There are those times when I really feel like doing something musical. There are those times when I really feel like doing something creative. Then there are those times when both of those things come together. Today wasn't one of those days... well, not the musical & creative at the same time kind of day.
So on days like today I will grab my bass, put on the head phones, open iTunes and find some cool stuff to jam with. Lately I've working with Fleetwood Mac (in my dreams). John McVie is one of my favorite bass players. There is just something about his musical choices that resonate with me.
Today was a bit different as I was totally without direction or inspiration. Today I did a little work with the Traveling Wilburys (which was fun as well as educational) and then I tried to hang with the Police (on some of their simpler stuff). It is all good excercise for both my hands and my ears. For those of you following along with me on my adventure to broaden my musical experience... I force myself to actually understand what notes I'm playing while doing this. I used to just find the pattern without learning the notes... although it works, it doesn't really stimulate my understanding of what is gong on!
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm keeping my "Tales from Deception Gulch" reeled in close to home. There's just too much unbridled chaos floating around out there for me to even consider making a comment. So, for the time being anyhow, just stuff that is happening on the creative musical side of things.
Catch ya' later...
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Lately I've been enjoying some of the work by Joni Mitchell. Admittedly, it's partly a nostalgic thing but it is also a discovery of some aspects of her work that I have not been familiar with. Like... I did not realize that Joco Pastorious played so much with her (and I am constantly blown away by Joco)!
Getting back into "wood shedding" mode is always an interesting adventure! A friend of mine often says "If you're not working on your chops, you're losing them!" There is always something new to learn whether it is a finger-picking style or a different chord inversion or just trying to remember how to use my equipment... always something to keep the little grey cells busy!
I've been reading about Paul Simon's new album "In The Blue Light" and how he has been spending time revisiting some of his older tunes and in an attempt to get "fresh new takes" of them. I've been looking at my tunes and wondering what I would like to do with them (compared to just playing them the way I've always done). So far... I've been lead to only make changes if they actually add something to what I call the "core" of the tune.
As a song writer my goal has always been to deliver a message through the lyrics and supporting that message via the melody and chord structure. This method is partly due to my desire to keep the process simple, partly due to my limited education as a composer/arranger and partly due to my belief that it is more important to get a good message with a good tune out there than it is for me to create a "musically perfect" work.
When I started this recording project almost four years ago I remember that my goal was to get these songs of mine recorded and protected in a simple clean production capable of delivering the message. My hope was that some other performer would pick up on my tunes and want to put them out there with is or her own flavor. After all that I have been exposed to in the past couple of years in the studio... meaning all that is possible... I have come back to the original idea of keeping it simple and just deliver the message! Get that part done first and then see what happens after that.
So... that's where I seem to be these days. With all of the distractions that life has presented these past months I find myself finally getting back to the "practice & rehearsal" part of the gig. I do feel a bit relieved, I must say. It was getting far too technical in my mind and... nothing was really being accomplished!
But now... my fingers are sore and I have to get past that!
More to come...
T.F.O.T.H.
Getting back into "wood shedding" mode is always an interesting adventure! A friend of mine often says "If you're not working on your chops, you're losing them!" There is always something new to learn whether it is a finger-picking style or a different chord inversion or just trying to remember how to use my equipment... always something to keep the little grey cells busy!
I've been reading about Paul Simon's new album "In The Blue Light" and how he has been spending time revisiting some of his older tunes and in an attempt to get "fresh new takes" of them. I've been looking at my tunes and wondering what I would like to do with them (compared to just playing them the way I've always done). So far... I've been lead to only make changes if they actually add something to what I call the "core" of the tune.
As a song writer my goal has always been to deliver a message through the lyrics and supporting that message via the melody and chord structure. This method is partly due to my desire to keep the process simple, partly due to my limited education as a composer/arranger and partly due to my belief that it is more important to get a good message with a good tune out there than it is for me to create a "musically perfect" work.
When I started this recording project almost four years ago I remember that my goal was to get these songs of mine recorded and protected in a simple clean production capable of delivering the message. My hope was that some other performer would pick up on my tunes and want to put them out there with is or her own flavor. After all that I have been exposed to in the past couple of years in the studio... meaning all that is possible... I have come back to the original idea of keeping it simple and just deliver the message! Get that part done first and then see what happens after that.
So... that's where I seem to be these days. With all of the distractions that life has presented these past months I find myself finally getting back to the "practice & rehearsal" part of the gig. I do feel a bit relieved, I must say. It was getting far too technical in my mind and... nothing was really being accomplished!
But now... my fingers are sore and I have to get past that!
More to come...
T.F.O.T.H.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Moving forward...
We have been finally getting some much needed rain this monsoon season. We've gone from a drought with high fire warnings to a nice muggy couple of weeks here on the mountain.
Music - for the past few months I've been attempting to rekindle my musical aspirations. It was difficult for a number of reasons (mostly tasks that needed to be addressed around the homestead) but I discovered that my equipment layout in the studio had no flow! Instead of being able to walk up to my equipment and begin, I realized that things were too jammed together. I rearranged some things and now all my equipment is easily accessible... keyboard, guitar, bass, mixers, computer, etc. What a concept!
So... now that I can easily access my keyboard, what is my first challenge?
There is a song performed by Delaney & Bonnie on their "Accept No Substitute" album called "Ghetto". I've always liked the song but what flips me out the most about it is Leon Russell's keyboard riffs! Leon has always been a favorite of mine for a number o reasons but his "voicings" on his riffs on this tune just do something to me.
[Nine days later...]
Of course, now that I have written about my "progress"... life has interjected itself with many tasks that have needed my immediate attention! Which is to say... I have not spent much time in the studio!
I'm going to publish this post and hope that the next one reveals some musical advancement.
Mahalo.
T.F.O.T.H.
Music - for the past few months I've been attempting to rekindle my musical aspirations. It was difficult for a number of reasons (mostly tasks that needed to be addressed around the homestead) but I discovered that my equipment layout in the studio had no flow! Instead of being able to walk up to my equipment and begin, I realized that things were too jammed together. I rearranged some things and now all my equipment is easily accessible... keyboard, guitar, bass, mixers, computer, etc. What a concept!
So... now that I can easily access my keyboard, what is my first challenge?
There is a song performed by Delaney & Bonnie on their "Accept No Substitute" album called "Ghetto". I've always liked the song but what flips me out the most about it is Leon Russell's keyboard riffs! Leon has always been a favorite of mine for a number o reasons but his "voicings" on his riffs on this tune just do something to me.
[Nine days later...]
Of course, now that I have written about my "progress"... life has interjected itself with many tasks that have needed my immediate attention! Which is to say... I have not spent much time in the studio!
I'm going to publish this post and hope that the next one reveals some musical advancement.
Mahalo.
T.F.O.T.H.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Time apparently flies...
So... it appears that my last post was in May of 2012.
Must be about time for another one...
I'd be a liar if I said that not much has happened in all that time.
I'd also be a liar if I said that I remembered all of it!
It's a stretch to say I remember most of it but... I guess I should try.
Lost some people over the past six years... some very close.
Still with my wonderful beautiful Lady, I'm pleased to report.
Still working on my music... actually have a few under copyright.
Reconnected with a few folks from my past... one in particular that kind of has me over the moon with joy.
And... still in Deception Gulch!
My Lady and I hope to find truly "greener pastures" in the not too distant future but considering the state of affairs this country is in these days... Jerome still has that sense of community that is healthy and helpful.
Moving on...
Last year was completely filled with construction on our property... and I mean completely! Much needed repairs but we are so glad that part is done... well there are still some repairs needed (isn't that the plight of property owners?) but at least the non-stop (except for the days long breaks) construction crews are no longer here and we can actually see what plants survived.
In 2015 I decided that it was actually time to do something about all of the songs I had been writing over the years. December 3, 2015... the 4th anniversary of my son's passing... was the day it all began. I have a buddy that is a trained musician and he agreed to help me with the recording aspect of the project. He dove deeply into the machinations of digital recording and we began.
A great deal of time was involved in learning how to set up the recording situation. You know, mic placement, volume and tone settings, etc. While he was learning the actual recording side of things I was having my mind blown learning about arranging. I have been in a few bands (combos mostly) over the years but I had been performing as a solo artist for a long time. Just me and my faithful Washburn acoustic guitar. Well, when you are playing for a crowd of liquor drinking folk looking for a good time (and seeing as how my main genre of music was Classic Rock)... it is important to keep the sound coming out of the P.A. system so that is what I did. Strummin' and singing... full tilt boogie! But now that I'm in the recording studio and have the ability to lay down multiple tracks... I became introduced to the world of musical arranging! A totally new concept for me especially considering that it was up to me to lay down most (if not all) of the tracks. My mind began to explode!
Bottom line... I did not have to be continuously strumming my axe!
I have always been a rhythm guitar kind of player. Never really learned things like melody lines or riffs to accompany another player. I was usually the vocalist so being the rhythm guitar always seemed like enough. I do consider myself a half decent bass player but I have not yet learned how to sing lead and play bass at the same time. So... I do have an understanding of how to accompany other players... in concept. But never had much experience in doing it.
Now that I am in the studio... I started off by doing what I've always done: play rhythm guitar (track #1); sing lead vocal (track #2); maybe play some bass (track #3); vocal harmonies (tracks #4+) and occasionally add some keyboard (track #5). I would lay these tracks down either to a metronome or a drum track created by my buddy.
Good enough... right? Not really. Because now I have the ability to not be strumming on every beat. A concept totally new and foreign to me in most of my solo performing. I would listen to what I had recorded and realized that there was so much more that could be done if I could change my guitar style from always strumming to something more artistically musical and, therefore, more entertaining to the listener.
Hence... "arranging" and that is where I am these days. Trying to think like an arranger. Of course, if I had the money I would hire other musicians to help me and I could count on their individual tastes and styles to inspire me.
I'll let you know how this next step works out for me and, hopefully, it won't be another six years before I post again!
T.F.O.T.H.
Must be about time for another one...
I'd be a liar if I said that not much has happened in all that time.
I'd also be a liar if I said that I remembered all of it!
It's a stretch to say I remember most of it but... I guess I should try.
Lost some people over the past six years... some very close.
Still with my wonderful beautiful Lady, I'm pleased to report.
Still working on my music... actually have a few under copyright.
Reconnected with a few folks from my past... one in particular that kind of has me over the moon with joy.
And... still in Deception Gulch!
My Lady and I hope to find truly "greener pastures" in the not too distant future but considering the state of affairs this country is in these days... Jerome still has that sense of community that is healthy and helpful.
Moving on...
Last year was completely filled with construction on our property... and I mean completely! Much needed repairs but we are so glad that part is done... well there are still some repairs needed (isn't that the plight of property owners?) but at least the non-stop (except for the days long breaks) construction crews are no longer here and we can actually see what plants survived.
In 2015 I decided that it was actually time to do something about all of the songs I had been writing over the years. December 3, 2015... the 4th anniversary of my son's passing... was the day it all began. I have a buddy that is a trained musician and he agreed to help me with the recording aspect of the project. He dove deeply into the machinations of digital recording and we began.
A great deal of time was involved in learning how to set up the recording situation. You know, mic placement, volume and tone settings, etc. While he was learning the actual recording side of things I was having my mind blown learning about arranging. I have been in a few bands (combos mostly) over the years but I had been performing as a solo artist for a long time. Just me and my faithful Washburn acoustic guitar. Well, when you are playing for a crowd of liquor drinking folk looking for a good time (and seeing as how my main genre of music was Classic Rock)... it is important to keep the sound coming out of the P.A. system so that is what I did. Strummin' and singing... full tilt boogie! But now that I'm in the recording studio and have the ability to lay down multiple tracks... I became introduced to the world of musical arranging! A totally new concept for me especially considering that it was up to me to lay down most (if not all) of the tracks. My mind began to explode!
Bottom line... I did not have to be continuously strumming my axe!
I have always been a rhythm guitar kind of player. Never really learned things like melody lines or riffs to accompany another player. I was usually the vocalist so being the rhythm guitar always seemed like enough. I do consider myself a half decent bass player but I have not yet learned how to sing lead and play bass at the same time. So... I do have an understanding of how to accompany other players... in concept. But never had much experience in doing it.
Now that I am in the studio... I started off by doing what I've always done: play rhythm guitar (track #1); sing lead vocal (track #2); maybe play some bass (track #3); vocal harmonies (tracks #4+) and occasionally add some keyboard (track #5). I would lay these tracks down either to a metronome or a drum track created by my buddy.
Good enough... right? Not really. Because now I have the ability to not be strumming on every beat. A concept totally new and foreign to me in most of my solo performing. I would listen to what I had recorded and realized that there was so much more that could be done if I could change my guitar style from always strumming to something more artistically musical and, therefore, more entertaining to the listener.
Hence... "arranging" and that is where I am these days. Trying to think like an arranger. Of course, if I had the money I would hire other musicians to help me and I could count on their individual tastes and styles to inspire me.
I'll let you know how this next step works out for me and, hopefully, it won't be another six years before I post again!
T.F.O.T.H.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Visiting spirits or... ?
So... a few months ago a neighbor asks me if I've seen anybody suspicious around her home as she is missing some stuff. I asked her what was taken and she says over $15,000 in cash! Well, I had not seen anybody suspicious... other than the one or two vehicles that often visit her.
About a month or so after that she tells me that somebody is definitely breaking into her house because some other stuff is missing. Then two days ago she sees me outside and asks the same question and is interested in getting a neighborhood watch going. This time she is missing three bottles of prescription drugs.
I ask her if there has been any signs of forced entry and she tells me that there is not. Further, she assures me that she has installed new deadbolts on her doors (in case anybody might have original keys - it is a rental ;property) and that she has secured all of the windows.
So... am I sharing this with you because I am concerned that a possible crime wave has entered Deception Gulch? No, I am not. There is a little bit more information to share on this situation.
A few weeks ago this same neighbor knocked on our back door obviously in an extremely altered state trying to sell us some, shall we say, "illegal substances"! This person was stumbling with her words, weaving as she stood at our door and basically way over the limit of whatever she was on. I have known her for many years and have seen her in many altered states but never like this.
After we were able to assure her we were not nor ever had been interested in her offer, she stumbled away from our door heading in the opposite direction of her home. I decided to follow her to make sure she got off our property safely only to discover that he wandered into another neighbor's yard and was completely unsure of her whereabouts... she was totally lost and only 100 feet from her home!
Time passed and when she asked me for the second time about "suspicious" visitors in the neighborhood I questioned her about her recent episode at our home... she drew a complete blank. To this day she has no recollection of that incident!
This afternoon she called me wanting to organize a neighborhood watch. I don't think we need a neighborhood watch as much as we may need to watch this particular neighbor!
But then... sometimes that's life in Deception Gulch.
Maintain, co-exist and; Rise Above It All!
T.F.O.T.H.
T.F.O.T.H.
Maintain...
So much has transpired since my last post. Both in my life and the life of Jerome as well as Deception gulch! Friends and family members have literally moved on to new realms. I'll just leave it at that...
It is now May and Spring has finally arrived and the freshness of the immediate environment is a welcome change for our little neighborhood. The national political scene seems so far away from this place and I have to say that I find that a comfort. Living so close to nature as we do here in the Gulch helps to provide a healthy perspective to what is real and important.
I have decided to attempt to update this blog on a regular basis and I suppose we'll just have to see how that progresses! For now I can say that life is good and future is looking better. I hope you are able to say the same about your life.
Until the next time...
Maintain, co-exist and; Rise Above It All!
T.F.O.T.H.
T.F.O.T.H.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Katie Lee Stories...
Katie Lee has added some of her stories to her website.
You may read them HERE
Maintain, co-exist and; Rise Above It All!
T.F.O.T.H.
T.F.O.T.H.
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