A lot of you felt that my last post was suddenly something I ripped off from John Mayer, or something that was totally inspired by him. Yes, AND no.
It was inspired by the way things are around, the bullshit that goes on and is perceived as something, Oh so cool!!!! Why, coz some socially accepted nitwit thinks its awesome and has lauded it(eg.-the general worship for Lokesh Khanna. I'm sorry, there's about as much musician in him as there is penis in Spotted Dick and Gulaab in Gulaab Jaamun - this only from sharing a stage with him a few times). It is also inspired by the fact that, everything is taken for granted ...
For the longest time, I couldn't listen to John Mayer, rather bring myself to listen to him because after hearing Why, Georgie Why, i heard Your Body is a Wonderland, and I wondered why such a supremely talented individual would play such random bullshit and throwing in a hooky chorus everywhere singing 'Your body is a Wonderland',(Naishad Kati can state pretty accurately how worthless i think the chorus and song is, and how i hate it) it did and still does seem like a very stupid song which no matter how lauded as the real deal, if ever, i shall always be closed to. That, back then, effectively shut out John Mayer for me.
However, over the years, I was exposed to various avataars of the man, his 'band', his Blues trio, it was inevitable, 1 feeds the the 2nd and so on feed the 3rd and back to 1, all 3 entities are self supporting, and that's when i got on better terms with him, changed my approach to his music. I'm still no scholar in terms of John Mayer, but I'm able to appreciate him a lot LOT more, and more then just appreciate. My respect for the man, as a musician, and more importantly, as a thinker of a musician, as a thinker about the essential parts of life, his life of course(which is music), is seamless and boundless.
His talk at Berklee, and the way he presented himself, all he spoke about, all he professed to be and do, was completely naked (not now ladies, fantasies about John Mayer later, read woman read!!!! FOCUS!!!!). His approach to his music, to how he put it out there, where he started, focus, regimen, humility, self-doubt, and using that self-doubt and criticism as an analytical tool.
A strict practice and training regime, so much so that it is almost athletic. Put all your vices and distractions aside, and go for what you think, and what in your opinion is something that contributes to your growth. Teachers, friends, family, musicians, Gods, rockstars, sessions musicians and all their families, ancestors, and descendants, and even their.....well , you get the picture......can tell you a million things. <strong><em>But what you take away from them, what you decide that you want to learn, what you decide to teach yourself (through whatever medium, yourself or a teacher)is what makes you grow.</strong>
You have to live with yourself, you have to push yourself, and like i said, there is always a higher plane, always that much more distance to cover.
When writing a song, you have to go with your flow, whether your flow is planned, felt, constructed, or even programmed with the help of the Advanced Quantum Trignometized Theory of Sonic Magnetic Perception while viewed from the Hypotenuse. Work with it, it is after all your strength, and your best foot, right? so why would you not want to put that forward.
WRONG, that is not much but a great place to start, something that gives you a push, purely magnitude wise, not necessarily directionally, if both, then I am truly happy for you. Once you get the ball rolling, you start exploring, you start trying, you start replacing a simple melody, or simple playing, with all the twists and turns that signify Chaos Theory.
In short, it all looks like a maze and twist of random events and notes, but from the greater perspective, it is one kickass song!!!!!
That's the ideal result. What will happen, initially more often then not, and then with decreasing frequency, (but it is important that it still happens), is that you will write bad songs, some shitty ones, some pretty bad ones, some which are like, "DUDE!!!!! Elevator music"!!!!
But then, you will...and trust me...if you put in the effort, if you work it through, and see it through, and do justice, you WILL, write a GOOD song.
(disclaimer : - Justice, is a relative term and purely variable, there is no such thing as too little or too much in a song. There is no formula, you will grow into it with age... whether musical, or physical/mental age, and if you don't age, well, I'm just hoping it'll come to you, else, fear not, you can always play Tic-Tac-Toe like Cleetus).
There is never too much, or too little in a song, its just the biggest, most dynamic space ever. Remember, there was that day, when Alex Lifeson thrust a keyboard into Geddy Lee's hands, and there was that day when he just took it back. Give and take - its almost like playing with yourself, except its WAAAAAYYYYYYYY more fun.
Failure is a stepping stone to success, and just as it applies everywhere else, it applies in songwriting as well. You start off somewhere low, acknowledge it, push yourself, strive to rise above, and you will. There are good, well meaning people along the way, who are always around to help you and guide you. It is your approach to them, theirs and your craft that makes ALL the difference.
Chords, lines, riffs, lyrics, melodies, arpeggios _________________ (that blank is for the already learned ones to fill up - I will get there soon, when i do, I'll fill in the blank) are all out there, they have been created, withstood the test of time, and still do exist very strongly. It is how we view them, understand, play, and use them that counts.
Use your strengths, start strengthening your weaknesses. As you become stronger, more knowledgeable, and more schooled (the interpretation of schooled is as you perceive it), you will get stronger, but where one weakness died, another 10 WILL spring up, but so will 5 more strengths.
Play these right, shuffle them around, read IF -Rudyard Kipling, and manage your hand of 21-card rummy well - And you have one hell of a lifelong gaming session on your hands, for all the world to see. This day won't last forever, deep in the hearts of men...Seize it...Carpe Diem baby!!!!
I probably sounds preachy, or pseudo-knowledgeable. Its meant to be neither, just thoughts, ideas, something you might enjoy reading. And no, I'm not going to be stuck on songwriting forever, I'm a little more multi-faceted then that. OK, maybe even MPD ridden.
But don't expect everything to be absolutely bloody brilliant, like songwriting, everything's got to have its ups and downs for growth. Besides, if all the reading was SO damned fantastic, trust me , i know you, you would get bored.
But as long as it makes for good reading, I'm glad you are still here, and taking something away. More to come soon, diversified, and so on.
Cheers,
The Beast.
It was inspired by the way things are around, the bullshit that goes on and is perceived as something, Oh so cool!!!! Why, coz some socially accepted nitwit thinks its awesome and has lauded it(eg.-the general worship for Lokesh Khanna. I'm sorry, there's about as much musician in him as there is penis in Spotted Dick and Gulaab in Gulaab Jaamun - this only from sharing a stage with him a few times). It is also inspired by the fact that, everything is taken for granted ...
For the longest time, I couldn't listen to John Mayer, rather bring myself to listen to him because after hearing Why, Georgie Why, i heard Your Body is a Wonderland, and I wondered why such a supremely talented individual would play such random bullshit and throwing in a hooky chorus everywhere singing 'Your body is a Wonderland',(Naishad Kati can state pretty accurately how worthless i think the chorus and song is, and how i hate it) it did and still does seem like a very stupid song which no matter how lauded as the real deal, if ever, i shall always be closed to. That, back then, effectively shut out John Mayer for me.
However, over the years, I was exposed to various avataars of the man, his 'band', his Blues trio, it was inevitable, 1 feeds the the 2nd and so on feed the 3rd and back to 1, all 3 entities are self supporting, and that's when i got on better terms with him, changed my approach to his music. I'm still no scholar in terms of John Mayer, but I'm able to appreciate him a lot LOT more, and more then just appreciate. My respect for the man, as a musician, and more importantly, as a thinker of a musician, as a thinker about the essential parts of life, his life of course(which is music), is seamless and boundless.
His talk at Berklee, and the way he presented himself, all he spoke about, all he professed to be and do, was completely naked (not now ladies, fantasies about John Mayer later, read woman read!!!! FOCUS!!!!). His approach to his music, to how he put it out there, where he started, focus, regimen, humility, self-doubt, and using that self-doubt and criticism as an analytical tool.
A strict practice and training regime, so much so that it is almost athletic. Put all your vices and distractions aside, and go for what you think, and what in your opinion is something that contributes to your growth. Teachers, friends, family, musicians, Gods, rockstars, sessions musicians and all their families, ancestors, and descendants, and even their.....well , you get the picture......can tell you a million things. <strong><em>But what you take away from them, what you decide that you want to learn, what you decide to teach yourself (through whatever medium, yourself or a teacher)is what makes you grow.</strong>
You have to live with yourself, you have to push yourself, and like i said, there is always a higher plane, always that much more distance to cover.
When writing a song, you have to go with your flow, whether your flow is planned, felt, constructed, or even programmed with the help of the Advanced Quantum Trignometized Theory of Sonic Magnetic Perception while viewed from the Hypotenuse. Work with it, it is after all your strength, and your best foot, right? so why would you not want to put that forward.
WRONG, that is not much but a great place to start, something that gives you a push, purely magnitude wise, not necessarily directionally, if both, then I am truly happy for you. Once you get the ball rolling, you start exploring, you start trying, you start replacing a simple melody, or simple playing, with all the twists and turns that signify Chaos Theory.
In short, it all looks like a maze and twist of random events and notes, but from the greater perspective, it is one kickass song!!!!!
That's the ideal result. What will happen, initially more often then not, and then with decreasing frequency, (but it is important that it still happens), is that you will write bad songs, some shitty ones, some pretty bad ones, some which are like, "DUDE!!!!! Elevator music"!!!!
But then, you will...and trust me...if you put in the effort, if you work it through, and see it through, and do justice, you WILL, write a GOOD song.
(disclaimer : - Justice, is a relative term and purely variable, there is no such thing as too little or too much in a song. There is no formula, you will grow into it with age... whether musical, or physical/mental age, and if you don't age, well, I'm just hoping it'll come to you, else, fear not, you can always play Tic-Tac-Toe like Cleetus).
There is never too much, or too little in a song, its just the biggest, most dynamic space ever. Remember, there was that day, when Alex Lifeson thrust a keyboard into Geddy Lee's hands, and there was that day when he just took it back. Give and take - its almost like playing with yourself, except its WAAAAAYYYYYYYY more fun.
Failure is a stepping stone to success, and just as it applies everywhere else, it applies in songwriting as well. You start off somewhere low, acknowledge it, push yourself, strive to rise above, and you will. There are good, well meaning people along the way, who are always around to help you and guide you. It is your approach to them, theirs and your craft that makes ALL the difference.
Chords, lines, riffs, lyrics, melodies, arpeggios _________________ (that blank is for the already learned ones to fill up - I will get there soon, when i do, I'll fill in the blank) are all out there, they have been created, withstood the test of time, and still do exist very strongly. It is how we view them, understand, play, and use them that counts.
Use your strengths, start strengthening your weaknesses. As you become stronger, more knowledgeable, and more schooled (the interpretation of schooled is as you perceive it), you will get stronger, but where one weakness died, another 10 WILL spring up, but so will 5 more strengths.
Play these right, shuffle them around, read IF -Rudyard Kipling, and manage your hand of 21-card rummy well - And you have one hell of a lifelong gaming session on your hands, for all the world to see. This day won't last forever, deep in the hearts of men...Seize it...Carpe Diem baby!!!!
I probably sounds preachy, or pseudo-knowledgeable. Its meant to be neither, just thoughts, ideas, something you might enjoy reading. And no, I'm not going to be stuck on songwriting forever, I'm a little more multi-faceted then that. OK, maybe even MPD ridden.
But don't expect everything to be absolutely bloody brilliant, like songwriting, everything's got to have its ups and downs for growth. Besides, if all the reading was SO damned fantastic, trust me , i know you, you would get bored.
But as long as it makes for good reading, I'm glad you are still here, and taking something away. More to come soon, diversified, and so on.
Cheers,
The Beast.
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