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Dynamics or tone?tone or dynamics?…..well, maybe
Recently I’ve been trying to vary my loudness and tone so that I’m not just playing and singing in a monotone way worrying only about hitting the notes. After all we don’t speak in a monotone.I was watching an interview with Ron Block on guitar gathering and he was reinforcing the idea of playing from the heart. It was like duh! Moment.now I’m trying to vary my tone and dynamics to capture the heart of the song . What a difference. By the time I finished Polly Von I was practically in tears. And when I finished Girl from north country, I really was wondering “ if she remembers me at all”.this lesson which seems so obvious but one I had not learned has become aHUGE Win I think
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8 Replies
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Right on Fred!
I’ve (also?) been monkeying with learning to play and sing at the same time. It has not been easy or pretty (believe me)- but at the point I’m at– I really don’t/can’t expect it to be.
I too have seen myself be “monotone-y” and “rigid” as I concentrate WAY hard on ***just getting thru*** a song. That’s when I chuckle at me, and remind myself try to ***remember… that I’m PLAYING the song***. Emphasis- “PLAYING”……
It’s not supposed to be easy, but at my (our?) stage of the game– it’s not supposed to be “work” either🤔.
When I do get the “monotone-ys”, I revert back to the tabs for the song, and crank up a YouTube video or I just “ask Alexa” to play it– and play and sing along with the artist playing and singing. That brings me back to how the ARTIST played it- (with all the cool inflections, tones, runs, etc). Like a giant re-set button, this kind-of “sets me straight” so to speak, with the song. And off I go on it again- with the “original directions” fresh in my mind.
My hope is that automatic memory will finally/eventually kick in.
Anyway- seems I’ve turned into the Allman Brothers- “Lord I was born a Ramblin’ Man”……🙄
Go get ’em!
the old coach
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TOC, as usual you have nailed it and summed up the essence of how many of us often feel.for me when I get to monotoning I’m going to try to relate to what the song is trying to emote and see if I can capture it
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@Mrfredsporty and @the-old-coach , I have been practicing a little with how a song is sung also. I do pretty much do what Mark is doing and try to play the guitar along with the song playing and catch the same way the artist sang the song. I usually upload the song into the audacity app. I can slow the song down if necessary. Also record myself playing and see how I sound along side it.
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wow, cadgirl I have not reached that point where Im recording myself very often. I am going to do that much more consistently shortly cuz as you mentioned it is very important for growth.
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@Mrfredsporty When I started really listening to songs that I play, I realized….. Hey, I’m playing it wrong. Maybe the break was in the wrong place or whatnot. So by recording it and listening to myself playing and singing. It jumps up and slaps me in the face when I hear it wrong.,
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I think I’m too afraid of what I will hear. I’m going to work on it (honest)
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There’s a local band around where we live. They don’t play anywhere else but right around our area. They have played the EXACT same sets and songs– for decades.
(Here’s where I’m going with this, and how it relates to this thread)……
Over the years, after playing them probably thousands of times, they have CHANGED the old songs they play (probably without even noticing it themselves)- to the point that they sound different from the original versions- (mostly 80’s and 90’s music)- sometimes portions are WAAAY different. As I said- I don’t think they even realize it.
That’s why at my level- (WAY down the ladder still)- I have to listen to the original version(s) occasionally- to keep things “real”.
the old coach
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Cool,TOC
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