Jump to content
HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO ALL OUR HARMONY CENTRAL FORUMITES AND GUESTS!! ×

Using your influences...


Recommended Posts

Posted

This week I discuss what I think is one of the most important elements to growth as a musician, which is taking the music that inspired you to play the guitar or music that incorporates the sounds, melodies or other elements that you like and using them as the building blocks for your own sound.

 

[video=youtube;iznaHB_dhPE]

Posted

Important lesson to learn/hear about. Especially the scales/music argument. You're the man, Mark.

 

Thanks! There are a million videos of guys showing Clapton licks online so I thought I would share some of the stuff that I wish had been taught me much earlier in my musical career :o

  • Members
Posted

Good thread Mark. :thu:
After about four months my last teacher got me to the point where he said, "You just need to work on your Book." By which he meant my Book of Riffs (motifs, breaks, whatevah.) Everybody's got one. Clark Terry was supposed to have said that to learn soloing a player needs to "Imitate, Assimilate and Innovate." And he should know.

Posted

 

Influences. Regardless of any disciplined method/focus you're never without them. You are continually and subliminally affected by them, without choice, even in the face of a personal conviction to lose them. To take a more gregarious approach by embracing them and rendering yourself from them seems a counter-intuitive method. Time heals all wounds. If you are heavily influenced, remain an active listener, you might as well expect to be at it a very long time. If you go into dying-respect mode, isolate yourself from any further stealing of your ear for identity, you may find the returns comes faster and bear sweeter fruit along the way. It comes down to desire. That sets the rules.


Edit: I'm assuming a good working knowledge of your chosen instrument and ability to use it.

 

 

 

I think it also depends on the style of music you're playing as well as your basic ability. Most of the folks who subscribe to my lessons or take classes in my studio are adult hobbyist players who want to play basic blues/rock/jazz styles. For them this is really the best route. For a player like myself who needs to shoehorn themselves into multiple styles on multiple gigs to make a living it's also a great approach. For the artist who is trying to find and express their own voice I can definitely see the value in what you are saying but I think that almost all musicians go through a period of emulation at some point in their musical life no matter where they end up.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...