after improv isn't as fun as it sounds. But I've learned to do it.
I just uploaded an old live tune to the YinzTube. The recording is almost 30 years old. Sounds pretty high energy but also, at least to me, drunk and sloppy. I can hear where I would have liked to end the solo but also where I was prodded to 'keep playing'. I just started throwing in bits from other songs because I wasn't flooded with ideas at the moment. This was most likely because I'd had to do just that a dozen times already. If my memory serves me, I was probably being fed 'goodies' by a lady friend while onstage, so my brain may have also just stopped functioning at a proper level.
At that point in life, I had learned to mix lead parts with rhythm parts, thus giving the front person all of the freedom to put on the best show possible, without having to also play rhythm guitar. Alas, this led to more 'keep playing' moments. Luckily, I try to find the lesson in everything. I'm probably lucky that I got all those 'keep playing' moments. They probably made me a better musician.
I think back to the gear I was using then. I still have the guitars. I don't use them often but they're in better shape now than they were then. Back then, duct tape was key to getting through any given show. Switches would break, pickups would be falling out, knobs malfunctioning, speakers in various states of repair. (FYI, clear nail polish or wood glue works better than duct tape for this) That I was able to play all of those shows with such beat up gear is, at least to me, chuckleworthy. It wasn't cheap, shoddy gear. It just got beat up from constant gigging and unfortunately infrequent trips to the repair shop. That particular amp (an early blackface Fender Super) cost me $110 at a pawn shop. I later sold it for much more to a pretty well known picker. My main guitar then was an old Telecaster Deluxe. I bought it when I was 15 and still have it almost 40 years later. Its mostly been retired except for the odd studio session. One of these days I'll take it to a real pro and get it back in tip top shape. Until then, I have plenty of other guitars to get the job done.
But I keep playing. Up until the plague hit, I was gigging regularly with a blues singer. Luckily, he could also solo. But alas, the "Keep Playing!" moments continued. And usually for the same reasons. Depending on the song and the show, I'd usually 'keep playing' but occasionally would just say NO. I had big ol' chords to throw in behind the vocals or his solos. That was more fun anyway. Yet people can still recognize my playing. I occasionally would come up with a solo for a song and stick with it. But rarely. I'd become comfortable in improvising. It became my comfort zone. I've found that I do that on bass too. I really can't think of many songs that I've actually learned the bass lines to...but there have been a few. On guitar, there was only ever one solo I learned note for note. Literally nothing else worked! Trust me, I tried. I really did not want to force myself to sit down and learn it. It wasn't that I couldn't...I just know my brain well enough. I knew it would take much longer than just winging a solo. And it did. Took me about an hour. This particular solo isn't exactly difficult. Its pretty easy in fact. Its a real credit to the original guitarist's mastery on the instrument and his solos. Since then, I've gone back and listened to much more of his work. He's a truly crafty SOB. He's not burning up the fret board or anything. He's playing just what needs to be there. Nothing more. Nothing less. And nothing else will do! So, I guess until the time comes that I learn that particular lesson, I'll just have to keep playing.
