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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
the art of space
the art of space
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waltertore
1310 posts
Apr 30, 2011
7:36 PM
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I had a very relaxing day today and my harp called me to play it solo, acoustic, with space. It seems today to be deamed a great player one has to be like a thompson machine gun player. The wall of sound dominates music along with exaggarated tones, dynamics. Very unatural sounding to me. I am of the old school of leaving space, letting the groove make the song, and trying to not mess up that natural rhytm of the universe by polluting it with too many notes. Walter
the groove of space
in and out lovin
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,800+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
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waltertore
1312 posts
May 01, 2011
10:56 AM
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I recorded these this afternoon with just vocals and harp. More songs involving space and the natural rhythm of life. Walter
the journey to peace
we live in a world of polluted thoughts
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,800+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
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jodanchudan
374 posts
May 01, 2011
11:21 AM
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Fantastic, Walter! I've been making a big effort to think about dynamics when I'm playing (though I often forget and play everything at the same volume) so it's helpful to hear some great examples like this.
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waltertore
1313 posts
May 01, 2011
2:36 PM
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you are welcome jodanchudan! I went back to listen to your playing. I found the jam track from guitar center you did. Forgive me if I have asked this already, but how long have you been playing? I am guessing less than more? You have very good tone and phrasing. What I am also guessing is you have more time playing by yourself than with live musicians in clubs? I also hear thinking going on. Maybe I am all wrong but I like to close my eyes, listen, and let the music tell me things.
What I often hear from soundclips on this forum are players with lots of technique but lacking in the sheer hours needed to play that next level of groove. There is no way around it via custom harps/mics/amps, private lessons, shortcuts to techniques. That next level of groove is the ability to play without playing. To let the space become the real star of the song. This next level means blindly following where music takes you with your life both on and off the instrument. I mean this as encouragement to everyone, including me, to keep blindly following the path laid out for each of us.
I have dedicated my life to my music. Every major life move has revolved around keeping my music pure without compromise. It has led to many geographical moves, learning the 1 man band instruments, going to college, learning to record my music, building 2 recording studios, and the list goes on. The blindly following has made my life more fullfilling with each passing year.
This doesn't mean that a touring pro is more dedicated to music than one that isn't. It is about having your music drive your life, not fame, money, women, drugs. You would be amazed at how many pro musicians wish they had the courage to explore other ways to make money and then be able to persue their music strictly on thier own terms. This is something one can't create conciously. It calls you and if you blindly follow, your life will follow accordingly but with a big ? as to where it will leave you in the music business universe.
If you don't blindly follow, you still can become a great technical player, and maybe world famous, but will never reach the groove that the rhytm of life flows on. I have seen tons of pros that are not on this flow and have seen some very unknown non full time players, ooze it. In fact playing full time challenges one to loose the blindly following part via never ending compromises. Compromises like playing songs, music, you don't like, recording music others dictate, trying to fit the in thing, etc..
Some of the greatest musicians I have heard were not full timers. This is what attracts so many people to the early blues and other ethnic/primative musics of the world. Most of the players never made/make a livable wage at it. What they play is their life. But in our culture ones life is defined by what generates the most income and then one has "hobbies" on the side. Many primative cultures define art as simply a part of everyday life but most of the day of life is spent generating enough food and shelter to live the day vs. art for pay/shelter/food as we define the musical profession.
Time spent on the instrument via blindly following the musical road of life is the only way to get on that groove level I would never give up for a zillion dollars of fame and fortune! Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,800+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on May 01, 2011 3:00 PM
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jodanchudan
376 posts
May 01, 2011
2:59 PM
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You hit the nail on the head, Walter - I'll have been playing for two years in May (bought my first Marine Band then!) and I do think too much while playing, mainly to avoid churning out the same old stuff. Also correct that I haven't played live - I don't know anyone else who plays or even likes blues. So yeah, it's been jam tracks all the while - but one thing I have found recently with jam tracks is that it's hard to practice dynamics with them because they tend to remain at the same volume throughout. That's why I've started making my own - my guitar playing's pretty shoddy but at least I can change the volume when I want to. Your advice is good advice - there's no quick fix or shortcut. Just play.
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waltertore
1314 posts
May 01, 2011
3:10 PM
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jodanchudan: You are doing great! You have all the tools to be a great player. Try to let go of the thinking. I hear that as the next door to open for you. Forget about new riffs and ones that people say are the killer one. They require thinking. Let your noodling/just tinkering playing take you over and it will take you to this river of life I am talking about. That will move you into new spaces that will excite you enough to forget all about jam tracks. Jam tracks stink. They lock you into a predetermined journey. Even making them yourself the result is the same. They also produce generic players. Playing on your own is a gift if you let it unfold because your own style will emerge. Playing with a crappy band is even better than using them. Music comes from a live place and that is where the mojo lies. Our culture has been working on erasing this since technology first hit the scene. I do my own and others jam tracks on occasion for these reasons:
to work on new recording techniques
to hush some critics via showing I can be more than what most of what my 1 man band stuff allows. most newer players, internet players, never knew I used a real trio for 25 years before the net appeared.
The first is the main reason and the second is my ego getting in the way :-) but for either reason, it helps me learn to make better recordings! Neither reason is about increasing my playing skills. Keep on the live road. Go to a street corner, a parking garage, a park, just sit and play. No one may stop but your music will interact with life. That is music. If we lived closer I could show you that road I am talking about but it isn't something that can be done via technology-phone, computer, etc. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,800+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on May 01, 2011 4:30 PM
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