Ask a Musician

[Hygro]

I buy songs. I do it for convenience, for superior catalogs, and because the music I buy is the music I perform with, so I have two reasons: 1) it forces me to be more selective and it gives me a superior library. 2) It's paying it back, and helping the artists I like chart higher, keeping them in the game.

I think its really only fair to share copywrite material if some other fund is established to bring down the costs for touring musicians. If musicians must depend on labels for underwriting tours, then they really deserve to get paid for those recordings. Touring is *expensive* yo.

Yes, except that: indie labels barely support tours financially, they are to give credibility. And ticket prices have gone waaaayyy up, which is where the new revenue is coming from.

 

[Ronojoy1917]

Of course!

Do you have any advice on how I could improve my sense of rhythm? By this I mean, I've been playing guitar very casually for a few years, and I find the finger/picking side relatively easy, but the chord/rhythm thing is very difficult for me. I find it very difficult to judge the rhythm of a song my listening it to it, even if I know what chords are supposed to be used. Any idea how I could improve this?

 

[GamezRule]

What kind of music do you listen to, and how much music theory do you know?

 

[Camikaze]

It's not good for them, but if your hands are occupied, tapping your teeth can help a lot.

 

[downtown]

Metronomes man. Gotta get yourself one.

 

[mayor]

It's not good for them, but if your hands are occupied, tapping your teeth can help a lot.

or foot/feet.. that's what I do

 

[Verarde]

As a drummer, my hands and feet are always moving (and generally on odd beats), so I find myself having to count time in my head or out loud. Of course, if the snare is generally on 2 and 4 in a 4/4 beat, and the bass is around 1 and 3, then it's easier to keep time. But in interesting signatures, such as 7/4 (love it), it is definitely necessary for me to actively count.

 

[Angst]

I'm a pianist.

I additionally sing and I'm beginning to learn to play the guitar. If I have to discern myself between a guy who plays an instrument and a musician, I'm a musician only by being a pianist, my guitar and singing isn't that good.

 

[Gem Hound]

I'm a pianist, I can also play the Alto, Tenor, Baritone, and Soprano Saxes, and the clarinet. I pale in comparison though to my brother who can pick literally anything up and play on it.

 

[Optical]

Another pianist checking in, but I'm no maestro. Still, I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has

 

[GamezRule]

I joined another, much better, jazz band. We played Sunday in Petoskey, but I don't think I saw BSmith there.

Also, I have a question for other musicians. Jazz vs Blues, GO!

 

[Angst]

Both jazz and blues bore me generally, but if I had to choose, blues is less superficial.

Preparing for attacks by jazz enthusiasts.

 

[downtown]

I have no idea how any musician could find either of those genres boring.

 

[Angst]

Well, bore is a strong word that isn't completely truthfully used there - I do listen to jazz, and I do listen to blues. It's just not very much. Most jazz has a tendency to be... Well... Overtly messy without standing out uniquely.

I have nothing against improvisation, (Most of the stuff I listen to is half improvistional) but the dogma jazz has to follow don't intrigue me. It also doesn't translate into musical purity, or freedom of expression, or truth, or anything, as jazz musicians tend to make it out as - not moreso than other music, that is.

 

[Optical]

I'm OK with both. Jazz has a slight edge for me because of the improvisation thing - which I find kinda cool - but blues is nice too.

And I live a half-hour plane trip away from a city where they hold a jazz&blues festival every year. I've been. It's pretty cool.

 

[GamezRule]

I literally just came from a rehearsal with my Jazz Band where we spent about 30 minutes improvising to a Bb 12 bar blues rhythm.

Blues improv is more soulful, imo, but Jazz is just so jazzy.

 

[Hygro]

Blues and jazz can be boring and can be interesting. Like anything, they require a certain kind of listening. Jazz listening to me is generally more energy in than I get back.

 

[holy king]

are your parents musicians?
how did you develop an interest in learning so many different instruments during your childhood?

 

[JamesCaesar]

Well, I play the drums.

 

[DroopyTofu]

I thought this would be noteworthy for this thread.

C, E-flat, and G go into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished, and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. D comes in and heads for the bathroom, saying, "Excuse me; I'll just be a second." Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight." E-flat comes back the next night in a three-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, "You're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit and everything else, and is au natural. Eventually C sobers up and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. without Coda at an upscale correctional facility


To make it a question, does everyone here understand this? What's your favorite line?